After breakfast at our hotel, we will hit the town for a 4 - 5 hour walking tour (including lunch) with our incredible local guide, Gabriel Sanchez. This tour strikes a balance between Oaxaca's historical past while also giving you some insider tips about the here and now in Oaxaca, with a particular emphasis on the small business scene. We will stop for lunch at a local eatery inside the market, loved by visitors and locals alike, before taking a couple of hours for rest, relaxation, or independent exploration.

We will regroup in the late afternoon for an authentic Oaxacan cooking class. This is a great way to connect with locals and get your hands dirty in the kitchen while we learn how to make a variety of traditional Oaxacan dishes in this fun and interactive Oaxacan cooking class. 

Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After a light breakfast, we will begin an all-day tour outside of Oaxaca City as we explore Tlacolula de Matamoros and Hierve el Agua!

Our first stop will be Mercado de Tlacolula and its surroundings. Here you will have the chance to buy and try the local specialties like barbacoa, goat soup, and tacos and sample local beverages such as pulque and tepache, accompanied by grasshoppers, and agave worm salt.

After snacking at the Mercado we will continue our drive through the countryside and into the mountain range before arriving at Hierve el Agua, the petrified waterfalls and natural springs. Here you can hike, go swimming, and take in the spectacular views of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

After our time at Hierve el Agua will stop at an authentic mezcaleria on our journey back to Oaxaca City! Here we will learn about the history of this beverage while dispelling some popular myths at mezcal! You’ll also see the step-by-step process of making this delicious beverage and even get to sit down for a tasting and some snacks! 

With an extra pep in our step, thanks to our visit to the mezcaleria, we will find the energy for our final activity - a visit to our friend Nelson Perez’s textile workshop to see the gorgeous Zapotec weavings and learn about how they are made! 

Since we will be eating throughout the day late dinner should work for most, and some may even opt to pass on dinner. For those that still have an appetite, we can pick a place with a variety of options and a fun environment if someone just wants to tag along and grab a drink or a dessert!

Included meals: Breakfast and snacks throughout the day

After breakfast we will start an all-day tour to the nearby “Pueblo Mágico” (magic town) of Capulalpam, making some fun pit stops along the way. One of our stops will be to visit San Pablo Guelatao, the birthplace of Benito Juarez, México’s first indigenous president. 

We will then head to our friend Rogelio’s house to learn about “los molinillos” and the way in which they are used to prepare traditional beverages such as “el chocolate de agua”. This is one of our favorite "artistan stops" and we love spending time with Rogelio and his family and seeing their preparations for Muertos in addition to visiting his woodshop! 

Once we’ve completed our drive through the gorgeous Sierra Norte mountain range we will arrive in the misty town of Capulalpam. Here we will enjoy lunch at a local "comedor" before touring around this enchanting pueblo. We highly recommend the molé for lunch! 

We will wrap up our time in Capulalpam with a visit to the Clinica de Medicina Tradicional (Traditional Medicine Clinic) run by a cooperative of midwives, including our friend Reina, who will welcome us with open arms! Here you can use the temazcal for cleansing and purifying purposes (physical and spiritual) or opt for a relaxing massage. 

For those unfamiliar, a temazcal is a type of sweat lodge that originated within the pre-Hispanic indigenous culture in Mesoamerica. While many people use them today as an equivalent to the modern-day sauna, the traditional purpose of the temazcal goes beyond just the physical detoxification of the body. For those curious, this is the perfect place to get introduced to holistic healing practices, common to this day, in the indigenous communities of México and Guatemala. 

Upon bidding our friends in Capulalpám farewell we will begin the journey back to Oaxaca City! 

Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, we will meet at the hotel to walk to a nearby cultural center to start our community tour with Fudanción En Vía.  Fundación En Vía is a locally run non-profit organization that supports local women and families through the power of microfinancing. 

On this tour, you will meet an inspiring group of hard-working, optimistic, and problem-solving women who create their own successes through their skills and tenacity. You will experience a much more personal view of local life than ordinary tourism permits and will gain a better understanding of the challenges faced (and often overcome) by many in México’s second most economically challenged state. 

After enjoying a homemade lunch prepared by one of the women participating in En Vía's program,  we will finish the tour and head back to our hotel for downtime/time for independent exploration. 

We suggest you get some rest in the afternoon in order to enjoy our visit to the cemetery this evening! If you'd like, you can join an optional group dinner at Boulenc, one of our favorite restaurants. 

After dinner, we will all meet at our hotel headquarters to hop in the van and visit a cemetery approximately 25 minutes outside of Central Oaxaca. Here we will respectfully observe the tradition of Día de Muertos and participate, whenever invited. By this point on the trip, we will have discussed the significance of Día de Los Muertos at length as well as cultural sensitivity tips to be mindful of during this beautiful and sacred time. 

Included meals: Breakfast

Once again we will spend the morning outside out of the city center on a guided tour of Monte Albán.

Monte Albán is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site located 6 miles west of Oaxaca City. Not only was Monte Albán one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica. It also played an important role as the pre-eminent Zapotec socio-political and economic center for close to a thousand years. We will spend a few hours exploring this site and diving deeper into the history of this site and its significance not only in Oaxaca but in Mexico and Mesoamerica in general. 

After a morning walking around Monte Albán we will have built up a bit of an appetite so we’ll head straight to one of Oaxaca’s central markets. Here we will grab a table at one of our favorite little “comedores” to enjoy lunch at one of Oaxaca’s central markets for an authentic Mexican dining experience. 

After eating lunch we will start a walking tour of a variety of lesser-known neighborhoods in Oaxaca in order to observe and discuss the local street art movement! Likewise, if you are interested in getting your face painted by a local artist this afternoon would be the best opportunity for that! 

At night, join us for a wonderful dinner and live music as the Día de Muertos celebrations continue in the town center. 

Included meals: none

After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a relaxing day to rest or explore Oaxaca City on your own at your leisure. Likewise, we are also happy to assist you in coordinating any other tours or activities for you or to accompany you around town on this day! 

After having enjoyed a free day in the city we will meet up in the evening for a farewell dinner to celebrate a week of adventure and new friends! 

Included meals: Breakfast and Dinner