Mexico · Culinary
Oaxaca Culinary Retreat: Markets, Mole & Zapotec Cooking
Market tours, a Zapotec cooking experience, moles and mezcal, and a swim at Hierve el Agua, just after Día de los Muertos in the heart of Oaxaca.
Nov 5-10, 2027
5 Nights
14-18
$3,650/pp
Easy
Inside the Oaxaca Culinary Retreat
Food is at the center of everything on this Oaxaca culinary retreat. Oaxaca comes alive in the fall, and we arrive just after Día de los Muertos, when the city is still full of color but the pace has softened.
Through the week, we’ll taste well-known and lesser-known Oaxacan dishes, from tlayudas and memelas to tetelas, wander the markets with a local foodie, and cook with Zapotec chefs in a home kitchen. Then there are the moles, layered with stone-ground cacao, chiles, nuts, and spices.
Beyond the table, we’ll explore the agave fields around the city and hike to Hierve el Agua, a petrified waterfall in the mountains. Afternoons are left open for rest and for exploring the historic center at your own pace.
Retreat at a Glance
Is this retreat right for you?
How active, how pampered, and how social this trip feels, so you can pick the one that fits.
Activity
Easy
Comfort
Comfortable
Your Time
Balanced
Food
Meet the hosts of your week.
Your week is led by Amy Heinemann, who loves getting to know a place through its markets and food, and Le Cordon Bleu trained chef Anna Klimmek. They’re with you from the welcome drink to the last goodbye.
Amy Heinemann
Trip Host & Food Explorer
Amy is an avid traveler who loves hiking, food, and architecture, and her favorite way to discover a new place is through its markets and culinary traditions. Since leaving her corporate job in NYC, she has traveled the world and visited 142 countries.
Anna Klimmek
Chef & Wellness Educator
Anna is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef, a certified health coach, and the founder of Happy Food MN. She’s also a 200-hour yoga teacher and outdoor mindfulness guide who brings food, movement, and adventure together to help people live healthier, more balanced lives.
Let us handle it all.
“Lindsay is a seasoned host and organizer. She thinks about pace, experience and immersion. The food, the sites and the overall trip give you little to plan or worry about. My gluten free diet was well accommodated.”
– Ellen B., Portugal 2026
The Day-to-Day in Oaxaca
Everything is optional on all of our experiences. This is your retreat. You choose what you’d like to do each day.
Like the sound of this week?
Take a look at the rooms and hold your spot with a deposit. Questions first? Our team is happy to talk it through.
Oaxaca
What’s Included
What your days actually look like.
Here, days are built around the table: markets in the morning, long meals, a day in the mountains, and open afternoons to wander the historic center at your own pace.
The Place
That Oaxaca Feeling
Oaxaca welcomes you right away, with a deep sense of community and culture the city is proud of. It feels vibrant and grounded at the same time, and it invites you to wander slowly and take in the details.
An Artful Boutique Hotel
Our home for the week is a boutique hotel in the historic center, a short walk from Templo de Santo Domingo and the Zócalo. Murals and work by local artists fill the property, and bright rooms open onto sunny courtyards.
Cobblestone Streets
Oaxaca’s cobblestone streets are lined with colorful colonial buildings, small cafés, and open doorways. It’s the kind of city you explore slowly, noticing things as you go.
The Food
The Markets
In the heart of the city, two neighboring markets give a full introduction to Oaxaca’s food culture. Pick what you’d like in the smoky food hall, and it’s grilled over open flames and served with warm tortillas, salsas, and grilled onions.
Walking Food & Market Tour
A local foodie leads us through markets, street stalls, and small home kitchens. We learn about cooking on the comal, heirloom corn, and the many moles Oaxaca is famous for. You don’t just taste it; you understand it.
Zapotec Cooking Experience
In Teotitlán del Valle, we shop the local market for ingredients, then cook together in a Zapotec family’s open-air kitchen, working with heirloom corn on the comal. By the time we sit down to eat, it feels less like a lesson and more like being welcomed in.
The Adventures
Hierve el Agua
Look out across the valley while soaking in mineral springs that bubble up cool from the ground and spill over into a petrified waterfall. We’ll hike the surrounding trails and swim in the natural pools before a relaxed lunch nearby.
Agave Fields & Mezcal
We visit family-owned agave farms and stop for an optional mezcal tasting. Mezcal is shaped by the land and by generations of families using time-honored methods, so it’s as much about heritage as flavor.
Mole & Chocolate
Oaxaca is known for its complex moles, often made with stone-ground cacao, chiles, nuts, dried fruits, and spices. Each one is layered in a way that reflects both time and technique.
The Slow Moments
Morning Yoga
On two mornings, we walk to a nearby studio for yoga with local instructors. It’s one of those moments that feels less like visiting and more like living in a place.
Open Afternoons
Afternoons are left open for rest, reading, and exploring the historic center on your own. If you’d rather wander with others, the hosts are happy to come along.
Digital Detox
Away from the constant buzz of your phone, there’s space to reconnect with yourself, with others, and with the place around you. There’s no right way to unplug; you choose what feels useful.
Make It Yours
Día de los Muertos Pre-Retreat
Arrive early to experience Oaxaca’s Día de los Muertos traditions before the retreat begins, with our optional pre-retreat experience, October 30 to November 3.
What to Do With Your Free Time
You’ll have plenty of open time on this retreat. Here are a few things we love nearby. None of it is required. Let us know what you’re interested in during your retreat, and we’ll help you plan it.
Save your spot, or just say hello.
Pick your room and hold it with a deposit, or book a quick call first. We’re happy to talk through the details, the group, and whether this trip is the right fit.
Choose your room.
We stay at a boutique hotel in the heart of Oaxaca’s historic center, and every room has its own private en-suite bathroom. All prices are per person for the full retreat, and a 25% deposit holds your spot.
November 5-10, 2027 | 5 Nights
Rooms for Two
SHARED
Deluxe Double Room
Share a room with a friend! These rooms have two double beds, lots of space, and a private en-suite bathroom.
Per person
$3,650
SHARED
King Room
Share a king bed with a partner or friend, with a private en-suite bathroom.
Per person
$3,650
Rooms Just for You
JUST FOR YOU
Standard Double Room
Have a room with two double beds all to yourself, with a private en-suite bathroom.
Per person
$3,950
JUST FOR YOU
King Room
Enjoy a room to yourself with a king bed and a private en-suite bathroom.
Per person
$4,150
JUST FOR YOU
Deluxe Double Room
Enjoy a room to yourself with two double beds, a desk, lots of space, and a private en-suite bathroom.
Per person
$4,350
Youth Empowerment
Every trip gives back!
A percentage of profit from this retreat goes straight to Oaxaca Youth Empowerment, the principal U.S. funder of Centro de Esperanza Infantil. The center supports nearly 600 students in Oaxaca by paying education costs, providing meals, offering tutoring and psychological services, and sharing cultural enrichment activities.
We are here for Every Question
“The food was the best food I have EVER HAD, the people were so kind, the movement sessions were perfect after such long flights, the cultural experiences were appreciated and important to me when being a visitor in a new country, and the excursions phenomenal…not too many. Everything was JUST RIGHT!”
– Maria W., Bali 2025
Oaxaca
Let’s explore the world together
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Find your kind of retreat
Six ways to travel with us, all with small groups, a menu of choices, and every detail handled.