Journey Through La Merced
Description
The colorful, chaotic Merced Market serves thousands of shoppers daily. On this tour, you’ll visit our favorite food stalls, meet some talented market vendors, and learn the market’s history. You’ll finish knowing why La Merced is unlike anywhere else in Mexico. We’ll wind through the market’s lively banquetón, or prepared food area, tasting tacos, aguas frescas and tamales. After that, we’ll stroll through the gigantic fruits and vegetables building, and learn about—and taste!—prehispanic ingredients, such as grasshoppers and agave worms. After a quick stop to rest, we’ll leave the market and walk back to La Merced neighborhood where we’ll finish up the tour with a refreshing drink and a snack in a beautiful restaurant, a hidden gem you won’t want to miss! This tour is good for seasoned travelers.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The colorful, chaotic Merced Market serves thousands of shoppers daily. On this tour, you’ll visit our favorite food stalls, meet some talented market vendors, and learn the market’s history. You’ll finish knowing why La Merced is unlike anywhere else in Mexico.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(373)
We did the tour through La Merced with Nico and it was wonderful. Nico turned a bustling, noisy, chaotic environment into a welcoming and friendly space. Along the way we sampled incredible tacos, tamales, tortas, aqua fresca and left with a bag of delicious candies. Nico also weaved in a lot of fascinating history and culture. Altogether a great and unforgettable experience
Hi Matt. Thank you for your kind words. We are so lucky to have Nico on our team of expert culinary guides. Thank you for trusting us to guide you through this chaotic and wonderful market.
Would recommend this tour to anyone, especially with our guide Toti. She was so fun and personable and knowledgeable about Mexican history and cuisine. We learned so much, had a great time, and the food was incredible. 10/10
Hi Briana. Thank you for summarizing the essence of the tour in your kind words. We hope you'll keep coming back to Mexico City for the great food.
It was amazing, the food was great! Adrian was so kind! I recommend it for people who like the history of foods. -MB, age 11
Hello. Congratulations on being such an adventurous young traveler! Thank you for recommending Adrián and the tour. We wish you all the best!
What a wonderful experience made even more special by Toti. I wish I could give her and the tour more stars. Toti is incredibly knowledgeable about the market, the food, and the history behind how certain foods became Mexican cuisine. I loved every minute!
Toti was such an amazing guide! I loved seeing the inner workings of the market and learning about all of the vendors and history of Mexican cuisine! I plan to come back and do more tours! Definitely a must book experience.
Nico is super knowledgeable and kind. He customized the tour based on my preference. I wouldn’t be able to navigate in this market and learn so much about everyday food without him. Highly recommend !
The experience was certainly worth what I paid. I booked this tour through Viator so the process was seamless for me. Initially I was overwhelmed by all the activity but the tour guide Clara was very adept at moving through the market. There was so much to see and I was amazed at the sheer variety of things available. The market was quite crowded and it requires you to pay attention to the people around you; also mind your step as the floor can be uneven in spots. One last thing, come with an appetite as Clara takes you to many tasty spots.
Thank you for your recommendation. We agree with you, La Merced market is fantastic and vibrant, but it's also a place of work and commerce for thousands of people every day. Thanks to the friendships we've developed with the vendors over the years, we always feel welcome. We wish you many more trips so you can continue exploring delicious food.
Great tour! The Mercado Merced is huuuge and a guide is the only option to find its delicious secrets. We tasted tacos, tropical fruit, more tacos, insects (!), and still more tacos. Highly recommended.
I recently went on the Merced tour led by Adrian. It was an absolutely incredible experience. He was incredibly knowledgable about the market, Mexican history, culinary and otherwise. Adrian's familiarity with la Merced was obvious, both with the maze of stalls and individuals. He greeted the vendors as well as regulars with real kindness and warmth. The food was beyond my wildest dreams, each dish was unique and easily as delicious as the priciest restaurants. It was a real pleasure to experience the tastes of the market with Adrian and try things I could have never found on my own. 10/10 would recommend
Hello! Thank you for your kind words. Going to La Merced with Adrián is a great pleasure; if anyone knows the place well, it's him. We hope you continue exploring Mexican culture and cuisine.
This was hands down a fantastic tour of La Merced. Hector was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and experienced, especially when it came to local culture and food safety. That made a big difference in knowing which vendors to visit (and which to avoid). We loved everything we tried and even stopped for a few extra snacks at a small local spot afterwards. Definitely don’t eat before the tour, there’s so much to sample, and it’s all delicious!
Hello. Thank you so much for your kind words about Hector. We agree that it's best to arrive at the tour hungry so you can try everything.
