We will visit the archaeological zone of Monte Albán, making a tour in an average time of 1.5 to 2 hours with our certified guide, we will know the history of this place and we will enjoy the magic and mysticism of these buildings on the top of the mountain.
We will stop for lunch in a restaurant with a buffet service with traditional Oaxacan foods.
We visit with our guide, the house-workshop of a master craftsman of pieces and figures of black clay to give us a demonstration and talk about the process and history of these beautiful handmade figures.
We visit with our guide, the house - workshop of an artisan who works a loom known as a hip or waist loom of cotton thread textiles.
We visit with our guide, the house-workshop of an artisan carving wooden figures today known as alebrijes, there we can see from the process of making these handmade figures to the various forms of application that have been achieved during the innovation process
Very well structured tour, guide was very knowledgeable. The buffet was delicious with lots of variety and lovely restaurant. I’ve taken multiple tours here in Oaxaca, I rank this as one of the best.
Zenon picked us up right on time and stayed with us the entire day. We learned so much including the opportunity to listen to his native local language. He gave us a great tour even lead us down a tomb. Plenty of free time to explore afterwards and pointers of what we must check out. For lunch, we just wanted some beer and he was helped us order. Had a great day checking out the 3 shops and he even helped us translate everything. Safe driver, not sure what else to ask for.
Excellent, will do it again. June 29, The weather was amazing for the outdoor experience. Delicious food at the buffet 😋
Our third day in Oaxaca was outstanding, and Zenón was a huge reason why. He picked us up directly from our hotel, gathered another guest along the way, and immediately began sharing the history and culture of Oaxaca as we drove toward Monte Albán. What impressed me most was how he connected the stories of the region to the landscape around us. He explained the origins of the words used to describe Oaxaca, showed us the tree from which the city takes its name, and helped us understand what Monte Albán would have looked like during its height and why its location was so significant. At Monte Albán, Zenón struck the perfect balance between education and exploration. He gave us a thorough introduction to the site, explained how to respectfully navigate such an important archaeological treasure, and then gave us enough time to wander and absorb the experience on our own. The rest of the day was equally fascinating. We enjoyed a delicious Oaxacan lunch before visiting several artisan communities, including San Bartolo Coyotepec, Santo Tomás Jalieza, and San Martín Tilcajete. What made these stops special was that Zenón didn't simply drop us off and let us watch demonstrations. At each workshop, he personally walked us through the process step-by-step while the artisans were creating their work, helping us appreciate the skill, tradition, and generations of knowledge behind each craft. From the black clay pottery of San Bartolo Coyotepec to the intricate textile weaving of Jalieza and the vibrant alebrijes of Tilcajete, every stop felt meaningful because of the context Zenón provided. His passion for Oaxacan history and culture was evident throughout the day. If you want more than just a sightseeing tour and would like to truly understand the history, traditions, and craftsmanship that make Oaxaca special, spend a day with Zenón. You'll leave with a much deeper appreciation for the region and the people who keep its traditions alive.
This is a very worthwhile tour. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, we learnt a lot about the history of this region. The tour was very varied and we covered many different areas, each one interesting and informative. We were shown the black pottery workshop and given a demonstration, and a workshop to see beautiful works of art being hand woven. Definitely well worth the cost.
This was a lovely tour. We went to many different prehispanic sites during our trip to Mexico. Our tour guide for this tour was clearly very passionate about anthropology generally and Monte Alban in particular. He curated the information he gave us well and also gave us time to explore on our own and to take pictures. Visiting the artisans was fascinating. We loved the demonstrations of the pre-hispanic methods of creating traditional artworks. We have been on artisan tours in many different countries around the world, but this tour was still fresh and interesting because we got to observe unique techniques. The methods used by the weavers and the potters were different than I had ever seen before. We were given a bit of time to shop, but we're never pressured to do so. The the lunch was adequate, but definitely not my favorite part of the trip. We had taken a different tour the prior day with an excellent buffet lunch, so this one was a bit disappointing. In all other regards, this tour was excellent! I would absolutely recommend this tour! It was an excellent value for all of the fun activities we got to experience.
Absolutely stunning historical site and Zenon our guide was brilliant, you could just visit by yourself but you wouldn’t get half the appreciation of the history
Amazing day with Zenon, he was great at giving background and facts about each place. Very knowledgeable and kept us very interested even with the 8 month old baby. The rides between places allowed the baby to nap on the go. 100% recommend this
Terrific, very well planned and well paced experience. Lots to learn and see. English speaking guide and driver answered all questions our questions. Artisans were glad to see us and share their crafts.
The entire day was beyond our expectations. Each portion of the trip was explained by our guide. The admission fee was satisfactory.
The guide is amazing and very knowledgeable passionate about the sites. Lunch place has diverse options and art crafts are authentic. No pushing in buy anything.
Monte Alban is the most amazing place I have seen. The tour was fantastisk. I felt save with the driver and the Guide had a lot of knowledge about the place. Very interesting to lissing to. The was combined with tre praces were they made handcraft. That was also very interesting .
This was a truly excellent and well-rounded small group tour. I went solo, and the entire experience was highly positive and well-managed. Our day included the ruins of Monte Albán, a visit to Teotitlán del Valle to see Zapotec weavers, a stop to watch a black pottery clay demonstration, and a learning about the craftsmanship required to make the famous alebrijes. The artisan stops were fantastic. I bought a spectacular bag from the weaver and two beautiful pieces of black pottery. It's worth noting that while some incredible pieces were available, the intricate, hand-painted alebrijes, are significantly more expensive due to the detail and craftsmanship, so plan your budget accordingly if you wish to buy them. I went intending to purchase but blew my budget before we got there. :-( The guides were superb, and the entire trip was perfectly paced. We had a mixed group of Spanish and English speakers, and for the Monte Albán portion, we were split into two separate language groups, each with its own knowledgeable guide. This was incredibly helpful. It allowed all of us to easily ask questions and ensured that everyone received dedicated attention. I feel certain I wouldn't have learned as much had it been handled any other way! My guide at Monte Albán was engaging, knowledgeable, and made the history come alive. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a comprehensive and culturally rich day exploring the highlights outside of the city!
Our trip was incredible. Our tour guide Zenon was very informative & created a beautiful experience of this archeological site for us. Afterwards he took us to 3 villages that specialize in black clay pottery, alebrijes, and woven textiles. Long day but well worth the journey.
Excellent experience. Monte Alban is a great archeological site. Rocio our tour guide was very knowledgeable and very attentive.
The booking was easy. We were contacted a day in advance with all relevant info about pick up. Pick up was punctual and the experience of the tour very good.
Great time, knowledgable, informative, friendly guide. Definitely recommend. A great way to spend the day. Bueno, Bueno
It was a great experience, organized, the guide was knowledgeable, charismatic and very friendly and very helpful
I went on the full day tour to Monte Alban and a black pottery artist as well as an allebrijas workshop and it was beyond what I hoped for. The tour guide was outstanding and made it a special day!
Good tour and we had a good tour guide. We had enough time to do everything in the itinerary. We got to Monte Alban early with fewer crowds. Also, this tour picked us up from the hotel and it was great!
All day, morning walking for 2 hours and balanced with afternoon of artists. Fabulous lunch. Would do it again, so much to learn
A Must-Do when in Oaxaca! Get ready for an action-packed day of incredible scenery and cultural experiences. It didn't feel like a tour, it felt more like a peek into the real lives of the artists of Oaxaca.
Your guide was great, shared his knowledge about this place with pictures and articles. He made sure to explained in both English and Spanish so everyone could understand. Pick up and drop off at my hotel was on time.
Wonderful day spent exploring Monte Alban and then visiting the artisan villages. Lunch was amazing too with a huge variety of dishes.
Beautiful tour it was amazing! Our tour guide Cenon wow very informative and was very detailed in everything we loved it, he was awesome! The driver Omar was very funny!
The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable, and the tour was diverse. I recommend it. Thank you.
The trip included everything we wanted to see and our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Also the buffet we went to was surprisingly delicious.
We had such a good time. We loved the tour of Monte Alban in particular and learned so much about the site and Zapotec and Mazatec cultures that occupied it. The black pottery and weavers were really cool too - nice to see the folks actually doing the work and carrying on traditions. We liked but felt a bit more overwhelmed at the alebrijes shop - we wished we could’ve afforded them - definitely worth it given the work that goes into them - just didn’t have the means to pick them up on the trip.
Our guide did an excellent job of explaining the history of Mont Alban. I also enjoyed lunch and the pottery demonstration.
This tour was well worth the cost. We were on a tour with a bunch of Spanish speakers and there were two tour guides. We essentially had a private tour for most of the day as a result. I highly recommend this tour not just for Monte Alban, but the other experiences on the tour were amazing as well. I left wanting to come back and experience more Oaxacan culture and history.
Thanks for a great tour. We enjoyed the variety and experiencing the local culture. Good Job Zenon. Enjoyed your personal touch.
Very well informed and well organized. Engaging and caring. Answered questions pleasurably.. good and generous lunch. Time to explore and shop.
Enjoyed the day but the guide had to explain everything in Spanish and English as well as drive, hard for him. We were the only English speakers on the trip and so were unable talk to anyone.
The workshops were quite lovely, they went into the most depth at the ceramic workshop. At Monte Alban, we had 1.5 hours of tour and 45 minutes to explore ourselves.
Hotel pickup was wonderful and vehicle was very nice and comfortable. Be ready for a long day and plan for the sun. Tour guide was exceptional and he even chatted with us when he saw him the next day at another spot. Would recommend
An amazing way to spend a couple of hours. Ancient ruins of Zapotec culture and history. At almost 1800 metres with a panoramic view of the surrounding valleys. The ruins are stunning and a must see experience.
This was a great experience. Learned all about the indigenous people who settled the area Then toured several craft areas.
Fantastic information from the guide. Great places to visit. Good safe driving. Very clean comfortable van. Spectacular day that we will not forget.
A great tour, Monte Alban is so much more impressive than the pictures depict. The guide had excellent knowledge of the site and was able to answer everyone’s questions thoroughly. Unfortunately there wasn’t time allocated to look around the on site museum. Lunch was buffet style, tasty and plenty of it. The clay pot making and weaving were very interesting too and items were available to buy. The wooden animal carving was fascinating and every stage was explained and shown from choosing the piece of wood right through to the painting. The owner also told us our Zapotec protection animal and spirit animal all of which were available to buy. A great day out which could only have been improved by having time to visit the museum.
Overall, good guides. Mont Alban was great. The weaving was not very interesting, but the wood working was interesting. Guides were very helpful and informative.
Great tour with very knowledgeable and personable guide. The visit to the alebrijas and pottery workshops were fun and interesting. Well worth the entire day.
We had a great day with Zenon! His English is outstanding and his knowledge of Monte Alban and the Zapotec culture deep and thorough,and he really enjoyed sharing it with us. A visit to the black pottery workshop was very interesting.
What a great and organized experience! I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the tour! Especially being able to help support local artisans. The guides were so knowledgeable and so incredibly friendly! I can't wait to return to Oaxaca!
We bought the all included tickets and found that made things super easy. It started early and we were picked up at our hotel in a van. One guy drive and the other provided the tour through out the day. We really enjoyed the tour of Monte Alban, it's an incredible site and the guide did a great job of giving us the history and meaning. The lunch was okay not bad but didn't wow us. The following stops after lunch were great, pottery, weaving and wood carving. It's a long day so plan with water, snacks and layers to stay warm in the morning.
Monte Alban was a fantastic place, with good interpretation by our guide, Xenon. Lunch buffet was excellent, good service-better than what you usually get on tours. Handicraft demonstrations, not surprisingly, include shopping opportunities, however it wasn't pushy.
This was an excellent way to spend the day while in Oaxaca: Easy to arrange, knowledgeable and personable guides, on time performance. Overall, an experience combining education and pleasure.
The guides were great. Very knowledgeable. They gave us time to explore on our own. Lunch was great. And the chance to experience the talents of 3 different local artisans was really incredible
Guide communicated awesomely about pick up time and location. The driving was smooth all the way. We felt clear about every step and how long we had at each stop. We received engaging explanations and stories about the sites and stops we had along the way. Guide was welcoming of any questions and frequently checked in with the group to ask if any more questions came up.
The guide clearly described the chronology of Monte Albán and engaged with us about why the site was abandoned long before Europeans arrived.
The visit to Monte Alban and the explanation given was great. To be able to walk in the ruins was one of my life highlights. The visit for lunch was good, very good food selections and very tasty. The alebrije work shop was very fun and educational, interesting how much work is out into all pieces.
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