SHORTLIST

Mexico Real Food Adventure

Get an authentic taste of Mexico on a journey through some of the country’s most famous culinary regions. Meander through Oaxaca’s aromatic markets with a local chef, take to the streets of Puebla to sample some the city’s local specialties and tuck into tacos in Mexico City. Your local leader will help you dig into the culture and history of Mexico with walking tours, visits to ancient ruins and local markets. If you’re after cultural richness, authentic experiences and flavoursome food, this is the adventure for you.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information. 
2. While we endeavour to cater for specific dietary requirements, some meals and food activities are set in advance and may be difficult to adjust. Please advise us of any dietary requirements at the time of booking so that we can ensure you’ll enjoy this trip.

Tour details
Tour Provider Intrepid Travel
Price From
$3,285
Number of Days
8
Start Location
Mexico City, Mexico
End Location
Oaxaca, Mexico
Age Range
Avg. 30+
Group Size
1 to 12
Tour Style
Standard
Tour Themes
Food
Physical Rating
Easy to Moderate
Itinerary Open all
Day 1: Mexico City
Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico City. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, where you'll meet your leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, maybe go and see the Templo Mayor (a 13th-century Aztec temple) or the baroque Catedral Metropolitana de Mexico. If you’re a fan of art, you could go to the Frida Kahlo Museum or check out the Palacio Nacional, which houses murals by Diego Rivera. After the meeting, head out for a taco crawl around town so you can sample different versions of Mexico’s most popular global dish. Maybe accompany your tacos with a refreshing local beer or horchata (a milky cinnamon rice drink).
Day 2: Mexico City
With your leader, you’ll 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 see the enormous Zocalo Square. Along the way, call into 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. On the way, we will also visit Gastromotiva, an Intrepid Foundation partner who fights hunger and food insecurity across Latin America.
Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Maybe relax in Chapultepec Park, take in some of the city's notable museums or check out the home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
Day 3: Puebla
Take a private vehicle to Puebla this morning, stopping in San Pedro Tlahuac along the way, 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 – man-made agricultural islands – from the times of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Start your visit in a family kitchen where tortillas are freshly cooked and taken to the local market to sell. Be sure to sample the tortillas before boarding a trajinera (a flat-bottomed boat) for the 30-minute journey to the chinampas. 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 spread will accompany your salad – tortillas stuffed with pork or vegetables and hibiscus tea. Arrive in Puebla in the afternoon – a city known for its long culinary history – and spend the rest of the day however you like. Perhaps pop down Alley of the Frogs – a colourful street perfect for souvenir shopping.
Day 4: Puebla
Venture out on a culinary city tour with a stop in a famous local market for lunch. Puebla is renowned for dishes that combine Spanish and pre-hispanic influences, such as chiles en nogada (stuffed chillies covered in creamy walnut sauce - seasonal). 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! Once you’re full and satisfied, perhaps check out Talavera pottery or chill out in a cantina.
Day 5: Oaxaca
Travel by bus to Oaxaca – a beautiful city nicknamed the ‘land of the seven moles’, hinting at its varieties of the thick sauce. When you arrive, head straight for the bustling Mercado 20 de Noviembre for a late lunch. Among the many great choices, tlayudas (Oaxacan pizza) is a staple you shouldn’t miss. Next, visit Mercado Benito Juarez – a bountiful market taking up a full city block and brimming with produce like mole spices, 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 streets.
Day 6: Oaxaca
Today, visit a market with a local chef and learn about Oaxaca’s cuisine from an expert. Take the ingredients you’ve picked up and, during a special cooking class, learn how to transform them into traditional Oaxacan dishes, which you’ll then enjoy for lunch. And you can take these recipes home as a souvenir – the gift that keeps on giving! After, explore Oaxaca’s artsy neighbourhood, Jalatlaco, with your leader. Bright murals and coffee shops adorn its streets so sit down with a hot cup of caffeine from a cafe that’s been open for 140 years and take in your colourful surroundings.
Day 7: Oaxaca
Today, you'll 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 refuel until dinner. On the way back to Oaxaca, stop at a mezcaleria (mezcal distillery). Although this drink 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 8: Oaxaca
Your adventure ends after breakfast. Additional accommodation can be pre-booked if you wish to spend more time exploring Mexico. Just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
Inclusions
  • Meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner.
  • Transport: Boat, Taxi, Private van, Public Bus, Metro.
  • Accommodation: Hotel (7 nights).
  • Mezcal Sip - Mexico City.
  • Mexico City - Taco Crawl.
  • Mexico City - Centro Historico food tour and lunch.
  • Mexico City - Breakfast at Bakery.
  • Mexico City Tour.
  • San Pedro Tlahuac Community Visit Lunch.
  • Puebla City - Food Tour & Lunch at Market.
  • Oaxaca - Mercado Benito Juarez.
  • Oaxaca - Mercado 20 de Noviembre.
  • Lunch at Oaxaca Market.
  • Barrio Jalatlaco Oaxaca orientation walk with coffee.
  • Oaxaca Cooking class with lunch.
  • Mitla Ruins Visit.
  • Oaxaca - Mezcaleria visit.
  • Lunch at Tlacolula Market.
  • Mitla Arqueological Site - Arqueological Local Guide.
Departure dates
All pp pricing is based on twin share occupancy. Single supplements will apply
Start End Availability Price NZD
09 Aug 2025 16 Aug 2025 2 $3,650
06 Sep 2025 13 Sep 2025 6 $3,285
04 Oct 2025 11 Oct 2025 9 $3,415
18 Oct 2025 25 Oct 2025 4 $3,415
15 Nov 2025 22 Nov 2025 11 $3,370
22 Nov 2025 29 Nov 2025 6 $3,895
06 Dec 2025 13 Dec 2025 8 $3,690
27 Dec 2025 03 Jan 2026 9 $3,830
10 Jan 2026 17 Jan 2026 12 $3,830
07 Feb 2026 14 Feb 2026 10 $3,830
21 Feb 2026 28 Feb 2026 9 $3,830
28 Feb 2026 07 Mar 2026 12 $3,830
14 Mar 2026 21 Mar 2026 9 $3,690
21 Mar 2026 28 Mar 2026 12 $3,690
04 Apr 2026 11 Apr 2026 12 $3,690
18 Apr 2026 25 Apr 2026 10 $3,545
25 Apr 2026 02 May 2026 12 $3,545
09 May 2026 16 May 2026 12 $3,545
06 Jun 2026 13 Jun 2026 12 $3,380
04 Jul 2026 11 Jul 2026 12 $3,380
18 Jul 2026 25 Jul 2026 12 $3,380
08 Aug 2026 15 Aug 2026 12 $3,380
05 Sep 2026 12 Sep 2026 12 $3,545
19 Sep 2026 26 Sep 2026 12 $3,545
03 Oct 2026 10 Oct 2026 12 $3,690
10 Oct 2026 17 Oct 2026 12 $3,690
17 Oct 2026 24 Oct 2026 12 $3,690
07 Nov 2026 14 Nov 2026 12 $3,690
14 Nov 2026 21 Nov 2026 12 $3,830
21 Nov 2026 28 Nov 2026 12 $3,830
28 Nov 2026 05 Dec 2026 12 $3,830
05 Dec 2026 12 Dec 2026 12 $3,690
19 Dec 2026 26 Dec 2026 12 $3,830
26 Dec 2026 02 Jan 2027 12 $3,830
09 Jan 2027 16 Jan 2027 12 $3,450
23 Jan 2027 30 Jan 2027 12 $3,450
06 Feb 2027 13 Feb 2027 12 $3,450
20 Feb 2027 27 Feb 2027 12 $3,450
27 Feb 2027 06 Mar 2027 12 $3,450
13 Mar 2027 20 Mar 2027 12 $3,450
20 Mar 2027 27 Mar 2027 12 $3,450
03 Apr 2027 10 Apr 2027 12 $3,450
17 Apr 2027 24 Apr 2027 12 $3,450
24 Apr 2027 01 May 2027 12 $3,450
08 May 2027 15 May 2027 12 $3,450
05 Jun 2027 12 Jun 2027 12 $3,450
03 Jul 2027 10 Jul 2027 12 $3,450
17 Jul 2027 24 Jul 2027 12 $3,450
07 Aug 2027 14 Aug 2027 12 $3,450
04 Sep 2027 11 Sep 2027 12 $3,450
18 Sep 2027 25 Sep 2027 12 $3,450
02 Oct 2027 09 Oct 2027 12 $3,450
09 Oct 2027 16 Oct 2027 12 $3,450
16 Oct 2027 23 Oct 2027 12 $3,450
06 Nov 2027 13 Nov 2027 12 $3,450
13 Nov 2027 20 Nov 2027 12 $3,450
20 Nov 2027 27 Nov 2027 12 $3,450
27 Nov 2027 04 Dec 2027 12 $3,450
04 Dec 2027 11 Dec 2027 12 $3,450
18 Dec 2027 25 Dec 2027 12 $3,450
25 Dec 2027 01 Jan 2028 12 $3,450