Explore the cultural and natural highlights of Oaxaca on this ten-day itinerary around the region. You'll explore colorful marketplaces, see a 2,000-year-old tree, feel the spray of crystal-blue waterfalls, visit traditional villages in the Northern Highlands, learn how to make mole in a private cooking class, and spend the last few days on Oaxaca's idyllic Pacific beaches.

Highlights

  • Discover the fruits, and handcrafts of Ocotlán de Morelos Market
  • Explore the ancient Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán
  • Make jam with the locals in the Oaxacan highland community of Latuvi
  • Relax in the pacific beaches of Huatulco

Brief Itinerary

Day Highlights Overnight
Day 1 Welcome to Oaxaca! Oaxaca
Day 2 Oaxaca city walking tour Oaxaca
Day 3 Tule tree, Hierve el Agua & Teotitlán del Valle Oaxaca
Day 4 Cooking class & visit Monte Albán Oaxaca
Day 5 Ocotlán market & San Bartolo Coyotepec Oaxaca
Day 6 Northern Highlands of Oaxaca Latuvi
Day 7 Farm in Benito Juárez  Santa Maria Huatulco
Days 8-9 Free time in Huatulco Santa Maria Huatulco
Day 10 Departure from Mexico  

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Oaxaca!

Parque Labastida in the historic center of Oaxaca, Mexico
Parque Labastida in the historic center of Oaxaca, Mexico

Welcome to Oaxaca! After checking into your hotel in the city of Oaxaca you will have free time to rest. Then go for a stroll through the historic center and explore streets lined with art galleries, cafés, shops, bars, and restaurants. 

Day 2: Discover Oaxaca city on a walking tour

The cathedral in Oaxaca, Mexico
The cathedral in Oaxaca, Mexico

After breakfast, go on a guided city walking tour in the colorful streets of Oaxaca, starting in the former Monastery of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, home of the Museum of Cultures. Visit the impressive Cathedral before heading to Plaza de la Constitución and its vibrant marketplace. 

Day 3: Tule tree, Hierve el Agua waterfalls & Teotitlán del Valle

Calcified mineral puddles formed by water bubbling from springs in Hierve el Agua
Petrified waterfalls at Hierve el Agua

Today's excursion starts with the visit to an ancient Tule tree: at approximately two thousand years old, it's the biggest tree in the world! Continue to Hierve el Agua, an imposing petrified waterfall located in the mountain range, with the option to bathe in its mineral-rich waters.

Conclude your day with a visit to the village of Teotitlán del Valle (the name means "Place of the Gods" in Nahuatl). This little village is famous for handicrafts. Shop, walk around, and get to know more about the process of making tequila in the region before you rest for the evening at your hotel in Oaxaca. 

Plan your trip to Mexico
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.

Day 4: Cooking class & Monte Albán

Mole de olla
Learn how to make mole de olla, a Oaxacan delicacy

Today you will have a cooking class with a regional chef and learn how to make black mole. Your morning will start in the market, where you'll buy the ingredients for your cooking class.

After a delicious meal, you'll continue in the afternoon to the first Mesoamerican urban center of Monte Albán. A major Zapotecan city that developed on a hill’s summit, it's surrounded by mountains and valleys.

Day 5: Ocotlán market & San Bartolo Coyotepec Community

 Ocotlán de Morelos Market
Ocotlán de Morelos Market

Begin the day in the Ocotlán market, filled with colors, scents, and flavors. Taste local fruits and snacks, and take advantage of frequent photo ops in this atmospheric venue. Later, you will visit the San Bartolo Coyotepec community, well-known for being a ceramic town—its artisan Barrio Negro neighborhood is famous among Oaxacans. 

Day 6: Northern Highlands of Oaxaca

Making Latuvi jam
Making jam in Latuvi, a community in the Northern Highlands

Today you will explore the Northern Highlands of Oaxaca. First, go to the community of Latuvi, a colorful town known for agriculture and the cultivation of fruits, their most important source of income. As a group, they use their natural resources for the production of jams using fruits harvested in the community. You'll even have the chance to participate in a jam workshop. After lunch, try your hand at a bread workshop: the products of both classes will make for a great snack later in the day. 

Day 7: Farm in Benito Juárez

Farm
Getting up close with goats at a Oaxacan farm

Visit a local farm, where you'll have breakfast and learn about day-to-day activities in a rural setting. You'll learn how to make tortillas during a food-focused workshop, then enjoy lunch on the farm with a spread of regional dishes. Later in the day,  you will head to the airport to take a flight to Huatulco. 

Days 8-9: Free time in Huatulco

Santa Cruz Bay, Huatulco, Mexico
Santa Cruz Bay, Huatulco, Mexico

Finish up the trip with a couple of days in paradise. Huatulco is one of the 570 towns of the state Oaxaca. It has nine bays, forming a national park that was declared a protected reserve in 1998. The destination is perfect for snorkeling, diving, boat trips, mountain adventures, and horseback riding at sunset. Discover the bays of San Agustin, Cacaluta, among others and have a blast in this paradise! 

Day 10: Goodbye Mexico!

After breakfast, you'll head to the airport to catch a flight home. Safe travels!

Map

Map of Magical Oaxaca & the Pacific Coast - 10 Days
Map of Magical Oaxaca & the Pacific Coast - 10 Days