Private Car And Driver Authentic Oaxaca Tour With Master Artisans

Good private tour of an art village near Oaxaca. Meet a textile merchant, painter and chocolatier. Also got to see a small Mezcal farm. No pressure to buy anything but we did anyway. Just tell him what type of experience you want and where you want to go. He can take you anywhere the big tour operators can but in comfort of a nice SUV and on you own timeline.

we booked 2 days with Roberto, the first day we went to Teotitlán del Valle to see different artisans. Day 2 was Monte Alban along with more artisans (alebrijes, barro negro, backstrap women weavers). if you have limited time, i highly recommend Teotitlán del Valle- our favorite experience was the rug weaver and candlemaker.

The quality and creativity of the artist studios we visited were all off the chart. Roberto’s knowledge and graciousness made the experience even more memorable (his sense of humor was equally engaging). My wife and I spent two days with Roberto and his son David, it was a memorable experience we will always cherish. I highly recommend his services.

Don Roberto was an excellent driver and tour guide! He spoke perfect English and was accommodating to all our family needs. He took us to the best artisans in Oaxaca. I would highly recommend Roberto his vehicles a newer and clean with air conditioning. Next visit to Oaxaca I will definitely be calling Roberto.

Roberto took us to the most amazing artisans around Oaxaca over 2 days. We loved the demonstrations that came from visiting the master weaver, alibrijes and chocolate. Roberto is super knowledgeable about the history of Oaxaca and my partner and I enjoyed our experience with him immensely. Will definitely reach out again when we visit Oaxaca!

My son and I visited Oaxaco for 3 days. My wife and I had previously visited a few times but my visiting son had not. Our intent was to explore the weaving and rug making workshops as my son has initiated an import business of such products to Taiwan. Roberto was a delightful and informative guide and pre-arranged custom visits and meetings with artisan in Teotitlan de Valle, Mitla and Oaxaca (some I had visited previously). Most significantly he arranged and introduced us to an extraordinary rug weaving family that more than made the whole trip worth it! Roberto was on time, knew where he was going and provided ongoing narrative along the ways...and also took us to Mont Alban on our final day with excellent background on the way and arrange a specialist guide while there!

Great guy. Knew the area. Helped us find a lesser known pottery shop that we had read about. Also took us to a trrrific rug maker.

Roberto was our personal guide and driver for 8 hours. He customized the day based on our preferences. We visited a Zapotek village to meet with master artisans who have been passing along their crafts across many generations: weavers, chocolate makers, candle makers and a talented painter & sculptor. We also visited the impressive Tule tree, which has the world’s largest trunk. He allowed us to spend as much time as we wanted in each place. The experience felt very personal, as if we had spent the day with a friend. He is personable, knowledgeable and friendly, and speaks excellent English. We cannot recommend him highly enough!

Roberto was kind, informative, funny, knowledgeable and an all around great tour guide. Totally happy to tailor the tour to our interests. Highly recommended.

We enjoyed spending the day with Roberto. He was very accommodating and informative. We truly enjoyed his company and all the places we visited moving at our own pace. The car was super comfortable. We would highly recommend spending a day with Roberto.

Roberto was awesome. He took us to exactly where we wanted ( weavers, artisan chocolates and pottery) and even stopped for our lunch and a side trip to Tule. We loved talking with him along the way and meeting his network out in the villages of amazing beautiful people. We leaned so much from him too. Thanks again Roberto !

AMAZING! Roberto worked with us to design a day that perfectly matched our interests. We met a master weaver (amazing), we met a master candlemaker, we had a delicious lunch at a mezcal farm, stopped at the Tree of Tule, and ended the day at Monte Alban. That was our perfect day and Roberto will helped you discover what is perfect for you. (Also - Roberto’s car is roomy and comfortable and it was so helpful that we was perfectly fluent in English (as my Spanish skills are so elementary).

We selected a two-day tour with Roberto Gavidia because of the positive reviews here: We’re so happy with this choice! About a week before our arrival, we corresponded through email and WhatsApp. He offered his recommendations, which I appreciated because we had never been to Oaxaca before. I was nervous that the whole arrangement was by “handshake”: no down payment or contract to secure the arrangement. But on the morning of our first day with Roberto, he was at our hotel in a clean, comfortable SUV ready to go. His English is excellent and his enthusiasm for Oaxaca is contagious. He is passionate about educating people, which we appreciate, as we would have been unhappy with a guide who just “clocks it in.” We spent two consecutive days with him seeing Monte Alban (he arranged a private tour of the ruins separately), and visited the galleries and studios of excellent artisans of black pottery, green pottery, alebrijes, and textiles. He was patient and also accommodated last-minute changes (we chose to skip Hierva el Agua in favor of visiting more craft artisans). He also took us to beautiful and delicious restaurants en route. He responded immediately on WhatsApp and let us know when he was traffic delayed on his way to pick us up on Day 2. We live in Los Angeles, so we understand last-minute traffic issues, so it wasn’t a problem as he let us know. We were on our own for a few days after our tour, and he checked to see if we had any issues or questions: We felt we had a friend in Oaxaca! We arranged to have him drive us to the airport for our departure: We felt he would be more dependable than any taxi service. Unfortunately, due to illness on our last evening, we postponed our flight for one day. He picked up our call at 4am that morning so that we can tell him not to come to the hotel, and then rearranged things so that his son could take us to the airport the next day. Overall, we understood that he feels personally honor bound to be trustworthy, dependable, honest, fair, and create a wonderful experience for people who come under his care. But, as with all relationships, our positive experience stems from treating him respectfully as our host (not just as a guide) and communicating expectations clearly. Each day, we talked candidly about the hours he would charge (roughly 11 hours each day), so that there were no surprises about the cost at the end. We consider him a friend for life and cannot say enough about how much his welcome and warmth impacted our overall experience of Oaxaca. Mucho gusto, Roberto!

I can’t say enough good things about Roberto. He is friend, funny, and flexible. He will take you off the beaten path or wherever you may want to go. I come to Oaxaca often and will use Roberto again and again. His cars and comfortable and clean. He speaks English and Spanish. Highly recommend!

Roberto is a very knowledgeable and humorous man. He is a true gentleman. He is very flexible and speaks English and Spanish. He likes to take customers off the beaten path. His vehicles are very comfortable and clean. I come to Oaxaca often and will continue to use Roberto’s services. We highly recommend!

Roberto is a fantastic tour guide. Friendly, full of information and history and takes you to the best locations. He’s also very flexible on where you want to go. His English is very good so you really learn from the experience. Highly recommend!

Our tour with Roberto was exceptional. He took us off the beaten path for unique and authentic experiences. Always polite and friendly, Roberto safely navigated the area. We highly recommend him and his services. You get your money’s worth and more!

We booked Roberto for a private tour of Oaxaca's surrounding sites, and Roberto came through like no other. From the day I reached out to him via email/whatsapp he was communicative, informative, and enthusiastic about showing us all that Oaxaca has to offer. He made lots of great suggestions on places that typical tour groups don't visit, such as homes of artists and artisanal weavers, and also took us to the more well travelled spots, like Hierve de Agua, Thule Tree, and Mitla. He was flexible in accommodating to our interests, and even stopped along the way to point out interesting things to us, such as the Benito Juarez Memorial and prehistoric cave paintings. For our trip he picked us up in a Chevy Suburban which was very comfortable and spacious - perfect for the long drive to the waterfall. But what really makes him special is his personality, generosity, and passion for his culture. If you're looking for a private tour, Roberto's your dude.

All of our stops were amazing. Our family got to experience Oaxaca in a way we would have not been able to do by ourselves. Roberto is an excellent guide as he is courteous and very knowledgeable. We already booked a second tour.

Our experience with Roberto was fantastic! He speaks perfect English and was able to tailor some tours for us, while also recommending some wonderful places we did not know about (including a fabulous 9th generation weaver). He was always on time and the vehicles were clean and comfortable. We enjoyed learning about Oaxaca from him and enjoyed his company very much. He is very outgoing and friendly, and seems to know a lot of people in the area. He was an integral part of our memorable visit, and I heartily recommend him to anyone considering a trip to Oaxaca!

Roberto is an amazing and very knowledgeable guide who took us to the best places! His warm relationships opened doors to places many tourists don’t get to visit. We saw master artists, weavers, chocolate artisans, quaint villages and more! He shared many stories and some history and tailored our tour to our wants. Communication was great. Highly recommend!

Roberto was an excellent courteous English-fluent driver. great communication via phone and whatsapp. was able to tailor our day to our needs and everything went very smoothly. would definitely look him up again.

My spouse and I met Don Roberto at our hotel for Tour Itinerary 1: Tule Tree and weavers with mezcal tasting. The tour did not disappoint! Don Roberto is a safe and considerate driver. He knows all of the artisans of the workshops we visited, and receives no commission from any of them. One of the places we visited was the studio and home of Bularmo Perez Mendoza, master weaver. His work has been displayed at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, NM, and the International Latino Cultural Center in Chicago. Don Roberto knows each artist and craftsperson personally, and he himself is open, warm, and personable. Highly recommend for a meaningful, culturally insightful tour. Note: the tour is an all day thing. We left at 9:30 and were back at our hotel at 4:30. Don’t plan this and something else. Give yourself time to enjoy.

Roberto is an incredible human being, two days of sightseeing and he felt like family. Honest, trustworthy, and wonderful gentleman. From the moment we saw him waiting for us at the airport in the evening, we knew we were in wonderful hands! While having trouble trying to find our hiding Airbnb, he talked to our host to locate it and made sure we were safe and sound before he left. The next two days he took us on a wonderful driving tour into the villages to observe a plethora of local artisans. His selections were wonderful, and we never encountered other tourists, so we had lovely one on one experiences. I usually drive all my vacations in the US and abroad and decided to take a break for once. His driving was perfect as he managed some crazy inner-city streets (I'm from the east coast and have in driven in NY often so I know ;-) Everything we chose to do was at our pace and discretion. It was a sad moment for my 21 yr. old son and I when we knew we had to part with Roberto and continue on our journey to Huatulco. If we ever get back, we will look him up for sure! I will tell you he is a must for your visit! He was the best part of ours! <3 Thank you again, Uncle Roberto, Julie & Jake

A very satisfying day with bilingual Roberto. We went to a master weaver's home and, after an insightful explanation of the natural dyes and various natural fibers, were able to buy fine rugs at a very reasonable price from a master who lectures at folk art symposiums in Chicago and New Mexico. We already have orientals from Persia and a Navaho rug and those we were shown are excellent rugs. We also went to a local family shop that makes its own chocolate from cacoa, and were able to participate in a hands on demonstration. Then a fine lunch and a low key Mescal tour and sampling at a small distillery (at my request). Also the tree of Tula, the fascinating exterior of a church which incorporated native temple stones and more. The tour ran over the six hours but Roberto would not hear of any additional fee. No tour bus crowds, an informative narrative and the pleasure of meeting a true gentleman. I will recommend him to family and friends visiting Oaxaca.

The tour was very enjoyable and informational. Roberto's vehicle was clean and air conditioned. He had called and left a voicemail about him being a little late and also some extra charges past 6 hours all in not very clear English. When he arrived he asked where we would like to visit, as this is our first visit we said that he can take us to the highlight. He took us to the best weaver in the area, some upcoming artist's home, a cacoa cottage business, a Mezcal distilery, an old church and the biggest cypress tree. All this was done at our pace. We had noticed that we were not rushed through these place and were we suprised at the end of the tour to be charge 2 hours extra ( he will bring out a calculator to do the amount owe) as we had went past the 6 hours. Is this even legal? Tripadvisor. No place in the description did we see anything about the extra charge. So be FOREWARNED to limit your tour within 6 hours. Overall it was enjoyable but at the end it felt like we were literally taken for a ride. BEWARE!!

All the positive comments about Roberto are completely accurate and well-deserved! He is an "old world" type gentleman, 100% reliable, punctual and dependable. He won't take you to the usual "tourist" places unless you specifically ask for them. He knows everyone and will make sure you have an authentic experience. He and / or his terrific sons will take care of airport pick up and drop off if you'd like. We would suggest visits to Bulmaro Perez weaving, Monte Alban ruins, the wood carvers shop (the good one Roberto knows) and the black pottery artisans. Roberto speaks fluent Spanish (or course), English and a bit of French. You can't go wrong engaging him!

It's difficult to limit the accolades for Roberto. He is a seasoned Oaxacan tour guide with great stories, lots of connections, a great sense of humor, and he loves dogs. Our trip to Teotitlán del Valle was perfect. Visiting the great weaving family led by Bulmaro Perez Mendoza, a local chocolatier, and the amazing artist Pantaleon Luiz, were definitely among the highlights of our trip to Oaxaca. Roberto has warm relationships with everyone and opens doors not always open to tourists.

Roberto is one of Oaxaca's finest treasures. We had the good fortune of being able to tour with him on 2 days during our visit. He has a wealth of knowledge about his home and its history. His expert driving, recommendations and large, clean SUV are the icing on the cake. Me, my mom and her 2 dear friends were able to set the pace. Some of our stops included a master rug weaver, chocolate artesian, Monte Alban, incredible off the beaten path dining experiences, the home and studio of an incredible sculptor and painter, a family who taught us the tedious and detailed process of creating alebrijes, and a community of cotton weavers with beautifully created items. We enjoyed the sightseeing and shopping so much more because of Roberto’s intimate knowledge of each family's traditions. For example, Roberto explained to us the difference in quality between many of the woven rugs (potentially synthetically dyed and woven with some acrylic) in the city center versus the time consuming process of one family’s collection of all natural dye materials, spinning of the natural fibers, the dyeing process and finally the beautifully detailed weaving process. Roberto made our stay in Oaxaca exceptional!

We told Roberto to take us where we could see the most for the time we had. He was very nice & took us to an old church…which we couldn’t go in.😞 We then we’re taken to an “up & coming” artists studio. If I had it to do over again, I’d skip the church & Art studio. The trip to the Weaver’s home was the best part of the tour.. amazing to see how the dye to wool & make the rugs! We ended with a mescal tasting & tour, and lunch. I wouldn’t do this again for just 2 people, but if you have at least 4-6 people it might be worth it.

Our memories of Oaxaca would not be the same without Roberto. He is a knowledgeable, kind, fun guide (with excellent English and a great sense of humor) who is flexible and accommodating to your agenda. After exploring Centro exhaustively, we wanted to see more of the countryside and culture. We took three trips with Roberto, each with a different set of destinations (based on his excellent recommendations), with each group of friends who joined us in Oaxaca over our 30-day stay. Driving in his air-conditioned, comfortable SUV, we visited talented artists and craftspeople in their element and toured gorgeous, historic buildings. We made friends and picked up some unique local treasures - carved animals, rugs and the smoothest Mezcal - along the way. Roberto is welcomed heartily by every person he visits…including their dogs! He an old-world professional who values building relationships and memories. A day with him is very special.

Roberto is an experienced tour guide....it was so nice to see that he didn't take us to all the tourists traps. He has a great knowledge of the area. Hierve del agua, chocolate artisanal, mezcal artisanal and if you want the "real, authentic wool rug Roberto knows where to go. He speaks perfect English. Gracias Roberto

Our family booked two days with Don Roberto and setup custom routes based on what we wanted to visit. Roberto is extremely accommodating, kind and friendly. Treat your family to this private and personal tour, it is a deal for the value you get.

Roberto is 6/5 stars! The Best! He will give you a personalized non touristy experience that you will never forget. He’s a gem of a human and very welcoming too. Roberto is Highly recommended!

Greetings from Norway:-). Spent the whole day with Roberto; and had a fabolous day off the beaten path. Roberto is very knowledgeable, and a fun guy to be with! Carpets, chocolate, paintings, sculptures; well worth the time and money;-)

We had a great trip with our family. We have several small kids so it was great to have a private tour so we could go at the pace of our children. Roberto was very friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend!

This is one of, if not the best, experience we had in Oaxaca. Roberto was friendly, professional, and extremely knowledgeable about all things Oaxaca. He took us to places other tour groups do not go to, and we had a very rich experience. We were with him all day, and never felt rushed. He gave us choices of things to see. This was not a “ pre determined” itinerary. We learned so much about the history and culture of Oaxaca. Honestly, everyone should book a tour with Roberto! Thank you, Roberto, for an experience I will never forget!

Roberto was great and super accommodating! We had limited time in Oaxaca but he gave us plenty of the history, culture and nature of this beautiful place and all with a smile and genuine enthusiasm and passion! :)

All of the 5 star reviews are on the mark. Roberto provided our group not just a tour of sights-but an immersive experience with Master Artists, and wonderful lunches in small villages. Roberto intertwined his deep knowledge of Oaxacan history along the way. We gave Roberto a sketch of what we wanted to see and he filled in the rest. I recommend you follow Roberto's plan-you will not regret it. Turn your vacation into trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend Robert's tours.

After our first day with Roberto I said, "How are you going to top this?" He smiled and said, " I am full of surprises." That proved to be true. We spent 4 days with Roberto over our ten day stay in Oaxaca and each day includes memories that will rank among my most memorable experiences. He has so many connections with artists, restaurants, merchants, guides at the ruins, etc. he was able to take us to places we would never have found alongside the historical, architectural, and natural sites that shouldn't be missed.

Roberto is the best of the best. Our group had four wonderful days with Roberto and I only wish we could have had four more. There is no way we would have seen what we did without him. Roberto thank you so much!

Roberto is excellent. I booked him based on reviews and he proved to be everything people raved about. He’s very knowledgeable, navigates the crazy Oaxaca traffic with ease and arranged the day to suit our interests. Before our day was over, we were fortunate to be able to book him for a second day. He was unfailingly patient and pleasant . I can’t recommend him highly enough, definitely a highlight of our stay.

Roberto was a very good driver. He was extremely knowledgeable. I would highly recommend hiring him, especially if you are considering renting a car instead.

Roberto was very informative, friendly and helpful. He is a great driver and the vehicle was comfortable. We enjoyed that we had a schedule but he was perfectly happy to stop if we saw something we liked. It was like having our very own car!

Wow! Roberto was an impressive guide who filled our hearts and minds with new memories of the Oaxacan people and their history. When I booked with Roberto a few months ago (with my husband and 8 year old son) I had requested a private tour to Teotitlan del Valle, Mitla and Hierve del Agua. Roberto wrote me back quickly, then called me to explain more about the options for the day trip. I knew just from talking with him we would be in great hands. On the day of the trip he picked us up at our Airbnb (large comfortable Suburban) on time and with a big wide smile. The first stop was an off the beaten path weaver in Teotitlan del Valle, Bulmaron Mendoza. We had already received Roberto's wisdom about the more commercial tour outfitters and their practice of taking short cuts and payoffs with lower quality weavers and we could tell this was not going to be our experience. We walked into Bulmaron Mendoza's house and it was a beautiful workshop with a courtyard and educational area. His son led us through a complete demonstration of the dyes, how they are created, and their unique Zapotec origin based on the native plants and insects from the region. We then learned about the different sources of animal fur and plant materials used when creating the yarn, and a bit about the yarn-making process. It didn't take long to find a few tapetes we loved and they were able to ship them back for us. It was a very private, intimate and special experience we will never forget. Roberto waited for us the entire time and then took us to another local artist (contemporary) in Teotitlan named Panteleon Diaz. His workshop and studio were also incredibly impressive. We enjoyed seeing his inspiration come to life across multiple mediums, and at very large scale. By the time we wrapped up in Teotitlan we were starving. Roberto took us to a restaurant at a Mezcal distillery and we enjoyed some mole and guacamole with chapulines. He remained flexible with us as we deviated from the full itinerary and made a choice to return back to Oaxaca City. We saw him again a few days later for a ride back to the airport. Roberto is guaranteed to take you off the beaten path and open your eyes to the beauty of this area. You will make all your friend back home jealous for your once in a lifetime trip with Roberto 😉 Don't miss this!

Mr. Roberto was very professional. He was punctual and excellent at communicating with us. He was friendly and didn't mind sharing his knowledge on the history of Oaxaca, the Zapotec culture, architecture, artisans, workshops and recommended excellent places to eat. We highly recommend booking this private tour! Gracias Don Roberto!

We are so grateful to have found Roberto the week we were leaving for Oaxaca. I was only able to reserve one day before we left but luckily a second day became available. We would have never been able to see it all in one day. I had my list of must sees and Roberto talked to me before we left so that he could plan the best use of our time. I’m so glad that I listened to him and took his suggestions. His recommended activities far exceeded anything that I had planned. His car was clean and very roomy. We loved have bottle water to start our day. I felt like Roberto truly cared about sharing special parts of Oaxaca that many don’t get to see. At no point did I feel Roberto chose our visits based on personal relationships. My advise to you is take Roberto’s advice on what to see. We visited an Albrejie workshop, 2 weavers workshops, a black pottery studio, artist studio, the Tlacolula, the Tule tree, Hierve el Agua, and we learned how Mezcal was made. Roberto was always early. Even for our 4:40am drive to the airport! While driving us to the different locations he would share interesting history and stories that we would have never known. His knowledge of the area and choice of artisans was the highlight of our trip.

We arranged a half-day (+) custom tour with Roberto for two couples. He was very accommodating of our schedule and was happy to give us tips on ways to make the most of the sites we visited. His vehicle is clean and comfortable, and he arrives on time and ready to drive. We were very pleased with his service and the tour cost. We even used his service to return to the airport when we left Oaxaca.

My boyfriend and I had a fantastic time with Roberto. He is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. He took us to a stunning 16th century church, and was sure to point out and provide information on things that I’m sure are often overlooked by other guides. It really gave us a wonderful sense of the history of Oaxaca and its culture. He also took us to see two unbelievable artists in Teotitlan del Valle, and they did not disappoint. I highly recommend Roberto’s services to anyone visiting Oaxaca!!