Tour Details

Be a part of a Travelian Birding Tour into the highlands and central valleys of the State of Oaxaca, with your hotel located in the colonial Centro of Oaxaca City, just a walk away from many restaurants serving fine Oaxacan cuisine. Join a small group of appreciative travelers, led by our knowledgeable local bird guide and experienced Travelian guides.

From a base in Oaxaca City after a travel/arrival day, take a series of four day trips into a variety of outlying ecological zones offering a significant diversity of bird species, with an emphasis on highlands birding. Be able to enjoy some of the colonial and contemporary cultural splendors of the city in afternoon free time, and top off each day with a fine dinner in this city of outstanding gastronomy.

On the first day of bird watching, travel from the 5000 foot elevation of Oaxaca City up the Arroyo Guacamayas to 9000 feet and more, searching for highland species in the woods, along the watercourses and around high elevation small farms and orchards. Target species will include Red Warbler, Dwarf Jay and the very locally-endemic Oaxaca Sparrow.

The following day, travel even higher in elevation to Sierra Norte in the Parque Nacional Benito Juarez for birds of its pine-oak forest; two species of trees for which Mexico can claim the largest number of distinct species for any country in the world. There, be on the lookout for Magnificent Hummingbird, Mountain Trogon and Crescent-chested Warbler.

The third day of bird watching will focus on valley and foothills birds to be found in the semi-desert vegetation around the amazing Hierve el Agua, a pair of calcium carbonate cliffs formed from minerals left by flowing water and resembling a pair of stone waterfalls. In this unique visual setting, look for White-throated Swift, Beryline Hummingbird and Clay-colored Thrush.

The final bird watching day will be spent in the plains of the Oaxaca valley. The principal locale will be outside of Teotitlan del Valle, which will offer a small dam with waterfowl plus a series of surrounding scrubland trails. This site will be supplemented with a visit to the ancient archeological site of Yagul for additional bird watching, as well as the bird-visited gardens of our restaurant for lunch. Target species for this day will include White-throated Towhee, Dusky Hummingbird and Boucard's Wren.

The last day on this scheduled trip is for travel on to your next adventure, wherever that may take you. For that adventure, consider continuing on with Travelian for its Oaxaca Highlands Culture Tour, an extensive, stimulating and absorbing tour into the artisan crafts, history, cuisine, culture and archeology of the area. This tour begins in Oaxaca City on the final (travel) day of the Birding Tour for your convenience.

Join Travelian’s expert guides on this small-group tour and prepare to be embraced by the region’s abundant birdlife, its highland forests and extensive altiplano valley system, all to be enjoyed in comfort and safety.

Itinerary - 6 Days

DAY 1 - TRAVEL DAY TO OAXACA CITY
5:00 pm All travelers should have checked into hotel in Oaxaca City and made contact with Travelian Guides. Travelers will later get together for a welcoming session with the Travelian Guides and meet our local Birding Guide. All will then walk to one of Oaxaca’s fine restaurants for dinner*, where our birding guide will also give a presentation on the birds of the area.

DAY 2 - BIRD ARROYO GUACAMAYAS
6:30 am Breakfast at hotel or nearby restaurant. Leave by van for hillside bird watching with our bird guide at a variety of sites around Arroyo Guacamayas. Lunch* will be enjoyed at a local community lodge/cabins project, followed by additional bird watching in the area. Return to Oaxaca City with time available to explore. Walk to another of Oaxaca’s great restaurants for dinner*, and then return to the hotel to write up the day’s bird list.

DAY 3 - BIRD WATCH AT SIERRA NORTE / BENITO JUAREZ NATIONAL PARK

6:30 am Breakfast at our hotel or nearby restaurant. Leave by van for higher-elevation hiking and bird watching with our bird guide in the Benito Juarez National Park. We will also have a trail guide from the local community to provide additional information. A traditional lunch* will be offered in coordination with one of the local community projects. After some additional bird watching, return to Oaxaca City with time available to explore. Walk to another restaurant offering Oaxaca’s fine food for dinner*, and then return to the hotel to write up the day’s bird list.

DAY 4 - HIKE AND BIRD WATCH AT HIERVE EL AGUA
6:30 Breakfast at hotel or nearby restaurant. Leave by van with bird guide to explore and bird watch at the waterfall-lookalike rock formations of Hierve el Agua, one of the natural wonders of the State of Oaxaca. Lunch* will be taken at the site or at a nearby restaurant, followed by our return to town. (Arrangements are being sought to grant our group a private tour of and an opportunity to bird watch in the Ethnobotanical Garden in Oaxaca City later in the afternoon. The private permit cannot yet be confirmed due to current regulations, but we remain in contact with Garden staff.) In the evening we will go out to one of Oaxaca’s great restaurants for dinner*, and then return to the hotel to write up the day’s bird list.

DAY 5 - BIRD WATCH AROUND TEOTITLAN DEL VALLE AND THE YAGUL ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
6:30 Breakfast at hotel or nearby restaurant. Leave by van with bird guide to bird watch in the plains of the Oaxaca Valley. Outside of Teotitlan del Valle we will be able to view aquatic species in and around a small dam, as well as scrubland species along a variety of nearby trails. There will be a short stop at the Yagul Archeological site, both to attempt to spot some localized bird species and to appreciate its remaining Zapotec civilization structures. Enjoy lunch* a bit further down the road at a restaurant associated with local mezcal production, and which offers outdoor dining and bird watching in their garden. Return to Oaxaca City with a last-day’s time available to explore or start packing. Walk to one more great restaurant offering Oaxacan cuisine for dinner*, and then return to the hotel to write up the day’s bird list.

DAY 6 - TRAVEL DAY TO NEXT DESTINATION
8:00 am Breakfast at hotel or nearby restaurant. Finish packing and check out of hotel. Depart for your next destination.

* Meals marked with an asterisk are not included in the tour's fee.
This itinerary is subject to changes without prior notification.

WHAT TO TAKE           Official ID your current Passport, Mexican residency ID (original passport needed for flying)   Original INAPAM ID (if you have one)   Credit Cards, Debit card, Cash in Pesos for the first day (Cash machines are available)   Active Cell Phone with recharger   Bring sufficient funds for meals and beverages not included in trip cost   Money Belt   Water Bottle   Binoculars   Camera with extra memory and battery charger   Travel Flashlight   Hat   Sunblock   Sunglasses   Insect Repellent   Day Pack   Light-weight Walking Shoes   Sturdy walking shoes or boots for highland trails   A fleece garment or light jacket can be useful in case of chilly mornings or evenings (highland mornings will be cool)   Simple comfortable clothing for day and evening wear   Rain shell for mountain mist   Pack your binoculars, toiletries and travel documents in your day pack   A supply of Ziplock plastic storage bags can be handy for storing food items to be used as snacks   Be sure to bring your own Kleenex and small change for bathroom fees   First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, Dramamine or other motion sickness med if susceptible)   Personal prescription drugs