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Overview

Taste of Puebla and Oaxaca Culinary Tour of Mexico

Creating a traditional Pasilla sauce on a culinary vacation in Mexico.Enjoy the heart of Mexico during this week-long exploration of Puebla and Oaxaca on an unforgettable culinary tour of Mexico. Start with a night in Mexico City before heading south to the beautiful city of Puebla, with its rich array of architectural jewels ranging from the Renaissance to the Mexican Baroque. 

Panorama of the Monte Alban archeological site in Mexico.Then head south to the region of Oaxaca and its capital city of the same name. Oaxaca is a wonderfully diverse city, considered by some the gastronomic capital of Mexico. Its beautiful city and surrounding areas offer a wealth of sites to explore. 

Mexican gastronomy offers a variety of dishes and drinks based on wonderful, fresh ingredients, and unique flavors, and you can discover them on our Taste of Puebla and Oaxaca culinary vacation in Mexico!  When the Spaniards colonized Mexico they brought  ingredients with them from Europe, Asia, and Africa. These then mixed with the native ingredients to form a truly exquisite and unique cuisine. 

In recent years the gastronomic scene in Mexico has continued to develop with different techniques and ingredients being used by Mexican chefs to create a contemporary Mexican cuisine. You will explore both the new and the old, traditional methods of Mexican cuisine during your Taste of Puebla and Oaxaca culinary vacation in Mexico. 

Tasting a delicious poblano dish with mole on a culinary vacation in Mexico.The cuisine of Puebla is one of Mexico’s richest culinary traditions. The famed Mexican mole sauce is one of the most important dishes of the region, and it has acquired international fame. Other characteristic dishes are the chalupas, pipián sauce (made with chiles and pumpkin seeds), and maguey worms (don’t worry, you don’t have to try them if you don’t want to!). Also of note are the homemade desserts such as the delicious Santa Clara cakes, made with marzipan and goats milk, and camotes. 

Visiting Hierve el Agua springs in Oaxaca on a culinary vacation in Mexico.In Oaxaca, the merger between Spanish and indigenous cultures resulted in a number of characteristic dishes. Here too you will find the indispensable mole sauce: or rather, mole sauces, as there are at least seven different kinds of mole in Oaxaca. You will also find tamales, quesillo, as well as exotic dishes that will tempt your adventurous side! And don’t forget to try the beverages such as the delicious rice water, Tejate (cocoa and corn), and mezcal. 

You can explore both of these wonderful cities on your Taste of Puebla and Oaxaca culinary vacation in Mexico. And it you’d like to take the ultimate culinary tour of Mexico, combine it with our three-night Magical Mexico City Culinary Vacation. 


Trip Details

Enjoy two cooking classes during your culinary vacation in Mexico.

  • The first will be a demonstration cooking class at a hotel restaurant in Puebla, in which the chef will demonstrate the preparation of an authentic Poblano dish.
  • Have a hands-on cooking class with the “Comideras” in the valley of Oaxaca and prepare three traditional dishes.

Itinerary

Adding some hot sauce during a Mexico City food tour.Day One

  • Welcome to Mexico! Transfer from Mexico City airport to your hotel. Check in and rest of evening on your own.
  • Overnight. (Please note that if you are combining this tour with our Magical Mexico City Culinary Vacation this day can be eliminated – ask us for details!)

The great pyramid Tlachihualtepetl in Cholula, Mexico.Day Two

  • Breakfast at the hotel.
  • Check out and depart for Cholula, about 2 hours away.
  • Cholula was, for many centuries, one of the largest cities in Mesoamerica. It was ideally situated on the main trade route for such goods as obsidian, pottery, and tropical products. The town used to organize one of the largest fairs of Ancient America, and reached its zenith in the Sixth Century before declining.
  • See the “Tlachihualtepetl” pyramid, or “handmade mountain.” It was the result of a thousand years of effort by the Cholulans. Dedicated to the gods of rain, it was one of the largest and most important structures of the American continent.
  • Continue on to nearby Puebla. This colonial and provincial town is considered one of the most “Spanish” cities in central Mexico.
  • Lunch at a local restaurant, which honors the gastronomic traditions of the city and its regional “Poblana” cuisine.
  • Visiting the beautiful city of Puebla on a culinary vacation in Mexico.After lunch, head to the Zòcalo, or main square of Puebla, which is also known as the “City of Angels.” Admire the best examples of religious architecture from the colonial era: the Cathedral and the Rosario Chapel, an 18th-century architectural jewel. Admire also the beautiful colonial houses and the El Parian market.
  • Arrival at the hotel and check in.
  • Dinner tonight at a local restaurant that offers high quality local cuisine. You might taste the classic chicken in mole, chamorro en mole verde (pork shank in green mole), peasant-style rabbit, or a dessert mole, all accompanied by aguas frescas, the fresh beverages made of natural fruit and water which are found on every table of Mexican households.
  • Return to hotel and overnight.

Visiting the local produce market on a culinary vacation in Mexico.Day Three

  • Breakfast at the hotel.
  • In the morning visit a local food market with its bright colors, scents, and displays. Here you will find seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, including some varieties that will be completely new to you.
  • Head to a local hotel for a cooking demonstration with one of the hotel’s master chefs, where you will learn to prepare an authentic Poblano dish. Lunch to follow.
  • In the afternoon transfer to Oaxaca, about 5 hours away.
  • Arrive at the hotel and check in.
  • Dinner on your own and overnight.

Delicious enchiladas with mole on a culinary vacation in Mexico.Day Four

  • Breakfast at the hotel.
  • Head to a small Zapotec community in the Oaxaca Valley, where a family settled in the countryside and welcomes visitors into the traditional kitchen with its wooden stove. Your host will be a “Comidera,” the women who are in charge of preparing the food for the festivities in the surrounding villages. These ladies are well-known for their excellent cooking. Prepare three dishes from among the many regional specialties such as nicuátole, tortillas, sauces, empanadas, sopa de guías, cuitlacoches (corn funghi), nopal soup, atole, and other.
  • Lunch to follow.
  • Visiting the cathedral in Oaxaca on a Mexico culinary vacation with The International Kitchen.Return to Oaxaca and enjoy a city tour. Admire the beautiful architecture of the historical center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the Cathedral, the Temple and ex-Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzman, the Basilica of Le Soledad, the Macedonio Alcala Theater, and other 19th-century colonial buildings.
  • Visit the Museum of Cultures in the former convent of Santo Domingo, where you will admire the art and artefacts found by the archeologist Alfonso Caso in tomb number seven in Monte Alban.
  • Return to hotel and dinner on your own.
  • Overnight.

Panorama of the Monte Alban archeological site in Mexico.Day Five

  • After breakfast at the hotel, head to Monte Alban, one of the most important archeological sites of ancient Mesoamerica.
  • The three valleys in the center of Monte Alban have always been central to Oaxacan life. The Monte Alban site was begun around the Sixth Century BC, and was the focal point of the three valleys. The Zapotec civilization based its cultural and commercial development there, and it controlled all the valleys of the region as it grew to its dominance between 250 and 740 AD.
  • At its peak, the site had nearly 25,000 inhabitants, but it suffered a sharp decline in 750 AD and was abandoned, like many of the other sites in the surrounding Zapotec valleys. The site stands on an artificial plateau on a hill overlooking the valley floor, making it a truly impressive sight.
  • Visiting the ex-convent of Cuilapam de Guerrero in Mexico.Continue on to Cuilapam de Guerrero, where you will visit the beautiful architecture of its old ex-monastery.
  • Lunch will be at a typical restaurant of the Zapotec village of Zaashila, where the food is served on long tables, creating a friendly atmosphere. Try the pork chops grilled over charcoal, the sopa de guías (a traditional Oaxacan zucchini soup).
  • An examples of an alebrije sculpture from Mexico.After lunch, continue on to San Martín Tilcajete, where artisans create Alebrijes, the brightly colored Oaxacan-Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. Try your hand at creating your own masterpiece!
  • This evening, dinner at a local restaurant that honors the all-important local ingredient: corn. The name of the restaurant means “corn flower” in the Mixtecan language. Try tasty contemporary Mexican dishes based on corn, from snacks to more elaborate dishes.
  • Return to your hotel and overnight.

The incredible Tule tree in Mexico, one of the world's largest.Day Six

    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • Depart for Santa Maria del Tule, where you can see the famous and ancient Tule Tree, a Montezuma cypress tree that is one of the oldest, largest, and widest trees in the world.
    • Next head to Hierve el Agua, a natural spring that forms petrified waterfalls and natural bathing pools. Even though the name menas “the water boils,” the mineral-laden water is actually cold. But the amazing panoramas make swimming in the these pools a must.
    • Visiting Hierve el Agua springs in Oaxaca on a culinary vacation in Mexico.Stop at a local Mezcal factory to learn about this traditional Oaxacan liquor.
    • Next, head to Mitla, another important archeological site and the religious center of the Zapotec during the post-Classic period. Its buildings were richly decorated with geometric forms and are a formidable example of the splendor of this old civilization.
    • Finish with a visit to an artisanal weaving workshop in Teotitlán del Valle. See how they manufacture wool rugs and dye wool with natural dyes.

Wool weaven rug in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, on a tour with The International Kitchen.

  • Lunch at a local restaurant.
  • Return to Oaxaca, time to rest.
  • Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant where the fusion cuisine of the chef combines Mediterranean flavors and local ingredients.
  • Return to your hotel and overnight.

Day Seven

  • Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to the Oaxaca airport.

Trip Details

Included in the 6-Night Trip

Accommodations

One night in a 4* or 5* hotel in Mexico City
One night in a 4* or 5* hotel in Puebla
Four nights in a 4* or 5* hotel in Oaxaca

Food & Beverages

  • Daily breakfast
  • Five lunches
  • Three dinners

Classes & Instructors

Enjoy two cooking classes during your culinary vacation in Mexico.

  • The first will be a demonstration cooking class at a hotel restaurant in Puebla, in which the chef will demonstrate the preparation of an authentic Poblano dish.
  • Have a hands-on cooking class with the “Comideras” in the valley of Oaxaca and prepare three traditional dishes.

Excursions

  • Guided tour of the Cholula archeological site
  • Tour of Puebla’s historical center
  • Visit of the local food market in Puebla
  • Excursion to a Zapotec community in the Valley of Oaxaca
  • Guided tour of Oaxaca’s Word Heritage historical center, including the Museum of Cultures
  • Guided visit of Monte Alban and Cuilapam de Guerrero
  • Visit of the artisan workshop in San Martín Tilcajete
  • Excursion to the Tule Tree and the mineral springs of Hierve el Agua
  • Mezcal factory visit
  • Tour of the Mitla archeological site
  • Visit of a weavers’ workshop in Teotitlán del Valle
  • Private transportation for all excursions
  • Dedicated English-speaking local guides

Transfer Details

  • Arrival transfer from Mexico City airport to hotel
  • Departure transfer from hotel to Oaxaca airport

Miscellaneous

  • Porter services at airports and hotel
  • Entrance fees to archeological sites and museums

Not Included

  • Beverages, paid locally
  • Tips
  • Overnight Mexico tourist tax, paid locally

Accommodation Information

Stay at 4* hotels in Mexico City, Puebla, and Oaxaca. In Mexico City stay at the 4* Historico Central (or similar). Located right in the historical center, just two blocks from Zócalo, the hotel is in a beautiful 19th-century building with a stained-glass atrium. 

In Puebla stay at the 4* NH Puebla (or similar), a modern hotel about 5 minutes from the Cathedral by food.

Your four nights in Oaxaca will be at the Hostal de la Noria (or similar), a Spanish colonial revival-style building with wood furnishings and terracotta floors.  

Or, upgrade to 5* hotels: Sofitel (Mexico City), Quinta Real (Puebla & Oaxaca).

Pricing & Tour Dates



Puebla & Oaxaca Culinary Vacation Pricing:

6-night Program

US$3120 per person based on double occupancy

  • Add US$560 for single occupancy (use of a double room by 1 person)
  • Add US$850 per person to upgrade to 5* Hotel

30% deposit due to confirm booking.

Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!

Pricing for groups or 4 or more: please inquire.


Tour Dates

Available year-round for a minimum of 2 people. Sample dates with Monday start follow. (Please note many museums and monuments are not open on Mondays).

2023
Available year round. Please inquire for remaining 2023 dates.

2024
SAMPLE DATES, please inquire for availability.
January 8-14
January 15-21
January 22-28
January 29-February 4
February 5-11
February 12-18
February 19-25
February 26-March 3
March 4-10
March 11-17
March 18-24
March 25-31
April 1-7
April 8-14
April 15-21
April 22-28
April 29-May 5
May 6-12
May 13-19
May 20-26
May 27-June 2
June 3-9
June 10-16
June 17-23
June 24-30
July 1-7
July 8-14
July 15-21
July 22-28
July 29-August 4
August 5-11
August 12-18
August 19-25
August 26-September 1
September 2-8
September 9-15
September 16-23
September 23-29
September 30-October 6
October 7-13
October 14-20
October 21-27
October 28-November 3
November 4-10
November 11-17
November 18-24
November 25-December 1
December 2-8
December 9-15
December 16-22

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