2019 Tours to Oaxaca, Mexico

Join us for a seven-night trip to the beautiful, historic, ecologically diverse, cultural and tourist mecca of Oaxaca, Mexico! The tour leaves Nogales, Arizona on the morning of the first day to drive to Hermosillo and catch a plane to Oaxaca. We will fly back to Hermosillo on the last day to drive back to Nogales.

This educational, culturally enriching and fun tour includes visits to archaeological sites; museums; churches and other historic buildings; arts and crafts artisans; a chocolate factory; local markets; nearby pueblos; and the Sierra Juarez, with its beautiful lush green vegetation, rich biodiversity and spectacular landscapes.

In addition, we will have lots of time for shopping and the opportunity to participate in a cooking class to learn traditional Oaxacan dishes.

Price: 

$1,990.00 per person/double occupancy.
Add $200 for single occupancy.
A $350.00 non-refundable deposit will hold your seat.

Tour includes:

Round-trip airfare
All transfers, transportation to and from airports
7 nights at hotel double occupancy
5 guided tours with transportation and a walking tour, and
Major tips, i.e. you tip the bell boys and wait staff at the hotel.  Guides, drivers and maid tips are included as though they were so good everyone added more at the end.

Optional:  A floor show of Oaxacan culture at local hotel on January 12.  $35.00 +/- per person for dinner & show.

Transportation

Ground transportation (van) to and from the Hermosillo airport

Depart Nogales, Sonora at 8:00 a.m. on the first day
Return to Nogales, Sonora at 10:00 p.m. on the last day

Flight Info: (AeroMexico)

Depart Hermosillo on the first day at 2:40 p.m. with stopover in Mexico City of 2 hrs. 55 mins.
Arrive Oaxaca City 10:55 p.m.

Depart Oaxaca City on the last day at 12:20 p.m., with a stopover in Mexico City of 2 hrs. 55 mins.
Arrive Hermosillo 5:54 p.m.

ITINERARY

We will escort the group from Nogales, Arizona to the immigration office in Nogales, Sonora the day prior to the start of the tour to get your FMM form for the trip.

Please note: We will follow the same daily itinerary for all of our 2019 tours.

Day 1 

Arrival in Oaxaca Airport at 10:55 PM.  Meet representative outside the luggage claim area for our transfer to the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in the Centro Historico (historic downtown) area of Oaxaca.

Day 2 

Visit Oaxaca’s Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Botanical Gardens & Museums; Saint Dominic’s Church or a free afternoon to investigate and/or shop (we do a great deal of shopping)

Day 3 

Visit the Monte Alban Archaeological site.  Monte Alban is in a mountain range and features old tombs as well as an observatory and a traditional pre-historic ball court.  We continue to the famous arts and craft center of Arrazola where they make Alebrijes (the colorful imaginary wooden animals and imaginary creatures brightly painted with great designs).  In Arrazola we will visit the world-famous wood carver who makes them.  On our way home, we will visit a wonderful private garden we discovered and have lunch at a historic Hacienda.

Day 4 

The Tule Tree will be our first stop (a 2,000-yr. old tree with a 45’ diameter) then the village of Santa Marie Tule to see some arts & crafts. We will then visit the Mitla Archaeological site, whose name means “place of the dead”.  The architecture reflects the progress of the Zapotec culture and highlights include its extraordinary walls with friezes.  Mitla is one of the most charming small towns in the state.

From Mitla we will continue our tour to see the process of making mezcal, a traditional Mexican liquor.  We will also go to the optional dinner and cultural show listed above.  We will also visit the ruins at Dainzu, an awesome archaeological site that not many people get to see.  Plus we will visit a textile town and see rugs woven.

Day 5 

We embark on a tour to Sierra Juarez (Juarez Mountains) with beautiful lush green vegetation, rich biodiversity and spectacular landscapes.  We will visit the town of Guelatao de Juarez.  Fresh Brook trout for lunch at a fish hatchery in the mountains and views of spectacular mountains and beautiful flowers and succulents.

Day 6

This is an optional free day where you can explore Oaxaca City on your own. We will try to go to the Indian market and visit the church at San Jeronimo Tlacocochahuaya to see its 1760 hand-pump organ.

Day 7 

We will go to a cooking school, where a master chef will take us to the market to buy the fresh and flavorful ingredients to prepare a traditional dish from the state of Oaxaca. We will work in his kitchen as he prepares our meal and shares his techniques and knowledge with us. We will then enjoy the meal sitting in the garden area of a historic 1600’s house.

During past trips we learned to make mole negro (a tasty dark sauce), mole verde and traditional tlayudas (a fried tortilla covered with refried beans, meat, cheese, greens and avocado, all accompanied by handmade tortillas).  This is a fun time!!!

You will also have the chance to visit a chocolate factory, “La Soledad” or “El Mayordomo.”

Day 8 

Transfer to the airport to start home.

Deposits and Cancellations

Deposits

Please send your non-refundable deposit of $350 per person (or $200 per person if you make your own flight arrangements) to:

Ambos Tours
269 W. Loma Street
Nogales, AZ 85621

as soon as possible. Final payment will be due 60 days before we depart. Along with your deposit, please supply us with your full name and date of birth as they appear on your passport.  We will take a minimum of six people and a maximum of 12 people, so promptness counts.

If you do not wish to fly with us, please make your own flight arrangements and send a deposit of $450.00 (instead of $350).  Airfare to Oaxaca from Tucson runs about $500+/- and there is a layover in Houston.   Just let us know your flight plans.  Of course, you will be on your own with luggage and getting to the hotel.

Cancellations

The nonrefundable deposit represents your airfare and other locked-in expenses.  If you cancel after we have purchased your plane ticket, that part of your deposit is gone, along with half of the remaining, which will be credited toward a new tour.  The remaining half of the will be returned to you.

It breaks down sort of like this:  $350 deposit; if we have paid $300 (for example) for the airfare, it is lost.  $25 gets credited to another tour and $25 gets returned to you.   Ambos Tours has always credited you for a tour you have paid for but could not go.  We won’t cancel if you don’t!

Trip Insurance

If you are interested in purchasing trip insurance, visit the CSA Travel Protection website or call them at 1-800-348-9505.