Candelaria turns drinks into living culture. This 3-hour evening walk is built around chicha lore, coca plant traditions, and craft beer stops, then ends with the Andean game of tejo—all in a small group with English guidance. I like that you’re not just sampling flavors; you’re learning why these drinks matter to daily life and community identity. I also like the mix of places: a museum-style learning stop, cafés and galleries tied to indigenous territories, and then real local bar-and-home energy.

One possible drawback: this is very tasting-forward. If you prefer a sightseeing-only tour, or you do not want alcohol-style drinks, you may find the schedule a bit drink-heavy.

A Tight Group, Easy Timing, and a Clear Route

This experience starts at 4:00 pm at Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo (Cl. 12b #2-98, Antonio Nariño, Bogotá) and returns you to the same meeting point. With a maximum group size of 15, it stays small enough for questions and quick explanations at each stop. It’s also offered in English, and you’ll get a mobile ticket.

What the $60 Covers (and What It Means for Value)

At $60 per person, you’re paying for more than “just tastings.” Each stop includes an admission ticket, and the itinerary is designed as a sequence of cultural contexts—history at the museum, art and indigenous communities at the café gallery, coca plant cosmology and regional spirits at the third stop, then beer choices at a local bar and a final craft tasting with tejo. You still control the pace of how much you drink, but the overall structure is built around experiencing culture through what people drink and play.

Key Things I’d Pay Attention To

• Chicha isn’t treated like a novelty: you learn how it connects to culture and community.
• Coca plant traditions are explained in context: diet and cosmology come up during the tastings.
• You get multiple drink settings: museum, gallery café, a coca-focused venue, a local beer bar, then a house stop.
• Beer choice happens at Doña Ceci: you select from four local Colombian beers.
• Tejo is part of the ending: a native game played for centuries, wrapped into the finish.
• Small-group pace: up to 15 people helps you keep up and ask questions.

Why the 4:00 pm Candelaria Schedule Works

Candelaria is one of those Bogotá neighborhoods where evening energy changes fast. Starting at 4:00 pm gives you daylight for getting oriented, then time as it cools down and local nightlife starts to feel normal. This matters because the itinerary doesn’t just sit you in front of facts—it moves you between places where people gather after work or school, and the timing helps you feel that shift.

Also, this route loops back to the meeting point. That’s a small thing, but it reduces the stress of figuring out where you end up if you’re taking public transportation.

Stop 1: The Blessed Chichería Museum and the Roots of Chicha

Your tour begins at the Museum The Blessed Chichería, where the focus is chicha—one of Colombia’s oldest traditional drinks. You’ll spend about 30 minutes learning the history behind it and why it holds cultural importance for both the city and the country.

Why this first stop works: it sets the language for everything you’ll taste later. Instead of treating chicha as a generic fermented drink, you’re given context early—so when the tour shifts to different versions and variations later on, you’ll recognize what changes (ingredients, tradition, and regional meaning) instead of just tasting something new.

What to consider: museum-style learning can move at a steady pace. If you like lots of time to read or linger, you might feel the 30 minutes is short—but it’s timed so the day stays balanced between learning and tasting.

Stop 2: Café Galeria Nuestra Herencia and the Culture in the Art

Next is Café Galeria Nuestra Herencia. This stop pairs a café setting with a gallery experience, including paintings by Carlos Trilleras. While you’re there, you connect craft drinks to the idea of territories and native indigenous communities across Colombia.

This part of the tour is smart because it connects “where” to “what.” You’re not only tasting a beverage; you’re seeing cultural expression through art and learning how different regions and communities relate to what gets made and shared. For me, it’s the kind of stop that makes you look at a neighborhood differently after you leave.

What you’ll likely enjoy most: if you like visual storytelling, the paintings add a second layer to the tasting experience. If you prefer hands-on activity over observation, this might feel calmer than the beer stops later—but it still supports the cultural thread.

Stop 3: Embajada de la Coca Candelaria and Regional Spirits

The itinerary then moves to Embajada de la Coca Candelaria. Here, you learn about the coca plant’s importance in Andean communities—both in diet and in cosmology. You’ll also taste different types of chicha and other spirit drinks made with seeds and plants from the regions where people live.

This is often the stop that surprises first-timers, mostly because it frames coca as part of daily tradition and worldview instead of only a headline topic. The tour’s structure makes it easier to understand: you hear the cultural explanation, then you taste what’s tied to that knowledge.

Practical consideration: the tasting variety can be a lot in a short period. If you’re sensitive to strong drinks or you want to taste lightly, you can pace yourself during the tasting. The good news is that the itinerary continues on with beer and a game afterward, so it’s not just chicha-and-chicha forever.

Stop 4: Doña Ceci Lets You Choose Four Local Beers

After the coca stop, you shift gears at Doña Ceci, a bar/tienda where the tour experience becomes more social. You’ll choose between four local Colombian beers and spend about 30 minutes in a typical local hangout where people share after classes or work and listen to music.

What I like about this moment in the itinerary is the change of pace. You go from learning and tasting in structured settings to a place that feels more like how locals actually spend their evenings. The music and the casual atmosphere help the tour feel less like a classroom and more like an introduction to neighborhood life.

What to consider: beer selection means you might prefer one option and not care about another. If you want maximum satisfaction, just remember that the tour offers choices rather than a single pour for everyone—so you can pick what matches your taste.

Stop 5: Casa Magola Craft Beer and the Native Game of Tejo

The tour finishes at Casa Magola, at Magola’s house. You close with a craft beer tasting plus a game called tejo, described as the only native game played by ancestors for centuries.

This ending works well because it combines two things people remember: taste and play. Tejo isn’t just a random activity tacked on at the end. It reinforces the theme of tradition—how communities entertain themselves, gather, and pass experiences down over time.

What to expect: the tasting is likely to feel more personal here than at the earlier stops. A house setting tends to make the group dynamic feel different—closer, more conversational, and less formal than museum-and-gallery environments.

One practical note: tejo can involve standing and aiming. Since the tour says most travelers can participate, it’s likely manageable for a broad range of people, but it’s still wise to wear comfortable shoes since Bogotá’s streets can be uneven.

Price and Value: Is $60 Worth It?

$60 might sound like a lot until you look at how the tour is built. You’re paying for:

• a 3-hour guided experience in Candelaria,
• a route with five stops,
• admission tickets included at each stop,
• multiple tasting moments across traditional drinks and craft beers,
• plus the added activity of tejo at the end.

In other words, this is not only a drink tour; it’s an educational tour designed around taste as the vehicle for cultural learning. If you enjoy understanding what you’re drinking and you like learning through real neighborhood contexts, the price makes more sense.

Where value can feel weaker: if you mainly want broad sightseeing or you’d rather not spend time in places centered on beverages. Also, if you don’t drink much, the “tasting” structure may feel like you’re paying for content that’s designed around sampling.

Language, Group Size, and How the Tour Feels Day to Day

The experience is offered in English, and the maximum group size is 15. That combination matters. Small groups tend to make it easier for your guide to keep explanations clear, especially when the content is cultural and tied to plant traditions, history, and regional identity.

The tour also runs near public transportation, which helps if you’re not staying within walking distance of Chorro de Quevedo. A mobile ticket is useful too; it keeps things simple the day of.

You’ll also like the fact that service animals are allowed, and that the tour says most travelers can participate. That’s not a guarantee about your exact needs, but it signals the provider expects a broad range of visitors.

Finally, this kind of tour often fills in moderately quickly. The fact it’s usually booked around 6 days in advance is a good hint that you should plan ahead if you want a specific day.

Who This Tour Is Best For

This is a strong match if you:

• like learning culture through food and drink,
• enjoy craft beer tastings paired with explanations,
• want a walk through Candelaria that feels local, not only scripted,
• are curious about traditional Colombian drinks like chicha and cultural uses of the coca plant.

It’s a weaker fit if you:

• want a pure architecture and viewpoint walking tour,
• avoid alcohol-style tastings altogether,
• dislike tours with a steady rotation of short stops.

Should You Book This Craft Drinks and Tejo Tour?

I’d book it if you want a Candelaria experience that mixes culture, taste, and a native game in one evening. The standout value here is how the drinks connect to meaning: chicha learning at the museum, indigenous territory context through Carlos Trilleras’s art, coca traditions explained alongside tastings, and then a beer-focused local bar moment before finishing with tejo at Casa Magola.

If you’re still deciding, pick your based on your style:

• If you want your Bogotá time to feel hands-on and social, this fits.
• If you want long museum time with minimal drinking focus, you might prefer something else.

If your schedule is flexible, take advantage of free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. It’s a low-risk way to reserve while you finalize plans.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo, Cl. 12b #2-98, Antonio Nariño, Bogotá, Colombia.

What time does the tour begin?

The start time is 4:00 pm.

How long is the tour?

It runs for approximately 3 hours.

How much does it cost?

The price is $60.00 per person.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes, it is offered in English.

Is there a mobile ticket?

Yes, the tour includes a mobile ticket.

How many people are in the group?

The tour has a maximum of 15 travelers.

What tastings and drinks are included?

You’ll learn about chicha, taste different types of chicha and other spirit drinks, and taste craft beers, including choosing between four local Colombian beers.

Do I get admission tickets for the stops?

Yes, admission tickets are included for each stop.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel for free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

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