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Flavors of Puerto Rico - Food Tour in Old San Juan
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Puerto Rico Food Tour & Cooking Vacations in San Juan
Puerto Rico lies at the very center of the Caribbean, and it is the perfect destination for an amazing Caribbean culinary vacations and food tours. Even though the island territory is small – making for an amazing and intimate culinary tour – it has over 300 miles of coastline with gorgeous white sand beaches, not to mention lush mountain ranges.
Puerto Rico, a US commonwealth, is actually an archipelago made up of a main island, four smaller islands, and many islets. Its cultural heritage is rich, arising from the diverse backgrounds of the Taíno, Spanish, and African cultures. It gastronomic heritage as just as fascinating, and the world of local cuisine is yours to explore on our food tour in Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican people, or “Boricuas,” as they are called, are a proud and friendly people, ready to welcome you to their island home and show you their enchanting culture.
Among the many sites to explore on a Puerto Rico food tour, the most popular is Old San Juan. Its 500 years of history are traced in the cobblestone streets, colonial buildings, and lively restaurants and bars. Whether you are in Puerto Rico for a our three-night Old San Juan food tour or able to explore the island more in depth during our Flavors of Puerto Rico Caribbean culinary vacation, San Juan will be one of the highlights of your trip.
From the beaches and azure waters of Isla Verde, to the rum plantations of Vega Alta, from the coffee haciendas to the famed “pork road” of Guavate, Puerto Rico’s rich history and fantastic gastronomy are calling you. Come explore this amazing island on a Puerto Rico food tour and discover why this island is one of the best destinations for an unforgettable culinary vacation.
Old San Juan Food Tour Details
Your amazing 6-night Puerto Rico culinary vacation will show you the beauty and delicious gastronomy of this amazing island country. Your 6-night Caribbean foodie tour includes:
- a hands-on cooking class
- accommodations at boutique properties
- walking of Old San Juan
- rum tastings
- visit of sugar cane plantation and coffee farm
- fabulous beach day
- excursion to Guavate to taste Puerto Rican lechón
- and more!
Trip Details
Itinerary
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Day One
- Arrival at San Juan airport and private transfer to your hotel.
- Time on your own to relax, and dinner tonight on your own. If you want a multi-course tasting menu tonight or any other night with an international chef or one of the local up-and-coming culinary stars, please let us know ahead of time so we can reserve a table for you.
- Overnight.
Day Two
- Start day two of your Puerto Rico food tour by stepping out of your centrally-located hotel to find a perfect breakfast spot.
- Next, meet your guide for a private walking tour of Old San Juan. You will have aromatic local coffee at a Bohemian cafe, not to mention a lively discussion of the history and contemporary culture of Puerto Rico, its typical holidays and folklore, and family traditions. Stop at a local supermarket to learn about the staples of Puerto Rican cuisine, which go back to the time of the Taino Indians, along with the ingredients brought later to the island from Africa and Europe.
- Next, proceed to a rum tasting, with the entire line up of local rums headed by an experienced bartender.
- Stop during the tour for lunch featuring Puerto Rican specialties (cost of lunch not included, paid locally based on your selections).
- This afternoon, enjoy time on your own to explore or relax at the beach. Dinner tonight on your own, with recommendations by your host.
- Overnight.
Day Three
- Breakfast on your own.
- Private transfer (of about 10 minutes) to the chef’s home for a shared, small group hands-on cooking class. She will use recipes handed down from her grandmother, and you will prepare a traditional farm-to-table meal with appetizer and main dish.
- Lunch will follow, with dessert and coffee.
- Transfer back to Old San Juan.
- This evening, enjoy time on your own to relax or explore. Dinner on your own.
- Overnight.
Day Four
- Breakfast on your own and check out.
- Continue your San Juan food tour with a transfer with your private guide to Vega Alta, about 30 minutes away, home to the only sugar cane plantation estate and traditional distillery in Puerto Rico. Here they produce fine rum the original way, directly from sugar cane that they grow, unlike most industrially-produced rums, which are distilled from molasses made from sugar cane juice sourced from elsewhere. Taste real Puerto Rican rum at the source!
- Join a shared tour of the cane fields and distillery, learning about how they make this unique product from start to finish. And end, of course, with a rum tasting.
- Spend the rest of the day beach hopping between the gorgeous Cerro Gordo and Mar Chiquita beaches, where you will be able to relax and also taste the typical finger food served at the open-air chinchorros that the locals love. Alcapurrias, empanadillas, pastelillos, bacalaitos, seafood skewers, and more await you! (Cost of finger food paid locally, but expect to spend $15-$20 per person depending on the size of your appetite!)
- Return to the San Juan metro area and check in at your beach-front hotel in the Isla Verde neighborhood.
- Dinner on your own and overnight.
Day Five
- Head out for breakfast on your own.
- Free day to enjoy the beach by day and the tropical food, drinks, and music by night!
- Overnight.
Day Six
- Head out for breakfast on your own.
- Your Puerto Rico food tour continues with a transfer with your private guide to San Lorenzo (about 40 minutes away), where you will join a small group visit a local coffee farm to learn about the island’s coffee history, as well as about modern methods for growing, processing, and roasting coffee. End the tour with a tasting.
- Next, head to Guavate (about 25 minutes away) and visit the legendary road that travels through the countryside of central Puerto Rico. Guavate has earned cult status among the locals for its lechoneras, the rustic, open-air eateries along the road that specialize in lechón, or whole, spit-roasted pig. The lechoneras start at the base of the mountains and continue on both sides of the road for several miles.
- Enjoy a lunch of lechón, the house specialty, or of ribs, roasted chicken, or morcilla (blood sausage). (Cost of lunch paid locally based on your selections.)
- Return to your hotel. Dinner on your own.
- Overnight.
Day Seven
- Breakfast and transfer to the San Juan airport for your return flight.
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Day One
- Arrival at San Juan airport and private transfer to your hotel.
- Time on your own to relax, and dinner tonight on your own. If you want a multi-course tasting menu tonight or any other night with an international chef or one of the local up-and-coming culinary stars, please let us know ahead of time so we can reserve a table for you.
- Overnight.
Day Two
- Start your day be stepping out of your centrally-located hotel to find a perfect breakfast spot. (Your hosts will have given you some suggestions the day before).
- Next, meet your guide for a private walking tour of Old San Juan. You will have aromatic local coffee at a Bohemian cafe, not to mention a lively discussion of the history and contemporary culture of Puerto Rico, its typical holidays and folklore, and family traditions. Stop at a local supermarket to learn about the staples of Puerto Rican cuisine, which go back to the time of the Taino Indians, along with the ingredients brought later to the island from Africa and Europe.
- Next, proceed to a rum tasting, with the entire line up of local rums headed by an experienced bartender.
- You will also stop for lunch featuring local Puerto Rican specialties (cost of lunch not included, paid locally based on your selections).
- This afternoon, enjoy time on your own to explore or relax at the beach. Dinner tonight on your own, with recommendations by your host.
- Overnight.
Day Three
- Breakfast on your own.
- Private transfer (of about 10 minutes) to the chef’s home for a hands-on cooking class. She will use recipes handed down from her grandmother, and you will prepare a traditional farm-to-table meal with appetizer and main dish.
- Lunch will follow, with dessert and coffee.
- Transfer back to Old San Juan.
- This evening, enjoy time on your own to relax or explore. Dinner on your own.
- Overnight.
Day Four
- Breakfast on your own.
- Check out and transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Caribbean Food Tour Details
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Included in Your 6-Night Food Tour in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Accommodations- Three nights in a 3* or 4* hotel in Old San Juan
- Three nights in a 3* or 4* hotel in Isla Verde
Food & Beverages- Lunch included after the cooking class, other meals paid locally
Classes & InstructorsYour one hands-on cooking class outside of Old San Juan will focus on traditional Puerto Rican cuisine dishes. The class will take place at the home of a local chef, and will feature recipes handed down for generations.
Excursions- Walking tour of Old San Juan
- Rum tasting in San Juan
- Visit of sugar cane plantation and distillery, with rum tasting
- Beach day in Cerro Gordo and Mar Chiquita, with chance to enjoy local finger foods
- Visit of coffee farm, with tasting
- Excursion to Guavate, with chance to taste local specialities of the lechoneras
Transfer DetailsTransfers included between San Juan airport and your accommodations.
Miscellaneous- Orientation meeting on day one
Not Included
- Gratuities
- Breakfasts in Old San Juan
- Cost of finger foods on Day 4 and local foods on Day 6 (paid locally based on your selections)
- Dinners
- Beverages except where noted otherwise
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Included in Your 3-Night Food Tour in Puerto Rico
AccommodationsThree nights in a 3* or 4* hotel in Old San Juan
Food & Beverages- 1 lunch
Classes & InstructorsYour one hands-on cooking class will focus on traditional Puerto Rican cuisine and will take place at the chef’s home outside of Old San Juan.
Excursions- Walking tour of Old San Juan
- Rum tasting in San Juan
Transfer DetailsTransfers included between San Juan airport and your accommodations.
Miscellaneous- Orientation meeting on day one
Not Included
- Gratuities
- Breakfasts in Old San Juan
- Cost of finger foods on Day 4 and local foods on Day 6 (paid locally based on your selections)
- Dinners
- Beverages except where noted otherwise
Accommodation Information
Enjoy 3 nights at a centrally located hotel during your Old San Juan Puerto Rico food tour, either the 3* Hotel Decanter (or similar), or the 4* Hotel Sheraton (or similar).
The 3* Hotel Decanter is boutique hotel in a 19th-century colonial building in the heart of the Old San Juan historic district. The hotel has a rooftop terrace and interior courtyard, as well as a restaurant and bar. Interior rooms have queen or king bed, unique design, and original artwork. Rooms have air conditioning, ceiling fan, TV, WiFi, and in-room safe.
Rooftop of the Hotel Decanter in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A double room at the Hotel Decanter in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A city view bedroom at the Hotel Decanter in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Interior of the Hotel Decanter in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The 4* Sheraton is a large hotel overlooking San Juan Bay. It has casual rooms with king bed, WiFi, TV, air conditioning, in-room safe, and tea/coffee makers. There is a bar and eatery with open-air dining, a gym, and a rooftop terrace with outdoor pool and hot tub.
Exterior of the Sheraton Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
King bedroom at the Sheraton Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Rooftop pool of the Sheraton Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Double bedroom at the Sheraton Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Double room at the Sheraton Hotel in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
For those doing the 6-night itinerary, enjoy 3 additional nights at Isla Verde Beach at a 3* hotel or at Condado Beach at a 4* hotel. Inquire with dates for specific accommodations.
Puerto Rico Culinary Vacation Pricing & Tour Dates
Find pricing and dates for our food tours in Puerto Rico below, and contact us for availability or to plan your trip.
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6-Night San Juan Food Tours Sample* Pricing
See moreUS$3985 per person based on double occupancy
*Pricing can vary by date and season, please inquire.
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!
Single supplement: please inquire
Upgrades: please inquire
Peak season supplement may apply (December 22-January 23).6-Night Food Tours in Puerto Rico Dates
See moreOur Puerto Rico culinary vacations can take place any week you choose for a minimum of 2 people.
2025
Please inquire for availability. -
3-Night San Juan Food Tours Sample* Pricing
See moreUS$2085 per person based on double occupancy
*Pricing can vary by dates and season – please inquire.
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!
Single supplement: please inquire
Upgrades: please inquire
Peak season supplement may apply (December 22-January 23).3-Night Food Tours in Puerto Rico Dates
See moreOur Caribbean culinary vacations in Puerto Rico can take place any dates you choose for a minimum of 2 people.
2024-2025
Please inquire for availability.
