Welcome to
OAXACA
A foodie's exploration of art, culture & cuisine
At a glance
Duration:
8 days
Group size:
2-8 travelers
Season:
Year round
Cost:
Starting at $3,000 per person
Theme:
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Culinary (Food tours, cooking classes, local markets, farm-to-table dining, street food).
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Art - appreciation of the many artisan traditions and visiting communities.
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Nature, farm visits, gentle hikes and walks
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Connecting with locals.
Inclusions
Luxury boutique accommodations
Airport Meet & Greet with private transfers
Local, English-speaking trip leader
Most meals
Fully customizable
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.
Travel Like It Matters
This trip includes at least 23 individual touchpoints that directly support small, independent, locally owned and operated businesses and entrepreneurs. We carefully create partnerships that provide direct benefit to the local community and offer tips for travelers looking to make a positive impact. Ask our team for more information.
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
Oh hey there, Oaxaca!
We’ll scoop you up from the airport and take you to your hotel in the stunning and vibey UNESCO city center. Time to settle in to the gorgeous room you'll be calling home for the next week. Enjoy a sunset beverage, then join your host and the rest of the crew for our first dinner! Feast like a real Oaxaqueña, as we introduce you to tlayuda and tacos!
Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2
Put on your walking shoes and stretchy pants, our local food expert is taking your taste buds on a walking tour of the gastronomy for which Oaxaca is world-famous. No ordinary tour, you'll enjoy two dozen different characteristic Oaxacan foods, visit the three major markets, stop at the best street food stalls, sample mole, sip on pre-Hispanic beverages, and all the Oaxacan chocolate for an (ahem) well-rounded education in the beloved cultural traditions that make life here so deliciously rich!
After some free time (or possibly a tortilla-induced siesta), round off the evening with a cocktail party and Mezcal tasting at one of the many amazing local restaurants.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Today we are up early to get in some nature via a hike and the mystical Hierve el Auga natural springs! But first, breakfast - our traditional breakfast is hosted far outside the city in the home of an indigenous family. Fun fact: Hierve el Agua in English means ‘boil the water', yet the springs that bubble, and overflow the cliffside calcifying to give the illusion of a waterfall, are in fact not hot, but quite cool - a refreshing reward for the trek. Next is a traditional Zapotec weaving demo hosted by an artisan and friend, who will also prepare lunch for us in her casa in Teotitlán del Valle.
The evening is yours— a perfect time to snag the table you’ve been reading all about, or head back to your favorite taco stand.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Mezcal Tasting
Day 4
Today is all about community and awakening the artist in you! We're teaming up with Fundacion En Via, an amazing nonprofit that empowers women entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses and better support their families, and communities and preserve cultural artisan legacies. Connect with the artisan businesswomen as they share their stories and showcase their craft. You can test your artisan skills at a traditional candle-making workshop. Who knows, by the end of the trip, maybe you’ll be inspired to create your own traditional crafts. We sure hope so.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Market Day! Tlacolula Market is one of the oldest continuous mercados in Oaxaca. Get lost in the sounds, bold colors, and aromas. Your host will serve up the various fresh produce, baked goods (looking at you, empanadas) and if you have an open mind, try the chapulines - grasshopper! The evening is yours and there’s really no shortage of dinner options in the area, but if you’re looking to experience Oaxaca nightlife like a local, meet up with our friend Gerald for a late-night cerveza y taco excursion (additional cost) to sample the best taquerias in the surrounding neighborhoods and catch a little live music.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch market feast
Day 6
After a relaxed breakfast in the courtyard, you’ll take a dive into the history and legends of the Zapotec and Mixtec with a guided tour of the Monte Alban Archaeological Site, which served as a political center for the Zapotec as early as the 8th century B.C. You’ll have a few free hours in the afternoon, so relax with your fellow travelers at the hotel rooftop lounge, or check out the Museo de Los Pintores Oaxaqueños.
Dinner comes to us in 5 (yes, FIVE) courses of pescado (fish) and vegetables, all sustainably and locally sourced and prepared in traditional Oaxacan fashion, at the mysterious (and top-rated) Alfonsina.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Tasting menu)
Day 7
You’ll have this morning open to do your own thing. We'll give a bunch of our personally vetted recommendations, plus your local host will have all the resources for a great start to the day!
In the afternoon it's off to Etla for a cooking class! Create your own Oaxacan culinary masterpiece and enjoy it with the group for our final dinner together.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8
We’ll share one last breakfast before we say our farewells and gracias to each other and this wonderful city.
Meals included: Breakfast