Monte Albán • Alebrijes • Mezcal Experience

Trip highlights

Begin your private experience with early hotel pick-up between 7:30 and 8:00 am, designed to stay ahead of the crowds and the midday heat. A short drive from Oaxaca City brings you to Monte Albán, the ancient heart of the Zapotec civilization.

Continue to San Antonio Arrazola, home of Oaxaca’s renowned woodcarvings. Visit a family-run workshop led by artisans from the Jiménez family and witness the full process behind alebrijes — from copal wood to intricate symbolic designs.

Finish with an authentic mezcal tasting at a traditional palenque in the Arrazola area, where you’ll explore cultivated and wild agave varieties along with their distinct aromas and flavors.

Inclusions

Not included: lunch and personal expenses.

Itinerary

Total duration: 7 to 7.5 hours.

Why this experience

Built nearly 2,500 years ago, Monte Albán became a powerful religious and governmental center. Guided by a federally certified Oaxaqueño interpreter of Zapotec or Mixtec heritage, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of its rise, influence, and connections with cultures such as Teotihuacan.

More than a tour, this experience reflects a commitment to respectful, community-based travel — working closely with local families, honoring Indigenous traditions, and fostering meaningful cultural exchanges that go beyond the ordinary.

Map of the route

Start: Oaxaca City

Stop 1: Monte Albán

Stop 2: San Antonio Arrazola — workshop and lunch

Stop 3: Mezcal palenque — Capotlán / Arrazola area

Return: Oaxaca City