Mexico · Culture

2-Day Oaxaca Culture Tour with Monte Albán and Ancestral Mezcal

2 Days Round trip from Monte Albán Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Explore Monte Albán, the ancient Zapotec capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • 02 Visit Santa María Atzompa to see emblematic green-glazed pottery and traditional clay techniques
  • 03 Discover the colorful alebrijes of San Martín Tilcajete in family-run artisan workshops
  • 04 Experience Ocotlán's historic market traditions, mural art, and the Temple and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
  • 05 See the ancestral mezcal-making process in Santa Catarina Minas, from cooking and milling to fermentation, distillation, and tasting

Discover Oaxaca's archaeological, artistic, and ancestral traditions on this 2-day private tour. Visit Monte Albán, the ancient Zapotec capital and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and continue to Santa María Atzompa to witness traditional green-glazed pottery made with techniques passed down through generations. On the second day, explore the creativity of San Martín Tilcajete's polychrome alebrijes, visit Ocotlán's historic landmarks and market traditions, and experience ancestral mezcal production in Santa Catarina Minas, including the full process and tasting.

The fabulous alebrijes of San Martín Tilcajete are carved from noble copal wood and born from the dreams and vast imagination of artisans, whose hands give life to these fantastic and unique beings, full of color and fine detail.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 2 Days
Tour type Private
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Included
Wheelchair access Yes
City Oaxaca de Juarez
Languages English, French, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Monte Albán and Santa María Atzompa

Pick up at your hotel or house.

Drive for about 10 minutes to one of the emblematic places for a panoramic view of the City of Oaxaca, where you will be able to see the Monte Albán area and Oaxaca capital.

After that, drive about 20 minutes from the city to arrive at one of the most important archaeological sites in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Visit Monte Albán, the ancient capital of the Zapotecs and one of the first cities of Mesoamerica. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in the center of the Valley of Oaxaca, exercised political, economic, and ideological control over other communities in the valley and the surrounding mountains.

Visit the village and the local ceramic market to see the various green-glazed clay products made by the pottery craftsmen of this community, emblematic of the beautiful ceramics of Oaxaca's Central Valleys.

Witness the craft processes of great Oaxacan masters, who conserve and transmit techniques learned from generation to generation, and whose skill and talent have made the popular art of these localities in the Central Valleys so distinctive. Visit a house where locals still work with clay using ancient methods.

2
Day 02

Tilcajete, Ocotlán, and Santa Catarina Minas

The fabulous alebrijes of San Martín Tilcajete are carved from noble copal wood and born from the dreams and vast imagination of artisans, whose hands give life to these fantastic and unique beings, full of color and fine detail. Let these multicolored creatures inspire your own creative impulse as you visit one of the many family workshops and learn how alebrijes are carved and decorated.

Continue to Ocotlán, where one of the town's most important traditions is among the oldest and largest in the Central Valleys region of Oaxaca. Here you can find many products such as food and ceramics. The municipal palace has a sober Neoclassical facade, and inside there is a mural by Rodolfo Morales, a very well-known local artist in the region. The city's main attraction is the Temple and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, a complex constructed in various stages between the 16th and 19th centuries.

In Santa Catarina Minas, meet palenqueros who continue to make mezcal with virtually no hint of modernity, maintaining as much tradition as possible. The result makes it all worthwhile. Santa Catarina Minas is itself an incomparable cultural legacy - a legacy of ancestral mezcal and knowledge transmitted through generations. You will be able to see the process of cooking, milling, fermentation, distillation, and, of course, taste different varieties of this magical drink.

In the same village, you will also be able to visit a local nursery that is unique in Mexico, where the person in charge will show you different varieties of agave plants.

Monte Albán archaeological terraces, Santa María Atzompa green-glazed pottery, San Martín Tilcajete alebrijes, Santa Catarina Minas ancestral mezcal

Where this trip takes you

Monte Albán archaeological terraces, Santa María Atzompa green-glazed pottery, San Martín Tilcajete alebrijes, Santa Catarina Minas ancestral mezcal

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Monte Albán 1 city · 2 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Pick-up
  • Private transportation with A/C
  • Travel insurance in the vehicle
  • Driver
  • Certified tour guide
  • Bottle of water
  • Entrance fees
  • Personal radio guides with earphones
  • Mezcal tasting

What's Not Included

  • Food
  • Drinks
  • Gratuities

What to bring

  • Hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Comfortable shoes and clothes

Know before you go

  • Please do not wear perfume.
  • If you need a wheelchair, baby carriage, or stroller, please let us know in advance. This is free of charge.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
At your hotel or house reception, 10 minutes before the tour.
Tour start
Monte Albán, Monte Albán, Oax., México
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 2 days finish where they began, in Monte Albán.

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USD 459 /group
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