Mexico City to Oaxaca with Zapotec Village Hiking

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe explore the array of museums, galleries and architecture or check out the nightlife and delicious street food. Maybe walk through Bosque de Chapultepec, visit the Frida Kahlo Museum or relax in one of the many plazas and gardens. After your meeting, maybe head out for dinner and get to know your fellow travellers.

Today, your leader will show you around the historic city centre. Visit Zocalo Square – a prominent central meeting place since Aztec times – and soak up the sound of rapid-fire Spanish and booming drums that fill the centre. Pass by the dome-topped Palacio de Bellas Artes, then stop to see some murals painted by the famed Diego Rivera. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Mexico City as you like. Maybe sit down for lunch at a fonda (a home that a family has opened to the local community as a restaurant) or take a boat ride down the Xochimilco Canal.

After breakfast, learn the local lingo with an informal Spanish lesson as you travel to Puebla. Along the way, you’ll stop at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Teotihuacan – an archaeological site that predated the Aztec Empire by more than a thousand years! Then join a local family for lunch before continuing on to Puebla – known for its culinary history, architecture, pottery and the painted Talavera tiles that adorn buildings here. When you arrive, head out for an orientation walk to get your bearings. Tonight, join your leader for a drink at La Pasita Bar. Pasita is a sweet liqueur made of raisins, served in a caballito (tequila glass) and decorated with a cube of fresh goat cheese and a raisin stuck on a toothpick. This bar is particularly famous because of its way of serving the pasita.

Today is free for you to explore at your own pace. Puebla is Mexico’s culinary capital, so why not head out to indulge in some street food? If the season is right, maybe try some chiles en nogada (stuffed chilies covered in creamy walnut sauce) or visit the nearby Pueblo Mágico of Cholula – home to the UNESCO-listed Cholula pyramid. Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner – your leader will have the best recommendations.

Get cosy with the locals as you travel by local bus to Oaxaca – this is a great time to read a book or take a nap! Stretch your legs with an orientation walk when you arrive. Oaxaca is an old town full of graceful arcades and markets. After your walk, you’ll tour the 20 de Noviembre Market, where you'll do as the locals and head to the Pasillo de las Carnes Asadas (the grilled meats aisle). Follow your nose (and your leader) to find it – smoke and the smell of grilled meat is thick in the air. Maybe grab some guacamole, salsa and some fresh tortillas on the way and then find a spot at one of the long tables where you’ll sit down for a classic Oaxacan lunch. From here, the rest of the day is free for you to explore Oaxaca at your own pace – maybe explore Monte Alban’s ruins or visit the Cathedral of Oaxaca.

Today is a free day. Maybe try your hand at whipping up the local cuisine with a cooking class, wander through the Jalatlaco neighbourhood or venture out on an optional daytrip around town. Begin the adventure at the millenary Tule tree – one of the oldest trees on Earth, with an impressive trunk size of nearly 44 m and hear some of the local stories it’s inspired. Then, hike through the Oaxacan mountains to reach the petrified waterfall, Hierve el Agua. You may even be able to stop for a swim along the way. After lunch, continue to the village of Teotitlan del Valle where you’ll meet an indigenous family of weavers, experts in traditional Mexican colours and textiles. Finish the day’s excursion with a trip to a mezcal distillery and an agave field and maybe sample the varieties made here on a tour of all things mezcal culture and cultivation.

This morning, you’ll visit the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site of Monte Alban. Walk through the architectural site that was inhabited for over 1500 years by the Olmecs, Zapotecs, and Mixtecs, and explore the terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds carved out of the mountain – now symbols of a sacred topography. Then, head to a local barro negro (black pottery studio). See a demonstration of how the famed black pottery (or pottery of the night) is made and learn about the history of this artform – legend says the clay is blessed! Then, join an alebrijes workshop where you’ll paint your own alebrije – brightly coloured sculptures that often combine various elements from different animals to create mythical creatures. Tonight, maybe join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate the last night of your trip.

Today is a free day in Oaxaca until your next welcome meeting tonight at 6 pm. After, maybe join your new group members for dinner and try some of the regional specialities, like tlayudas (Oaxacan pizza) or one of the seven varieties of mole this city’s known for (maybe with a glass of mezcal). Until then, you’re free to explore at your own pace or rest and recharge, getting ready for your next few days of hiking.

After breakfast, drive to the community of Benito Juarez – named after the prominent Mexican President. This is where your village to village hiking adventure really begins! When you arrive, you’ll meet your local guide for the walk to Mirador and the Hanging Bridge, where you’ll have a great view of the Central Valleys. If the day’s clear, you’ll be able to see the Pico de Orizaba – an active volcano, this is the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America! After, head to the farm where you’ll be staying tonight and meet the family of Mr Eli. Tuck into a home-cooked dinner made by your hosts and watch the sun go down before resting in your comfortable cabins for the night.

After your restful night, meet your group at the farm’s dining room for breakfast. It’s here that you’ll meet your local guide who will take you to the community of La Neveria along a rural path used by farmers. As you make your way along the trail, soak in the beauty of the forests of Sierra Norte and learn about the diverse flora and fauna there. When you arrive in the town, have lunch at a local restaurant, then it’s time to set off again with your guide for a tour of the community and its corn farms. Visit a local family for a gastronomic workshop based around the food that grows here, then settle in for another night in a small highland village.

As the sun rises, your hiking adventure continues. After breakfast, meet your guide and set out on the Cipriano Cabrera trail to the community of Latuvi. Along this quiet trail, you’ll see the biodiversity and climate of the Sierra Norte change, as you go from the cold pine forests of Neveria to the oak forests of lower altitudes. With diverse flora and fauna, local wildlife and gorgeous highland scenery, you’ll see why the people in these villages feel it’s important to protect their precious land. When you arrive in Latuvi, head to the community restaurant to try some local regional dishes for lunch. After, visit Dona Martha, who will show you the process of making pulque and tepache – traditional Mexican beverages typically made with agave sap and pineapple rinds or corn. Tonight, you’ll head back to Oaxaca, where you’re free to grab dinner and say ‘salud!’ to a beautiful, off-the-grid hiking trip.

With no further activities planned, your adventure comes to an end this morning. If you’d like to extend your time in Oaxaca, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.