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Playa Del Carmen Food Tour Review

Did someone say Playa Del Carmen food tour!?! I feel like after four years of traveling in Latin America I can say with some authority that Mexico, for me, has the best food, even if you’re looking for vegetarian Mexican food. Whenever I return to Mexico, it’s one of the things I’m most looking forward to.  So the thought of a whole evening of eating Mexican food on one of the Playa del Carmen food tours was a bit of a dream.

Quick Tip: I highly recommend booking all of your Mexico transportation with GottoGo. You can search for buses, shuttles, ferries, and Flights on their website. What I love most about them is their customer service. I know these guys personally from living in Guatemala, and they look after their customers.

If anything happens and you get delayed and miss your bus, you can just call them, and they are always there to help. If you book through them, you will pay a little more than booking in person at the bus station. But it’s worth it for the ease and security. Click here to search for transportation in Mexico.

Why do a Playa Del Carmen food tour?

As a full-time traveler, I’ve learned the hard way some hacks to speed up the settling in time whenever I arrive at a new place. Whether you are planning to stay for a few days or a few weeks in any new place the quicker, you can orient yourself the better. And finding the best food near me is always top of my list. Because who wants to eat crap Mexican food, or even worse get sick from eating from a doggie food truck!?

So what’s the best way to figure out the best places to eat in Playa Del Carmen and get a lesson on what to order than doing a food tour? Let’s face it it can be pretty overwhelming figuring out what to order in a new country especially if you are on the hunt for the best street food Playa del Carmen. I know doing the food tour in Bogota gave me a crash course in the local food that stayed with me the whole time I was in Colombia.

On food tours, you always end up eating things you would never order on your own which is never a bad thing, right?

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?

The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing

Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.

Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies. 

Paris Tours

Eating with Carmen Playa del Carmen Food Tour

There are a few companies offering Playa del Carmen food tours. I decided on Eating With Carmen because I liked the fact you get three options. The Authentic Mexican Food Tour, the Gourmet Food Tour, and even a Vegan Food Tour. I also loved that Daniel the owner spend 6 months finding the best food in Playa del Carmen. All of the places we went to on the food tour were small family-run places off the typical tourist trail. They are all places I have returned to because the food is so good.

Adventures in Mexico | Eating With Carmen | Food Tour in Playa Del Carmen Review

About the Authentic Mexican Food Tour

The food tour starts at the ADO bus station and after a brief introduction from Rodrigo our guide we took a seat in the park and got to watch the show.

Adventures in Mexico | Eating With Carmen | Food Tour in Playa Del Carmen Review

On this tour, you don’t just eat. Rodrigo also took us to see some cool street art while learning about the development of Playa Del Carmen, which is the fastest-growing place in Mexico right now.

Quick Tip: Book accommodation, tours, and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress. 

Best Playa Del Carmen ToursClick here to check out the top Playa Del Carmen tours
Best Playa Del Carmen Accommodation: Click here to check out the best accommodation in Playa Del Carmen
Best Playa Del Carmen Transport: Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Playa Del Carmen

Adventures in Mexico | Eating With Carmen | Food Tour in Playa Del Carmen Review

I don’t want to spoil the tour for you, but we ate some delicious fruit, drank a lot of tasty fruit juices, and there was plenty of Tacos! Some more ‘exotic’ than others… It was a great introduction to street food Playa del Carmen.

Solo Travelers

As a solo traveler, I love tours like this as they are so sociable. Sometimes I just don’t want to eat on my own so taking a food tour, or a beer tour or any other kind of tour that involves walking around and eating/ drinking and ultimately socializing with other people is always money well spent for me.

But on this tour, I actually did it with an influencer friend It’s a Travel OD. We had only met in person that day after talking online for a while. It was so much fun to hang out and get to know her and learn more about her vlogging work. If you don’t follow her already then go check out her Instagram, Facebook, and especially her YouTube Channel!

QUICK TIP: Book your tours, rental cars, and transfers through my local contacts

I’ve been working with Living Dreams Mexico for years and they are who I send all my family and friends to when they visit the Riviera Maya. I really can recommend them enough for private tours and experiences. They have solid 5* reviews on Trip Advisor and Google from almost 4000 reviewers! You can view all their tours here.

If you’re looking for private airport transfers and rental cars then Vanessa and Oliver from Turismo Channel are personal friends of mine and I can 100% recommend them to make an inquiry click here and complete the form. Someone will be in touch within 24 hours.

Adventures in Mexico | Eating With Carmen | Food Tour in Playa Del Carmen Review
Such a lot of fun getting to hang out with Andrea from It’s a Travel OD for the day.

Playa Del Carmen Travel Guide Planning

🧳 Any recommendations on what I should pack for Playa Del Carmen?

Yes! I have created a whole packing guide to Playa Del Carmen which you can read here and you can also check out my packing list for Playa Del Carmen on Amazon here.

🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Playa Del Carmen?

I strongly recommend using GottoGo. You can book almost all transport in the major Mexican tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.

🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Playa Del Carmen?

I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a  lot of options available!

If you are traveling from Playa del Carmen then I recommend booking through my friend Vanessa at Turismo Channel. You can check out their tours by clicking here and using the following discount codes for the best prices clairecaroff (car rental), claire10off (for 10% off group tours), claireprivate (for a discount on private tours). You can also send her a WhatsApp message quoting the above codes to receive the discount.

👩‍⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?

I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.

I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here

✈️ Any flight recommendations?

WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.

📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?

I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.

With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.

🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?

The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.comHotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.

🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?

I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack. 

Final Thoughts on the Eating with Carmen Food Tour Playa del Carmen

Even though I’ve spent quite a bit of time in Mexico and know a little about Mexican food I learned so much on the tour. So, if you are interested in learning about Mexican food, like eating Mexican food, and want to know where to go for the best Playa del Carmen food tour, then you need to do this tour.

Plus, when you think about it, the price you would pay to do this whole food tour is the price you would pay in The USA for a nice meal at a restaurant. Trust me it’s money well spent especially as all of the food venues are small independent businesses.

You can book the Eating With Carmen tour by clicking here. They also do a vegan Playa del Carmen food tour that you can book here.

If you are looking for things to do in Playa Del Carmen, Cancun, or Tulum, then I highly recommend doing this Mexican food Tour in Playa Del Carmen.

Check out Eating With Carmen on Facebook and Instagram

Quick Tip: View my full Playa Del Carmen packing guide here including a downloadable checklist. And check out my Playa Del Carmen Essentials shopping list here.

Looking for somewhere to stay in Playa del Carmen?

Here are a few places I recommend. For more detailed information, check out my Playa del Carmen Accommodation Guide here.

Luxury: MAHEKAL BEACH RESORT
Mid: HOTEL MORGANA
Budget: THE YAK HOSTEL

Planning on traveling around the Riviera Maya? Check out my accommodation guides below:

Isla Holbox Hotels You Need to Stay In
Best Places to Stay in Cancun
Cozumel Accommodations | Condos in Cozumel
Where to Stay in Tulum
The Best Boutique Hotels in Tulum
The Best Hostels in Tulum Mexico

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