Oaxaca: Culture, Cuisine & Día de Muertos

Oaxaca, Mexico

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Oaxaca: Culture, Cuisine & Día de Muertos

Oaxaca, Mexico

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Ho
Heart of Travel
  • Email address verified
172 reviews
Oct 28 - Nov 4, 2023
Group size: 6 - 12
Oaxaca: Culture, Cuisine & Día de Muertos
Oaxaca, Mexico
Heart of Travel
  • Email address verified
172 reviews
$2,995
Deposit: $750
Oct 28 - Nov 4, 2023
Group size: 6 - 12

About this trip

One of Mexico's most vibrant states, Oaxaca oozes with rich flavor, both literally and figuratively. 

Our days will be filled with exploring Oaxaca City and the surrounding areas including the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán, the vast agave fields, family-run mezcalerias, and enchanting mountain towns home to artisans, craftsmen, and healers. This trip also has the option to add on an additional 4 day/3 night excursion visiting Oaxaca's Pacific Coast in Puerto Escondido! 


View the detailed itinerary for this trip here. 


From small batches of smoky artisanal mezcal to complex moles, Oaxaca is a food and spirit lovers' playground. The delight to the senses is endless, you can find yourself sitting on the edge of a turquoise water pool, looking out at the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua by morning, and later conclude your evening by joining a celebratory street parade!


There's never a dull moment in Oaxaca, especially during Día de Muertos. While Oaxaca is one of México's more economically challenged states, it is rich in culture, resilience, and creativity. Not to mention beautiful Zapotec weavings as well as impressive pottery and artwork - so shoppers make sure to bring an extra suitcase to take your goodies home!


We will also get you off the beaten path by visiting women-led small businesses outside of Central Oaxaca to learn more about them, how micro-financing loans work and sustainable models for micro-financing. Lastly, we will eat A LOT of delicious food, sip on mezcal, join in parades, see amazing art, stroll through the Zócalo and have an overall amazing time. Additionally, we'll be staying at the stunning Hotel Casa Sierra Azul centrally located in the heart of Oaxaca, so you'll be able to explore at your own leisure without having to go far!

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What’s included

  • 7 nights accommodations
    7 nights in 3.5 to 4 star boutique hotels
  • Fees
    Entrance fees, tickets, local guides for all activities indicated on itinerary
  • Transportation
    All transportation within Oaxaca
  • 24/7 Assistance
    Heart of Travel tour leaders (fully bilingual) available 24/7 during your trip
  • Meals
    7 breakfasts + 8 additional meals
  • Spanish immersion
    Opportunities for those interested in practicing their Spanish, just let us know!
  • Airfare assistance
    We will help you find the best flight deal for your trip

What’s not included

  • International airfare
    To/from Oaxaca City
  • Meals
    Meals not indicated on the itinerary
  • Additional tours
    Extra activities done individually during your free time
  • Tips
    Tips to local guides and tour leaders, while not mandatory, are met with deep gratitude

Available Packages

Double Occupancy 8 day/7 night

Per person price when booking double occupancy for an 8-day/7 night trip in Oaxaca.

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$2,995
Deposit:$750
Past Trip
Single Occupancy 8 day/ 7 night

Per person price when booking single occupancy for an 8 day/7 night trip in Oaxaca.

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$3,800
Deposit:$750
Past Trip

Available options

Additional Night Lodging
$265

Rate, per room, for an additional night of lodging at Casa Sierra Azul. 

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Basic I Online Travel Spanish Course
$99

Learn the basics of Spanish for your upcoming trip with our online, self paced Basic Travel Spanish Course! Access granted within 48 hours.

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$2,995
Deposit: $750

Your Organizer

Ho
Heart of Travel
172 reviews
The Heart of Travel was born out of a deep-rooted love and passion for travel, art, history, food, nature, culture and adventure as well as a call to give back to the communities and people that had already provided us with so much. The travel industry has long been bombarded with double decker tour busses, beach front resorts and cruise ships, often at the expense of the local communities. As a response to this failing system, we began a boutique travel company that allows clients to explore new places in an authentic and non-touristy way, offering travelers a more intimate and unique experience all while removing the stress and hassle of researching, planning, bargain hunting, reserving and more that goes along with planning a trip or vacation.
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Reviews

AJ
This was a fantastic trip and itinerary! I would have never thought I would've have had so much fun in Guatemala! The logistics worked--it was all about experiencing life on the local level...LOVED riding in the back of a pickup on a bumpy road to see a coffee farm. The hotels were fabulous! The guides were the BEST! So caring about our well-being and energized to ensure we had a great time every single day!
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By Angela J for Guatemala: The Bucket List Ladies Trip on Mar 12, 2025
st
Guatemala is a beautiful country and the Heart of Travel team made it an unforgettable experience for our family and group. We came to Guatemala for a school exchange program which was an amazing experience in itself. From the moment we decided to book with Heart of Travel our trip planning was easy and stress free. Chelsea and her team worked diligently throughout the entire process, making sure all of our transportation, activities, excursions and most meals were planned and prepaid - which made things simple once we landed in Guatemala. Although some services cost more than if we were to book each independently, the worry less travel made it 100% worth it, especially since I was travelling with 2 kids under 12 years old. We felt safe at all times - especially transportation around the country. We had a team member with us for all excursions who was knowledgeable, friendly and always made sure to engage the children, making sure they were happy and enjoying whatever we were doing. Amy was super sweet and always had a smile on her face. We had a great trip with her to Chichicastenango, where we explored the beautiful market and learned about the Mayan culture. Charlie was another guide who was incredible with the kids, as most of the kids in our group were boys he had unlimited energy and was able to keep up with all of theirs! He was super aware and was vigilant with their safety i.e. walking on the traffic side of the road and keeping the kids on the inside - this showed us he was not just there doing his job but truly cared for our kids safety. He also helped to arrange crutches for one of the mom's that was injured on our trip and even arranged for a massage for her! We had a great experience with Heart of Travel team, they made our trip stress free which allowed us to fully experience Guatemala knowing everything was taken care of. We highly recommend using them for all your travel needs wherever there team serves. You will be sure to have an amazing time! Thank you Heart of Travel team, hasta luego amigos! The Takhar's.
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By soni t for Pre-Acton, Custom Travel Services: Takhar Family on Mar 09, 2025
LB
We had a wonderful time on our trip to Guatemala thanks to Charlie, Chelsea, and the Heart of Travel team! From the expert advice that we received in planning our our itinerary to the on-the-ground support we could not have done this without Heart of Travel. We fell in love with Guatemala and can't wait to come back to explore the country even more! Heart of Travel well exceeded our expectations. We planned a very busy trip with 5 families and 15 people in our group. Managing the logistics wasn't easy, but Heart of Travel kept us all organized with great communication. We saw and experienced so much while we were there for the week! We also had many hiccups - from cancelled flights to a slip-and-fall that required crutches and adjustments to the itinerary. Again, we would have been lost without Heart of Travel there to help us adjust and get back on schedule seamlessly. Lastly, Charlie become a beloved member of our group. Last week, one of the kids in our group mentioned how much they missed Charlie! He was not only invaluable, but also fun to have around!
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By Lisa B for Pre-Acton, Custom Travel Services: Bean Stock Family on Mar 09, 2025
VA
My recent trip with Heart of Travel to Costa Rica and Panama exceeded all my expectations! All of the travel plans are well thought out, and we cover a lot, but also have plenty of time to rest. They do a wonderful job of making everyone feel comfortable and accommodated and I always make the most wonderful friends on these trips! The food, culture, and nature explorations were so wonderful, I highly recommend this trip to anyone who would like to explore the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and Panama.
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By Valerie A for Caribbean Escape: Discovering Puerto Viejo & Bocas del Toro 2025 on Mar 04, 2025
IK
The team was amazing in helping us plan a great, meaningful experience in Lake Atitlan and Iximce, and earlier in Antigua. Charlie was super helpful and nice in customizing our travel. Both guides, Ingrid and Selvin, were super nice and knowledgeable. I take a point out because the driver kept answering the phone while driving through curves with only one free hand and not 100% attention. I believe he's capable of doing that, but this should not be the standard when taking passengers, and specially children. Also, I wish we had known that the best views of the lake are usually in the morning (fewer clouds), so we could take this into account when planning the schedule. When we got to the lake, the day had become cloudy and we missed on great views. We did not even go to the mirador. Even so, we enjoyed both experiences.
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By Ines K for Custom Trip Services: Ines Kudo on Mar 04, 2025
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References

JH
I highly recommend Heart of Travel! I have traveled with them several times, and their customer service is exceptional. They consistently exceed my expectations. Their staff is not only friendly but also pleasant and wonderful to work with. Their pricing is fair and transparent, making it an excellent value for the money. I cannot wait to go on another trip with Heart of Travel!
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By Janet H on 28 Jan, 2025
AD
I cannot recommend Heart of Travel more enthusiastically! We took a trip to Guatemala to see the Giant Kite Festival in Sumpango. It was important to us to learn about Guatemalan culture, people, history, food, and have authentic experiences where we could get to know people. From my very first conversation with the team, I felt confident in their experience and that our values aligned. They absolutely exceeded expectations - everything was perfect! The travel arrangements, hotels, restaurants and activities were all impeccably well executed. The variety and intimate nature of all our activities was superb, as was our amazing guide, Selvyn. His passion for his country and people is heartwarming, his knowledge of culture and history is encyclopedic. He is a consummate professional, taking care of everything we could possibly have needed or wanted. He is also a tremendously warm and wonderful person who we felt really fortunate to get to know. The work by the entire team behind the scenes to ensure a magically seamless trip is impressive. We fell in love with Guatemala; the beauty of the country, warm smiles of the people, amazing food, rich history, and an incredibly well-planned tour led by an expert guide - what's not to love?! You will love Heart of Travel!
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By Angela D on 20 Nov, 2024
AS
Heart of Travel is the best for magical and ethical vacations! Chelsea and her incredible team first won me over in Guatemala in 2023 as they planned a beautiful trip that allowed us to see and experience so many different places, people, and things. A helicopter ride, a volcano hike, spa day, meeting the most badass Mayan weaver!!, a once-in a lifetime sunset tour in Tikal - done. I'm still trying to get over this trip lol. They knocked it out of the park again in Cuba for NYE! Chelsea and the spectacular Paloma had us dancing multiple nights away, eating the BEST food, and seeing ALL the sights while also giving us ample opportunity to support the Cuban people and educating us on why that is so important. You will leave their trips with new memories, new friends, and possibly, some new perspectives. Do it!!!
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By Amber S on 08 Feb, 2024
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