Oaxaca 2019/20
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Daily Itinerary

Welcome to Oaxaca! Arrive early in the evening, and enjoy a cerveza and welcome dinner in the beautiful courtyard of Restaurante Catedral, just off the Zócalo, Oaxaca's main plaza.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: D

We’ll take a morning stroll around town, with a peek into a church or two, and have lunch among the vendors in the Mercado Benito Juarez. In the afternoon, we’ll pay a visit to the Museum of Oaxacan Culture, and maybe find a hot chocolate or a cerveza in the Zocalo to finish off the day.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: B,L

Today we dedicate ourselves to food! We’ll meet our local chef in the morning, who will guide us through the marketplace as we shop for ingredients (and maybe pick up some chapulinas to snack on while we’re at it). In the afternoon, we’ll learn how to prepare local specialties like mole and tamales. We’ll work up an appetite, so be ready to feast on the sumptuous meal we’ve prepared.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: B

Mezcal is the traditional spirit of Oaxaca. It is made in small, often family-run, distilleries called palenques, mostly for local consumption. Today we’ll head out to the countryside and visit several palenques to see all the steps involved in making mezcal, and of course sample the product. You'll be able to see the amazing local variation in style and taste. We’ll have a wonderful dinner then sip champagne on the roof of our hotel watching the fireworks all around the city.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: B,D

Happy New Year! Ring in the New Year in Teotitlan de Valle, a famous a weaving village. Sleep in this morning, and spend the day in town taking pictures, drinking hot chocolate, and people-watching in the Zócalo. In the afternoon, we’ll head to Teotitlan de Valle. We’ll visit the Santiago family, where we’ll learn about natural dyes and traditional weaving techniques (and maybe pick up a rug or two!). Then we will welcome the New Year with the locals. Teotitlan is surrounded by small caves where villagers build tiny houses, which they fill with candles, coins, and wishes for the New Year. We’ll watch the sunset, hang out at bonfires, light sparklers, and watch village boys toss burning logs to each other to welcome in 2020.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: B

Get up early(ish) to spend the morning exploring Monte Albán, a spectacular archaeological site overlooking the valley. Monte Albán, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the Zapotec capital from about 500 BC to AD 750, and is famous for its carved monuments and fantastic tombs.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: B,L

This morning we’ll travel to Mitla, the religious center of the Zapotec people until the 16th century. After lunch together, we’ll visit two craft villages: San Martin Tilcajete, famous for its alebrijes, fanciful animals carved from Copal wood, and San Bartolo Coyotepec, a village best known for its Barro negro pottery. In the evening, we will gather for a fabulous farewell dinner on the roof of the Casa Oaxaca, one of the finest restaurants in all of Mexico.

Hotel: Xtilu Hotel
Meals: B, L, D

Goodbye, Oaxaca! Our trip concludes after breakfast this morning. We’ll get together in a few weeks to share photos and memories at our Oaxaca reunion!

Meals: B

Photos courtesy Rick Paine