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Oaxaca Tour with Yoli Tortilleria
December 1 - 7, 2026
Rooted in Oaxaca
A journey through family kitchens, mezcal fields, and the stories they carry with Yoli Tortilleria
December 1 - 7, 2026 | 7 Days, 6 Nights
“Really fun and diverse. I did things I wouldn’t do on my own.”
Questions? Text or call us
+1 (855) 219-8018
$5,900
Per person based on double occupancy
Owner-Founder of Yoli Tortilleria, Marissa Gencarelli
The scent hits first—smoky chilies, roasted cacao, warm spices ground by hand on the metate. This mole, rich and layered, is a story in itself. Just yesterday, you stood in an agave field with a mezcalero tracing his family’s history through each plant. Tomorrow, you’ll watch master potters shape clay by hand in the highlands. But tonight, around this table, every dish is a love letter to Oaxaca that is complex, grounded, and steeped in shared memory.
Trip Highlights
- Cook alongside Marissa
- Experience Monte Albán
- Mezcal-making demonstration
- Farm to Table cooking lesson
- Visit local potter's studio
- Market & street food immersion
- Homecooked meals with locals
- Visit Teotitlan del Valle
3 Reasons to Travel with Yoli Tortilleria
Marissa Tapia Gencarelli is the chef and co-founder of Yoli Tortilleria, the 2023 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Bakery. She draws inspiration from her childhood traveling throughout Mexico, and honors traditional processes celebrating Mesoamerican heritage and Midwest bounty. With a stop-at-nothing approach to quality and culture, Marissa invites guests into a story of memory, place, and the enduring power of good food.
Living Adventurously
For Marissa, Yoli isn’t just a tortilleria, it’s a legacy of love, memory, and cultural exploration. Named for the Aztec word meaning “to live,” Yoli is inspired by her mother’s fearless spirit and the family road trips that stitched together Mexico’s landscapes. That same devotion fuels every handmade tortilla and each step of their culinary journey.
Tortillas Without Borders
The soul of Yoli lives in the corn. Whether sourced from Oaxaca or Missouri, each heirloom variety carries a story of migration, of terroir, of shared ancestry. At Yoli, Marissa honors the origins of maíz while showing how its flavor, resilience, and meaning transcend borders and bind cultures across generations.
Life, Love, & Learning Sobremesa
To step into Yoli is to be wrapped in warmth, like coming home to your mamá after a hard day, where a tamal waits on the stove and the air smells like care. For Marissa, food is a conduit for comfort and understanding: rich with story, never heavy-handed, and always served with heart.
Day by Day
*On rare occasions, this itinerary may change.
Day 1: Oaxaca City
December 1, TueBienvenidos a Mexico! In the afternoon, we’ll meet up with our tastemaker and get oriented with one of Latin America’s great colonial wonders: Oaxaca City. We’ll get to know the cobblestone streets and bookmark a few sites to explore before settling in for a welcome cocktail hour.
In the evening, we’ll toast the start of our adventure with local mezcal—of course—then walk to dinner overlooking Oaxaca’s flood-lit cathedral for an inspired meal together under the stars.
Tastemaker Moment: Marissa will lead a welcome toast and share her connection to Oaxaca
Day 2: Teotitlan del Valle
December 2, WedToday we head into the mountains, where villages devoted to arts and crafts lurk in valley shadows. We’ll stop at the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle, a weaving village with about 5,000 people (and 2,000 looms).
We’ll meet a local Zapotec weaving family, who’ll demonstrate their intricate craft using natural fibers for dyes (and even a grounded insect for the bright reds), just as they have for the past 14 generations. A hands-on and home-cooked Zapotec lunch awaits us, where we’ll learn the hows and whys behind Nixtamalization.
Afterwards we return to the city, where the afternoon is yours to explore. We’ll reconvene at one of Oaxaca’s culinary iconic restaurants for a truly unforgettable meal.
Day 3: Santa Catarina Minas
December 3, ThuIn the morning, we’ll wind our way past rows of agave plants to meet up with a fourth-generation mezcalero in Santa Catarina Minas for a masterclass in mezcal, the cousin-spirit of tequila and one of Oaxaca’s famed exports. We’ll learn firsthand how the piña (heart) of agave are harvested and smoked in underground pits, fermented in large vats, and distilled in copper or clay stills based on traditions that date back hundreds of years.
Afterwards, we return to the city, where the evening is ours to explore Oaxaca’s irresistible food and nightlife: world-class restaurants open for dinner and taco stands set up along the lit-up zócalo, just a few blocks from our hotel.
Tastemaker Moment: Marissa will help unearth a "surprise" lunch
Day 4: Oaxaca City
December 4, FriThis morning is ours to revitalize our hearts and spirits. We’ll meet with a local Zapotec shaman, who’ll share the secrets of a cleansing ritual that’s been in practice here for thousands of years, using smoked copal to bid farewell to negative energies. We’ll leave feeling electric and magical as we make our way to a lively tour of a local market and lunch, immersing ourselves in the vibrant colors and aromas of fresh produce and spices.
Next, we’ll head to our engaging cooking class, where we’ll learn to create traditional dishes and tuck into dinner for a rich immersion into local food.
Tastemaker Moment: Marissa will lead our market tour and will be involved in preparing a dish for dinner
Day 5: Monte Albán
December 5, SatWe begin this epic day at the hilltop ruin of Monte Albán, a vast complex of pyramids and shrines dating from 500 BC—and easily one of Mesoamerica’s grandest sites. We’ll explore its monumental scale and the intricate carvings of bas relief sculptures as one of Mexico’s great colonial cities sprawls below us.
We’ll carry that history with us when we make our way to the home studio of a master artisan of Oaxacan folk art. After a private pottery tour, she’ll host us for a homemade lunch featuring one of the region’s famed seven moles.
Once back at our basecamp, the rest of the afternoon and dinner is yours to embellish. Organize a taco crawl on the zócalo, relax in one of our hotel’s many garden spaces or wander towards those sublime notes of live folk guitar.
Day 6: Oaxaca City
December 6, SunAfter a leisurely morning at the hotel, we leave for the pinnacle of our journey, a total Oaxacan farm-to-table experience. Our destination is a renowned and locally beloved ranch on the outskirts of the city. Once arrived, we’ll break into small groups and take turns making mole, Oaxacan cheese, and nieve—ice cream studded with seasonal ingredients. As we roast and churn alongside our tastemaker, we’ll gain a hands-on understanding of the flavors and ingredients that make these dishes so unique.
Afterwards, we’ll gather for an al fresco feast, sitting down to savor all the local delicacies we had a hand in preparing. This farewell dinner will be a true celebration of our time spent in Oaxaca. The food, the music, the joyful celebrations of craft—all of it an ode to handed-down traditions and the true flavors of the region.
Tastemaker Moment: Marissa will cook a special dish for our farewell dinner
Day 7: Departures
December 7, MonAll great things come to an end, alas. We’ll bid farewell to each other, and head out to the airport for our flights home. Buen viaje!
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I loved eating goat just after it was lifted from the pit, sipping on a mezcal.
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This is more than just a trip. It’s authentic and joyful, and a powerful reminder of why we travel.
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The meals made for us in local homes were just heavenly.
Where We Sleep
A peaceful oasis in Oaxaca City—our accommodations are small-scale and boutique, the ideal ways to get acquainted with Oaxaca life.
El Callejón
Oaxaca CityOff a central side street, a few blocks from the zocalo and central shops and eateries, a street gate opens into a breathtaking oasis that’s our Oaxaca City home: a boutique hotel with a dozen spacious rooms blending the city’s distinctive styles. Serenity reigns in its thoughtful garden spaces, with palm trees, covered walkways and an outdoor patio bar.
Book Oaxaca Tour with Yoli Tortilleria
Make It Private
We understand that certain dates can work better than others, or sometimes a more private experience is more appealing. We’d be happy to modify this departure so it fits the needs of you and your group.
Start HereQuestions?
That’s OK, we have answers.
Read our FAQs below. Or text or call us at +1 (855) 219-8018 to speak with a Modern Adventure Trip Specialist.
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What does the price include?
Six nights at unique 4-star boutique accommodations; private travel for all day trips and excursions; arrival and departure airport transfers; private tours with local guides and cultural experts; exclusive VIP access and tastings; guided activities, adventures and expeditions; entrance fees; daily breakfasts, most lunches and dinners; local beverages with meals.
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What does the price not include?
International roundtrip airfare; travel insurance; activities not included in the trip itinerary; hotel incidentals including room service, laundry service and hotel bar tabs; food and beverages not included in itinerary; gratuity for tour leader.
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Where does the trip start and end?
Our adventure begins at Oaxaca International Airport (OAX), where we’ll transfer to El Callejón Hotel in Oaxaca City, Mexico. Our last day is in Oaxaca City. On our final day, Modern Adventure will organize a complimentary transfer to OAX for all guests who’s flight home departs at 1pm or later from OAX airport.
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What travel documents are needed?
US citizens are not required to have a visa to enter Mexico for stays up to 180 days. The only requirement is a valid passport. We recommend that your passport is valid for 6 calendar months beyond your planned departure date from Mexico. On arrival at the airport, you will be issued a visitor’s permit, known as a FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple). Not a US citizen? Please check with the Mexican Embassy or Consulate for information and requirements.
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Do I need to pay a solo traveler supplement?
For solo travelers, there is a $1,200 single-supplement fee—paid at the time of booking to secure a private room. These spots are extremely limited; we recommend booking early to secure single accommodations.
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Who is going on this trip?
Our adventures typically have between 10 and 20 guests, and our Modern Adventure Team. Our experiences are fun and inclusive and you can expect to be joined by a diverse group in terms of age, background and interests—including solo travelers, couples and friends traveling together. This adventure is for travelers age 18 and above.
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Who is leading this trip?
This trip is led by an expert Modern Adventure trip leader. They’re an experienced travel guide, a representative of Modern Adventure and your go-to person for questions or concerns on the trip. We’ll be joined throughout our adventure by local, expert guides who are deeply knowledgeable with respect to local cultures, customs and history and are passionate about sharing that with us.
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Do I need Travel Insurance?
We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance. Travel insurance allows you to seek reimbursement for your trip costs; if your trip plans change for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to get medical help, emergency transport, and for theft, loss or damage of items while traveling. For best coverage, always insure the full trip cost within two weeks of your initial trip deposit and note that most ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ policies must be purchased on the date of your initial deposit.
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What is the cancellation policy?
You may cancel 120 days or more before departure and receive a full refund minus a $1500 per person service fee ($500 of which may be retained as a future travel credit, valid for one year after cancellation). If you cancel on or after 119 days in advance, there is a 50% cancellation fee. On or after 59 days in advance, there is a 100% cancellation fee. See our full terms and conditions for details.
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When will my trip be confirmed?
Because our trips are designed as small-group experiences, we need a minimum number of travelers for each departure. You will receive an email no later than 130 days prior to departure confirming your trip. If we don’t meet the minimum, you’ll have the option of a full refund, reinstatement of any applicable trip credits, transferring to a different departure date, or converting your booking to a private departure. Please see our terms and conditions for complete details.
Important: We strongly advise booking refundable flights and pre-trip accommodations, or waiting until you receive your trip confirmation.
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What is the Small Group Supplement?
Our trips are priced based on a minimum of 10 guests. If a departure runs with 9 or fewer travelers, a Small Group Supplement (SGS) will apply. The SGS ensures your trip is guaranteed to run with the full program intact while offering you a more intimate, exclusive group experience.
The supplement amount depends on the final group size and will be confirmed no later than 130 days before departure. If additional guests join after the SGS has been paid, it will be refunded. Please review our full terms and conditions for additional details.