2018 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 March 12 to drive to Hermosillo and catch a plane to Oaxaca, and we will fly back to Hermosillo on March 19 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 $150 for single occupancy.
A $350.00 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.

Please note: The following dates are for the March Oaxaca tour, from March 12 – 19, 2018.

Transportation

Ground transportation (van) to and from the Hermosillo airport

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

Flight Info: (AeroMexico)

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

Depart Oaxaca City on the final 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 on the day prior to the start of the tour to get your FMM tourist card for the trip.

Day 1 

Arrival in Oaxaca Airport at 10:55 PM.  Meet representative outside the luggage claim area for our transfer to the Holiday Inn Centro Historical Hotel.

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 probably also visit Yagul, another archaeological site.  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 and visit the Benito Juarez Museum.  Benito Juarez is known as the Abraham Lincoln of Mexico.  Fresh Brook trout for lunch at a fish hatchery in the mountains and views of spectacular mountains and beautiful flowers and succulents.

Day 6 

Free Day – Finish touring the many museums, visit the zocalo and churches in historic Oaxaca City you may have missed and visit the local markets.

Day 7 

You will have the opportunity to prepare traditional dishes from the State of Oaxaca.  This is a totally interactive class in which you will visit a local market in order to find the freshest ingredients to add taste and flavor to your food.

Once you are in the kitchen, experienced chefs will share their techniques and knowledge with you.  You can learn to make mole negro (a tasty dark sauce), mole verde and others or the traditional tlayudas (a fried tortilla covered with refried beans, meat, cheese, greens and avocado, all accompanied by handmade tortillas.  This was more fun!!!  We cooked in the garden area of a 1600 house, on charcoal, and ate ourselves silly.

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 $600 per person to Ambos Tours at 269 W. Loma Street, Nogales, AZ 85621 as quickly as possible.    Final payment will be due 30 days before we depart.  Along with your deposit, please supply us with your full name and date of birth.  We will be taking only 10 or 11 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 $600).  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:  $600 deposit; airfare sample not actual $300, it is lost.  $150 gets credited to another tour and $150 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.