Oaxaca, Mexico

February 19th to 26th, 2025
(February 19 and 26 are travel days. This trip includes 6 planned days and 8 nights.)
Cost: $3900 USD

Let’s travel to Oaxaca, Mexico!

Considered one of the richest regional cuisines of Mexico, Oaxaca boasts seven moles, has its own unique chiles, grinds its own chocolate, and makes a unique string cheese. While we will explore all of these things, Oaxaca also has a vibrant international art scene, including Zapotec native Fransisco Toledo and other Mexican and international artists. It is also incredibly rich in traditional arts and crafts. We will visit artists’ studios and explore some of the local crafts. Our days will start with a lovely breakfast at your hotel, morning visits in town and in the countryside, including colorful markets, and several afternoon cooking classes with Kaelin Trilling, the chef trained son of Susana Trilling who has owned the Seasons of My Heart Cooking School in Oaxaca for over 30 years. We will experience Oaxacan cuisine from taco stands to high end and modern restaurants. Meals can be adapted for vegetarians and can be made gluten-free. There will be one morning or afternoon free for shopping and an evening free to do your own thing.

Day-By-Day Itinerary:

 

Day 1: Wednesday, February 19th

Arrival in Oaxaca.

Take the airport transportation to the Hotel con Corazón. You will have two options: take the airport safe taxis or the airport safe shuttle.

You can buy tickets for either option at a counter in the airport (it’s a very small airport and it is easy to spot). Tickets are priced by zone of the city, and if you show them the address of Hotel con Corazón they will know where to take you. The airport shared shuttle to the hotel per person costs $120- $150 pesos but it usually makes several stops and takes longer than the taxi, which fits 4 people and costs $550 pesos.

If you need an ATM machine you can find one to the left of the taxi ticket counter. The dollar’s current exchange is about 18 pesos MXN.

Take the airport transport to:

Hotel con Corazon
División Ote. 129, Santa María del Marquesado, Centro, 68030 Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax
Phone: +52 (951) 427 7384
https://www.hotelconcorazon.com/oaxaca

Take the rest of the day to relax and recover from the trip.

 

Day 2: Thursday, February 20th. WELCOME!

Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning pick up to go to the ruins of Monte Albán, guided tour to the most important ruins of Oaxaca. Afterward we will go have lunch at a local eatery, followed by a walking tour of the Oaxaca city center.

Meet at 5:00 pm in the hotel’s sala and Kaelin will give the opening lecture and a cocktail. Afterwards, we will go to the welcome dinner at Levadura de Olla restaurant to celebrate the beginning of our course!

 

Day 3: Friday, February 21st

Breakfast at the Hotel.

9:00 am pickup for a visit to some of the artists of the region in Ocotlán, starting in Santa Maria Coyotepec for black pottery with the family of Dona Rosa, a famous artist who invented a special technique of burnishing. We continue on to visit the Navarro’s family in Santo Tomas Jalietza to see their backstrap loom weavings, then San Martin Tilcajete where we will have lunch at Almúu cocina de humo in the woods.

After lunch we continue on to visit the wood carvers Jacobo & Maria to see their “alebrijes” workshop. We will end our day with Don Felix for a mezcal tasting.

Evening taco run on the way back to Oaxaca, optional.

 

Day 4: Saturday, February 22nd

Light breakfast at the hotel.

9:00 am pickup to go to La Cosecha, an organic market, for tastes of traditional Oaxacan dishes. Afterwards we will go to Jalatlaco to see the studio art of this beautiful barrio. Afterwards we will depart to Rancho Aurora, home of Seasons of my Heart Cooking School for our first hands-on cooking class. We will have a cheese making demonstration with our cheese maker, Silvia, followed by an almuerzo of salsa de queso. Kaelin will continue on with the lecture about Oaxacan food and the cooking class. After eating the meal we will go to Oaxaca and relax.

MENU
Lunch: Salsa de Queso y Frijoles con Hierba de Conejo
● Garnachas con salsa de chilito verde
● Sopa de Tortilla
● Ensalada de hojas verdes con jícama
● Pescado empapelado a la diabla con calabacita criolla o portobello
● Arroz con azafrán
● Pay de Queso

 

Day 5: Sunday, February 23rd

Early breakfast at the hotel.

8:30 am pickup to explore one of the most traditional markets in the Central Valley. Teotitlán del Valle is a village of Zapotec rug makers. After a tour and snacks at the market we will visit a family of local folk artists.

We will have a rug making demonstration with Don Jesus Hernandez and his wife Dona Alicia Vazquez. Afterwards, we will go to visit candle maker Dona Viviana to see a demonstration and her work.

Then we will head on to El Tule to eat at El Milenario and look at one of the oldest trees in the world and visit their artisans market. Afterwards we will visit artist Raul Herrera.

Evening free in Oaxaca. We suggest a visit to the Zocalo to hear the music and watch the action!

 

Day 6: Monday, February 24th

Breakfast at the Hotel.

9:00 am pickup to head out to visit the family tomato farm, “La Era” in the Valley of Etla. We will continue our journey and head out to visit the Studio of a lithograph artist. We will continue on to Seasons of my Heart for a chocolate making demonstration on the metate, followed by our hands-on cooking class.

MENU

Lunch: Enmoladas de YaOaxaca! Mole Negro
● Quesillo fundido con verdolagas en salsa verde
● Tamales de Frijol
● Ensalada de Nopales Asados
● Estofado de Pollo
● Arroz con Chepil
● Budín de Chocolate Oaxaqueño

 

Day 7: Tuesday, February 25th

9:00 am pickup to go to the largest market in Oaxaca, Central de Abastos, where we will have a tour and tasting of different ingredients and dishes from the Oaxacan cuisine.

We will continue on to Seasons of my Heart for lunch of calabazas horneadas and our final hands-on mole cooking class and farewell dinner in celebration, get ready for music and margaritas!!

MENU

Lunch: Calabacitas Horneadas
● Tetelas con Salsa de Piña Cruda
● Crema de Chayote
● Ensalada de Betabel Bendito
● Mole Coloradito
● Relleno de Papa del Istmo
● Pastel de Tres Leches




Day 8: Wednesday, February 26th

Farewell breakfast at the hotel. Thank you for joining us. Have a great journey back home!





What’s Included:

8 Nights Accommodation

You will be staying at Hotel con Corazón.

Transportation

Transport to and from the hotel to your cooking workshops, restaurants and local excursions and visits planned during the trip.

All Cooking Workshops

All Excursions in Itinerary

  • 2 to 3 artists visits

  • Outing to the famous pre-Hispanic Monte Alban Ruins

  • 3 very different markets visits

  • Cheesemaking demo

  • Grinding Chocolate Pre-Hispanic style!

What’s not included…

Airfare
Airport transfers to and from Hotel con Corazón
Wine at restaurants
Optional gratuities

Registration & Payment

To reserve a space, we need a first deposit of $780 USD per person. If you would like a single room, the single supplement of $430 USD is also required at the time of your initial deposit.
A second payment is due 60 days prior to the course, December 19th, of $1,560 USD.
The remaining balance ($1,560 USD) is due in full at least 30 days before the start of the tour, January 19th, 2025.

Cost: $3900 USD

Dietary restrictions can be accommodated but must be given at the time of your deposit.

Contact Shelley with any questions: shelleystable@gmail.com, +1 646-236-0605.