Street Food and Exotic Fruit Tours in Medellín: Which One to Pick?
5 min read
Short answer: for the fruit, take one of the 2.5-hour tours of the Minorista market. For an evening that mixes food with a view, take one of the El Poblado street food walks. They are different outings in different parts of town, so decide first whether you want a market by day or a neighbourhood at night.
Two kinds of food tour
All three fruit tours meet at the Plaza Minorista José María Villa, the large market hall in La Candelaria, close to the centre. Two of them name the main pedestrian entrance by the footbridge as the meeting point. The street food walks go through El Poblado, the neighbourhood of restaurants and rooftop bars in the south-east of the city, and stop for tastings between bars. Our food tours page lists everything in this category, including cooking and chocolate options.
Five tours compared
| Tour | Length | From | Rating | What the booking page says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25+ exotic fruits, hidden market tour | 2.5 hours | €28.60 | 5.0 (168) | 20 to 30 fruits depending on the season, snacks such as empanadas or buñuelos, a fruit juice; at most 8 people; Spanish or English |
| Guided exotic fruits tour | 2.5 hours | €31.46 | 5.0 (279) | Fruit tasting and a fresh juice; at most 6 people; English only, Spanish only as a private tour |
| Exotic fruit tour: taste what you’ve never tried | 2.5 hours | €24.46 | 5.0 (233) | 20+ fruits, a large juice, six market sections from fish to medicinal plants; at most 8 people; English or Spanish |
| Street food and Poblado rooftop tour with a local | 3 hours | €35.75 | 4.8 (359) | Five street food snacks and one rooftop, drinks not included; at most 10 people; not suitable for under-18s |
| Tasting street food with the rooftops of El Poblado | 3 hours | €33.84 | 4.5 (67) | Evening walk, four tastings and one drink, Envy Rooftop and Masaya; at most 15 people |
Prices are per person. The first tour’s title says “25+” fruits; its booking page promises 20 to 30, depending on what is in season.
What separates the fruit tours
The market is the same, the length is the same, so the differences are in the details on the booking pages:
- Language. The guided exotic fruits tour runs in English only; Spanish is available only as a private tour. The other two have English- and Spanish-speaking guides.
- Group size. At most six people on the guided exotic fruits tour, eight on the other two.
- Allergies. The hidden market tour lists people with food allergies as not suitable. The guided exotic fruits tour asks you to report allergies when you book.
- What else you eat. Only the hidden market tour adds savoury snacks, such as empanadas or buñuelos, and its description calls it a morning outing. The third tour walks you through the other market sections as well, from meat and fish to corn and medicinal plants.
Water is not included on the hidden market tour, and the guided exotic fruits tour asks you to bring your own, so take a bottle. The hidden market tour does not allow sandals or flip-flops.
What separates the street food walks
Both are in El Poblado and both include a rooftop, but they are built differently.
The first walk meets at the San José parish church by Poblado Park, serves five types of street food and, according to its list of inclusions, visits one rooftop; its highlights speak of two. Drinks are not included. Its booking page lists anyone under 18 and people with mobility impairments as not suitable, and advises you not to eat dinner beforehand.
The second walk is an evening tour from Los Patios hostel. Its food stops are named: Arepas Las Chachas, Empanaditas El Poblado and Los Famosos del Poblado, then Envy Rooftop and Masaya Medellín. One typical drink is included, more drinks are paid separately. Bring a physical passport or ID card; copies are not accepted. The route has stairs. If the nightlife is your goal, our nightlife guide compares the dedicated options.
Who should pick which
You want the market and speak English: the guided exotic fruits tour, in the smallest group.
You want the market with a Spanish-speaking guide: the exotic fruit tour with 20+ tastings, or the hidden market tour if nobody in your group has a food allergy.
You want dinner-sized tastings and a view, and everyone is 18 or over: the Poblado street food walk.
You want food on a neighbourhood tour: the Comuna 13 street food tours are far more reviewed than any tour above; see our Comuna 13 guide.
Our recommendation
For most visitors who are happy with an English-speaking guide: the guided exotic fruits tour. It has the most reviews of the three fruit tours, 5.0 stars from 279 reviews, and the smallest group, at most six people. If you want the tour in Spanish, take the exotic fruit tour with 20+ tastings instead. If you would rather eat in the evening, the El Poblado street food walk with five tastings has the more reviews of the two walks.
