Field Trip : Oaxaca

April 13th-20th, 2024

Join us for our inaugural travel experience, a collaboration between Makers Meals and Oaxaca Collective. We embark on a captivating journey with a small group of makers and creatives eager to delve into the rich culinary and artistic traditions of this vibrant region.

Our accommodations will be at the exquisite Maison Oaxaca, where we'll reside in beautifully adorned homes nestled in the charming neighborhood of Xochimilco. Conveniently located just a short walk from some of the finest restaurants and markets in Oaxaca, it provides the perfect base for our exploration.

Over the course of 7 days, we'll explore our favorite culinary, design, and art hotspots throughout the city of Oaxaca and beyond. Our itinerary includes exclusive studio tours with our maker and artisan friends, offering unique insights into their creative processes.

We extend a warm invitation for you to be part of a week brimming with the very best that Oaxaca has to offer.

Sample Itinerary

  • Arrive in Oaxaca, get settled into our home for the week in the brightly colored neighborhood of Xochimilco. We’ll be within walking distance to the center of Oaxaca where you can poke around and pop into one of the many shops and restaurants or go see some of the popular sights and museums (Don't worry, we'll be more than happy to point you in the right direction). Dinner will be a long table supper at one of our favorite female-run culinary experiences focusing on natural Mexican wines and traditional Oaxacan food.

    Meals Included: Dinner

  • Today we are taking you off the beaten path. We’ll start by heading to a lesser-known (but just as stunning!) natural spring where we can take a dip and enjoy the natural beauty that Oaxaca has to offer. Once we’ve thoroughly relaxed, we’ll head to the Mezcal capital of Oaxaca for a pre-hispanic lunch in an agave field and learn about the process of making Mezcal from plant to bottle with our hosts. As the day ends we’ll head back to Oaxaca City for some rest time followed by dinner at one of the most popular restaurants and bakeries in Oaxaca with wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, salads, and more.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • We’ll start today with a spread of locally-made bread, yogurt, jams, and fresh fruit before heading to San Augustin Etla where we’ll tour the Centro de las Artes de San Agustin (CaSa) founded by the artist Francis Toledo and known for it’s beautiful architecture and changing exhibitions (not to mention the hidden paper-making workshop where, if you're lucky, you can see the process from start to finish). After, we’ll head to a private workshop where you’ll have a chance to tap into your deeper self through movement and a traditional temazcal (sweat lodge). Lunch will be a ceremonial meal guided by the principles of integrative health, ancestral wisdom and consciousness around the preparation and consumption of food. This evening we will enjoy a relaxed grazing board at home and rest up before another busy day.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • We’ll begin today with optional Yoga on the roof as the sun rises followed by a delicious spread for breakfast. From here we’ll head out to Teotitlan del Valle, the heart of Oaxacan textiles. We’ll enjoy a pre-hispanic cooking class and lunch with a family of wool weavers followed by a walking tour about the ancient Zapotec history of the town. Next, we’ll visit Teotitlan’s candle makers and learn how the ornate candles are made that are traditionally used to decorate churches for festivals and celebrations. We’ll grab plenty of taper candles to adorn our tablescape for the feast we will be hosting on our last night. No visit to Teotitlan would be complete without a visit to the studio and shop of well-known clothing designer and natural dyer, Angélica Maria of Maria Ospina. After the big day, we’ll take a couple of hours to relax before heading out for dinner at one of our favorite spots, which combines Japanese cuisine with Oaxacan flavors in an absolutely mouth-watering and visually stunning experience.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • This morning we will experience a traditional breakfast of mole, chilaquiles, enchiladas, hot chocolate, and sweet bread at one of Oaxaca’s colorful markets and enjoy a stroll through the buzzing stalls filled with vendors selling fruits/vegetables, meat, flowers, tamales, sweet bread and handmade goods. From here we’ll stroll to the nearby neighborhood of Jalatlaco, known for its cobblestone streets, colorful facades and street art where we will meet up with our host for a natural dye workshop to prepare the tablecloths for our final meal. We’ll grab lunch nearby at a popular female-owned cafe and bakery. Following our workshop you will have a chance for some free time or you can join us for an evening stroll along some of our favorite streets in Oaxaca. We’ll reconnect for a private tasting menu at one of the most innovative new restaurants in Oaxaca.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Today we’re focusing on ceramics and setting the table for our upcoming supper. First, we visit the home of Oaxaca’s famous black pottery, San Bartolo Coyotepec. Next, we’ll head to San Martin Tilcajete to meet an incredibly talented female ceramicist whose work you can find on the shelves of Oaxaca Collective. We’ll enjoy lunch at an open air restaurant surrounded by copal trees (part of a reforestation project started to protect the future of Tilcajete’s famous brightly colored wooden sculptures called alebrijes). Lunch will be followed by a visit with a friend and artisan partner in Santo Tomas Jalieza where we will see the process of pre-hispanic cotton weaving and pick up items for our styled tablescape before heading back to the city to enjoy some of our favorite Oaxacan street food.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  • Today is a free day to explore or rest the way you choose but be ready to set the table as we prepare for hosting a Makers Meal incorporating the items we’ve sourced, made and learned during our time over the past week in Oaxaca. We’ve invited the guests and now it’s time to co-create a space that we can all take with us as we head back to our own homes, studios and communities with respect and gratitude for the people, food and makers of Oaxaca.

    Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

  • Spend the day as you’d like ahead of your flight home or on to other adventures.

    Meals Included: Breakfast

What’s Included?

  • 7 nights at a shared house hosted by Jude of Maison Oaxaca in the popular Xochimilco neighborhood

  • 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners

  • Transportation to/from activities and workshops

  • Airport transfers to/from Aeropuerto Internacional Xoxocotlán (OAX)

  • Natural Dying, Pre-Hispanic Cooking Class, Movement Workshop, Temazcal

  • All pottery, candle, and weaving demonstrations

  • 2-3 morning yoga classes

FAQ’s 

  • Not necessarily! We consider a maker to be anyone engaged in activities that bring culture to themselves and their communities. This trip is designed with the goal of bringing Makers together to learn, grow and experience Oaxaca together. We ask that you self-select whether you would be a good fit on a trip like this or if a more traditional tour would suit you better.

  • We are expecting to have a group of 10

  • No. We will be staying in a shared house with shared bedrooms + bathrooms. However, everyone will have their own bed and the maximum number in each room is 2 guests. If you would prefer your own bedroom we will have a few King bedrooms available at an additional cost.

  • Yes, we are offering a payment plan or you may pay in full.

  • Everything is included in the price except your travel to and from Oaxaca, trip insurance, alcohol and any items you wish to buy.

  • Oaxaca Xoxocotlan International Airport (OAX). 20 min drive to Oaxaca Centro

  • Yes, we ask that all participants are signed up for travel insurance that covers personal injury, medical expenses and emergency evacuation expenses. Travel insurance typically costs between $50-$100 USD.

  • No, but you always join us on a future trip or transfer your booking to a friend.