Beyond Oaxaca City lies a quieter side of the Central Valleys, where small towns have kept their food and craft traditions alive for generations. This half-day tour follows that trail, trading crowded tourist routes for the workshops, kitchens, and family-run studios where Oaxaca’s living heritage actually happens.
This is a hands-on culinary experience, not a tasting from the sidelines. You’ll work alongside a local cheesemaker to shape your own quesillo, the famous Oaxacan string cheese, and step into a family chocolatería to see how cacao becomes the rich, spiced chocolate at the heart of the region’s cuisine. Every stop comes with a fresh tasting and the story behind it.
Food and craft are deeply connected in Oaxaca, and this tour honors both. You’ll spend time with artisans who shape, glaze, and fire the region’s distinctive green clay pottery, and pause at a celebrated arts center where one of Mexico’s most important modern artists left his mark. These are real encounters with the makers, far from conventional tourist stops.
Designed for curious, conscious travelers, this experience centers on meaningful connection and support for the communities that welcome you. With private transportation and a local guide, you’ll return to Oaxaca City by early afternoon with a fuller understanding of the people and traditions that make the Central Valleys so special.
8:00 AM – Departure from Oaxaca City Center
Meet your local guide and begin your journey to the lesser-known side of the Central Valleys.
1st Stop– Artisanal Cheese in Reyes Etla
Visit the workshop of Don Juan, a renowned local cheesemaker. Discover the process behind traditional quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese), make your own Quesillo and Queso to tkae home, and enjoy a fresh tasting while learning the cultural importance of this regional delicacy.
2nd Stop- Centro de las Artes de San Agustín (CaSa) en Oaxaca
Visit this old factory nowdays the San Agustín Arts Center (CaSa) in Oaxaca, where the renowned artist Francisco Toledo created an iconic set of staircases — a perfect spot for an unforgettable photo.
3rd Stop – Authentic Chocolate Experience
Step into a family-run chocolatería to explore the ancestral techniques of Oaxacan chocolate-making. From roasting cacao to grinding it with spices, you’ll see it all — and of course, enjoy a rich tasting.
4th stop – Green Clay Pottery in Santa María Atzompa
Travel to the artisan town of Atzompa, where you’ll visit a traditional green clay workshop or the legendary Taller Voces del Barro. Watch local artisans shape, glaze, and fire unique pieces, and learn about the history behind this iconic craft.
1:00 PM – Return to Oaxaca City
Drive back with a heart (and bag) full of stories, flavors, and memories.
2:00 PM – Arrival at your hotel or drop-off point
This half-day tour explores the lesser-known side of Oaxaca’s Central Valleys through food and artisan traditions. You’ll visit a master cheesemaker in Reyes Etla, the Centro de las Artes de San Agustín (CaSa), a family-run chocolatería, and a green clay pottery workshop in Santa María Atzompa.
Private air-conditioned transportation from Oaxaca City, an expert local guide, tastings, and bottled water with light snacks are all included.
This is a hands-on culinary experience, not a tasting from the sidelines. At Don Juan’s workshop in Reyes Etla you’ll learn how traditional quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese) is made and shape your own quesillo and queso to take home.
At the chocolatería, you’ll watch cacao being roasted and ground with spices using ancestral techniques, with a fresh tasting at each stop.
CaSa is a former factory transformed into an arts center, where renowned Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo created an iconic set of staircases.
It’s a striking cultural stop and a perfect spot for an unforgettable photo, connecting the tour’s food experiences with Oaxaca’s modern artistic heritage.
Santa María Atzompa is known for its distinctive green clay pottery. You’ll visit a traditional workshop, such as the legendary Taller Voces del Barro, where local artisans shape, glaze, and fire unique pieces by hand, and you’ll learn about the history behind this iconic Oaxacan craft.
Built around responsible travel, the experience keeps 85% of your payment in local hands, directly supporting the cheesemakers, chocolatiers, and potters who share their craft.
