In the Clouds of Juárez: Glass Skywalk, Guelatao & Capulálpam
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca14 HoursStarts 07:00Cancellation up to 2 days before
About this experience
Embark on a mystic, historic, and alpine eco-expedition to the cloud-covered heights of Oaxaca's Sierra Juárez, one of the most biodiverse mountain regions on Earth. Begin in Ixtlán de Juárez, stepping onto a dramatic glass-bottom skywalk cantilevered high above forested mountain canyons offering breathtaking 360-degree vistas. Continue to historic San Pablo Guelatao to stroll around its enchanted mountain lake and visit the birthplace museum of Benito Juárez. Finally, arrive at the cobblestone Magic Town of Capulálpam de Méndez to savor traditional highland cuisine—including rare chichilo mole—in the community market, followed by your choice between an adventurous underground cave walk or an interpretive village heritage tour visiting San Mateo church and artisan workshops.
Key details
Destination
Oaxaca City
Duration
14 Hours
Start time
07:00
Operating days
Mon, Thu, Sat
Group size
2 – 14 people
Cancellation
Up to 2 days before
Service
Spanish and English
What is included
Round-trip air-conditioned hotel transportation, certified bilingual tour coordinator, liability insurance, guided visits in Ixtlán de Juárez, San Pablo Guelatao, and Capulálpam de Méndez.
Not included
Meals and beverages, gratuities, Ixtlán glass skywalk ticket, Guelatao museum admission, optional Capulálpam activities (underground caves or local community tour).
Itinerary
07:00 AMDeparture from Oaxaca to the Sierra Norte | 08:45 AM Arrival in Ixtlán de Juárez and Glass Skywalk experience | 10:30 AM Visit to Guelatao de Juárez: sacred lake and historic museum | 12:30 PM Arrival in Capulálpam de Méndez Magic Town & market lunch | 02:30 PM Chosen activity: Cueva del Arroyo caves tour or cultural village & church walk | 05:00 PM Photo stop at town sign | 06:30 PM Return drive | 09:00 PM Hotel drop-off.
Times are approximate and may vary with traffic and weather.
Warm clothing (jacket or fleece sweater for cool alpine temperatures), sturdy walking shoes or sneakers, rain jacket during wet season, hat, sunscreen, and cash in small denominations.
Important notes
The Sierra Norte reaches elevations over 6,500 feet with winding mountain roads. Warm clothing is recommended as mountain weather can change quickly.
Cancellation and conditions
You can cancel up to 2 days before the date of the experience.
Minimum of 2 people per booking.
After payment you receive your coupon and itinerary in PDF by email and in My trips.
An intimate, transformative, and deeply sensory holistic healing retreat nestled in a peaceful highland village just outside Oaxaca City, where mountain streams and cool pine breezes foster profound inner reconnection. Guided by 'La China', a respected traditional indigenous healer, embark on a sacred 5-stage ceremonial journey focused on emotional release, energetic renewal, and body-soul harmonization using ancestral elements: copal resin smudging, fresh medicinal herb cleansing, therapeutic stream water rituals, and deep mindfulness meditation. To protect sacred privacy and foster complete presence, cameras and mobile phones are strictly prohibited during the ceremony.
Duration: 08 Hours · starts 09:00
Mon, Tue, Fri
Group: 2 – 8 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 2 days before
From, per adult$93USD
A 2-day, 1-night immersive mountain journey through the majestic Sierra Juárez, fusing pristine cloud forest nature, Mexican history, and indigenous healing wisdom. On Day 1, visit the Guelatao Glass Skywalk, the historic sacred lagoon, and Ixtlán's colonial church, continuing to the picturesque Magic Town of Capulálpam de Méndez to savor rare chichilo mole in the community market, tour 17th-century San Mateo Church, and stay overnight in rustic mountain cabins equipped with wood-burning fireplaces. On Day 2, visit a white-tailed deer wildlife reserve (UMA), venture barefoot into the pitch-black caverns of Cueva del Arroyo for a sensory grounding walk, and visit the Indigenous Traditional Medicine Center with optional herbal temazcal steam bath and massage.
Duration: 02 Days / 01 Night · starts 08:00
Every day
Group: 2 – 12 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 3 days before
From, per adult$406USD
A premium connoisseur experience designed for true aficionados of Oaxaca's most sacred spirit. Begin with a photo stop at the ancient Tule Tree before traveling deep into agave country to visit two distinct, world-class palenques. At the first distillery, learn the artisanal method (underground stone oven roasting, horse-drawn stone tahona wheel crushing, and copper alembic still distillation). Next, venture to the community of Xaaga to meet an authentic Master Mezcalier preserving rare ancestral mezcal: agave crushed by hand using heavy wooden mallets in oak tree troughs and double-distilled exclusively in pre-Hispanic clay pots with reed tubes. Conclude with an educational guided tasting comparing wild agave varieties.
Duration: 05 Hours · starts 09:00
Mon, Tue, Fri
Group: 2 – 12 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$93USD
Child (3–11)$70USD
An enriching Friday excursion into the southern Valley of Ocotlán to experience its vibrant weekly market day. Begin in Ocotlán de Morelos visiting its restored neoclassical church adorned with artwork by native painter Rodolfo Morales. Inside the lively town market, visit 'La Cocina de Frida', an iconic food stall run by Doña Beatriz, celebrated for her striking natural resemblance to artist Frida Kahlo. Savor a chilled bowl of pre-Hispanic téjate before continuing to Santo Tomás Jalieza, where indigenous women preserve ancient pre-Columbian backstrap loom weaving producing geometric cotton belts and textiles. Conclude in San Martín Tilcajete, stepping inside a family alebrije studio to witness copal wood carving and intricate fine-brush painting of mythical creatures.
Duration: 05 Hours · starts 10:00
Fri
Group: 2 – 14 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$75USD
Child (3–11)$56USD
An extraordinary anthropological and culinary journey operated exclusively on Sundays to Mesoamerica's oldest and most vibrant indigenous open-air market: Tlacolula Traditional Market. Begin at the 16th-century Dominican Monastery of San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, admiring its hand-painted indigenous floral ceiling frescoes and historic working baroque pipe organ. Continue to San Marcos Tlapazola, a remote Zapotec village where indigenous women craft distinctive red clay cookware entirely by hand without a wheel. Arrive in bustling Tlacolula, walking among thousands of villagers dressed in colorful embroidered aprons where ancestral silent barter (trueque) is still practiced. Savor freshly pit-roasted lamb barbacoa, sweet pan de cazuela, and drink frothy téjate, the ancient pre-Hispanic 'drink of the gods'.
Duration: 05.5 Hours · starts 09:00
Sun
Group: 3 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$77USD
Child (3–11)$58USD
Just 17 km north of Oaxaca City, venture into the verdant Valley of Etla to discover two celebrated regional wonders: eco-friendly artisanal papermaking and the true birthplace of iconic Oaxacan string cheese (quesillo). Begin in San Agustín Etla at the Arte Papel Oaxaca studio, housed in a historic hydroelectric mill, witnessing how native botanical fibers—pochote tree bark, wild cotton, and flowers—are transformed into fine handmade paper and jewelry. Tour the magnificent San Agustín Arts Center (CaSa), Latin America's first ecological cultural center, set inside a restored 1883 textile factory with stunning architecture. Conclude at a family-run dairy farm in Reyes Etla, watching fresh curds stretched into endless ribbons and coiled into classic quesillo balls, accompanied by a delicious tasting of fresh cheeses and regional snacks.
Duration: 04.5 Hours · starts 09:00
Mon, Wed, Fri
Group: 2 – 14 people
3 plans: LIGHT · CONFORT · FULL
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$56USD
Child (3–11)$42USD
Experience one of the most exhilarating, vibrant, and unique Day of the Dead carnivals in all of Mexico: The Muerteada of San Agustín Etla, celebrated on the night of November 1st. With over 80 years of living tradition, the entire mountain community takes to the streets in a massive nocturnal procession where death is confronted with theatrical satire, infectious brass music, and community revelry. Hundreds of participants wear breathtaking costumes sewn with thousands of chiming metal bells and mirrors, portraying legendary folk characters—the Devil, Death, priests, doctors, and spiritualists—acting out an ancient comedic drama where a deceased soul returns to life before being guided back to eternity.
Duration: 06 Hours · starts 19:00
Every day
Group: 2 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 5 days before
From, per adult$103USD
A deeply moving, solemn nocturnal experience operated exclusively on the night of October 31st to witness how indigenous and rural Oaxacan families honor their departed ancestors. Departing from La Merced Temple, journey to two historic cemeteries in the Central Valleys (such as Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, San Bartolo Coyotepec, or Santa María Atzompa). Walk respectfully along pathways illuminated by thousands of flickering beeswax candles and enveloped in the fragrant aroma of copal incense and golden marigolds. Witness entire generations keeping vigil through the night, singing hymns, playing acoustic guitars, and sharing pan de muerto, tamales, and mezcal beside their ancestors' decorated graves.
Duration: 05 Hours · starts 19:00
Every day
Group: 2 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 5 days before
From, per adult$103USD
Adults
Children
Some dates are closed for operation and cannot be selected.
