Oaxaca Cultural Food Tour, Eat Like A Local.

I could not recommend this tour enough. Yetsie was an absolute gem. I expected good food and girl, was the food great but what I didn’t expect was the knowledge of the food, culture and Oaxacan people which made this one of the most memorable tours I have done. 10/10, no notes, you’d be a fool not to book this.

Our guide Ellie was amazing! She was super knowledgeable and engaging, not only did we learn about the food we were eating but the places we were going, the past and present of the city, fun facts about the architecture (including where a scene in the movie Nacho Libre was filmed!) and some history of the ancient cultures that collided to create the food we had the pleasure of trying! If you're worried about 6 hours being too long, trust me it flies by. We had a fun group with other travelers who were super kind and added to the experience, but Ellie led the way and created personal connections with all of us! The food is delicious, my favorites were the tamales, tyludas, and a drink called Tejate which is chocolatey, nutty, and very refreshing. At one part in the tour they give you a large variety of organic local fruits to try most of which I had never even heard of, it was super cool to get to try so many. It's also just a great way to get to know the city, the city is so beautiful and there are SOOO many things to do and look at it was nice to have someone lead the way who knows what's best! Thanks again Ellie and to the rest of the crew that made the food tour so enjoyable!!

Such a amazing tour. 100% the best tour we have ever been on. Book now and thank me later!

There’s so much food that you will be full for the rest of the day by the end. There’s a lot of history attached to the stories behind each dish tried and it makes for an intriguing experience. It’s very well organized and gives a great presentation of the culture and food of Oaxaca and Mexico. I highly recommend!

Great tour. The host was informative and charismatic. The pacing and quantity of food felt right. We got to see markets and try a variety of local food.

We had to walk 20 minutes from meeting point to the market. Would never book again without having transport to starting point!

Tour was an awesome experience. Yetsie did an incredible job. Great way to taste all that Oaxaca has to offer.

We chose the food tour to be our introduction to Oaxaca on our first day. What a treat! Yetsie was a wonderful tour guide- enthusiastic, warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and personable. The food choices and locations were diverse and well thought out. By the end we were full and quite content. Yetsie was careful and provided hand wipes, hand sanitizer, cups and utensils. Her upbeat personality made the time fly and we left the tour feeling like we had made a new friend. We highly recommend this tour!

We had an amazing time on our food tour with Yetsie she did a great job explaining the history of the food and the people of Oaxaca. It’s a long tour but absolutely worth it to see all of the markets and the variety of foods in the city.

We really enjoyed our food tour with Me Encanta Oaxaca. It was a great way to get try various different types of Oaxacan food and drink. There were foods we simply wouldn't have known to try, and market experiences that would have been intimidating on our own. Portions were manageable as we could share! But the guides were always generous in offering additional portions if there was anything we wanted more of. The group stayed small (5 of us) and the tour was very well paced. It didn't feel too long even through we were together for almost 6 hours. The guides also shared lots of local recommendations for after the tour.

Amazing food tour led by Eli. Learned about so many different foods but also culture and history of Oaxaca. My friends and I are big foodies and very knowledgeable about a lot of different foods and yet Eli showed us things we had never even heard of, and took us to spots we would have never found on our own. Food itself was of course amazing. Great pacing, you walk 10k steps but there are breaks to sit and eat. Tour takes about 6h but we could’ve kept going til dinner! My friend wanted to mention she especially loved the fruit tasting. They are super prepared and have hand sanitizer and wipes for everyone so you are comfortable and clean. We did it on our first day in Oaxaca which I highly recommend bc it helped us get situated in the city, learn about history and culture, see some major areas, and know what food to look for for the rest of our trip.

We had such an excellent food tour experience with Aurora and Fatima. Honestly could not fault or recommend this enough - definite must if you’re in Oaxaca! The organisation was exceptional, from the booking process, communications, meet up, and even on the day where Fatima would proceed on to the next food/drink stop before us to ensure everything was already prepared and ready so as to keep the day as efficient as possible.

Fantastic tour with knowledgeable and friendly hosts. We were a bit apprehensive about such a long tour but it was so much fun! We started our Oaxaca trip with this tour and it gave us so much knowledge about the food and culture. Highly recommend.

We had the best culinary experience with Eli and Yetsi for the 6 hour Authentic Oaxaca Cultural Food Tour. We stopped at food carts, an atoleria, and several of the markets, including the Benito Juarez and 20 de Noviembre markets, and sampled a huge variety of foods including tacos, memelas, empanadas, tlayudas, grilled meats, insects, local fruits, desserts, and traditional drinks including atoles, tejate, and espresso from local coffee beans. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about the interweaving of Oaxaca’s history, culture, and foods, and are very happy to support a women-owned and operated business. The logistics of this tour were flawless, as one of the señoras went ahead to each stop to have it ready for us, and we also felt there was great care and attention to food and beverage safety, so we had no concerns in that area. This tour was a great way to start off our 6 day stay in Oaxaca, and I’d strongly recommend that anyone visiting Oaxaca take this tour near the beginning of their stay to get oriented to the markets and places to eat!

We had such an amazing tour today! It was the perfect combination of food, culture, and history, and we got to experience the city in a way we definitely wouldn’t have on our own. Elizabeth was absolutely incredible! knowledgeable, passionate, warm, and so much fun to spend time with. She shared fascinating stories and local insights, and everything felt very authentic rather than touristy. The food was delicious, but what really made the experience special was how Elizabeth connected everything we tasted to the culture and history of the place. One of the best experiences of our trip so far. Highly recommended!

Great experience! We tried many different foods, drinks, snacks, and fruits; and also learned about the city along the way! We enjoyed the different settings where we ate. Tacos on the street, exploring the different markets, and desert in the square. Very complete, well rounded tour! Highly recommended!!

I went on the Authentic Oaxaca Cultural Food Tour this month, and it was truly exceptional. Eli was our guide, and she was amazing — incredibly knowledgeable, warm, and attentive throughout the entire experience. She took us to fantastic local spots I never would have discovered on my own, each one offering something unique and memorable. The tour itself was impressively organized and thoughtfully curated, setting a very high bar for other food tours. I’ve been on several food tours before, and this one definitely stood out for its quality, authenticity, and overall experience.

What an experience! We were hosted by Eli and Fatima for a wonderful day full of food, drinks, culture and laughs! We won’t share all of the food and drinks we tasted but everything we tried was delicious. Not only do you learn about the history of the food and drinks but you also learn about what makes Oaxaca so special. Eli was our English-speaking guide and not only is her English 10/10, but she’s so funny and wants to chat. Eli and Fatima were very organised and ensured everything was prepared before we arrived to our next destination. There is plenty of food, do not eat before! We were stuffed by the end but enjoyed every single dish served (of which there were many!) Thank you so much for a wonderful time :)

I absolutely loved this tour! Eli was an excellent tour guide and we learned so much about Oaxaca’s culture and food. It is long (6 hours!) so be prepared for that, but for me it was worth it! The tour is extremely well organized - every stop we went to was expecting us and we never had to wait for the food. You are eating small amounts all day so it never felt like too much, but it definitely is a lot of food! Every bite they chose for us felt very purposeful, everything had a story behind it, and it truly was like eating like a local! Highly recommend this tour if you enjoy being adventurous with food, trying new things, and like learning about a culture through its food!

Be hungry! Everything was so tasty, well planned, and paced. Aurora and Fatima were so knowledgeable and created a wonderful experience. So grateful I got to spend my day with them.

Would give this 7 stars if I could! We absolutely loved this experience, wow! I thought 6-7 hours might be too much time but I could have gone another 7 hours! We loved the pre-Hispanic history provided by our guide throughout our walking tour of Oaxaca. We felt like we saw the majority of old Oaxaca on our tour and saw so many things we would have otherwise missed. This includes the food! I am not usually one to try different foods but this was so much fun and so, so tasty. Ours favorite were the black mole tamales which would have been impossible to find if not for this tour - we didn’t see them anywhere else in Oaxaca on our trip, and the variety of Oaxacan fruits, including a chewable stick which was SO cool, and spicy!!! We loved the mezcals, the fruits, the pre-Hispanic atols and conversation with our guide. We were lucky enough to be the only group on the day we booked and if a private tour isn’t already available, I’d recommend this operator to create a private tour, because it felt so much more personable and intimidate with only the 3 of us. Highly recommend if you love food and history! We wouldn’t have tried 95% of the foods we tried on this tour had it not been for the tour. We also wouldn’t have seen 70% of the sites and markets if we didn’t book this tour. I’ll be recommending this tour to everyone. I loved meeting the owners of every restaurant/market we stopped at, too.

What an amazing experience! Betsaida and her team made sure we learned so much; not just about Oaxacan culture, but about how it connects to the broader tapestry of Mexican identity, and how food and ritual have been intertwined since pre-Hispanic times. The fruit and mezcal tastings were a highlight. What I loved most was the way the cultural narrative centers indigenous Oaxacan resilience and continuity. You leave with a real sense of how alive these traditions still are. Highly recommend to anyone who wants more than just a food tour — this is a genuine cultural experience.

Truly excellent experience. Would give 10 stars if we could. Aurora was an amazing guide, she was so knowledgable, funny and friendly. It was so well planned out down to thoughtful details like her bringing hand sanitiser for us to use before eating and someone else ordering the food ahead so it was ready by the time we arrived. We didn’t actually walk too far and there were toilets dotted along the way. There was so much food! They warned us not to eat breakfast and I am glad we didnt. We tried so much traditional Mexican food and got all of the history and importance of it, as well as meeting stall owners. This company really supports the women business owners too. This was an amazing day, I’d recommend to anyone. We did it on our first day in Oaxaca and it was the perfect introduction.

Nos encanta Oaxaca!! We were on this tour the last weekend in April (just a week ago) and on our first full day in Oaxaca. Having the tour at the beginning of our trip was a great way to get oriented to the city and to Oaxacan food, history and culture. The tour exceeded our expectations (which were already high based on the reviews). Ellie and Fatima were our guides for the day. Ellie was the lecturer and Fatima was the person going to the stops before hand making sure everything was fine. Boy, were these two organized! We kicked the morning off with a stop in a beautiful, woman owned atole cafe to experience what a typical Oaxacan person drinks (instead of coffee) to start the day and we ended the day--7 hours later (where did the time go?) at an ice cream store in the zocalo! In between there were stops at 2 markets, breakfast at a food carts, sampling at restaurants (one in a tucked away market for locals), mexcal, coffee and fruit tastings (in aforesaid market). As we walked through the center of the city Ellie educated us on the history of the city, the influence of indigenous cultures on the food and customs of the Oaxacan peoples. At some point, we ran into a joyful, colorful, boisterous wedding parade. Art is everywhere--just as ubiquitous as wonderful food. And, btw, art is everywhere!! Do yourselves a favor: BOOK. THIS. TOUR! (and wear comfortable shoes)

Do not hesitate to book this tour early in your stay in Oaxaca! I was quite overwhelmed when I first walked around Oaxaca on my own. There were so many food options, and quite a few vendors selling the same things. This walking tour definitely gave me the confidence to know what and where to find foods I wanted to try (and didn't even know i wanted to try! I was introduced to things I've never even heard of). The 6 hour time span may seem a little daunting, but it flies by so quick and you won't even notice the time. We were able to try different drinks, snacks, fruits, types of meals, and dessert. Definitely don't eat before hand so you can experience the tour to it's fullest!

This was the best tour we have ever been on. Eli was the most amazing host along with her beautiful team. This is a non stop tour of not just Oaxacan food but also Oaxacan history and includes detailed information of recommendation of what to see & do in Oaxaca. Our tour went for 7.5hours and the time flew by. Restaurants, street food, markets...Atole, Empanadas, Tamole, Tacos, BBQ, Mezcal, Cervazas, Crickets, Worms, Mole, Chilli, the fruits of the area and the season, espresso, tradtional icecream...the list goes on and on. Definitely do not eat before going on this tour, you most definitely want room for all of the incredible delights of the tour. Following the tour, the team also email you everything you saw and experienced plus a list of recommendations. If you're only doing 1 tour in Oaxaca make it this one. If you're looking for an additional tour while in Oaxaca this is the one you do not want to miss!

So much good food! Our group got to learn so much about Oaxacan culture and how food plays a large part. We made many stops along the way and got to try so many different dishes. And our guide Aurora was very knowledgeable and kind!

The tour was very well thought out. We visited a variety of types of locations such as coffee shops, restaurants, local markets, street vendors. Our tour guide Aurora was amazing and very knowledgeable about the area and all of the food! She did a great job! Highly recommend

Amazing tour!! Eli was an amazing guide, teaching us about the culture and food, but also made us all feel so welcome. The food was great, well picked, amazingly planned and organized. I don’t have a single negative thing to say about this food tour! It was probably our favorite activity we did in Oaxaca. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The food tour was interesting and fun. The pace was good too. Aurora was a knowledgable and attentive guide. We had so much fun sampling the dishes, fruit, mezcal, and bugs. (Not as gross as I previously thought eating bugs would be,)plus they're a source of protein!!) I highly tecommend this tour!!

Such a great experience to discover the Oaxacan food, while learning facts about about the city. Trying some of the local seasonal fruits was also a very fun and it was a good way to break the ice with the groupe. Betsaida was such a ray of sunshine during this tour!

A true representation of Mexican food, from drinks to various fruits and meats. Even a sample of crunchy insects.

What an amazing and eye opening experience. We were the only guests and truly received a unique, thoughtful, educational and delicious experience! Our guide was full of knowledge and warmth. We learned so much about the importance and connection of food (corn!!!) to the culture of Oaxaca. We loved spending the day with her and felt very honoured. Exploring the 3 different markets was a real highlight. As we had 4 more days to explore Oaxaca City after the tour, we revisited some of the locations and felt so much more familiar with the foods and what we wanted to taste. We 100% recommend this to anyone! What a special place and experience.

We took this tour on the advise of friends who had just been to Oaxaca. It exceeded our expectations. We began by sampling Atole, then visited two street vendors. We then went to a market where we enjoyed more food, sampled Mezcal, and tasted around 20 different fruits. We then had some wonderful ice cream. We ended up at the main market where we enjoyed more authentic Oaxacan food (including the option of Mezcal worms and grasshoppers) along with some more samples of Mezcal. Our tour guide, Aurora, was phenomenal. She introduced us to all the people who provided us food and described what we were eating at each place. We were so full when we finished the tour that afternoon we skipped dinner. I highly recommend this food tour.

One of the best tours I’ve ever been on! Lots of great food and what a variety! This is a must do if you go to Oaxaca!

It was a wonderful overview of all the foods Oaxaca is famous for. Aurora and Fatima were amazing. They made the perfect team.

This was a fabulous tour! I’d give it a 10 out of 5 stars. Betsaida is very knowledgeable about food and is passionate about sharing Oaxacan food, history, and culture. The tour lasted almost 8 hours. It all, we probably sampled almost 60 different items, including chocolate, mezcal, a couple of pre-Hispanic local corn-based drinks, many types of local fruit, cheese, a variety of different tacos and meats, chocolate ice cream, and of course - mole. The tour supported women-owned businesses. Betsaida is funny and upbeat and really brought a wonderful and enthusiastic energy to the day. She also provided a lot of information about Oaxaca, its history, what sights to see, and different shops to explore – the tour was about much more than the food. I highly recommend taking this tour, especially at the beginning of your stay in Oaxaca. It’ll make the rest of the trip much deeper and more meaningful.

This was a fabulous tour! I’d give it a 10 out of 5 stars. Betsaida is very knowledgeable about food and is passionate about sharing Oaxacan food, history, and culture. The tour lasted almost 8 hours. It all, we probably sampled almost 60 different items, including chocolate, mezcal, a couple of pre-Hispanic local corn-based drinks, many types of local fruit, cheese, a variety of different tacos and meats, chocolate ice cream, and of course - mole. The tour supported women-owned businesses. Betsaida is funny and upbeat and really brought a wonderful and enthusiastic energy to the day. She also provided a lot of information about Oaxaca, its history, what sights to see, and different shops to explore – the tour was about much more than the food. I highly recommend taking this tour, especially at the beginning of your stay in Oaxaca. It’ll make the rest of the trip much deeper and more meaningful.

Great introduction to the foods of Oaxaca. Everyone comes here to eat—this will introduce you to local products and tastes. Do this tour early during your time Oaxaca. It will make your entire stay more fun. Aurora our guide was great. We also enjoyed the folks on our tour—whom we did not know before. Lots of sitting together to share the experience. Come hungry—there is a lot of eating and tasting.

This tour is exceptional and fascinating. The food is fantastic, the host/owner is funny and knowledgeable and clearly has put a lot of thought and effort into creating a memorable food and cultural experience. The tour was really fun, with great food-and it’s good to see it really benefits the local vendors. So thoughtful. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tour.

The best tour we've ever done. Thanks to Aurora and her team. They do a great job. If you're ever in Oaxaca, you have to do this

This was a really fun food tour and Aurora did a terrific job. I appreciate it being a woman owned business and supporting other women owned businesses. The tour is a great way to learn the local shops and foods.

I wished that we had this tour our first day in Oaxaca, what a great way to get to know the historic district. Aurora did a lovely job and the food stops were terrific. The fruit tasting was outstanding since many of the fruits are not available outside of the region. I highly recommend this tour.

This was our first day and first time in Oaxca and we had a wonderful time with our group and hosts. Aurorora was a wonderful tourguide who was very knowledgeable about the food and culture of her home of Oaxaca. We have been to many other cities in Mexico but learned alot of new things particular to the region. The foods we ate were all delicious and she even talked us into trying such delicacies as grasshoppers and worms-delicious. The team was fun to hang out with for the day and feel like we were exposed to many different sights and treats of Oaxaca. The team was very welcoming and we would highly recommend this experience!

I'm really glad I went with Me Encanta when I was looking at possible food tour options. We got to try well over 30 things, and the tour was incredibly well organized with a good pace. What a great way to spend the large part of a day. Definitely recommend this company!

We had a great food tour with Elly and Fatima. We learned so much about the history of Oaxaca and the indigenous roots, the food was amazing, we even loved the grasshoppers! Flavorful stops at every turn, would highly recommend.

The food tour with Me Encanta Oaxaca is already one of our best memories of our visit to Oaxaca! Betsaida and her team are experts on the markets, ingredients and food heritage of this rich and complex food culture. Unlike food tours in other cities that I've been on, we didn't merely sample offerings from trendy restaurants. Instead, every stop was accompanied by an explanation of what we were eating, its importance to the cuisine, and a welcome introduction to the owner of the food cart or market stall where we were eating. Also, the markets can be intimidating, but the tour not only helped us experience them, but also gave us the confidence to go back on our own! We ate well and learned so much. Don't miss this if you have time to take it.

A very comprehensive tour. We walked to different areas of the city, tasted lots of Oaxacan specialities and street food, sampled ice cream, and had a huge lunch at the market. The tour leader was very informed and generous with her time.

Aurora was an amazing guide. I would have done this tour the first day I arrived if I had to do it again. Food and guide of the area was great. The food on the tour was pre Hispanic and I learned a lot