Mexico · OAXACA CITY TOURS
Oaxaca argues that it cooks better than the capital and it is not obviously wrong. The 15 below cover Monte Alban above the valley, the mezcal palenques, Hierve el Agua and the markets, priced and timed.
See Oaxaca’s Tule Tree, Mitla, Hierve el Agua, village textiles, and mezcal in one full-day tour with transport and tastings.
“We had an amazing tour in Oaxaca with the best tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about sharing the culture and history. The experience was well organized and enjoyable from start to finish. Definitely recommend!”
See Hierve el Agua, Mitla, Tule, Teotitlán textiles, and mezcal in one full Oaxaca day with guides, tastings, and transport included.
“Very well organized and planned tour. Many different places with good explanations and well planned route.”
Explore Monte Albán from Oaxaca with an expert guide, air-conditioned transport, free time, and flexible return options for $32.24.
“Monte Alban is amazing and our guide was both entertaining and knowledgeable. He told us about the history of the site, the archaeological investigations and the Zapotec. Great stories and great delivery. Just be prepared to crab walk up and down a lot of stairs!”
Review of Oaxaca’s Hierve el Agua and mezcal tour, with petrified waterfalls, natural pools, local guides, tastings, and practical booking advice.
“Great tour with Estefany + Otto, having the 3 hours at hierve el agua is perfect because you can take a hike, go to (or into) the pools and have lunch. On the way back you get a looot of mezcal. Recommended!”
Explore Monte Albán from Oaxaca with a bilingual guide, sweeping valley views, Zapotec history, and free time among the pyramids.
“Amazing. I really enjoyed the tour. I wish it was about and hour and a half longer though.”
Taste 24-plus Oaxacan foods, drinks, mezcal, fruit, and market fare on a six-hour walking tour with local guides.
“This 6+ hour tour will take you from breakfast past lunch. You'll try several traditional Oaxacan dishes and beverages, some dating back to pre-hispanic times — and learn about their ingredients and their place in the culture. At every stop there's a generous sample, always followed by an offer of a second helping. It's all fresh and all delicious. Our guide, Aurora, was knowledgeable and clear. This is a great tour to do on your first day to introduce yourself to the food and the city center. There is not that much walking (considering the length of the tour) but it might be difficult for those who can't stand in…”
Explore Oaxaca’s Tule Tree, Mitla, Hierve el Agua, weaving traditions, and mezcal on a full-day guided tour with hotel pickup.
“It was just greate :) all was organised so perfect !!! :)”
Explore Monte Albán from Oaxaca with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, Zapotec history, sweeping views, and free time at the ruins.
“very knowledgeable and interesting. detailed explanation. didn't rush the group. answered all questions. punctual. would recommend.”
Tour Monte Albán from Oaxaca with hotel pickup, a bilingual guide, Zapotec ruins, valley views, and free time for photos.
“Pickup from hotel was great. Julio our guide was excellent. Very happy with the half day tour.”
Explore Hierve el Agua, hike and swim in mineral pools, then learn mezcal making and taste up to 14 varieties near Oaxaca.
“This tour is great! You get about 3 hours at Hierve el Agua, which is just the right amount of time, and then you get to taste about 10 different Mezcals at the distillery. Our guide Margarita was knowledgeable, friendly, and funny! Highly recommend.”
Explore Oaxaca’s local markets with about 20 tastings, expert guides, pre-Hispanic drinks, tacos, quesadillas, and practical food tips.
“We walked through the enormous local city market and tasted several different foods including creating our own taco, moles, baked goods, roasted grasshoppers and toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s a slow walk so very easy and our guide Yiel was super knowledgeable and got all the foods for us.”
Shop Oaxaca’s market, help make a changing menu, and sit down to mole, tortillas, drinks, and other local dishes.
“Nicely paced market tour and cooking class! The different settings and pacing made it easy to stay engaged. We also enjoyed the balance between hands-on opportunities to cook and Oscar and the staff helping with clean up and set up to keep the class moving along efficiently. We had a nice group of just 6 of us and we enjoyed lunch together. They also served us a margarita, some mezcal, and iced tea. No complaints!”
Cook Oaxacan classics with nixtamalized corn, visit a local market, taste moles, and share a wood-fired meal at Quinta Brava.
“This was by far the BEST experience! Amazing from start to finish and well worth the money!!! I have told everyone how amazing it was…”
Shop Oaxaca’s Merced neighborhood, taste local ingredients, and cook mole, tortillas, salsas, and more in a hands-on vegetarian class.
“Fun class that gave us a unique perspective on sustainable cooking in Oaxaca. Loved visiting the market, though it was almost closed down for the evening so I wonder if the morning session would be more interesting. Learned several fun recipes including a delicious mole with several local herbs we’d never tried before.”
Cook traditional Oaxacan mole, tortillas, tamales, and salsas with Minerva Lopez after exploring Mercado de Abastos.
“A perfect day. Annotated visit to the huge traditional central market. Minibus transport to Minerva’s beautiful home up in the hills not far from Monte Alban. Hands-on and thorough lesson where Minerva took us through selecting ingredients for and preparing her family recipe for black mole plus making corn tortillas. A mezcal moment. And we got to eat the delicious meal that we helped to create. A most satisfying day that I highly recommend!”
Pick a coast, a ruin or a kitchen.
