Xochimilco Start, Through Time

Around Oaxaca city | A walk through Time and Culture

★ 4.99 / 5 496 reviews on GuruWalk

Free pay what you want

Run by an independent local guide on GuruWalk

Takes you to the guide's GuruWalk page, where a free place is reserved directly. Nothing is paid here, and the walk is free, pay what you want.

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
Language: English and Spanish
Meeting point: Plaza de la Cruz de Piedra, Xochimilco
Where it walks: Xochimilco
Guide: Around Oaxaca city
What it costs: Free, pay what you want

Overview

This walk starts at the stone cross plaza in Xochimilco, where the operator Around Oaxaca city waits with a green umbrella, and spends 2.5 hours tracing the city's timeline from old roots to modern life. The guide leads the group on foot, telling stories that connect past and present, pointing out small details in the streets, and explaining local customs and symbols along the way. It is paced as a walk rather than a rushed checklist of sights.

Weathered green cantera arches of the old stone aqueduct in Xochimilco, Oaxaca, Mexico, above a chained dog resting in shade

The route has 8 stops in total, and the GuruWalk page names the first of them: the Monumento de la Cruz de Piedra, the Arcos Acueducto de Xochimilco, and Jardín Conzatti. Between the stops, the guide shares food recommendations for tasting Oaxaca like a local, museum suggestions for going deeper into the city's culture and history, and personal tips for the rest of the trip. Photos are welcome, and the guide offers to help take them.

The tour runs in English and Spanish and is free, pay what you want, with reservation on GuruWalk. It suits travellers who want context and stories rather than a fast sightseeing circuit, and who are comfortable walking for the full duration through city streets.

Itinerary

Stop	What Happens
Meet at the stone cross	The meeting point is the stone cross plaza in Xochimilco, at C. de Xólotl 119A on Ruta Independencia in the Centro. The guide waits there with a green umbrella, near the little arches of Xochimilco.
Monumento de la Cruz de Piedra	The first named stop of the route is this stone cross monument, the landmark the meeting point is known by. Ask for the stone cross if you have trouble finding the group.
Arcos Acueducto de Xochimilco	The walk continues to the Arcos Acueducto de Xochimilco, the second named stop on the route.
Jardín Conzatti	The third named stop is this city garden. Five further stops complete the route, which the GuruWalk page does not name in advance.
Walk ends after 2.5 hours	The full walk lasts 2.5 hours, finishing after the guide's recommendations for food, museums and the rest of your trip. No pickup or return transport is included; the tour is a walking tour from the meeting point in the city.

What To Expect From The Tour

Here is what the operator tells guests to prepare for, taken from the walk's own GuruWalk page.

Meeting the guide. The guide waits at the stone cross plaza with a green umbrella. If the map pin seems off, walk a little further toward the square, or ask locals for the stone cross or the little arches of Xochimilco.
What to bring. The operator recommends a cap or hat for the warm weather, and a bottle of water to stay hydrated. Comfortable shoes for a walk of this length are the obvious companion to that advice.
Pace and duration. The walk lasts 2.5 hours and is deliberately unhurried, described by the operator as filled with local context rather than a rushed checklist. Expect a storytelling pace with pauses for details in the streets.

“I went with high expectations of this tour, and it was even better!! Our guide knew a lot, and we went to some places out of the "typical" tour. The advices were great too and we used them during our stay in Oaxaca! 10/10”

Jose, GuruWalk review of Xochimilco Start, Through Time

Languages. The tour runs in English and Spanish. Both are stated on the GuruWalk page, so either works for booking.
Photos and tips. The guide offers to help take photos for anyone who wants them. Food recommendations, museum suggestions and personal tips for the rest of the trip are part of the walk itself.
Families with babies. The operator advises against strollers because certain streets are difficult or reduced for their use, and suggests a baby carrier instead. This is the operator's own recommendation, not a restriction on attending.

Common issues. No hotel pickup or return transport is included; the tour is on foot from the stone cross plaza in Xochimilco. The route has 8 stops but only the first 3 are published in advance, so most of the itinerary is not known before booking. The operator's warm-weather advice means sun protection and water are the visitor's own responsibility. Families relying on a stroller may find parts of the route awkward, per the operator's own note, and the operator asks guests who cannot attend to cancel in advance so others can take the place.

Before You Set Out

How Long Is The Around Oaxaca City Walking Tour?

The walk lasts 2.5 hours, running from the meeting point in Xochimilco through a route of 8 stops.

Where Does The Tour Meet?

At the stone cross plaza in Xochimilco, C. de Xólotl 119A on Ruta Independencia in the Centro, where the guide waits with a green umbrella. If you get lost, ask for the stone cross or the little arches of Xochimilco. No hotel pickup is included.

Is The Tour Really Free?

Yes. Booking is free and guests pay the guide what they think the walk was worth at the end, which is the pay what you want model on GuruWalk. There is no fixed price to reserve a place.

Are Food, Drinks Or Museum Entries Included?

No food, drink or museum entry is included. What the walk does include is the guide's food recommendations, museum suggestions and personal tips for the rest of your trip, so any tasting or museum visit afterwards is at your own cost.

Is The Tour Suitable For Families With A Baby?

The operator recommends not using a stroller, because certain streets on the route are difficult or reduced for strollers, and suggests a baby carrier as the more comfortable option. Attending with a family is still fine by the operator's account; it is the stroller that is discouraged.

What Should I Bring And What If I Cannot Attend?

Bring a cap or hat for the warm weather and a bottle of water to stay hydrated. If you think you cannot attend, the operator asks you to cancel in advance through GuruWalk so other people can book the place.