Where to Go: the 12 Best Chocolate Tours in Oaxaca

1.Art walk & Cacao delight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 111 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $89Our pick

Walk Oaxaca with an English-speaking guide such as Tony or Antonio, viewing political murals, galleries, artist studios, and printmaking. Make a woodblock print to take home, then finish at Chimalapa Cacao with three cacao-based drinks and a lesson on local varieties. The group is capped at 14.

“A great tour of the art work and city streets, Antonio was a great guide and introduced us to so much artists and places to come back and explore later as well.”

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2.Cacao, Chocolate Experience in Oaxaca for Small Groups

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 92 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $80

In central Oaxaca, Chimalapa Cacao guides you through 15 to 20 cacao and chocolate tastings, from unsweetened cocoa to bars, drinks, and regional varieties. Guides including Lucy, Martin, Azo, Elvia, Ruth, and Diego have led sessions in English. You also prepare a chocolate drink, enjoy a cocoa toast, and finish with a house beverage.

“Very knowledgeable hostess and great, eye-opening experience. Perfect for couples or anyone interested in learning a bit more about cacao”

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3.Make Your Own Chocolate with Oaxacan Tradition Private Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 45 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $98

In central Oaxaca, Chimalapa Cacao guides you through cacao tasting, clay-comal roasting, hand peeling, grinding, and chocolate making. Choose your sugar level and regional ingredients, then prepare a traditional drink with a grinder. Guides including Fernanda, Diego, Lupita, and Ruth work with groups of up to four in English.

“She was very intelligent and sweet and kind, and when we come back again, we will absolutely do this class again. Also, the chocolate was absolutely delicious.”

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4.Chocolate and Ancestral Drinks Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 13 reviews · 1 hour · from $46

In Oaxaca, Chimalapa Cacao con Origen introduces you to cacao through tastings, ancestral traditions, and a hands-on chocolate class. With Spanish and English instruction, you sample pure cacao, bitter and spiced chocolates, then prepare a drink of your choice. Guides such as Ingrid and Martin are clear, patient, and well informed.

“Martin was an excellent guide unexplained everything very clearly. He was also very pleasant and patient with my Spanish.”

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5.Cacao day experience from the wood to your cup!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $179

Spend 7 to 8 hours turning raw cacao into chocolate with Rut and Ervit, then hike the Sierra Norte near Ixtepeji with homemade cacao in hand. Finish in Las Animas with a molinillo-making visit and lunch at your own cost. Private transport, tools, tea, chocolate, and binoculars are included.

“Learning how to work with Cacao and making hot chocolate was great. The hike afterwards was absolutely magical. The mountains were amazing and our guide Margaux was the best.!”

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6.1 Hour Oaxacan Chocolate Making Class with Mole-making and Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $40Best value

At Casa Crespo in central Oaxaca, a licensed English-speaking guide leads you through cacao’s role in Mexican communities. You toast and grind beans, shape chocolate bars, prepare a simple chile-and-chocolate mole, and finish with hot chocolate. The 3 p.m. class lasts about an hour and ends where it begins.

“What a fun and educational class this was!! We heated up cocoa beans and made actual chocolate to make hot chocolate and chocolate ice cream . We also learned how to make a simple mole with chocolate and it was all hands on with the instructor guiding us . At the end of the class we were served our mole sauce over chicken and the chocolate ice cream for dessert . Dinner was served on a rooftop patio with twinkling lights . It was a phenomenal experience and we 100% recommend taking this class !!!”

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7.Make Oaxacan-style take-home chocolate

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $60

At Etnofood’s two-and-a-half-hour workshop in central Oaxaca, Tomás guides you through cacao’s history, roasting and preparation, tasting, and chocolate making. You design and take home 150 grams of chocolate, sample local creations, and prepare Oaxacan hot chocolate. The class is in English and limited to six people.

“A fantastic experience with Thomas who provided a thorough heart-felt explanation of the Oaxacan chocolate making process with lots of hands on time. You can taste the quality/purity made from locally grown cacao. Definitely recommended!”

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8.Art Workshops and Chocolate Shops Tour in Oaxaca

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $58

Spend 2.5 hours on foot with an English or Spanish guide, visiting Oaxaca galleries, meeting artists, and tasting locally made chocolate. You may also see a working artist studio and hear how cocoa shaped Oaxacan food traditions. The small group is limited to eight, with private options available.

“We loved it! The tour guides were locals with a great deal of knowledge of the local art scene and chocolatiers. The community workshops were a great example of collective action and innovation.”

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9.The Cocoa Experience, from the Grain to Your Cup

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3 hours · from $98

At Chimalapa Cacao con Origen in central Oaxaca, you roast cocoa on a clay comal, peel and grind the beans, choose sugar and regional ingredients, then prepare a traditional drink with a molinillo. The three-hour small-group session is offered in English or Spanish and includes a cocoa-based snack and chocolate to take home.

“This experience was such a pleasant surprise! I did not expect it to be such high quality. The place is SO nice and peaceful, everybody was super friendly and we got to know a lot about cacao (via information, tastings of the beans, ...). We booked the experience in which you even make your own chocolate (for drinking, not for eating). I loved every moment of it and would definitely recommend to friends and family! Thanks for everything :)”

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10.Amazing Walk through the Zapotec Mountains with Hot Chocolate

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $93

Leave Oaxaca at 8 a.m. for Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, where Ivan or Marianna may guide you along an 11-kilometer mountain trail. Expect pine forest, wildflowers, mushrooms, ferns, mountain views, and a final climb to a mirador. At the top, enjoy hot chocolate, coffee, or tea.

“I had an amazing day hiking in Ixtepeji with Ivan. He was really kind and a great guide, sharing interesting facts about the area along the way. We chatted the whole time and enjoyed hot chocolate at the mirador (the viewpoint at the top of the mountain). I definitely recommend him!”

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11.Art Workshops and Chocolate Shops Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59

Meet Pablo and your small group at TeoLab at 5 p.m. for a 2.5-hour English-language walk through Oaxaca’s galleries, art workshops, textile center, and chocolate shops. You’ll taste water chocolate, artisanal sweets, and coated chocolates while learning how cacao connects to Oaxacan culture.

“Fantastic walk around town seeing art galleries and eating chocolates! Pablo was knowledge and worked hard to make sure the whole family mom, dad, and 2 teenagers really enjoyed the experience- definitely recommend!”

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12.Visit of Chocolate and Ancestral Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $53

At Chimalapa Cacao in central Oaxaca, you’ll learn how local chocolate is made, taste several styles from pure cocoa to traditional Oaxacan chocolate, and prepare one drink with traditional utensils. The one-hour visit costs $53.86 per person, includes mini chocolate bars, and is offered in English for groups of up to 15.

“Such a fun and educational experience. Learning about how chocolate is made and tasting the varieties was really fun”

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