Experience hosted by Rolando, Alejandro & one other local
Private Tour
Carbon Neutral
Want to get a real local taste of the Oaxaca? Give it a taste and find out on this Mezcal private tour in Oaxaca! Join a local host expert in food and culture on a tour that will satisfy your cultural cravings for Mezcal with tastings, history, and highlights.
Destination
Oaxaca, Mexico
Category
Food Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Español, Português
Included
Private guide
Mezcal Tasting
Local Snack
All Withocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
Entrance to Attractions other then mentioned
6 reasons to book this tour
Get to know the influence of food in Oaxaca
Be part of a local culinary tradition: Mezcal
Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
Enjoy tastings & learn how to eat them like a local
Embrace the local culture & their food rituals
Visit food & culture highlights for more insights
What you can expect
Oaxaca is famous for its Mezcal and now you can get a real local taste of it. But, do you know why this cultural tradition is so important for the locals? Forget the stereotypes and tourist traps; you are about to find out the real deal about Mezcal on this tour.
Get to know how food can have an impact on the Mezcal culture, and let a local food expert show you the traditions behind Mezcal in Oaxaca. Learn the cultural significance of this flavorful ritual and get a taste of this authentic drink through a Mezcal tasting, and Oaxaca cheese because how else will you understand traditions without first trying them!
To fully embrace this tour that brings together food and culture, your local host will take you on a journey that includes storytelling, history, and stops at culturally relevant highlights about Mezcal like a visit to a Mezcaleria and the Mezcal Cultural Center for a complete experience that will satisfy all of your senses.
The local hosts are natural storytellers, each with a different background ranging from local cuisine to city lifestyle. They can't wait to share some of their unique stories and personal anecdotes with you! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Oaxaca, your Oaxaca!
Choose your local
Get to know these 3 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.
Rolando
The architect
5.022 reviews
English・Español
Alejandro
your oaxacan friend
5.01 review
English・Español・Português
Raquel
The Connector of Meaningful Experiences
5.029 reviews
English・Español
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
Meeting point
Meet at At the entrance of the Mezcal Cultural Center - Oaxaca to start your journey
Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
Food & Culture
On this private tour, discover why Mezcal is so relevant for the locals and their culture. Your local host is ready to take you on a tour where flavor, traditions, and cultural history combine to give you the perfect taste of Oaxaca
Authentic Tastings
To fully understand the significance of food in the Mexican culture, you must give it a try. And on this tour, you’ll get to enjoy a Mezcal tasting, Oaxaca cheese, and other tastings that put this food tradition on the map!
Food Traditions
Do as the locals do and embrace the way they enjoy Mezcal - the authentic way. Learn the history behind this local ritual, the right way to enjoy it, and tips and tricks on how to keep it alive for the rest of your stay
Cultural Highlights
Visit highlights relevant to the food and cultural theme of your tour where you can know more about Oaxaca and where your local host can give more insights and recommendations
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Analisa🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
27 June 2025
Sofia was the perfect food tour guide.
We experienced a great mix of food, drinks, visiting the market, and getting a bit of city history and local info. We would never have found some of the local delicacies without her help. Would recommend her highly. Best Food Tour
Barb🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 June 2025
Sofia was a wonderful guide and we had a great time. The weather was terrible and still we had so much fun. She was amazing! Highly recommend Great guide, fun trip!
A🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 June 2025
We scheduled three tours with Sofia and maybe the best way to describe in a few words the exceptional experience we had with her is that “she was simply fantastic, an extraordinary guide”. She is excellent in many ways, energetic, passionate, flexible, patient, helpful, knowledgable and fun! Sofia is really “Superb” We highly recommend using her services.
Thanks a Lot Sofia !
A🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 June 2025
We scheduled three tours with Sofia and maybe the best way to describe in a few words the exceptional experience we had with her is that “she was simply fantastic, an extraordinary guide”. She is excellent in many ways, energetic, passionate, flexible, patient, helpful, knowledgable and fun! Sofia is really “Superb” We highly recommend using her services.
Thanks Sofia !
A🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 June 2025
We scheduled three tours with Sofia and maybe the best way to describe in a few words the exceptional experience we had with her is that “she was simply fantastic, an extraordinary guide”. She is excellent in many ways, energetic, passionate, flexible, patient, helpful, knowledgable and fun! Sofia is really “Superb” We highly recommend using her services.
Thanks Sofia!
Frances🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
17 June 2025
Our family of 4 enjoyed a tour and tasting of traditional Oaxacan food, hosted by Raquel. Raquel was engaging and friendly and shared her passion and knowledge for Oaxacan food and culture with us. We loved the market experience and tastings there, made more interesting by Raquel explaining some of the different foods, traditional, art work, etc. It was also lovely to see the relationships she has built over time with the market and food truck/restaurant vendors.
Additionally, Raquel was so kind when my husband had to exit the tour due to an issue with his foot and walking too much the previous days. She arranged a taxi for him back to the hotel and also made sure we were able to get some special take away food for him from her favorite places. I highly recommend Raquel for a memorable experience! Lovely tour and tasting with Raquel!
Nathaniel🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 June 2025
My girlfriend and I had the pleasure of touring with Rolando on our last day in Oaxaca after spending a week in Puerto Escondido. Without being superlative, Rolando's incredible knowledge of the city of Oaxaca, Mesoamerican history and culture, and architecture, made our time with him not only the best part of our trip, but an experience we will remember forever. Rolando's personality, masterful English, and attention to detail make his city tour an absolute must for anyone planning on visiting this profoundly important place in Mexico. We look forward to visiting this incredible city again - and can gurantee we will be planning our trip around his availability! Muchos, muchos gracias!! The Highlight of Oaxaca!
Joan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
15 June 2025
Rolando was charming and knowledgeable and took us to the most delicious street food. His English is excellent and he gave us a wonderful experience. It is also a great way to get an orientation to the city. So much fun, we highly recommend this tour with Rolando.Excellent host
sebalo
(About local )
8 June 2025
We went to Hierve el Agua with Sofia and couldn‘t be happier to do so. She is a kind, fun and friendly person and a very competent guide as well. We saw so many beautiful and interesting spots, aditionally learned a lot about the local culture and had the best half day you could Imagine. Very happy that we did that, was totally worth the time and the money! Awesome experience with the best guide
Dan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
31 May 2025
We had a fantastic tour with Rolando. We were able to book him less than 24 hours in advance because our other guide got sick and had to cancel. He was friendly and informative and introduced us to all the unique treats of Oaxaca. Highly recommend.Excellent Experience
Tom
(About local )
31 May 2025
Sofia was great! We had an incredible street food tour. She took us to the market to start us off and we had delicious tamales that originated here in Oaxaca. Each stop was really well planned and you could the vendors were the best because they were packed with locals. Go with Sofia, you’ll have the best time!Best tour guide ever
Dominique🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
28 May 2025
We had a great time on the tour in Oaxaca exploring different eateries and hearing about the history and culture! Manuel was a fantastic host regularly checking in with us ensuring we had the best tour.Great afternoon in Oaxaca
Nathalie
(About local )
27 May 2025
Rolando is very kind and does not know what to do to please you and give you as many relevant information as possible
He know so many things about Oaxaca that you will learn such a great deal with him during the tour
Such a good moment
We highly recommend !he is a ten and Even more Can only but recommend!!!
Felix🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 May 2025
My experience was awesome! Sofia was very knowledgeable of the area and had a very friendly disposition that made the your unforgettable and very wholesome.Your of El Centro
Mickaël🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
11 May 2025
A warm and erudite evening with Raquel involving gastronomy, Oaxaca’s cultural traditions, anthropology and Mexican history. A wonderful window into the Oaxacan way of life. Raquel will be the first port of call when we inevitably come back.A wonderful tour d’horizon of Oaxacan life
2q2fq4f8g6
(About local )
7 May 2025
We had a great time on the street food tour in Oaxaca! Raquel was super friendly and shared lots of interesting insights—not just about the food, but also about the city’s culture and history. She adapted the tour to our needs, which made it feel very personal. We also appreciated that she helped us find vegan tasting options. Highly recommended!Personalized, Insightful & Delicious!
Brian🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
6 May 2025
Rolando was an amazing guide, starting us off right off with the tlayuda in the market! I won't give away the rest of the amazing dishes and drinks we were able to try, but this was a top-notch tour with an extremely friendly and foodie guide - Rolando. He listened to our needs, as we didn't want to overeat as we have on other food tours, but we still got to try some of the best food we had on the entire trip! And a great stop at the end was the perfect finish to our time together. If you enjoy food, especially LOCAL food, book this one with Rolando!Culinary magic - Rolando knows the spots!
Patrick
(About local )
5 May 2025
Raquel was an incredible guide to Oaxaca. And she structured the tour around what our group was in the mood for! She also went way beyond food - but include insight on the geography, culture, art, and politics. Would definitely recommend!Raquel was amazing!!
Daniel🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
4 May 2025
Sofia was the prefect guide, tailoring the tour as we went. Highly recommend Amazing tour
Abhijit🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
1 May 2025
We had an amazing experience with Rolando.
We requested early start to our tour & he gladly obliged.since he is studying architecture we not only get to enjoy delicious Oaxacan food but also historical buildings.. He was very personable , pleasant & passionate..
I will highly recommend him.Oaxaca food tour
Conor🇮🇪 Ireland
(About local )
16 April 2025
Rolando tailored our tour to meet our preferences which resulted in a really fascinating few hours. He was particularly strong on the architectural, historical and craft perspectives. Great tour guide! Very flexible on timings etc tooWonderful introduction to Oaxaca
Dan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 April 2025
Rolando was exceptional. He was very knowledgeable, smart , interesting. He asked questions about us and our stories, but not too many. He shared stories about himself, but not too many. We travel all over the world. We especially like With Local guides. Rolando was one of the best guides we've had Excellent. He ended the evening by bringing to a restaurant that he suggested, and leaving us there. A wonderful introduction to Oaxaca.
Kevin🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
13 April 2025
We enjoyed meeting Sofia. She grew up in the city and so had lots of interesting places to show and share. We appreciated that she shared her favourite places including somewhere nice for coffee!An enjoyable tour
Carla🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
12 April 2025
Rolando was great! We had a great time learning about Oaxaca and also visiting all the local food spots. Thank you Rolando!
We hope to see you again in the future! Fabulous!
Stefanie
(About local )
10 April 2025
Our guide, Sophia, and driver, Saul, were absolutely amazing!! They made the entire day so memorable, and were so accommodating in every way and really made this trip special. I highly recommend both of them for any tour. They really were the best. 10 out of 10!
John
(About local )
4 April 2025
Rolando is an excellent guide. Our custom tour was designed to meet our needs. We saw what we needed to see. We had good food. Excellent educational tourMore than expected
Chris
(About local )
2 April 2025
Rolando was a wonderful guide for getting to know Oaxaca and the surrounding area. His background in architecture added a lot of interesting insights to our understanding of the area and the city. He adjusted our tour based on our interests and was happy to add on a few extra food stops and a tour of the market to help us get orientated. We also spent a great day with him at Mount Alban were we learned a lot about the history and design of the ruins and then travelled to a workshop and a wonderful Oaxacan buffet. Rolando is very friendly, interesting and very welcoming to our family. He was a great host and guide to help us get orientated and comfortable in Oaxaca.
Marylou
(About local )
22 March 2025
Sofía led our group of four to several delicious eateries. I was great to be able to eat food from several different street vendors with the confidence that Sofia knew the vendors and that their food was safe for tourists to eat. Sofia is very knowledgeable about Oaxaca as well as its cuisine. I highly recommend Sofia! Sofia
Lansford
(About local )
19 March 2025
Rolando was so knowledgeable. Great personality. Easy going. I would highly recommend his tour. Excellent
Jessica
(About local )
16 March 2025
Highly recommend Rolando! He’s an extremely knowledgeable and interesting guide. We had a fantastic time!Fantastic Tour
Linda
(About local )
14 March 2025
My husband and I had the good fortune to have Sophia guide us on a Oaxaca food tour. Because we are familiar with Oaxacan cuisine she wanted to introduce us to places we had not been. Her selections were both interesting and delicious. Besides being knowledgeable about Oaxaca and the food scene, Sophie is an absolute delight. We had a great time.
Thank you so much, Sophia!Tour with Sophia!
Sharon
(About local )
14 March 2025
We did the Culinary Experience with Raquel and we absolutely loved it. Not only does Raquel know a lot about the foods that are an important part of the Oaxacan culture but she has relationships with many of the vendors. She chatted with them as friends and treated everyone with respect.
We tried crickets (not required!) and mole sauces plus so many delicious dishes I can’t remember the names of them all.
Raquel was easy to talk to, and loves the culture and people of Oaxaca. Her enthusiasm was infectious and made us want to know more. She also gave us great recommendations on restaurants and other must-see cultural sites.
Book this tour early in your Oaxacan visit so you can take advantage of all the other places Raquel recommends!Raquel makes you feel like an old friend
Lisa
(About local )
12 March 2025
Rolando was the perfect guide, entertaining, fun and informative!10 hearts
Bennett
(About local )
11 March 2025
Rolando and his driver, Geizy, picked us up at our Airbnb to take us to Monte Alban to tour the ruins. Little did we know that not only would we (couple with two adult children) would learn so much about the ancient Zapotecs, but we would have so much fun. Rolando offers a wonderful balance of lots of information with a great sense of humor. He is absolutely wonderful to be with. Monte Alban blew me away and was the highlight of the trip for me because I knew nothing about the Zapotecs and how they were advanced in so many ways. After the tour, Rolando took us to see Angelico Jimenez whose grandfather created intricately painted wood carvings and who carries on the tradition (he also sells killer mezcal!). Then we were hungry so we went to a mole buffet, had a big lunch and a couple cervezas. (We asked to go somewhere to eat. This was not included in the tour, but not expensive.) When we got back to Oaxaca, we wanted to get some tuna (not the fish) ice cream and Rolando graciously accommodated our Mexican feasting needs, which was a great way to end a perfect day. Rolando, thanks so much for a great time and sharing your extensive knowledge with us! And a shout out to Geizy, too! Great guy!Rolando, cannot thank you enough!
Lesley🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
10 March 2025
From the moment we met Raquel, her passion and enthusiasm for her ancestral home was apparent. With gentle enthusiasm she shared her vast knowledge and experiences here in Oaxaca. We were fortunate to have Raquel for two tours - a highlight of Oaxaca and a food tour. Raquel accepted our limitations and planned our excursions accordingly. Her knowledge is vast and with her pleasant disposition, she made our time in Oaxaca more memorable. Raquel made our Oaxaca experience!
Unknown
(About local )
5 March 2025
We did the culinary experience with Raquel and it was amazing - we learned not only a lot about Oaxaca’s native foods but also about the culture and how everything ties together. One of the things I have noticed since being in Oaxaca is how proud the people are of their culture and heritage and that certainly came through during Raquel’s tour. We not only sampled many of the items in the market but she also explained how it fit into their culture. She also took us to a cultural museum and made suggestions for other things we might want to consider while we’re visiting Oaxaca. Overall it was a great experience and would highly recommend.Totally enhanced our Oaxaca experience!
Maggie
(About local )
28 February 2025
We had an amazing tour our first evening in Oaxaca. Raquel was so knowledgeable about the history and culture of the area and also, where to get the best bites. From tamales and tlayudas in the market to street tacos and mezcal tasting, we ate and sipped our winding way through the streets of this tradition-rich city. Raquel was so personable and tailored everything to our wishes, even showing us an amazing print making cooperative at the end of the tour. Everyone in our group raved about how great she was, and what a fun time we had. It was a great introduction to the city and its food at the beginning of our trip! Wonderful way to learn and taste!
Chelsea
(About local )
26 February 2025
Raquel was a phenomenal guide in every way—I truly can't recommend her enough. She gave us such a great introduction to the history, culture, and flavors of Oaxaca. She went above and beyond to make our time in Oaxaca special and memorable, and we loved getting to know her! Raquel rocks!
Donna
(About local )
26 February 2025
We were so fortunate to book Raquel on our first day in Oaxaca, and I strongly suggest you do this! Not only did she give us an unbelievable introduction to Oaxacan food with the most respected vendors in the Benito Juarez market, she took us around town to familiarize us with several notable sites and artisan places which we were able to spend more time at later on. She also gave us an extensive list of restaurants, many of which we ate at and thoroughly enjoyed. Raquel is so energetic and enjoyable… truly felt like we were with an old friend. If you are going to Oaxaca and want a great experience, don’t hesitate to book her! Absolutely fabulous experience!
Peter🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
24 February 2025
My wife and I had a terrific evening food tour with Raquel eating some wonderful local street food (the ice cream, mole and crickets were definite highlights), but more importantly meeting some amazing local folks and learning about Oxaxa from a different non-touristly perspective.
Spending time with Raquel was truly special as she not only is deeply immersed in the culure of Oaxaca but also leverages her global experiences that help create the space for stimulating and insightful conversations.
The night ended perfectly with an amazing mezcal in a cool local mezcaleria!
We would highly recommend a tour with Raquel - you will not be disappointed!A great connection.
Erin
(About local )
23 February 2025
We got a custom tour the first day we arrived in Oaxaca and I am so happy we did. Raquel helped us get our bearings in a new city while learning about the history, art, food, and much more. Raquel is super knowledgeable and has a wonderful energy. I can’t recommend her enough - thank you!!Thank you Raquel!
Carol
(About local )
22 February 2025
My tour with Rolando was exactly what I wanted. A brief overview of the Zapotec & Mictec peoples and the Conquest with a more in depth discussion of the development of the city as reflected in its architecture. We stopped for a delicious snack, and visited a few artisans in the Barrio de Xochimilco.
I highly recommend a tour with Rolando for an introduction to Oaxaca.Perfect
Ella
(About local )
21 February 2025
Sofia was an amazing host. We had a great time and loved how she tailored our experience to our specific wishes. She is the best! Would definitely do this tour again!Awesome tour!
David
(About local )
20 February 2025
Rolando is an excellent tour guide!! Knows the City really well and has great information about the history of the city. We saw some amazing artisans that we never would have seen on our own. Well worth it!!Great tour
Phyllis
(About local )
18 February 2025
Four of us took a walking tour with Sofia. We met her in the zocalo where she was easily identifiable. We had a lot of questions and Sofia was happy to answer them as we went to each location. I would say that if you are looking for an introduction to Oaxaca with a very happy, enthusiastic and energetic tour guide this tour is great for you!Oaxaca city walk
sheila🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
17 February 2025
We had. Great time walking around Oaxaca with Raquel. She was so informative and taught us a lot about the beautiful city of Oaxaca. She was very flexible and accommodating regarding timing. Anazing eveningnin Oaxaca
NICK🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
16 February 2025
We had a fantastic tour with Rachel today. Rachel is extremely knowledgeable not only about the Oaxacan food but also about the culture and history of the area. We tried lots of different foods we hadn’t tried before and learnt so much about the area too . Rachel has a very engaging persona and the time flew by. We would highly recommend taking this tour with Rachel Our best food tour yet !
Mary
(About local )
15 February 2025
Raquel gave us a five-star tour of Oaxaca’s highlights and hidden gems. Her passion for the city and its peoples and its artists was infectious. She took us into artisans homes where they demonstrated their art for us. A scheduling mistake was n the morning was quickly dealt with and we had our fabulous 3 hour tour later in the day. I would recommend Raquel to anyone. She is the best.Five-star tour of Oaxaca’s highlights and hidden gems
Marcus🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
15 February 2025
Wie haben mit Sofia eine Abend-Walkingtour durch Oaxaca gemacht. Dabei haben wir nicht nur historisch Wissenswertes erfahren sondern durften diese außergewöhnliche und bunte Stadt auch von ihrer kulinarischen Seite kennenlernen. Sofia hat uns auf ihre sehr sympathische Weise die besonderen Ecken der Stadt gezeigt und Oaxacas vielfältige Speisen probieren lassen. Einzigartige, sympathische Stadttour
Unknown
(About local )
13 February 2025
We enjoyed the tour very much! Sofia was very knowledgeable and took us to several interesting places. We definitely wouldn't have found these places on our own. My favorite part was seeing the old aqueduct. Fun and knowledgable!
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Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
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