Oaxaca food tour: Markets, moles & Zocalo with guide

Three hours eating your way through Oaxaca's markets and squares

A three-hour guided food tour through Oaxaca City starting at Mercado 20 de Noviembre, where you taste mole negro and mole rojo, fried chile relleno, and tlayudas made by hand, then walk to Mercado Juarez and the Zocalo to try quesillo, tejate, and other regional specialties. Your English-speaking guide leads the stops and explains the dishes as you go.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Oaxaca's Markets and Cuisine

• Meet guide and introduction
• Taste Mole Negro and Mole Rojo at Mercado 20 de Noviembre
• Enjoy Chile Relleno and other bites
• Walk through Mercado Juarez
• Sample quesillo and sweet snack
• Visit Zocalo and try Tejate drink
• Eat Pan de Yema at Zocalo
• Explore historic center shopping area
• Visit terrace for more food
• End at Secret Destination for foodies

The experience

The tour begins at Mercado 20 de Noviembre, where your guide introduces the day ahead and you start with two moles (the famous black mole and the red mole unique to Oaxaca) alongside a fried chile relleno. These first bites set the rhythm: you move through the market tasting what locals eat, not what restaurants plate for tourists. The moles carry recipes passed down through families, and the guide walks you through what makes each one distinct.

From there you walk to Mercado Juarez, a busier market where you try quesillo (the local cheese) and a sweet regional snack. The route itself is part of the meal. You're moving through the neighborhoods where these foods live, seeing where vendors work and how the markets connect to each other. Then comes the Zocalo, the historic square at the center of old Oaxaca, where you sit and drink tejate, a pre-Hispanic beverage made with cacao and corn, paired with pan de yema, a sweet bread baked fresh. The tour also includes hand-made tlayudas (crispy Oaxacan flatbread with meat), traditional coffee in an earthen cup, and a secret destination the guide saves for the end: a spot locals favor that doesn't make the guidebooks.

The walking is steady across three hours, so wear shoes you can move in. The guide handles the ordering and explains what you're eating as you go. If you have dietary needs, let the operator know before the tour so they can adjust. The menu and stops can shift based on what's available that day and the weather, so the exact sequence might change, but the core markets and the Zocalo stay the same.

What’s included

• Mole negro and mole rojo tasting.
• fried chile relleno.
• hand-made tlayuda with meat.
• quesillo cheese.
• tejate (pre-Hispanic cacao brew) with pan de yema.
• traditional Oaxacan coffee in an earthen olla.
• regional shaved ice.
• chapulines (crickets).
• water.
• English-speaking guide.
• the secret final stop.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 12:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Secret Food Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to eat the way locals do, moving through the actual markets where Oaxacans shop and eat rather than sitting in a restaurant. The three-hour pace and the walking mean you're sampling many dishes across different stops, so you get a real range of flavors and textures in one morning or afternoon.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What are the black mole and red mole I'll taste on this tour?

Mole negro and mole rojo are two of Oaxaca's most celebrated dishes, each made with a complex blend of chiles, spices, nuts and chocolate. The black mole is darker and richer. The red mole has a different heat and depth. Both are traditional recipes kept alive by families and vendors in the markets, and tasting them side by side shows you how distinct they are even though they come from the same city.

How much walking is involved?

The tour covers a fair amount of ground over three hours as you move between Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Mercado Juarez, the Zocalo, and a few other stops in the historic center. Comfortable shoes are essential. The pace is leisurely and built around stopping to eat and listen to the guide, not rushing between points.

What is tejate and where do you drink it?

Tejate is a pre-Hispanic drink made from corn and cacao, served cold and traditionally enjoyed by locals. You'll have it at the Zocalo, the historic square in the heart of Oaxaca's old town, where you also eat pan de yema (sweet bread) and sit among the architecture and activity of the square itself.

Can the tour accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes, but you need to contact the operator in advance so they can arrange alternatives or adjustments at the markets and stops. Let them know what you can and cannot eat before the tour starts, and they'll make sure the experience works for you.

What happens at the secret destination?

The guide saves a final food stop for the end of the tour at a spot locals favor but tourists don't usually find on their own. What you eat there is part of the surprise, but it's included in the tour and fits the three-hour schedule.