4 Oaxaca City Market Tours Worth an Early Start

1.Immersion Tour and Oaxaca Markets, All gastronomy included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 386 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59Our pick

Meet at TeoLab Xicoténcatl for a 3.5-hour market walk led by guides such as Brian or Yahel. Expect roughly 20 tastings, including quesadillas, barbecue tacos, tejate, pulque, mole, baked goods, and optional vegan-friendly choices. The tour ends where it begins.

“I had the pleasure of this tour with Yahel. He was so informative and guided us with care and attention through the enormous maze of the market. We sampled so many items. It was fantastic.”

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2.Flavors of Oaxaca: Cooking Class with No Set Menu and Local Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 333 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $75

Meet Oscar or Emily at Casa Crespo in central Oaxaca for a market walk and hands-on cooking class. Your group helps choose the menu, prepares dishes such as mole, tortillas, soup, or tacos, and sits down to eat with drinks. Vegetarian and special-diet menus can be arranged.

“Very organized experience. The class flowed well. Oscar is a good teacher, and I definitely learned some things in the market tour and during the cooking.”

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3.Food & Markets Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 148 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $55Best value

Spend 2.5 hours exploring Oaxaca’s Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre with a local English-speaking guide such as Alicia, Elizabeth, or Coyote. Taste tejate, grasshoppers, sweets, tamales, grilled meats, empanadas, tlayudas, and more in a group capped at six.

“Knowledgeable guide, good introduction to Oaxaca food, history, and markets. Be prepared to walk a bit.”

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4.Oaxaca Street Food Tour. Signature Markets Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 102 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $104

Start at 9:30 a.m. in central Oaxaca with a small group of up to eight. Guides such as Betsy, Daniela, Dani, Camilla, and Christian lead you through Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Mercado Benito Juarez, and, on some outings, La Cosecha, with food, drinks, market tips, chocolate, and plenty of local context.

“Foodie walking tours are my favorite in any part of the world and this one did not disappoint. It works because Betsy is an energetic bundle of information and kindness, and because the Oaxacan markets are fabulous. Come on an empty stomach, wear good walking shoes and prepare for a fabulous day. The other unexpected delight was that everyone in our group was so lovely. It made for fun chatting over ants and grasshoppers! There may be other foodie walking tours in Oaxaca but hard to image they can beat Betsy’s!”

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