Ancient Oaxaca & Artisan Magic: Monte Albán Day Adventure!

Our tour guide Emanuel did an outstanding job, being kind and exited to share all the information he has gathered through his own life, experience and studying. He had every bit of information about every place, every historical name, every historical time. I totally recommend enjoying this tour.

Lovely, informative tour that makes a great day trip from Oaxaca. We left promptly at 8:30 and returned to Oaxaca City a bit after 5 pm. We particularly loved Monte Alban and the pottery demonstration. Lunch was ~300 pesos apiece (buffet + one beer) + Monte Alban/monastery entrances (175 pesos apiece) + tip.

Monte Albán's arqueological site exceeded our expectations. A really beautiful site in a wonderful setting. Transport was punctual and comfortable. Antonio, our guide was very knowledgeable and an excellent communicator.

Our trip to Monte Albán was absolutely mesmerizing. The ancient temples, breathtaking views, and fascinating historical insights made it unforgettable. My family also loved learning about alebrijes and black pottery, such rich and colorful traditions! The food along the way was authentic and delicious. The final stop at the convent beautifully tied everything together, offering a glimpse into Oaxaca’s colonial past. Moisés was an excellent guide, knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the region’s culture and history. I highly recommend this trip for anyone who would like to learn about Oaxaca.

First time visiting Oaxaca. Our tour was July 7. Our experience was excellent. Our guide was Gabriel. His knowledge of Monte alban is fascinating. I geek out with history stuff. Monte Alban has some incredible views. Important to note: WARNING! It will be a workout. Those steps aren't a joke. BUT if you make it to the top you will reward yourself with a vista. I can be super warm. Take a hat, some sun screen and water. Especially if you do the hike. Our day continued to the alebrijes factory. We see how they are made. Incredible art passed down from generations. Once you see how there made you want to buy everything in their store. Don't worry, you will have plenty of time to shop. Next we had lunch at El Trapiche buffet place in a large open air restaurant with Oaxacan cuisine. The food was delicious. Loved it. After our food coma, we arrived at a convent built by the Dominican monks in 1555. Just in time for a brief thunderstorm storm. Amazing building going all the way back to 1555. The church/convent is beautiful. Gabriel provided historical facts to provide its significance. Lastly, Finally, el barro negro factory. It was fascinating to see the detail and artistry that goes into creating the "black statutes" seen throughout the mercados. I was more inclined to purchase some of their work to support their craft. Their shop had a good collection of quality craftsmanship. Once again, there was no pressure of time. Gabriel, thank you for your knowledge and for providing me and my group a rewarding experience.

The guide is very knowledgeable in providing the history of the sights. He even took the group to sit in one of the courts in mt albán for a live demonstration. The tour did take longer than expected and the guide sometimes went on ranting about his views on life, but overall it was a great tour.

The places we visited on this tour were truly impressive—Monte Albán in particular was absolutely amazing. Walking around such an ancient and historical site was a highlight of my trip. However, I was quite disappointed with how the itinerary was handled, especially by the tour guide, whose name I believe was Moses. According to the information on TripAdvisor, this was supposed to be an 8-hour tour, returning around 5 PM at the latest. I even confirmed with TripAdvisor’s administration beforehand, and they assured me we’d be back by 5 PM. Unfortunately, the guide did not follow this schedule at all. There were only three of us on the tour: two Australian girls and myself. Instead of managing the group professionally, the guide seemed to focus exclusively on the preferences of the other two participants, essentially acting as their private guide. There was no structure to the time we spent at each site. For example, when we visited the monastery, the guide and the two other participants spent over more than an hour inside. Had this been a group of 10–15 people, I doubt we would have lingered so long. It was like a private tour for the other Australin girls. It was highly possible they would spend 3 hours there as they acted like it was a private tour. And the guide did not bother at all. Later at the black pottery demonstration, again no time slots were given. The guide simply left us there and waited for the Australian girls to finish browsing. He never once communicated how long we had at each stop or when we needed to return, which made the entire experience feel disorganized and unprofessional. When I politely mentioned that I expected to return by 5 PM as originally stated, the guide reacted defensively and acted as though I was rushing the others, which was not the case. My concern was simply about sticking to the agreed-upon schedule and being treated equally as a paying participant. To clarify—of course I understand that tours can sometimes run late due to traffic or unforeseen circumstances. That’s completely acceptable and understandable. My issue was not about being delayed due to external factors, but because of a lack of structure and time management during the tour itself. The extended delays were avoidable and came from the guide not setting expectations or managing time equally among all participants. Again, in Monte Alban we were waiting at 11.45 as we finished and the guide kept on chatting with his friends even though he saw that we were all waiting. Recommendation: Even if the group is small, this is not a private tour, and the guide should maintain structure and fairness for all participants. I strongly recommend ensuring that guides communicate clear time slots for each site, stick to the promised itinerary, and treat everyone with equal consideratio

Another amazing trip in Oaxaca. Our guide was Gabriel. A true gentleman. He spoke both Spanish and English, and for the ones who moan this is a problem? Get over yourselves . Your in a spanish speaking country , what do you expect ?? Anyway. The whole day was fantastic . Monte alban is fascinating. Some incredible views . It's super warm so be warned. Take a hat and some sun screen . Especially with some of the hiking. There are stairs so don't expect it to be a totally flat experience. After this we went on to an alebrijes factory to watch how they are made. Incredible art. And they sold it in their own shop. It was too much choice for me. I couldnt have spent hours there . It wasn't rushed so you had plenty of time to look . Next we did lunch at a buffet place in a large open restaurant. Lots of oaxan cuisine. Some of the nicest food I've had in mexico. Loved it . Next it was on to a convent built by the Dominican monks. Amazing building going all the way back to 1555. Again Gabriel was very informative and would answer all our questions. Finally we went on to a barro negro factory. What a delight. The young guy who went round explaining was a tonic . A delight warm and educational tour . It was a great atmosphere they worked in together . Even watching their pet dogs just wander freely around was a sign of how good the atmosphere was. The shop had a huge collection of art I'd not seen elsewhere. Under no time did it feel we where pressured to buy anything on this tour either . So if people start saying oh they felt pressured they are telling lies . It was never the case. I've been to countries where it's felt like that and definitely not on this trip or others in this country .

Wear sunscreen! An umbrella is also very helpful to keep the sun off you. Our guide was fantastic. Very knowledgeable. Fluent in both English and Spanish.

Antonio our bilingual guide was a very knowledgeable, fit , 72 year old man who has been studying archaeology sites for many many years . He made the tour very interesting . Monte Albán the highlight . The other points worth visiting and the lunch was pretty good with options for all .