Travellers who love using Airbnb to get a feel for what it would be like to live in a place now have another option to immerse themselves in local culture. A couple of years ago, the short-term rental company launched Airbnb Experiences. These are activities created and led by locals. On our recent trip to Mexico City, we took the Bikes & Munchies tour and among other things learned about Mexican cuisine’s vitamin T and why you shouldn’t drink mezcal before dinner. 

Airbnb Experience Review: Bikes & Munchies Tour in Mexico City

Paola and her partner, Sven started their tour business just a few months ago, but it already runs like a well-oiled machine. Paola is a Mexico City native, while Sven is a transplant from Berlin. The day we took the tour, Sven was out of town and Daniel was Paola’s co-host. Both had the qualities necessary for the perfect tour guide. They were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, patient, and protective. That last one is important if you’re on a bicycle in a busy, unfamiliar city. Helmets come with the comfy tour bikes and the hosts took care to tell us how to navigate each segment of the tour before we set off. We felt safe and secure the whole time.

Bike & Munchies Tour-How to eat fresh tortilla

Daniel and Paola demonstrating how Mexicans eat a fresh tortilla (salt it and roll it).

One of the things Steve and I love about taking a bike or walking tour early in a visit to a new place is that it helps in getting the lay of the land and making decisions about how to spend the rest of your time. Bikes & Munchies makes it even easier by providing a handy and handsome explorer map identifying favourite spots for food, culture, drinks and parties.

Street Art and Stories

The tour takes you through Mexico City’s popular neighbourhoods of Juárez, Centro, Condesa, and Roma. Paola and Daniel explained sites along the way, described what it was like to live through the earthquake the city experienced in September, and showed us their favourite street art. It felt very personal. The fact that there were only two others on the tour (fellow Canadians—what are the chances?) made it feel less like a tour and more like friends out on their bikes for the day.

Bike & Munchies - DCMX Street Art

The Bunny and the Fox by Italian artist, Ericailcane appears to depict the relationship between small business and big banks.

Vitamin T

Never heard of vitamin T? It’s what keeps Mexicans full, healthy, and happy. Vitamin T is composed of the staples of Mexican cuisine: tortillas, tacos, tamales, tortas, tostadas, and tlacoyos. Terrific! Steve and I loved everything we tried on the tour. It was all made fresh before our eyes, and there was always an array of hot sauces to go with (I LOVE the hot sauces).

Bike & Munchies Tour-Tacos De Guisado

Our stop at the understated Tacos De Guisado offered so many varieties of tacos it was hard to choose.

Bike & Munchies Tour-Taco from De Guisado

San Juan Market

The opportunity to visit the massive San Juan Market, sample foods, and speak to vendors was a highlight. You could spend an entire afternoon exploring this place! From seafood and fruit, to poulty and insects, it’s a fascinating spectrum of sights, smells, and flavours.

Bike & Munchies - San Juan Market Fruit Bike & Munchies - San Juan Market Dried Peppers

Bike & Munchies Tour-Scorpions

We decided to pass on tasting insects because we’re wimpy.

Bike & Munchies Tour: Ceviche at San Juan Market

The barracuda ceviche at San Juan Market was outstanding.

The big finish: Mezcal

We capped off the tour with a taste of mezcal. We were new to this twice-distilled alcoholic beverage. It’s made from specific varieties of the agave plant, which is native to Mexico. Daniel explained that mezcal is traditionally produced by cooking the plant inside earthen pits lined with charcoal. It is then distilled in clay pots. To me, it had a chipotle flavour and deep smoky finish.

Bike & Munchies Tour-mezcal

Daniel explained that mescal is a digestif – meaning that it aids digestion after eating. He cautioned us about drinking it before meals saying that it will make you feel sluggish and full. Also, it’s meant to be “kissed” rather than taken shooter-style as you might with tequila. How romantic!

Should you take this tour?  

Yes! Our first “taste” of an Airbnb Experience was overwhelmingly positive. We tried dishes at hidden little spots we would never have discovered on our own. Our guides Paola and Daniel did a nice job of combining their personal experiences of growing up and living in Mexico City with factual information. As a bonus, Paola encouraged us to contact her for advice or guidance that might assist with the rest of our stay, which we did on one occasion. She was most helpful.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to Tag Along Travel? Twice a month, you’ll receive an email with links to recent posts.

The Bikes & Munchies Tour in Mexico City will give you a flavour of the city and the food from the vantage point of two wheels.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin