San Salvador Food Tour and Market Shopping

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

San Salvador, El Salvador

Great choice

20+ bookings last month.

3 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8

· Anna_L ·

Mar 2026

Great tour! The food is very tasty and not too expensive, and you get to see a cute part of the city and learn some new things about the country too. Definitely recommend.

· TakChi_W ·

Jan 2026

Dave spent his birthday with me, and I was the only guest booked for that day. Dave still graciously took time out of his special day to introduce his country and share the wonders of food and history. His knowledge is abundant, and his passion and enthusiasm for the country and its ongoing development touched me greatly! Highly recommend.

Overview

What's Included

Entrance to the National Library of EL Salvador, Binaes. No fees charged
Entrance to Pollo Bonanza restaurant.
Entrance free to plaza centro and street market, without any fees.
Entrance free of charge at Itchel restaurant.
Guide

Lunch

All of the different type of soups, and meals are excluded.
Snacks

We will try different type of snacks, and beverages and they are also excluded.
Coffee and/or Tea

Sometimes we get access to coffe spots where different variaties of coffe preparations are shown, also excluded.
Tips, if you think the tour was excellent, you can leave a good tip as well.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

National Library of El Salvador
4 Calle Ote., San Salvador, El Salvador
We will meet at the BINAES, ( National Library of El Salvador ). In the lobby area there is a cafeteria, right next to it, there are some good and comfortable couches and the place has a good air conditioning where I will wait for you. I will be with a small salvadorean flag with a nice smile.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.1:00 pm

Itinerary

National Library of El Salvador

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kuskatán • Centro Histórico

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

San Salvador

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Hula Hula Market

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Mikhail_W

Adrian was one of the best if not the best tour guide i have ever had. Outside of the food tour he gave a very in detail description of landmarks, people and history of El Salvador. The food was very filling and delicious!!! So much i (We) were unable to complete the tour. I did this as a solo traveler and even though it was just him and I he kept me engaged the WHOLE tour (3hr-4hr). When I come back i would definetly do this again 1000/10!

Reviews

4.8

based on 23 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Good

Cristian_G, Mar 2026

Great places with great food and my guide was super knowledgeable and polite 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Great tour!

Anna_L, Mar 2026

Great tour! The food is very tasty and not too expensive, and you get to see a cute part of the city and learn some new things about the country too. Definitely recommend.

basic tour

Mary_F, Mar 2026

We were suppose to a free icecream and we were not offered it . vvvvbvbbvcbvvbvvvvvvvvvbvvvcvccccvvvvcv

Response from Host, Mar 2026

We are really sorry about the inconveniences Mary, according to the guide,.he said he offered it and everyone said.they were already full. Imhave given a command so the Salvadorean ice-cream can be given after the first meal.

Amazing El Salvador!

Lowan_A, Mar 2026

David was amazing. He not only took us to a variety of places to try the local soaps, chicken dishes, and sweet treats, he gave us a lot of information about the history and current initiatives happening in El Salvador. He is very proud of the work being done and made us excited to come back and witness some of the infrastructure changes that will make traveling across El Salvador easier to see in the future. Also I was too full to eat all of the food...LOL. It was great!

Do this tour!

Michael_W, Feb 2026

Javier made this food tour really fun! Not only did he introduce to all kinds of wonderful foods, but he also shared the poignant history of El Salvador, which made the day totally enriching.

Javier Was Great

Candice_B, Jan 2026

I did this as a solo traveler. There was a couple as well so the group was small which was nice. Our guide was Javier. He explained he was new and we were his first group (alone). He did a great job and I believe he will only get better. He was really knowledgeable about his country and answered questions we had. The restaurant choices were good. Food was tasty and fairly priced.

Foodie experience in El Salavador

neil_h, Jan 2026

Really good tour guide and nice guy. David me around the city to some of the hot spots and we enjoyed food together. Just note you have to pay for the food (he did pay for the ice cream), as some tours include the food. His knowledge and passion is great and he really understands and is positive about the direction El Salvador is going! P.s he also offers a great walking tour too, which is worth doing…as a complement to this tour or separately.

Dave spent his birthday...

TakChi_W, Jan 2026

Dave is a great guide. He...

Ana_G, Dec 2025

Dave is a great guide. He provided history on the city of San Salvador and the country of El Salvador. Very knowledgeable and a welcoming personality.

A Perfect Intro to El Salvador with Dave

aalsup, Nov 2025

I had an excellent experience on this tour with Dave from Dave Mendez Tours. From the moment we started he was engaged knowledgeable and clearly passionate about his country. His energy and pride made the day feel personal and meaningful. I tried my first pupusa on this tour and loved it. Dave also shared so much history and context that helped me understand the culture in a deeper way. By the end of the day I found myself thinking about what it would be like to live here because he made the country feel so welcoming. Dave also convinced me to come back in 2028 to see the new football stadium, airport and rail system. He truly made this trip unforgettable and I highly recommend booking with him if you want a tour that feels authentic and well guided.

Salvadoran Traditional Cuisine

Nicole_L, Jul 2025

This is the 2nd tour that I did with Dave. The first was the San Salvador walking tour also through Viator. Again, Dave was kind, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic! All of the food tried was good including traditional Salvadorean places snd dishes like Pollo Bonanza, Yuca with Chicharon, and Empanadas. It was nice doing a bit of shopping at the central market for fruits and vegetables. It was nice trying some of the local fruits such as Lichas and even a hot Horchata.

Very good introduction

VictorWady_M, Jun 2025

Very good introduction to San Salvador culture. Authentic, informative, nice experience, good inexpensive food

Do think about it Do it!!

Mikhail_W, May 2025

Amazing tour with Adrian

Vee, May 2025

I toured with Adrian on 5/20/2025 and I had an absolute BLAST. Adrian was personable, funny, and knowledgeable. We shared many jokes with each other and was clear that he LOVES his job. If you’re not touring with Adrian you’re missing out.

Great tour, awesome guide...

Patrick_M, May 2025

Great tour, awesome guide Dave and fantastic group of travelers! The food were amazing and same for the guide that shared with us extraordinary stories. This is an excellent tour to book as soon as you arrive in San Salvador to make the rest of your trip memorable. I recommend this tour

Welcoming and educational tour!

Rachel_V, May 2025

Dave was extremely knowledgeable, warm and welcoming. He treated myself and my family well and was very patient with our two young kids as well. We learned a lot about the history of this beautiful country. As well as tried delicious food spots. It began to rain heavily once the tour began but he had us wait it out inside the Biblioteca Cafe and adjusted the time accordingly. He has options for English and Spanish and is very enthusiastic. Would highly recommend his tours. He did a great job and our family had a great time!

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