Things to do in Oaxaca
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Oaxaca Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer with Professional DriverYou get picked up at Oaxaca airport by a named driver with a banner, ride in an air-conditioned vehicle with your luggage, and arrive at your hotel without arranging transport or negotiating a fare. The driver tracks your flight and won't leave you waiting. Takes as long as the route requires, typically 20–30 minutes depending on traffic and your destination in the city.Is it for me?Book this if you land at Oaxaca airport and want to skip the taxi negotiation at arrivals — the fixed price and named driver mean you know exactly what you're paying and who's picking you up, which turns a transfer into one less thing to figure out on arrival day.
Oaxaca: Traditional Mole Cooking Class & Market TourYou'll tour Oaxaca's market with a traditional cook, select fresh ingredients, then prepare authentic mole and regional sauces in a small group kitchen class. Lunch includes the dishes you've made, plus a traditional dessert. Groups stay under twelve, and the class is designed for adults 18 and up.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand mole beyond tasting it—to learn why it matters in Oaxaca and how to make it yourself. The small group size and market walk mean you're not just following steps; you're learning how a traditional cook actually thinks about ingredients and flavor.
Huatulco Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer with Local DriverYou’ll step off your flight into Huatulco’s heat and find your private transfer waiting—a local driver greets you by name and whisks you straight to your hotel in AC comfort. Enjoy those first glimpses of town, ask questions if you want, or just sink into your seat and breathe out for a minute before vacation really begins.
Oaxaca City: Markets Food Tour & 15+ TastingsYou walk through Oaxaca's busiest markets with a local guide who grew up there, stopping at 15+ vendors to taste mole, tamales, chocolate, mezcal and street food. All tastings and drinks are included, the pace is slow enough to talk to vendors and the guide, and you finish knowing why Oaxacan food tastes the way it does. Book early if you're traveling in high season — groups are kept small.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat real Oaxaca food the way locals do, without arranging your own market route or figuring out which stalls are worth your time — the guide's family connections and years of eating in these markets is what makes the difference between a food tour and an actual introduction to the place.
Dolphin Watching Tour Puerto Escondido: Swim & Marine WildlifeYou’ll ride out from Puerto Escondido with a local guide and captain who know these waters by heart. Watch playful dolphins up close, spot sea turtles and flying fish gliding by, and maybe swim if it’s safe that day. The salt air lingers long after you’re back on land — it’s something you’ll remember every time you hear waves.Is it for me?Built for travelers who want to see Puerto Escondido's marine life without arranging their own boat or guide—the captain decides when conditions are safe enough to swim, so you get both watching and water time when it's possible.
Monte Albán, Alebrijes & Black Pottery: Oaxaca Day TourThis eight-hour guided tour of Monte Albán, San Antonio Arrazola and San Bartolo Coyotepec combines the Zapotec archaeological site with two working artisan villages where you see alebrijes carved and painted and black pottery fired by hand. A certified bilingual guide leads the day, hotel pickup and air-conditioned minivan transport are included, and admission to Monte Albán is part of the package. The tour is built for first-time visitors to Oaxaca who want the major stops without rushing between them.Is it for me?Book this if you want a guided pace through three distinct stops—archaeological site, alebrije workshop, pottery village—rather than rushing between them, with a certified guide providing context at each location.
Mitla & Teotitlán: Half Day Tour with Family GuidesYou’ll join a small group led by a local family guide from Oaxaca, exploring El Tule’s ancient tree, Mitla’s mysterious ruins with their intricate stonework, and an artisan rug workshop where natural dyes come alive in your hands. Includes pickup and lunch—expect laughter, stories, and moments you’ll want to hold onto.
Huatulco Airport - Hotels: Private Transfer with Local DriverYou’ll step into Huatulco’s warmth and spot your driver waiting—no stress or searching for taxis. Enjoy an air-conditioned ride straight to your hotel with local tips along the way, plus return pickup when it’s time to leave. It’s simple comfort, but somehow feels personal too.
Hierve el Agua: Small Group Day Trip & Early AccessYou’ll catch Hierve el Agua before the crowds, hike down to its surreal petrified waterfalls with a local guide, swim in mineral-rich pools overlooking valleys, and share lunch at rustic food stalls nearby. Expect real conversation, fresh tortillas, and moments you’ll replay long after you’re back home.
Oaxaca: Cacao Tasting & Chocolate Experience Small GroupsYou taste 15 to 20 varieties of cacao and chocolate over two hours, learning how the same bean changes flavor through different processing and sugar choices. A Zoque guide from a chocolate-making family walks you through the tasting, shares the culture and traceability of cacao in Oaxaca, and includes a cocoa snack break and house drink to finish. Small groups mean you actually hear what's being explained and can ask questions without holding up a line.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand chocolate beyond the taste — how origin, processing, and sugar choice shape flavor — and prefer learning from someone whose family has actually made it rather than reading about it.
Ziplining in Huatulco: Waterfalls, Caves & Oaxacan FoodZipline and swim at a mountain waterfall in Huatulco, then explore hidden caves and eat Oaxacan mole at Finca la Gloria. The day includes a 50-minute drive from your hotel, a stop at a traditional cacao and coffee tasting spot, a certified bilingual guide, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Choose the Private option for a custom group, or the Coffee Aroma option if you want to join a scheduled departure.Is it for me?Book Private if your group wants to choose departure time and control the pace through each stop; choose Coffee Aroma for a fixed schedule and shared group experience.
Huatulco Cooking Class: Learn Mexican Dishes & Local TraditionsYou arrive at a kitchen near Huatulco's La Bocana beach and spend the morning making huitlacoche empanadas, fresh tortillas, and salsas with a native Oaxaca chef who explains the history and traditions behind each dish. You eat lunch together with homemade margaritas and local wine, then return to your hotel with recipes. Hotel pickup and all ingredients are included.Is it for me?Book this if you want to learn how Mexican food is actually made rather than just eat it, and you'd rather spend a morning with someone from Oaxaca than follow a recipe alone at home — the chef's knowledge of why these ingredients and techniques matter is what turns cooking into understanding.
Huatulco Airport - Huatulco Hotels: Private Shuttle & Certified DriverYou’ll step off your flight in Huatulco and spot your driver waiting with your name—no hunting around or guessing games. Enjoy an air-conditioned ride with a certified local operator who knows every shortcut and shares small stories along the way. Arrive at your hotel or Airbnb feeling relaxed, already part of the rhythm here.
Bicycle Tour through Oaxaca: Urban Art & HistoryA two-hour guided bicycle tour through the City of Oaxaca covers the neighborhoods of Jalatlaco and Xochimilco, the colonial arches of the San Felipe aqueduct, and the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, with a local guide explaining the art, history and pre-Hispanic roots of each stop. The tour includes a bicycle, helmet and technical assistance; a viewpoint option is available depending on group fitness. English and Spanish guides are available, and the minimum age is 18.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to cover more ground than a walking tour allows while staying in the city center—you'll bike through neighborhoods to see colonial architecture and street art at a pace that lets you actually absorb what you're seeing.
Oaxaca: Agave Fields, Mezcal Tasting & Oaxacan LunchYou’ll wander Oaxaca’s agave fields with a local guide, learn ancient weaving in Teotitlán del Valle, taste mezcal at a family distillery, and share an Oaxacan feast in their home. Expect laughter around the table—and maybe a lingering hint of smoke on your hands long after you return.
Private Sport Fishing in Puerto Escondido: 5 Hours at SeaPrivate sport fishing in Puerto Escondido puts you on a 27-foot boat departing Puerto Angelito beach at 7 am, with a captain and assistant who teach you to hook your own fish in waters where sailfish, blue marlin, striped marlin, goldfish and yellowfin tuna live. You fish for five hours in the deep zone, reading water color, temperature currents and bird activity to find the strike. Hotel pickup is included, as are all rods, lures, baits, safety gear and a fishing license; if you land yellowfin tuna or goldfish, you can take fillets back to cook or have a local restaurant prepare them for you.Is it for me?Book this if you're staying in Puerto Escondido without a car—the captain picks you up from your hotel and drops you back after the trip, so you go straight from your room to the boat.
Oaxaca Coast: Canyoning Tour with River Pools & LunchYou’ll hike forest trails, scramble over river stones, and float through cool pools on this small-group canyoning adventure near Bahias de Huatulco. With an expert guide leading the way, you’ll pause for laughter-filled breaks in natural whirlpools before sharing lunch and cold beer by the water. It’s real, muddy fun — the kind that sticks with you long after your shoes dry.
Mezcal & Mole Tasting in Oaxaca: Seven Pairings by SommelierA mezcal and mole tasting class in Oaxaca where you taste seven handcrafted vegetarian moles paired with seven artisanal mezcales, led by a professional sommelier. The experience runs 90 minutes in a mountain-view tasting room and includes a welcome cocktail and printed tasting notes. All mezcals are ancestral or artisanal, sourced from single-family producers across six agave varieties: Espadiín, Tobalá, Cuixe, Tepeztate, Jabalí, and Papalometl.Is it for me?At 90 minutes, the tasting leaves room for dinner elsewhere in Oaxaca the same evening, or for another activity before or after. The small-group format and the sommelier's teaching mean you learn the logic behind the pairings rather than simply tasting through a list, which is what makes this version worth the time if you want to understand mezcal and mole, not just try them.
Oaxaca Private Car Tour: Artisan Villages & Monte Albán RoutesYou’ll ride through Oaxaca’s real artisan villages in a private car with a local guide who knows everyone by name. Watch master weavers at work, taste smoky mezcal straight from family-run palenques, and pause wherever curiosity takes you—no rush or tourist traps. Expect laughter over street food and moments that linger long after you’re back in town.
Oaxaca Arrazola: Alebrije Painting with Jimenez FamilyYou’ll join the Jimenez family in Arrazola near Oaxaca, learning how they carve and paint wooden alebrijes using natural colors. Paint your own small figure to take home, snack on local treats, and hear stories straight from the artists—all with private transportation included. It’s a few hours that’ll stick with you long after you leave.
