Mexico City to Oaxaca: Pottery & Aztec Pyramids — Self-Launched
7 days · Mexico (Mexico City, Puebla & Oaxaca)
G Adventures charges £825
No-markup version: ~£480 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of G Adventures' 7-day Central Mexico loop, done independently. Same three cities and the same headline experiences — the Zócalo and Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in Mexico City, the Teotihuacán pyramids, Puebla's talavera ceramics and Cholula, then Oaxaca's markets, alebrijes workshops and food scene — but you book your own hostel or guesthouse, ride the excellent ADO buses between cities, and join locally-booked tours and cooking classes instead of travelling with a group. Costs here are rough per-person estimates for a solo traveller in a dorm or budget private room, sharing day tours where possible. Note the trip ends in Oaxaca: a return bus to Mexico City is about £35–45 if you fly home from there.
Day-by-day
Land in Mexico City & wander the Centro Histórico
Mexico City
Arrive at Benito Juárez airport and take the Metro (Line 5 from Terminal Aérea, ~£0.30) or an authorised airport taxi (~£10–12) to a hostel in Centro or Roma/Condesa (dorms from ~£12, budget privates ~£30). Check in from 3pm. Spend the late afternoon walking the Zócalo, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Palacio Nacional's Diego Rivera murals (free). Eat dinner at a fonda near the market — tacos al pastor and a beer for under £6.
🚌Airport Metro ~£0.30 or authorised taxi ~£10–12
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Centro/Roma (from ~£12 pp)
- →Zócalo & Metropolitan Cathedral walk
- →Palacio Nacional murals (free)
- →Evening street-food crawl in Centro
Frida Kahlo, Coyoacán & Xochimilco
Mexico City
Book a Casa Azul (Museo Frida Kahlo) ticket online in advance — around £11 and it sells out days ahead; the combinado with the Diego Rivera Anahuacalli is better value. Metro to Coyoacán (~£0.30), see the museum, then wander the cobbled plazas and market for lunch. In the afternoon take the Tren Ligero to Xochimilco and share a trajinera boat on the canals (~£3–4 each if you split the ~£18 hourly boat hire with other travellers at the embarcadero). Optional evening: Lucha Libre at Arena México (~£10–14 via Ticketmaster, mask optional but recommended).
🚌Metro + Tren Ligero, ~£1 total
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Centro/Roma (from ~£12 pp)
- →Museo Frida Kahlo / Casa Azul (~£11, pre-book)
- →Coyoacán market lunch
- →Xochimilco trajinera boat ride (~£3–4 shared)
- →Optional Lucha Libre at Arena México (~£10–14)
Teotihuacán pyramids, then bus to Puebla
Mexico City → Puebla
Get to the pyramids early: take the Metro to Indios Verdes or Autobuses del Norte and the Teotihuacán bus (~£2 each way, 45–60 min). Entry is ~£4. Climb the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon and walk the Avenue of the Dead before the heat and crowds peak — it's steep and uneven, so take it slowly. Alternatively join a GetYourGuide day tour from Mexico City (~£30–40 including entry) if you want the context without the logistics. Back in the city by mid-afternoon, collect your bag and take an ADO bus from TAPO terminal to Puebla (~2 hrs, ~£10–13). Check into a guesthouse in Puebla's centro (dorms ~£11, privates ~£25).
🚌Metro + local bus to Teotihuacán ~£4.50; ADO bus Mexico City–Puebla ~£10–13
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Puebla centro (~£11–25)
- →Teotihuacán archaeological site (~£4 entry + ~£4 bus)
- →Pyramid of the Sun & Moon, Avenue of the Dead
- →Optional guided half-day tour (~£30–40)
Puebla's talavera, mole and Cholula pyramid
Puebla
Morning walking loop of Puebla's UNESCO centro: the Zócalo, the Rosary Chapel in Santo Domingo (arguably the most ornate interior in Mexico, free), and Callejón del Sapito for talavera ceramics — the pottery workshop stop this tour is named for. Book a short talavera studio visit direct with a family workshop or through Airbnb Experiences (~£15–25). Lunch on mole poblano and chiles en nogada. In the afternoon take a local bus or Uber to Cholula (~£2, 30 min) to see the Great Pyramid with the church on top and the volcano views — entry ~£4. Evening: cheap and excellent street food around the Barrio del Artista.
🚌Local bus/Uber to Cholula ~£2–3
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Puebla centro (~£11–25)
- →Puebla centro orientation walk (self-guided, free)
- →Talavera ceramics workshop visit (~£15–25)
- →Cholula Great Pyramid & church (~£4 + bus)
- →Mole poblano tasting
Bus to Oaxaca, markets & alebrijes workshop
Puebla → Oaxaca
ADO bus from Puebla's CAPU terminal to Oaxaca takes 4–4.5 hrs (~£18–22). Check into a hostel near the centro (dorms ~£10–14, privates ~£25). Walk the Zócalo and the Benito Juárez market, then the Mercado 20 de Noviembre for tlayudas and quesillo. Book an alebrijes painting workshop direct with a family workshop in San Martín Tilcajete — several take walk-ins or same-day bookings (~£15–20), which is the artisan-community visit on the original itinerary. Evening mezcal tasting at a small palenque-run bar (~£6–10 for a flight).
🚌ADO bus ~£18–22; local colectivo to Tilcajete ~£2
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Oaxaca centro (~£10–25)
- →ADO bus Puebla–Oaxaca
- →Mercado 20 de Noviembre & Benito Juárez market visit
- →Alebrijes painting workshop in San Martín Tilcajete (~£15–20)
- →Mezcal tasting flight (~£6–10)
Oaxacan cooking class & ruins
Oaxaca
Morning: join a market-to-table Oaxacan cooking class — bookable on GetYourGuide, Airbnb Experiences or direct with Casa Crespo / Alma de mi Tierra (~£35–50 including market tour, meal and mezcal). It covers mole, tlayudas or memelas and is the standout experience of the trip. In the afternoon, either take a local bus to Monte Albán (~£4 return, entry ~£5) for the Zapotec ruins above the city, or head to Mitla (UNESCO site, ~£5 entry) by colectivo. Prefer to cool off? Shared colectivo tours to Hierve el Agua's petrified waterfalls run ~£15–20 including the springs' entry. Evening: free salsa or live music in the Zócalo plazas.
🚌Local bus/colectivo to ruins ~£2–4
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Oaxaca centro (~£10–25)
- →Market-to-table Oaxacan cooking class (~£35–50)
- →Monte Albán or Mitla ruins (~£5–10 with transport)
- →Optional Hierve el Agua shared tour (~£15–20)
- →Evening zócalo music
Textiles, coffee & departure from Oaxaca
Oaxaca
If you have a morning before your flight, take a colectivo to Teotitlán del Valle for rug-weaving workshops (~£2 each way, free to browse, demonstrations usually £3–5 tip) or to Tlacolula's Sunday market. Grab a last coffee from a Oaxacan roaster and a tamal for breakfast. Fly out from Oaxaca (OAX) — or, if you're returning to Mexico City, the ADO bus takes ~6–6.5 hrs (~£35–45) or a domestic flight is ~£60–90. Budget roughly £5 for local transport and a meal before you go.
🚌Colectivo ~£4; ADO bus back to Mexico City ~£35–45 if needed
🛏None — check out and depart
- →Teotitlán del Valle weaving village (~£4 return)
- →Tlacolula market (Sundays)
- →Oaxacan coffee & breakfast
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£480 | £825 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £345 per person (42%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£480
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Mexico City to Oaxaca: Pottery & Aztec Pyramids — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £480 per person for 7 days in Mexico (Mexico City, Puebla & Oaxaca). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £825 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £480 — a saving of roughly £345 (42%) per person.
How long is the Mexico (Mexico City, Puebla & Oaxaca) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Mexico (Mexico City, Puebla & Oaxaca).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, city-breaks trip through Mexico (Mexico City, Puebla & Oaxaca), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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