Their week-long trips to Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Mérida cost roughly USD$4,500 per person, and include a mixture of museums, archeological sites, and cultural destinations, alongside cooking classes, market tours, and dining experiences ranging from street food vendors and holes-in-the-wall to award-winning restaurants.
“You must have balance,” says de la Vega. “You can’t eat in fancy places every night and you cannot eat tacos every night. Well, I could eat tacos every night, but not everyone can.”
Over the years, de la Vega has led more than 60 tours, booked mostly by North American travelers who find out about the tours by visiting de la Vega’s restaurant El Naranjo or word of mouth. Not only are these expeditions introducing travelers to her home country, but they are also an additional revenue stream.
