Beyond Colombia Exotic Fruit Tour

The Beyond Colombia Exotic Fruit Tour is a 2.5-hour fruit tasting run by Beyond Colombia, a Colombian tour operator that runs a range of city and regional tours from Bogotá. The experience departs from Parque Santander, in front of the Museo del Oro at Carrera 6 #15-88 in the historic centre, on weekday afternoons, Monday to Friday. From there the guide leads participants by public transport to a working local market, then returns to the centre, which gives visitors a practical introduction to riding Bogotá's buses as well as to the country's produce. The tasting covers a wide range of Colombian fruits, many of them unfamiliar to visitors from outside the tropics, and the guide explains their names, origins, seasons and how Colombians usually eat them. Because fruit is the whole focus, the tour is sweet and tangy rather than savoury, with no meal component. The fixed price of COP 60,000 per person (about $19) includes the fruit tasting, one exotic fruit juice, round-trip public transport fares between the meeting point and the market, and an English-speaking local guide. Nothing further is required, although visitors may want to buy extra fruit or snacks at the market. That inclusive price makes this the cheapest structured food experience in the centre. The group format is a guided walking and transit tour, so the pace is moderate with standing time at the market stalls. Dietary needs are mostly straightforward for fruit, but visitors with allergies to specific tropical fruits or latex-related sensitivities should tell the operator before booking, since tasting sizes are small but varied. Weekday afternoon departures mean the market is active, and a light layer and sun protection are sensible at Bogotá's altitude of about 2,600 metres. The tour suits travellers who want a low-cost, low-commitment food activity that also demonstrates local transport and market life away from the tourist streets of La Candelaria.