Choosing a food tour in Oaxaca

Which food tours are there in Oaxaca?

GetYourGuide lists one evening street crawl, four market or tasting tours, one Sunday market day trip, two small cooking classes and a mezcal distillery tour.

The table sets out the basics as each listing states them. Group sizes are the maximum per listing; the local chef tour is offered as a private or small group, and its maximum is not stated in the listing. The mezcal tour is a drinks trip rather than a food tour, but it often appears alongside food tours, so it is included for completeness.

Is there a real street food tour in Oaxaca at night?

Yes. The Oaxaca Streets Food Tour is the one GetYourGuide listing built as an evening street crawl. It runs for 4 hours, starts at Tacos Roy and finishes at the Zocalo.

The listing states 14+ tastings at 7 to 8 family-owned stops. The tastings listed include campechano tacos, piedrazo with quesillo, tetelas with huitlacoche, garnachas, mole tamales, tacos de cabeza, lechon tacos or tortas, tlayudas with tasajo, esquites with chapulines, champurrado, a mezcal tasting and flan. Bottled water is included. Hotel pickup and extra alcohol are not included. The tour is in English, groups are limited to 8, and it runs rain or shine.

This is the right pick if you want to see the city's evening food scene with someone who knows the stands. It is not the right pick if you have dietary limits: the listing states it is not suitable for pregnant women, vegans, vegetarians, people with food or nut allergies, guests who need halal food, guests who do not eat pork, or people with celiac disease.

Which Oaxaca market tours are there?

Four listings are built around the markets: the Food and Markets Tour (2.5 hours), the Oaxaca Markets Food Tour (4 hours), the Etnofood market tour (4 hours) and the local chef tour (3 hours, which also visits street stands).

• Food and Markets Tour: the shortest option at 2.5 hours, with a maximum of 6. The listing states market tastings of traditional food, traditional sweets as dessert, and breakfast or lunch depending on the start time. It is not suitable for children under 14 or people with mobility impairments.
• Oaxaca Markets Food Tour: 4 hours from 9:30, ending about 13:30 at Benito Juarez market. It visits La Cosecha organic market, Mercado 20 de Noviembre including the meat section, Benito Juarez, a chocolate shop and the guide's family business, with 20+ dishes and drinks. Tips are included.
• Etnofood market tour: 4 hours, up to 10 people, led by certified food researchers, with market tastings, pre-Hispanic drinks and transportation included.
• Food Tour with Local Chef: 3 hours, with family-run kitchens and street stands and a focus on corn, chocolate and chiles. All tastings and soft drinks are included.

From La Cosecha to Benito Juarez market with a bilingual guide: 20+ dishes and drinks, women-led businesses and tips included.

Oaxaca Markets Food Tour, 20+ Tastings · 4 hours

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Which Oaxaca food tour is best for vegetarians, vegans or allergies?

It depends on the listing. The Etnofood market tour says it accommodates all diets including vegan, the Markets Food Tour offers vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free options, and the vegetarian cooking class is fully vegetarian.

Diet limits are the biggest difference between these tours, so check them before you book. The table sums up what each listing states. Where a listing does not mention a diet, the table says not stated, and it is worth contacting the operator before booking.

Should you choose a food tour or a cooking class in Oaxaca?

Choose a tour to taste many dishes in one go; choose a cooking class to learn one dish properly. Both cooking classes on the list include a market walk to buy ingredients.

The Oaxacan Mole Workshop with a Traditional Cook lasts 3.5 hours for up to 4 people. The listing states a market walk for ingredients, then mole, sauces and a typical dessert, with mezcal for guests over 18 and seasonal fruit water. It is not suitable for children under 10, people with back problems or low fitness. The Vegetarian Cooking Class also lasts 3.5 hours for up to 4. It starts with a market visit for organic produce, then a vegetarian salad, main and dessert and a shared meal. Coffee or tea, the recipe, mezcal and transportation are included, and the listing states it is wheelchair accessible.

Both classes meet at the Etnofood kitchen on Xicotencatl 609 in the centre, the same place as the Etnofood market tour. The guide to mole, chocolate and cheese explains what you will cook.

Is the Tlacolula Sunday market tour worth it?

It suits visitors who are in Oaxaca on a Sunday and want a village market rather than a city market. The listing combines food tastings at the market with a family-run mezcal distillery.

The Tlacolula market tour runs on Sundays, lasts 5 hours and takes up to 10 people. It meets at the entrance of the Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca and uses private air-conditioned transport. The listing states a bilingual guide, food tastings at the market, a tasting at a family-run mezcal distillery, and a visit to the church and plaza. Gratuities are not included.

Tlacolula de Matamoros is east of Oaxaca City on Highway 190, about 30 to 45 minutes by road. Its Sunday tianguis brings in people from the Zapotec villages around it, with food stalls, rugs, pottery and a livestock area nearby.

Which Oaxaca food tour should you pick?

Match the tour to your diet, your schedule and how much you want to walk. The evening street tour suits visitors who eat everything; the market tours suit most other travellers.

• You eat everything and want a night out: the evening street tour.
• You are short on time: the 2.5-hour Food and Markets Tour.
• You are vegetarian, pescatarian or gluten-free: the Oaxaca Markets Food Tour, which offers those options.
• You are vegan: the Etnofood market tour, which says it accommodates all diets including vegan.
• You want to cook: the mole workshop or the vegetarian cooking class.
• You want a flexible time of day: the local chef tour, with 9am, 12pm or 6pm options.
• You are there on a Sunday: the Tlacolula market tour.

What should you know before booking a food tour in Oaxaca?

Come hungry, wear comfortable shoes, bring cash for extras and check the meeting point carefully. Most listings state free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Meeting points differ a lot, from a taco stand to a cathedral entrance to a mural in a small garden, so save the exact address before the day. The Oaxaca Markets Food Tour asks guests to bring cash and a tote bag, and the guide carries a pink bag. The evening street tour runs rain or shine, which matters in the rainy season from about June to September, when afternoon and evening showers are common.

Tours are filling. Skip a large meal beforehand and drink plenty of bottled or filtered water. For more practical habits, read the guide to eating safely in Oaxaca, and to fit a tour into a wider trip, read how many days to spend in Oaxaca.

Market tastings, pre-Hispanic drinks and transportation included, with certified food researchers and every diet accommodated, vegan too.

Market Tour with Food Researchers · 4 hours

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