Compare Mexico Real Food Adventure by Intrepid Travel vs 8 Day Central Mexico with Oaxaca by Gate 1 Travel

Day 1 Mexico City

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico City. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm where you'll meet your tour leader and travel group. Please check with the hotel reception where and when it will take place. After your welcome meeting, head out to a local restaurant to sample one of Mexico’s most celebrated dishes – tacos. You may like to accompany your tacos with a refreshing local beer or even horchata, a milky cinnamon rice drink.

Day 2 Mexico City

Take a private vehicle to San Pedro Tlahuac where Nahuatl descendants preserve pre-Columbian traditions – this is one of the last remaining places in Mexico that still has the canals and chinampa farms from the times of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Start your visit in a family kitchen where tortillas are freshly pressed and cooked before being taken to the local market to sell. Be sure to sample the tortillas before boarding a trajinera for the 30 minute ride to the chinampas. These colorful flat-bottomed boats are used to navigate through the canals. Tour the chinampas with a Nahuatl farmer, who will show you their crops, explain how they make a chinampa and their tips for a successful harvest. Fill a basket with vegetables, which you’ll turn into a salad for lunch. A fresh and colourful spread will accompany your salad – tortillas stuffed with pork or vegetables and hibiscus tea. Time to board your trajinera before driving back to the centre of Mexico City, enjoying the rest of the day at leisure. Perhaps relax in Chapultepec Park, take in some of the city's notable museums, or check out the home of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Day 3 Puebla

Visit a Mexico City institution: a two-storey bakery brimming with cakes, breads and biscuits, followed by a walking tour of the Centro Historico. Take in the beautiful Bellas Artes Palace, travel down the Paseo de la Reforma thoroughfare, and marvel at the enormous Zocalo square. Along the way you'll visit Mercado San Juan, the city’s main food market, then roam the surrounding streets and watch local vendors at work. Pull up a chair at one of the best seafood stands in the city for a late lunch. Catch a local bus to Puebla, a city known for its long culinary history. Puebla is renowned for dishes which combine Spanish and pre-hispanic influences, such as chiles en nogada (stuffed chillies covered in creamy walnut sauce). Venture out on a culinary city tour – start with some Pueblan street food like tacos Arabes (a style of taco created by Puebla’s Middle Eastern immigrants), or chalupas (fried tortillas with a spicy filling). Then, make a beeline for Calle de los Dulces (Sweet Street) to sample tortitas de Santa Clara (shortbread biscuits) and camotes (sweet potato lollies). Save space for a cinnamon-dusted churro or two!

Day 4 Oaxaca

Travel by bus to Oaxaca, a beautiful colonial city nicknamed the ‘land of the seven moles’. On arrival, head straight for the bustling Mercado 20 de Noviembre for lunch. Amongst the many great choices, tlayudas are a Oaxacan staple you shouldn’t miss. Next up, visit the fabulous Mercado Benito Juarez, a bountiful market taking up a full city block and brimming with produce, mole spices and pastes, and towers of Oaxacan cheese. With free time for the remainder of the day, you can continue to roam the markets, people watch in the zocalo, or take a gentle stroll around Oaxaca’s beautiful streets.

Day 5 Oaxaca

With a free day, you may like to visit the archaeological site of Monte Alban, an outstanding example of a pre-Columbian ceremonial centre. The terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Alban were carved out of the mountain. Those with a sweet tooth can find several shops on Calle Mina (just south of Mercado 20 de Noviembre) at which to learn about the production of real Oaxacan chocolate – and of course taste this regional specialty. This evening you’ll be joined by a local chef for a visit to the market, learning about Oaxaca’s produce and cuisine from an expert. You’ll then take the ingredients you’ve picked up at the markets and learn how to transform them into traditional Oaxacan dishes, which you’ll then enjoy for dinner.

Day 6 Oaxaca

Today you will venture out of Oaxaca for an insight into regional life. First, head to the ancient ruins of Mitla. Mitla (the Nahuatl word for 'underworld') is an important Zapotec archaeological site and was the main religious centre for the Zapotec people. At lunchtime, explore the abundant Mercado Tlacolula - renowned for its barbacoa and the ideal choice to fuel you through till dinnertime. On the way back to Oaxaca, stop into a mezcaleria (mezcal distillery). Although this tequila-like drop is experiencing a resurgence in popularity all over Mexico, it is largely produced in Oaxaca. It's generally enjoyed straight-up, so it's not for the faint-hearted!

Day 7 Huatulco

Board a morning bus for the long but scenic drive to Huatulco, stopping for lunch along the way. This is your chance to relax and unwind, as this town belongs to one of the most beautiful stretches of beach on Mexico's Pacific coast. It's also quieter and less touristy than some of the bigger beachside spots, although these are accessible by taxi. On arrival your leader will take you to check out a local supermarket so you can gain an understanding of the contemporary food habits of modern Mexicans. Here, you’ll get an everyday-life insight into the culture, and your leader will pick up some popular snacks for the group to enjoy. This evening you’ll get a taste of coastal cuisine over a tasty seafood dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 8 Huatulco

The day is yours to enjoy the chilled-out atmosphere of Huatulco. You may like to hang out on the beach, swim in the clear blue waters, or grab a glass of mezcal to toast to your adventure. This evening, enjoy a cooking class and feast on your creations in a traditional meal celebrating the bounty of the coastal region of Oaxaca. Your last dinner will certainly be one to remember as you tuck into an abundance of tasty seafood, and pick up some new recipes while you’re at it.

Day 9 Huatulco

Your adventure ends today. There are no activities planned for the final day.