After arriving in Oaxaca City, our driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel. Take some time to settle before we meet for a welcome drink at our hotel's rooftop.

We will then head out for dinner at one of the finest restaurants in the city, where we'll sample modern interpretations of Oaxacan cuisine using only local and traditional ingredients.

This day begins with breakfast at a traditional and popular market stand for Oaxacan comfort food accompanied with unique regional beverages, like the ceremonial drink chocolate-atole. We'll then make our way to the picturesque and colorful neighborhood of Jalatlaco, where we'll slowly make our way down and walk to the main pedestrian street, Macedonio Alcalá, where we'll visit a breathtaking example of baroque architecture: the Santo Domingo church.

For lunch, we'll head to one of Oaxaca's most important markets: The Benito Juárez market, where we'll walk around the isles, shopping and tasting as we go. Then, we'll cross to the 20 de Noviembre market to sample a variety of local grilled meats at its smoke hall. Before we return to the hotel to rest or explore the city on your own, we'll stop by a local chocolate stand to see how Oaxacan chocolate is made and get a taste of this delicious treat.

We will regroup in the evening for a candlelit mezcal tasting with an expert at our hotel's courtyard. We'll follow the mezcal with a variety of traditional Oaxacan tamales from our favorite local street cart.

Today will be all about Oaxacan ingredients, learning about them, and understanding how to use them in your own cooking back at home. Our day will start with breakfast at a popular eatery that specializes in all things corn, including refreshing beverages, where everything is made to order using heirloom varieties of corn. We'll then make our way to a residential market nearby to shop for ingredients for our cooking session. Our culinary workshop will be led by James Beard Award winning chef Iliana de la Vega at the gorgeous home and kitchen of a local world-renowned photographer. While our lunch is cooking, we'll also learn how to make traditional Oaxacan cheeses guided by Rosa María, a local woman who comes from a family of cheesemakers. After lunch, you'll have the afternoon to rest or enjoy the city on your own.

We'll meet again this evening for a variety of appetizers, which include a memorable suckling pig taco, while we enjoy panoramic views of the city at the terrace of an upscale restaurant.

Our day will start with breakfast at the courtyard of a gorgeous renovated colonial hotel. Then, we're off to visit some of the surrounding villages to explore some of the local arts and crafts Oaxaca has to offer. We'll stop by an alebrije workshop in the town of San Martin Tilcajete, where an artisan will show us the process of bringing these wooden figurines to life. Next stop will be Santo Tomás Jalieza to visit a family of women weavers who use the backstrap looms to create gorgeous, intricate pieces like table runners. Our last stop before lunch will be in San Bartolo Coyotepec to see the unique black pottery from this town. Then we're off to eat at the celebrated restaurant of a woman chef who serves a mix of tradtional dishes from the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca with some of her own amazing creations.

We'll then head to the hotel so you can enjoy some rest. Once again, we'll reconvene later in the evening and head out to sample a true Oaxacan street food: tlayudas (a tlayuda is a 12” round semi-crispy tortilla with various toppings or fillings) at a very local and lively street stand.

On our way to the Sunday open-air market of Tlacolula is the town of Santa María del Tule, home to the widest tree on earth. There, we will kick-off our day with a traditional Oaxacan breakfast at a popular eatery that serves incredible chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and enchiladas before visiting El Tule tree. Afterwards, we’ll drive to the village of Tlacolula where all kinds of vendors from all over Oaxaca come to sell everything from live turkeys and fresh produce to fabrics and bootlegged dvd's. We'll spend some time there, exploring and shopping before we make our way to the town of Teotitlán del Valle, renowned for its woven rugs. There, we'll visit the workshop of a local weaver who will walk us through the process of rug making using traditional techniques and natural dyes. For lunch, we'll enjoy a traditional Zapotec feast at the private home of a cocinera tradicional (traditional cook).

Once back in the city, enjoy some time to rest before we meet again for a margarita and a sample of Oaxacan botanas (snacks) at a downtown hotel that's housed in a former convent.

Our last day will begin with an outdoor breakfast at a terrace offering lovely views of the city. Then, we will make our way to visit the largest and most important archeological site of Oaxaca: Monte Albán, where a local expert guide will explain the legacy and history of the Zapotec site. Then, we’ll return to the city for a lunch of traditional food from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—a completely different cuisine from one of the eight regions of Oaxaca—at the private home of a local cook. After lunch, you'll have some time to relax or enjoy your last day in Oaxaca on your own before we meet again for our farewell dinner

We’ll meet again for our final dinner at the gorgeous modern space of two incredible and world-renowned chefs who are putting their minds together to create new flavors using traditional Oaxacan ingredients.

After a week of exploring and eating your way through Oaxaca, it's time to head back home with a head full of memories and perhaps a couple of bottles of mezcal. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the airport. You may depart early in the morning or enjoy breakfast at the hotel beforehand.