Join Limitless Planet on an adventure to Oaxaca, a city and state in Mexico full of wonder. Famous for food, artisans, and history, Oaxaca’s central valley has long been a meeting and trading place for the diverse Indigenous communities in the surrounding mountains.

The city of Oaxaca sits in the middle of a valley, nearly a mile above sea level. When you’re in the city, three mountain chains surround you—the horizon is full of their peaks, which seem to go on endlessly. The city’s valley location made it an important place for trade throughout Mexican history. It has been a gathering center since Pre-Columbian times, and markets in the city still play this role. You can also see the mix of indigenous cultures in the city’s fantastic food scene!

Oaxaca is the cultural heart of Mexico; a muse for creatives and artists from across the country and the world. Well known for its indigenous crafts, just outside of the city, in Oaxaca valley, are a number of craft villages, each with their own specialty. You could spend a month visiting and not scratch the surface! At the same time, the contemporary art scene is vibrant and exciting!

If there was ever a city in Mexico that embodies the spirit of magical realism...Oaxaca is it!

I grew up in Boulder, Colorado, with a great love for nature and adventure.

I now live in between Boulder and San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, with my husband Glenn and three daughters, Isabella, Ava Grace, and Scarlett.

After University, I set off to Southeast Asia to photograph cultural events for a publishing house. I had never been outside the US. Not only was this a terrifying endeavor, but it was also one that completely changed me in the most profound ways.

What I learned about travel is that the unexpected is the “magic” of finding hidden streets or places that hold a secret waiting to be told. Meeting strangers, only to leave as friends. A spiritual connection to a place that you didn’t expect to have.

I spent my professional life in architecture and design, creating beautiful spaces. This gave me insight to appreciate artisans and craftsmanship. Travel has given me the opportunity to see cultures that still thrive in centuries-old arts and hear their stories that encompass them.

xo juliet

Arrive at Oaxaca International Airport, where we will be warmly welcomed by our local guide and driver and transferred to your hotel in the colonial city of Oaxaca.

Founded in the 16th century, the city of Oaxaca is a destination where ethnic groups and cultures merge, bringing to life unique traditions, crafts, and flavors.

In the afternoon we will head out with our guide to explore Oaxaca City, a World Heritage Site, once the center of the Mixtec and Zapotec civilizations. We will visit art galleries, museums, and buildings like The Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, a 1690 baroque church dedicated to Our Lady of Solitude, patron saint of Oaxaca. The Basilica is known for its ornate interior, historic pipe organ and elaborate facade.

Along the way, we can stop to sample some local flavors like 'tlayudas', a large crunchy tortilla topped with refried beans, lettuce, avocado, and meats of your choice at Market 20 de Noviembre.

Later this evening, we will gather as a group for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant to get to know our fellow travelers.

Meals: Dinner

Overnight: Majagua Hotel or similar

This morning we will visit the market at Teotitlán del Valle, which showcases vibrant local culture with handwoven rugs, tapestries, pottery, leather goods, and traditional jewelry. Artisans sell their colorful crafts while sharing stories behind their work, creating a lively atmosphere rich in Oaxacan heritage and artistry.

Later, we will visit the workshop of Pantaleon Ruiz, a talented painter, sculptor, and textile artist. Raised in a family of weavers, he began working with textiles at age seven, blending traditional craft with contemporary art. Influenced by painters like Rufino Tamayo and Francisco Toledo, Ruiz's work combines abstraction and figurativism, often inspired by everyday life, mythology, and Oaxaca's rich pre-Hispanic heritage. After living in the United States to study art, he returned to Oaxaca to develop a unique style that merges artisanal techniques with modern expression. His art includes over 230 pieces spanning drawings, sculptures, collages, and textiles, recognized for their vibrant color, texture, and cultural storytelling.

After lunch, transfer back to Oaxaca, with a free afternoon to explore the city on your own.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch

Overnight: Majagua Hotel or similar

After breakfast, we will meet our guide and driver, and head out to learn about the artisan heritage of the area. First we will head to San Antonio Arrazola and visit the Jimenez Family, one of the pioneering Alebrijes-making families in Oaxaca.

Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures, originally created in the 1930s by Pedro Linares in Mexico City. After a vivid fever dream, he crafted surreal paper-mâché animals combining features like wings, horns, and fangs. The tradition spread to Oaxaca, where artisans began carving alebrijes from local copal wood, infusing them with indigenous and imaginative designs. These vibrant figures symbolize transformation, spirituality, and cultural storytelling. Over time, alebrijes have become an iconic Mexican art form, celebrated worldwide for their creativity and deep cultural roots, and are a significant part of Oaxaca’s artistic heritage.

The next stop will be San Bartolo Coyotepeq, renowned for its unique black clay pottery called "Barro Negro." This craft dates back over 2,500 years to ancient Mesoamerican cultures like the Zapotecs. The clay itself is found only in this region, and artisans shape each piece by hand without potter’s wheels. These elegant, smoky-black ceramics range from functional vessels to intricate decorative figures, blending ancestral techniques with modern design.

The last stop will be Santo Tomas Jalieza. Women primarily craft colorful cotton pieces using a backstrap loom, an ancient technique that requires precise thread counting and tension control as the loom attaches to the weaver’s body. Designs often reflect Zapotec culture, nature, and community stories passed down through generations. The town has a cooperative that supports weavers by standardizing prices and promoting fair trade. This artisanal textile tradition keeps ancestral knowledge alive, blending artistry with cultural identity in every woven piece.

Dinner and evening are at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch

Overnight: Majagua Hotel or similar

After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet our guide and driver and head out for the day’s adventure. The first stop will be Mitla, a major archaeological site and former sacred Zapotec burial ground known as "Place of the Dead." It later became a prominent Mixtec religious center. Mitla is unique for its intricate mosaic fretwork made of finely cut stone without mortar, covering tombs and walls with geometric patterns inspired by textiles. The site comprises five groups of structures, including palatial buildings and tombs.

Next stop, Hierve el Agua, features two stunning petrified waterfalls formed by mineral-rich springs over thousands of years. These calcified cascades resemble frozen waterfalls and feature turquoise pools where visitors can swim. The site also includes ancient Zapotec irrigation canals and offers stunning mountain views. Its waters are believed to have healed properties, making Hierve el Agua a unique combination of geological wonder, cultural heritage, and natural spa destination.

After lunch, we will stop at one of the Agave fields and a family-owned mezcal distillery to learn the process to distill the agave spirits, crafted using traditional methods. Of course, we will sample!

Dinner and evening are at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch

Overnight: Majagua Hotel or similar

This morning you will visit Monte Alban, a World Heritage Site, spectacularly situated on a mountain 400 meters above the Oaxaca Valley, a few kilometers west of Oaxaca. Monte Alban is the greatest of the Zapotec cities, and it came to dominate the cultural, religious, and economic life of the region. It is also a triumph of engineering; the mountain top was leveled to allow for the creation of the ceremonial site. We will explore the Gran Plaza, the Ball Court, the Observatory, the Palace, and other beautiful structures.

After Monte Alban, we will visit the workshop of the Oaxacan plastic artist Ixrael Montes, a renowned Oaxacan visual artist whose work is deeply inspired by the animals, landscapes, and cultural traditions of his coastal childhood. Trained at the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the Rufino Tamayo Plastic Arts Workshop in Oaxaca City, he blends figurative and abstract styles influenced by African and indigenous Mixtec art. Montes's vibrant paintings explore themes of transformation, nature, and spirituality, and his career of over 30 years has earned him recognition both nationally and internationally. Through his art, he invites a deep connection with nature and cultural roots.

This evening, we will gather for a farewell dinner to toast to our adventure!

Meals: Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Overnight: Majagua Hotel or similar

Today you will say goodbye to Oaxaca. Our driver will pick us up from the hotel and transfer us to the airport for our flight home.

If you would like to extend your time in Oaxaca to further explore the city or nearby beaches, please reach out to your account manager!

Meals: Breakfast