2018 Primetime Emmy
& James Beard Award Winner

Roam

  • INTO THE HEART OF MEXICO

    Oaxaca Reborn

    Sept 17-21, 2025

    ?

    The Oaxaca they want to sell you is just one of the many Oaxacas that are now thriving, jostling, and innovating in this future-facing region with roots deeper than time. Not just any tour for any travelers, our League of Travelers adventure in Oaxaca is an expression of the beautiful world of Ana Paulina Garcia. She’ll bring us into her life of creative chefs and distillers and artists—new visionaries in an ancient culture—with the League founder Nathan Thornburgh as her co-host.

    Inquire Now
    Nathan Thornburgh

    R&K Host

    Co-founder, Journalist
    Nathan Thornburgh

    Ana Paulina Garcia

    Local Guide

    Fermenter, Restaurateur
    Ana Paulina Garcia

Overview

Oaxaca Reborn

The Oaxaca they want to sell you is just one of the many Oaxacas that are now thriving, jostling, and innovating in this future-facing region with roots deeper than time. Not just any tour for any travelers, our League of Travelers adventure in Oaxaca is an expression of the beautiful world of Ana Paulina Garcia. She’ll bring us into her life of creative chefs and distillers and artists—new visionaries in an ancient culture—with the League founder Nathan Thornburgh as her co-host.

  • Mexico
  • Sept 17-21, 2025
  • from $7,500.00
Map
  • Mexico
  • Sept 17-21, 2025
  • from $7,500.00
Oaxaca Reborn Inquire Now

DISCOVER OAXACA:
DAY-TO-DAY ITINERARY

Day
1

A City in Change

  • Private transfer from Oaxaca Airport to the beautiful new Pan y Posada Luxury Hotel from Boulenc in the center of town
  • Welcome cocktails at a friend’s bar in Centro
  • First dive into the beauty of deep Oaxacan cuisine at Cocina de Humo
Day
2

The Eclectics of Villa de Etla

  • Languorous breakfast in the warm embrace of Paulina and friends’ world-famous bakery and restaurant Boulenc
  • Travel down-valley to the town of Villa de Etla, a creative and culinary engine for all Oaxaca
  • Quesillo-making with Don Juan, a hands-on try at making the most famous cheese of the region
  • Shop at the market of Villa de Etna for a catered lunch of grilled meats and tlayudas at the countryside studio of renowned ceramic artist Isabel Sánchez and her husband (and fellow artist) Leo
  • Whiskey tasting at the incredible Maiz Nation, defender of indigenous corn varietals and leaders in sustainable distilling practices
  • Siesta!!
  • Incredible innovation duo: first with Bastian of Knock Knock Mezcal for Oaxaca’s most bespoke mezcal tasting and dinner at the six-seater omakase joint Crudo, a completely refined, wildly creative Japanese-Oaxacan mixtape of a restaurant opened to acclaim in 2021 by chef Ricardo Arellano
Day
3

The Mushroom Mountains

  • Breakfast of the best tamales in the cosmos at the Sánchez Pascua market with Cande Minerva
  • Head into the mountains of Cuajimoloyas, where we will meet up with Ana Paulina Garcia and her friends from the mountains to hunt mushrooms, in their best season
  • Stay in the mountain cottages of the village (don’t worry, we’re keeping our rooms at Pan y Poasada in town, so no need to pack and unpack)
  • Dinner of rich mountain cuisine with our mushrooms, relax with drinks at your cottage, as you’re warmed by the wood-fired chimenea.
Day
4

The City of the Dead

  • Easy breakfast in the cool mountain morning
  • Head to Lalocura Palenque for an extraordinary whole-animal barbacoa with Eduardo “Lalo” Angeles, one of Mexico’s most famous mezcaleros
  • Rare private sunset at the Monte Albán Zapotec pyramid complex, one of the most important archaeological zones in Mesoamerica, with deep stories from the past and the future
  • Back to Oaxaca City for one last big dinner at the phenomenal, Bib Gourmand-winning Alfonsina, set in the courtyard of chef Jorge León’s childhood home
Day
5

Goodbye for now

  • One last beautiful Oaxacan breakfast
  • Private transfer back to Oaxaca Airport
  • That’s all for this time, until we meet again

What’s Included

  • All breakfasts, lunches, dinners, as well as snacks and beverages between meals
  • Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
  • Additional guides and experts from the region
  • Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
  • Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
  • All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport

What’s Not Included

  • International airfare to and from the journey
  • Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
  • Personal laundry or spa services
  • Personal travel insurance

Meet Our Hosts

Nathan Thornburgh

R&K Host

Nathan Thornburgh

Co-founder, Journalist

Nathan Thornburgh, a former TIME Magazine senior editor and foreign correspondent, co-founded Roads & Kingdoms in 2012 and ran the independent media company with Matt Goulding and Anthony Bourdain for years. He is an Emmy- and National Magazine Award-winning producer and editor and has reported everywhere from Russia to Iraq. R&K’s League of Travelers is his latest attempt to marry travel, journalism, and la dolce vita.

Ana Paulina Garcia

Local Guide

Ana Paulina Garcia

Restaurateur, fermentation guru

Our host in Oaxaca is Ana Paulina Garcia, the amazing co-owner of the cultish bakery Boulenc and fermentation shop Suculenta. Originally from northern Mexico, she has made waves in the city’s rich gastronomic scene by transforming Oaxaca’s teeming biodiversity into a wild range of ferments, from cardamom honey and mushroom pate to pumpkin relish and oil infused with local herbs. We can’t think of a better guide to bring us through the city’s bountiful markets, craft studios, and aromatic culinary enclaves. On day three, she’ll even bring us up into the mountains of Cuajimoloyas to hunt mushrooms with her friends and dine on rich mountain cuisine by the wood-fired chimenea.

Where You’ll Stay

Pan y Posada

Pan y Posada

Refined Hideaway

The latest bit of magic in the growing world of Boulenc, helmed by our host Paulina Garcia and her partners, Pan y Posada is something quite new for them and for Oaxaca City. It is a brand-new boutique design hotel in the very heart of Oaxaca yet with a refined tranquility that permeates each suite. It’s walking distance from every great thing in the city, and the breakfasts, well, this is a baker’s hotel…

  • Nathan has a magical way of highlighting the region with the heart of the people at the center. It’s inspiring and travel at it’s absolute best.

    Leslee K.
    CDMX Under the Volcano 2024

  • The connections R&K has in the community made this trip feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be replicated by any other company.

    Amanda C.
    CDMX Under the Volcano 2024

  • I had no idea what a deeply moving experience this trip would be—far beyond just a culinary tour.

    Dawn F.
    Morocco, from Medina to Mountain 2024

DISCOVER OAXACA:
PAST TRIPS GALLERY

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Oaxaca Reborn Inquire Now
R&K League of Travelers

Ready for a new adventure?

Inquire Now.

    Fill out the form to join the waitlist. We’ll reach out if space opens up.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How large are your groups?

    We have a maximum of 12 travelers for each trip. Our guiding light: how many people could cram into a perfectly-sized bar in Ginza? That’s how many we want to travel with, that’s how we came up with that number. Each trip has at least two members from the R&K team.

    Do I really have to do an interview?

    Yes! We don’t offer a way to book online, because we want the chance to talk to each of you about how you like to travel, and about what we do on our trips. That includes spouses and partners! Don’t sweat it, we have an appropriately high acceptance rate, but it is a requirement, whether by Zoom or by WhatsApp.

    Is there a solo traveler supplement?

    Yes, we have an $1800 solo traveler supplement ($1o00 for four-night trips).

    Should I get travel insurance?

    Roads & Kingdoms is a fully insured travel provider but we recommend you purchase travel insurance for yourself to cover costs you might incur through change of plans, flights, etc. We do not have a recommended provider, but there are many reputable providers available online and the signup process is not onerous.

    What is included in the price?

    Our journeys are meant to free you from any financial decision-making whatsoever during the week, if you choose. You’re responsible for your own international airfare to our starting city. But then we take care of everything else, from tipping to transportation to hotels and meals and drinks along the way. You’re only responsible for personal bar tabs (when not with the group), personal laundry, or personal spa services.

    What happens if R&K cancels a journey?

    This has not happened in the post-acute-COVID period—nor do we anticipate it happening—but we do reserve the right to cancel or postpone a trip up to 100 days before departure. In that case, you would receive a full refund, including the $1500 deposit.

    CAN YOU ACCOMMODATE VEGETARIANS?

    The short answer is yes! Any trip can be adapted, but some work better than others. Salamanca and the World of Jamón, for instance, would probably not make sense for a vegetarian, whereas Tbilisi and the Western Winelands works well. Animal products do feature heavily throughout our journeys, and many include whole-animal barbecues, ceremonial slaughter, or other traditional culinary methods that might be off-putting to those who abstain.

    Traveler Rights And Responsibilities

    The League of Travelers is meant to be that: an intimate group of travelers who accompany us to some of our favorite places to spend time with some of our favorite people. That is why we interview all potential travelers. These trips are not for everyone, and we just want to be sure the vibe matches. Mostly, for you, that means treating the people who make these trips possible, from drivers to somms to waiters to hotel staff, with decency. We will do our best to accommodate special requests, but we don’t have fulltime concierge or waitstaff on these trips, we have chefs and writers and storytellers. Our groups are a diverse bunch, so please also come with an open mind and heart for your fellow travelers. And in exchange, we pledge to open all doors we can to you. We promise we will have poured our whole selves into these journeys, and we will do everything in our power to make it a wondrous experience.

    Refund And Deposit Policy

    We require 50% downpayment to secure a spot. Second payment due 60 days after first payment. If you cancel up to 60 days before the start of the trip, the trips are fully refundable except for a nonrefundable $1500 deposit. Within 60 days we will refund everything except the $1500 deposit if we are able to replace your seat, otherwise you must contact us to see if a transfer to a later journey is possible. If we cancel a trip for any reason, the entire trip, including the $1500 deposit, is fully refundable.

    Dates

    2025

    Destinations

    Europe

    Asia-Pacific

    Latin America

    Africa