Top Oaxaca Tours: Discovering Culture, Food & More
Planning a trip to Oaxaca? Very cool! Well, it can feel a little bit like trying to choose just one amazing dish from a menu that goes on for pages! So, with so many options for seeing the sights, doing different activities, and experiencing new things, figuring out which tour is the best one can be a little bit of a head-scratcher. But, you know, you are super lucky because I have made a list of the five best Oaxaca tours just for you that are absolutely the cream of the crop, with great insights and really amazing suggestions to make sure you have a memorable trip. Are you game?
1. Hierve el Agua & Mezcal Factory Tour
Okay, first up we have a combo that’s actually perfect: Hierve el Agua and a Mezcal Factory Tour. Hierve el Agua, which kind of sounds like “the water boils” is like getting the chance to see nature create some very unreal-looking cliffs that just resemble frozen waterfalls. Really neat stuff. I think that it is one of the most photographed locations in Oaxaca, and it’s one of a kind.
Plus, like, the tour usually takes you to a local mezcal factory. So you can discover how mezcal is traditionally crafted. Not only do you get to learn how this ancient drink is made, but sometimes you even get to sample it too! And who would pass that up? Most people choose this one because of how highly rated it is on Tripadvisor, and all its happy customer testimonials make this seem like a safe bet when planning activities during a vacation.
What to expect: Seeing Hierve el Agua’s amazing rock formations is super cool and that’s something most people look forward to. But in this experience, you get something amazing *and* something authentic! When you stop to check out local Mezcal producers you help support Oaxacan culture by discovering its traditions, all while creating experiences you will not soon forget. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Tour)
Read our full review: Hierve el Agua and Mezcal Tour Full Review and Details
2. Monte Alban Archaeological Site Tour
This tour, of the archaeological wonder that is Monte Alban, really has the uncanny ability to transport you way back in time. This place, which the Zapotec built way up high on a mountain, actually provides incredible views of the surrounding valley, views I can’t soon forget. Plus, it’s full of history. Exploring the ruins is something very exciting, but that something really transforms when the tour guide brings a lot of different pieces together with exciting stories and relevant points. Seeing this world heritage location on the shoulders of knowledgeable experts really shows what vacation is about.
Visitors on TripAdvisor praise this tour for being well organized. Not only is it the number one recommended trip, but this experience seems to do it all at a very great price for everything that comes with it.
Who Should Go: Someone interested in a very detailed history of ancient Mexico and its civilizations. Anyone traveling with their partner will certainly enjoy having a romantic background with views that most will only dream of. It may seem to be a long hike for some, but with the appropriate pair of shoes, and the help of the guides on sight, visitors are sure to have an educational experience and remember these views forever. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Monte Alban Tour)
Read our full review: Monte Alban Archaeological Site Tour Full Review and Details
3. Cooking Class: Experience Authentic Oaxacan Cuisine
For all the foodies that visit Oaxaca, diving straight into an actual hands-on cooking class can definitely be one of the tastiest ways of learning more about Oaxacan culture. Normally, these classes, though, do begin with a trip to the local market so you’re able to actually pick fresh things for cooking! How amazing! Participants get to work closely with a chef to try preparing traditional dishes, and those usually include mole, tlayudas, or even a very savory soup. Also, that experience does come with sampling sessions when you finish, so everyone can taste the culinary brilliance of Oaxaca. Now *that* is how vacations are supposed to be.
It appears to be one of the things vacation goers look forward to the most: one TripAdvisor user said that not only was it the most exciting part of his stay, but that it showed his party things they never could have imagined existed. A must try for travelers going as a couple. It definitely gives visitors a new flavor that the entire group will treasure for a long time.
Why Take a Cooking Class: These tours can be very intimate and personal, and one reason might be that most cooking classes will hold smaller groups than any old walking tours would. These cooking lessons don’t just provide you instructions. They also show ways of helping connect visitors directly with the culture, by the help of its history, dishes, preparation, and most exciting, that first taste that most cannot simply find anywhere. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Oaxacan Cooking Class)
Read our full review: Oaxacan Cooking Class Full Review and Details
4. Oaxaca City Walking Tour
Alright, this tour of Oaxaca City itself is almost essential to get to see the best spots in town! Getting involved in that kind of thing usually means strolling through beautiful, local spots. The really popular choices are touring the Zocalo which just serves as the city’s central plaza, that Santo Domingo Church with all that incredible art, and stopping off at that Macedonio Alcalá pedestrian street to check out tons of different types of local shops and pretty buildings. And of course the street food – can’t forget about the street food! Very much the best way to taste Oaxaca’s food and that vibrant culture. It sounds like vacationers do recommend that tour should come at the beginning of any visit to kind of “take it all in.”
When the experience seems worth it, the prices may still come as a shock. Some tour guides seem to offer this one free for just tips, making it possible for anyone, including people with restrictive budgets, to find ways of visiting, seeing the town, and becoming part of their culture without missing out.
Ideal Participants: Anybody showing up on their vacation ready to get up-close with this town must participate. All in all, it’s great if you enjoy moving on foot. In short, the free tour has great stops at historical sites as well as getting to sample regional foods from different locations. See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Oaxaca City Walking Tour)
Read our full review: Oaxaca City Walking Tour Full Review and Details
5. Day Trip to the Tlacolula Market
Finally, now it’s time for all that colorful and authentic Oaxacan market stuff at Tlacolula Market! That’s probably the best chance to find yourself surrounded by sellers peddling all kinds of locally produced things, things that you would *never* have seen at the shops near your place! You will get the ability to see piles and piles of colorful textiles to artisan crafts as well as finding interesting traditional food spots; you just need to get yourself to where all of the Oaxacan traditions meet at that ancient marketplace. The day these markets open might get super busy though!
Most customers show their thankfulness for how kind and how much fun these events usually end up being! Some said they wouldn’t have done things in other places, but the group made them feel confident and comfortable experiencing this part of Oaxaca that can be hard for an outsider to connect with.
Pro tip: Very often tourists going to these kinds of markets will always find themselves overwhelmed! I tell folks that the thing that gives these guided tours value stems from a few basic facts that are pretty important: that safety comes first, along with translation, and that you can make friends during the experience. Those tour guides sure do everything to help out travelers and support the communities. Seeing new places that only most natives of that region visit usually serves as great chances to grow and find new meaning through trips like this one! See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Tlacolula Market Day Trip)
Read our full review: Tlacolula Market Day Trip Full Review and Details
