Hiking in Mexico: Oaxaca’s Indigenous Highlands

This trip involves plenty of walking and easy to moderate hiking. It’s best suited to travellers with a good level of mobility. You can expect to hike 6 to 12 km (3.5 to 7.5 mi) every day. Good footwear is a must.

Luggage transfer from village to village is included, so you’ll just need to carry a daypack with your essentials, like your water bottle, jacket and snacks. You’ll have the option to store large pieces of luggage at your hotel in Oaxaca. You will be provided with soap, bedding and pillows in the cabins, and each village has filtered drinking water available to fill up your water bottle.

This trip visits places that are at high altitude (3200 m/10,500 ft), and as a result some people can suffer from altitude sickness, regardless of age or physical health. Please see the Medical and health information section of the Essential Trip Information for more detail.

This trip is part of a longer itinerary. You might be joining travellers who have already spent some time together. If you have more time to explore, you might like to check out Mexico City to Oaxaca with Zapotec Village Hiking, trip code QBXOC.

This trip is designed to make the most out of just a few days, which means there isn’t a lot of free time. If you would like to extend your trip, just speak to your booking agent.

1. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1 in Oaxaca. Please see Joining Point Hotel listed in the Essential Trip Information for this itinerary.

2. Check out of the hotel is typically at 10am on the last day. If you would like to spend more time in Oaxaca we can happily request you additional nights - please speak to your booking agent.

3. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip and subject to availability at the time of booking.

4. We will transport your luggage between cabins during your hikes. You will have the opportunity to store large luggage at your hotel in Oaxaca.

5. Come prepared with sturdy hiking boots, layered clothing, a daypack and water bottle/hydration system, sunscreen, and a rain jacket, as weather and temperatures can change dramatically with elevation.

Most travellers prefer to take a small to medium wheeled suitcase, which is a great size for the packing capacity in our private vehicles. You will need to be able to carry your own luggage, handle it at airports, take in/out of accommodation and perhaps even walk short distances. We recommend you pack as lightly as possible.

You'll need to bring a day pack/bag for activities and day trips.

In terms of weight, airlines generally allow a maximum of 15-20kg for check in luggage and a maximum of 5kg for carry on. Check with your airline for baggage allowances.

Other than the items and clothing you always need on a trip, below we have listed packing suggestions specific for this trip:

ESSENTIAL:
- Sun protection – sunhat, sunglasses, sunscreen (reef-safe sunscreen for swimming). The UV index can be very high in this region, therefore it is essential you protect yourself adequately from the sun.
- Clothing for hot and humid weather: Lightweight, breathable quick-drying clothing.
- Clothing for cool nights/high altitudes, rainy days, and to protect against bugs: A lightweight waterproof jacket, pants, clothing you can easily layer.
- Closed-in walking/hiking shoes. Closed-in shoes will help to protect your feet from mud, cuts and scratches and bug bites. 
- Personal travel documents which may include a passport, visa, driver's license, travel insurance, flight tickets and your Essential Trip Information. Photocopies of these documents stored separately from the originals will be handy. While not valid, a photocopy of your identification makes it much easier to obtain replacements if necessary.

RECOMMENDED:
- Water bottle. We recommend at least a 1.5 litre capacity. Clean, filtered water is available for free in many hotel lobbies. The sale of bottled water contributes to an enormous environmental problem around the world. In addition to the water in bottles, the production of a 1 litre plastic bottle takes 2 litres of water and 200ml of oil. A large proportion end up in limited landfill or discarded in waterways and natural environments
-Electrical adapter plug (Central American countries use plug types A & B which are standard throughout North America)
-Personal medical kit. Your guide will carry a large kit but we recommend you carry items such as mild pain killers, electrolyte powders and Band-Aids.
-Watch/Alarm clock or phone that can be used for both
-Swimwear
-Travel beach towel
-Water-proof bag for your phone
-Tissues &/or toilet paper &/or wet wipes
-Insect repellent
-Camera with a spare memory card, charger &/or batteries

OPTIONAL:
-Earplugs to guard against a potential snoring room-mate
-Phrasebook

VALUABLES:
Please try to avoid bringing unnecessary valuables, and use your safe if available. It’s also a good idea to purchase a money belt or pouch that is easily hidden.

LAUNDRY:
Laundry is available at many hotels and towns during this trip, although you might need to wait for a two-night stop in order to make sure you get it back in time. While laundry at hotels is usually charged by the item, laundromats usually charge by the kilo, which is generally inexpensive (about USD 2 per kilo).

None of the activities featured in this trip require special training or skills, just a reasonable level of fitness and a willingness to participate. Cobblestones and uneven roads are common and you may be required to walk in hot and humid conditions. If you are in any doubt, please share these concerns or issues with your sales consultant so that your leader is aware prior and can pre-empt your needs.

WALKING OR TREKKING AT MEDIUM ALTITUDE

This trip includes strenuous walking or trekking at altitudes over 3000 m (9843 ft). You’ll need to have excellent health and fitness to take part in this trip and it’s highly recommended that you train in preparation for joining.

Some advice on training can be found here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/how-to-train-for-a-walking-trip

Hotel Abu, Murguía 104, Centro, Oaxaca de Juárez,, Oaxaca, 68000, MEXICO

A new hotel concept, located in the historic center of Oaxaca City, Hotel ABU combines the sobriety of the quarry stone of its surroundings with a modern yet welcoming interior design, creating a space where you feel like the protagonist of a work created especially for you.

Alternate Joining Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this joining point.
24 Oct 2026 (QBXO261024)
Happy Express Hotel
Díaz Ordaz 312 3 blocks away from the Zocalo
Oaxaca
MEXICO
Phone: +52 9512060599

Hotel Abu, Murguía 104, Centro, Oaxaca de Juárez,, Oaxaca, 68000, MEXICO

A new hotel concept, located in the historic center of Oaxaca City, Hotel ABU combines the sobriety of the quarry stone of its surroundings with a modern yet welcoming interior design, creating a space where you feel like the protagonist of a work created especially for you.

Alternate Finish Point

For trips departing on the following dates
use this finish point.
24 Oct 2026 (QBXO261024)
Happy Express Hotel
Díaz Ordaz 312 3 blocks away from the Zocalo
Oaxaca
MEXICO
Phone: +52 9512060599

Intrepid offers a pre-arranged departure transfer service to Oaxaca International Airport [OAX] at an additional fee. If you require this service, please advise your flight arrival details at least 14 days prior to your trip departure.
If you have pre-booked this service, your transfer driver will collect you from your hotel 3.5 hours before your flight time. If your transfer has not arrived within 15 minutes of the scheduled pickup time please ask the hotel reception to call our Intrepid Emergency number, listed under the ‘Problems and emergency contact information’ section of your Essential Trip Information document.

Alternatively, you can travel from the hotel to the airport by taxi. The hotel reception will be able to assist you with a taxi. The drive to Oaxaca Airport will take approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic and will cost approximately MX250-300 (USD$15-20).

Breakfasts included: 4

Lunches included: 3

Dinners included: 2

While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in this region. Your group leader or local representative will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule, our groups tend to eat dinner together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There's no obligation to do this though.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Please let us know your diet requirements before your trip starts.
Generally speaking, in bigger cities/towns vegetarians can expect a reasonable range of vegetarian venues and/or vegetarian options within tourist restaurant menus. However, vegetarianism is not the norm in this part of the world so options can be limited when eating at homestays, small local restaurants, street stalls, markets, etc.

More restrictive diet requirements (vegans, coeliac, gluten intolerance, fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance, etc.) can also be accommodated along this trip but you should expect a lesser variety than what you can expect at home. We recommend that, if possible, to bring your own supply of snacks with you.

For those on strict Kosher or Halal diets, we understand your dietary requirements are important, however, sometimes due to cultural and language differences these are not always easy to convey when you are travelling. Your guide will do their best to assist you in translating your needs when eating out, but please be aware that these diets are almost unheard of in much of the continent and the best they may be able to accommodate is no pork and shellfish. If this will be a concern for you you may need to consider opting for vegetarian or vegan meals for the included meals in your itinerary. We recommend researching kosher or halal options in your destination country prior to travel to see if you are able to buy snacks once there, otherwise consider bringing some from home. 

Please note that Hurricane season is June to November, when landslides, mudslides, flooding and disruptions to essential services can occur. Intrepid monitors these situations as they may arise, so that itineraries or activities can be amended as necessary.

While we always endeavour to provide the best possible holiday experience, due to the nature of travel and the areas we visit sometimes things can and do go wrong. Should any issue occur while you are on your trip, it is imperative that you discuss this with your group leader or local representative straight away so that they can do their best to rectify the problem and save any potential negative impact on the rest of your trip.

We recognise that there may be times when your group leader or local representative may not be able to resolve a situation to your satisfaction - if this is the case, please ask the group leader or local representative to speak to their direct manager.

You may also choose to provide details in your online feedback, which we ask you to complete within 30 days of the end of your trip. Please do be aware that it is very difficult for us to provide any practical help after the trip is completed, so informing us while still travelling will give us the opportunity to resolve the issue in real-time.

In the case of a genuine crisis or emergency, please contact our local office:

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.