Imagine yourself in
OAXACA
A custom itinerary we designed for food enthusiasts to explore Oaxaca's legendary cuisine, artisan traditions, and indigenous heritage
Designing this JOURNEY
This couple knew they wanted Oaxaca's legendary food scene and artisan traditions, but they didn't know which markets locals actually shop at, what days are best, or most importantly - what to taste. They knew mezcal is part of the local culture but didn't know how to experience it as beginners. Knowing they love art, we proposed connecting authentically with indigenous communities and local artisans. Here's what they requested, and how our local connections transformed it:
THE VISION
Duration:
7-8 days
Location:
Oaxaca City & surrounding pueblos
Season:
Year-round (nearly every month offers opportunity for local festivals and celebration)
Focus:
Culinary immersion, artisan communities, indigenous culture (We added access to dining in family homes, private cooking classes, and tasting tours)
Vibe:
Immersive days with intentional downtime (We designed full mornings exploring markets and communities, with relaxed afternoons to digest - both the food and the experiences)
Stay:
Boutique charm in the historic center
Ready to design your Oaxaca journey?
We're here to customize every detail to your vision.
Inclusions
Luxury boutique accommodations
Airport Meet & Greet with private transfers
Local, English-speaking trip leader
Most meals
24/7 Support
Entrance fees for all experiences and museums
All ground transportation
Team of local guides
All taxes & gratuity
We accommodate all dietary preferences
Foodies!
Localvores will love this itinerary for its in-depth coverage of all things culinary. From street food you'll forever dream about, to what could be the next Michelin chef, and everything in between. Visit markets, meet local farmers and even try your hand at local recipes - whatever you do, come hungry!
Artistic admirers
The pueblas around Oaxaca city each are home to unique artisan traditions. Pottery, weaving, hand painted wood carvings just to name a few. This trip visits artisans and gain deeper appreciation for their craft.
Local lovers
Every host, driver, chef and guide proudly call Oaxaca home. Welcoming guests who embrace their hospitality, together host and guest co-create a beautiful exchange! The locally owned (& gorgeous) boutique property adds the final touch. This is what a truly immersive experience looks like.
Nature seekers
From gentle hikes, to walks in the field with a local farmer, or the expansive remains of sacred Zapotec sites, this trip spends a lot of time outside of doors. Whether you are bathing in a fresh natural spring, or strolling on of the city gardens, the warm Oaxacan sun will greet you.
Beyond the Guidebook
Every chef, artisan, market vendor, and guide on this trip is someone we know personally - each one a relationship we've built so you can experience Oaxaca through the eyes of real Oaxaqueños. This journey features 23+ partnerships with local aficionados and independent businesses, which means you're not just visiting - you're a welcomed guest with a personal introduction to authentic Oaxaca. These are the moments that feel less like tourism and more like being shown around by your most connected friend
Highlights
Walking 1/2 day food themed tour with multiple tastings at every stop!
Meet and learn from local artisans.
Nature visit in partnership with local indigenous stewards of the land.
Custom cooking class in the home of a local Oaxacan food expert!
Sunday market visit, tour and tasting!
5-course, sustainable farm-to-table dinner at family owned restaurant Alfonsina.
Monte Alban Archaeological Site tour with local expert.
Memories and meals to cherish for a lifetime!
Sustainable, impactful and ethical travel.
Effortless & seamless travel planning.
"Thank you, Conscious Travel Collective, for a truly incredible experience. Immersive travel is a life-changing experience. From hiking a mountainside to sharing a meal with a family at their kitchen table after learning how textiles are made. From experiencing locally sourced cuisine unique and worthy of Michelin star ratings, to learning how the descendants honor their ancestors in almost every aspect of their lives. Oaxaca is a truly incredible and bucket list worthy destination."
J. Brown on his trip to Oaxaca, October 2022
Day by Day
Day 1 - Arrive in Oaxaca
Arrive at OAX international airport to be greeted by your private driver, one of our local friends you'll know well by the end of this week. Within 25 minutes you'll be at the stunning carved wood doors of Casa Antonieta, your boutique hotel in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage city center. Take a moment to settle in and freshen up after your journey, we love the interior courtyard or on the open-air third-floor patio, perfect for this climate.
Later, meet your local guide for a quick hello before they escort you to dinner at a restaurant we've chosen for its commitment to traditional Oaxacan preparations and locally sourced ingredients. This first evening sets the tone for the week ahead: exceptional food, warm hospitality, and the beginning of understanding why Oaxaca's culinary traditions captivate travelers and keep them coming back.
Day 2 - Markets & Street Food
This morning belongs to Oaxaca's food markets - often the most anticipated day of the trip and the beating heart of the city's culinary culture. Your guide, a local food expert who has spent years building relationships with vendors, leads you through three major markets most visitors never find. You'll taste your way through characteristic Oaxacan dishes: mole in several variations, pre-Hispanic beverages, Oaxacan chocolate prepared traditionally, and street food that will redefine what you thought you knew about Mexican cuisine. These aren't random tastings; each one represents a tradition, a family recipe, a story your guide knows intimately.
The afternoon is yours to wander, shop, or rest before an exclusive evening mezcal tasting. Our connection with a small producer grants you an intimate introduction to mezcal's production and the art of tasting, woven together with history and context - the perfect foundation for curious beginners who want to understand what makes Oaxacan mezcal singular.
Meals Included: Extensive tastings (serves as Breakfast & Lunch), Mezcal Tasting
Day 3 - Hierve el Agua & Artisan Communities
Rise early for breakfast in the home of an indigenous family our guide has known for years. The warmth of a traditional meal prepared over an open fire in the early morning hours is ripe for connection, take it in. Continue to Hierve el Agua, the petrified waterfalls that cascade down cliffsides like frozen white stone. The landscape is dramatic, the geology remarkable, and the views extend across the Oaxacan valley. Afternoon brings you to Teotitlán del Valle, where a Zapotec weaving family demonstrates techniques passed down through generations. Watch natural dyes being prepared from cochineal, indigo, and pomegranate. See the entire process from wool to finished textile. They'll prepare lunch in their home, and conversation naturally turns to tradition, change, and preserving culture while adapting to modern economics, the kind of insight that stays with you.
Your evening is unscheduled. We'll share our favorite dinner recommendations, though many couples return to a taco stand they discovered on Day 2.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 - Artisans & Traditional Crafts
Today centers on community and creativity. Through Fundación En Vía, a nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs in preserving traditional crafts, you'll meet artisan businesswomen who share their stories and showcase their work. The foundation's model of microloans and business training rather than charity has helped hundreds of women build sustainable livelihoods. You'll have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on traditional craft workshop, or simply observe.
We know not every couple wants the same afternoon. Some choose to explore Oaxaca's contemporary art scene (we'll point you to galleries locals actually visit), others prefer returning to their favorite market vendor, and some simply enjoy the hotel's rooftop with mezcal and time to talk.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 - Tlacolula Market
Tlacolula, one of Oaxaca's oldest continuous markets, feels like organized chaos.... but your local guide is here to navigate and lead the way to culinary discovery: produce sections bursting with unfamiliar ingredients, empanadas still warm from wood ovens, and - if you're adventurous - chapulines (grasshoppers), a traditional Oaxacan protein. Your travel designer has tested and tasted first, so anything you're unsure of, just ask.
This is a working market, not a tourist attraction. You'll taste, explore, and likely purchase items to bring home. Take in the sensory experience: colors, sounds, aromas, the energy of commerce unchanged for generations.
Tonight offers a choice. Enjoy a quiet dinner on your own, or join our friend Gerald for a late-night taco and cerveza tour through neighborhoods where locals eat. He knows every taquería worth visiting, often there's live music, and the experience reveals Oaxaca's nightlife as residents know it, not as guidebooks describe it.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch market feast
Day 6 - Monte Albán & Fine Dining
After breakfast in Casa Antonieta's courtyard, explore Monte Albán with a local historian. This pre-Columbian archaeological site served as the Zapotec political center as early as the 8th century B.C. Your local guide brings the history alive in ways the stones alone cannot.
Return to Oaxaca City for a free afternoon. We've designed this intentional pause before tonight's culinary finale.
Dinner arrives in five courses at a restaurant our team knows for its commitment to sustainable, locally sourced seafood and vegetables prepared in traditional Oaxacan techniques with contemporary presentation. The meal, the service, the setting - it's the kind of dining experience people return to Oaxaca to repeat.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner (Tasting menu)
Day 7 - Cooking Class
Your morning is unscheduled. We'll provide recommendations our team personally endorses like a specific café for breakfast, a walk we love, a shop worth visiting, but the choice is yours.
This afternoon takes you to Etla for a private cooking class. Your instructor, a Oaxacan food expert whose family has cooked these recipes for generations, guides you through creating a traditional meal from market ingredients to finished dishes. You'll learn techniques, ask questions, hear stories, and enjoy what you've made together as your final communal meal in Oaxaca. The hands-on experience, the stories shared while cooking, the satisfaction of mastering something new often becomes a favorite memory.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch (prepared in class)
Day 8
Share a final breakfast together before transferring to the airport. Oaxaca has a way of getting under your skin; the flavors, the warmth, the feeling of having been welcomed rather than simply hosted. Many couples leave already planning their return.
Meals included: Breakfast