• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Picture this: a scenic road trip from Oaxaca with your private guide, visiting the ancient ruins of Monte Albán, exploring the vibrant Atzompa Market, and discovering the art and culture of San Agustín Etla at the Centro de las Artes. With stunning viewpoints, charming villages, and beautiful nature along the way, this day trip offers an unbeatable cultural adventure for up to 5 people—all in one day! It's a dream trip made possible with a local host leading the way!

Destination

Oaxaca, Mexico

Category

Day Trips

Duration

6 hours

Transport mode

Car

Available languages

English, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• Transport by Car with Driver
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at - Oaxaca to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Convenient Pick-up & Drop Off

   On the day of your day trip, your local host will pick you up from your accommodation or an agreed location. Once the day trip comes to an end, they’ll drop you off at your accommodation

4. Station Meeting Point

   Meet and greet your local host at an agreed station and get an introduction to your full-day trip and what to expect

5. Scenic Trip

   This full-day trip is arranged for you, so all you have to do is enjoy the sights as your host takes you through Monte Alban while telling you incredible stories and insights

6. Only You & Your Host!

   Forget about cramped touristy buses, on this private day trip, you’ll have all of your host’s attention. Get the chance to speak 1-1 and get all of your questions answered for a personal experience that will make this trip more memorable

7. What’s in Store for You

   Check out from viewpoints, nature, and cultural gems such as Centro de las Artes de San Augustin and Atzompa market along the way

8. Optional Lunch

   Along the way, your local host will recommend you typical and local places where you can stop to have lunch and catch a break. Lunch is not included in the price

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Pamela

(About local Tanivet)

17 March 2025

We are so fortunate to have chosen Tanivet to guide us on our tour of Monte Albán. Not only is she personable and an excellent English speaker, she has a truly unique perspective as a result of her father’s work—helping to preserve the natural treasure that is Monte Albán. Tanivet is highly recommended. Tanivet is a marvelous guide!

shannonmcnary

(About local Tanivet)

14 March 2025

Sharon

(About local Tanivet)

14 March 2025

We booked the Monte Albán excursion with Tanivet and she was amazing! Wow! Her personal history of spending so much time at the ruins as a child made our experience feel really special. It was like getting a personal tour with someone who knew the grounds intimately and had even been inside some of the tombs and tunnels where they no longer allow people to go. Tani even gave advice to other tourists there who had questions. She was so helpful! Tanivet let us customize our tour by offering a couple options for our last stop. Tanivet and Enrique made the entire day memorable. Enrique is an excellent driver and the ride was very comfortable. It was a truly enjoyable and educational day - we learned SO much from Tanivet! Truly impressive!!

Bennett

(About local Rolando)

11 March 2025

Rolando and his driver, Geizy, picked us up at our Airbnb to take us to Monte Alban to tour the ruins. Little did we know that not only would we (couple with two adult children) would learn so much about the ancient Zapotecs, but we would have so much fun. Rolando offers a wonderful balance of lots of information with a great sense of humor. He is absolutely wonderful to be with. Monte Alban blew me away and was the highlight of the trip for me because I knew nothing about the Zapotecs and how they were advanced in so many ways. After the tour, Rolando took us to see Angelico Jimenez whose grandfather created intricately painted wood carvings and who carries on the tradition (he also sells killer mezcal!). Then we were hungry so we went to a mole buffet, had a big lunch and a couple cervezas. (We asked to go somewhere to eat. This was not included in the tour, but not expensive.) When we got back to Oaxaca, we wanted to get some tuna (not the fish) ice cream and Rolando graciously accommodated our Mexican feasting needs, which was a great way to end a perfect day. Rolando, thanks so much for a great time and sharing your extensive knowledge with us! And a shout out to Geizy, too! Great guy!Rolando, cannot thank you enough!

Laura

(About local Tanivet)

5 March 2025

My boyfriend and I spent an incredible day with Tanivet and Enrique. Tanivet was so knowledgeable about Monte Alban because she spent so much time there as a youngster because he father spent time at the site. It felt like a true insiders tour. The rest of the afternoon was very customizable and flexible. We visited an incredible alabrijes craft workshop, had an incredible lunch, and visited a woman-owned Mezcal distillery. She has a lot of knowledge about the evolving culture in Oaxaca and we learned so much. She was so kind and helpful. Trust Tanivet!

Chelsea

(About local Raquel)

26 February 2025

Raquel was a phenomenal guide in every way—I truly can't recommend her enough. She gave us such a great introduction to the history, culture, and flavors of Oaxaca. She went above and beyond to make our time in Oaxaca special and memorable, and we loved getting to know her! Raquel rocks!

Katie

(About local Tanivet)

21 February 2025

Tanivet and our driver Enrique were very knowledgeable and accommodating. My husband wanted to go to San Bartolo and they made it happen. Tanivet added to the history of Monte Alban by telling stories about her childhood since her dad worked there. She and Enrique were also funny and had tips for the rest of our trip. Our only mistake was not eating enough at breakfast since the tour went into the midafternoon. Highly recommend! Next time we visit we want to do the street art tour with Tanivet.Great tour!

MICHAEL🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tanivet)

7 January 2025

Exceptional experience with Tanivet (and her driver). Tanivet's deep knowledge of the area and its rich history made our time together especially meaningful. Tanivet was sensitive to our requirements and agenda. She has a warm engaging personality that helped make the day so special. Definitely exceeded our expectations!Memorable Day with Tanivet

Mark🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tanivet)

13 December 2024

Tanivet was wonderful, super knowledgeable and the perfect tour guide for OAXACA. She grew up in Oaxaca and took us to many places off the beaten path in the city. Our visit to Monte Alban was special as she had a deep knowledge of and connection to the place. Her father an archeologist had worked on restoration of the site. She also made recommendations for dinners and special places to shop around the city. She really went out of her way for us. Thank you Tanivet!Two great tours!

Amy

(About local Tanivet)

2 December 2024

Our family of four had a great time with Tanivet visiting Monte Alban, Arrazola, and Atzompa. We spent a couple of hours at Monte Alban where we heard about the history and walked up and down a lot of steps! Then on to Arrazola to learn about Alebrijes and see them made by local artists, and to a tucked away pottery collective in Atzompa with gorgeous pieces at a great value. We even stopped for a delicious lunch and learned about some food traditions that were new to us. Tanivet was warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable, and we loved getting to know her! Lovely tour with Tanivet & driver Enrique!

Mickaël🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Raquel)

11 May 2025

A warm and erudite evening with Raquel involving gastronomy, Oaxaca’s cultural traditions, anthropology and Mexican history. A wonderful window into the Oaxacan way of life. Raquel will be the first port of call when we inevitably come back.A wonderful tour d’horizon of Oaxacan life

2q2fq4f8g6

(About local Raquel)

7 May 2025

We had a great time on the street food tour in Oaxaca! Raquel was super friendly and shared lots of interesting insights—not just about the food, but also about the city’s culture and history. She adapted the tour to our needs, which made it feel very personal. We also appreciated that she helped us find vegan tasting options. Highly recommended!Personalized, Insightful & Delicious!

Brian🇺🇸 United States

(About local Rolando)

6 May 2025

Rolando was an amazing guide, starting us off right off with the tlayuda in the market! I won't give away the rest of the amazing dishes and drinks we were able to try, but this was a top-notch tour with an extremely friendly and foodie guide - Rolando. He listened to our needs, as we didn't want to overeat as we have on other food tours, but we still got to try some of the best food we had on the entire trip! And a great stop at the end was the perfect finish to our time together. If you enjoy food, especially LOCAL food, book this one with Rolando!Culinary magic - Rolando knows the spots!

Brian🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tanivet)

6 May 2025

Tanivet was a great guide for us to do the highlights and hidden gems walking tour. She pointed out a lot of places for us to consider during the rest of our trip, and was a wealth of knowledge about Oaxaca, its cultures, customs, celebrations, neighborhoods, and history. She was so warm and welcoming and was a great way for us to kick off our time in Oaxaca. Highly recommend.Tanivet is one of the highlights!

Patrick

(About local Raquel)

5 May 2025

Raquel was an incredible guide to Oaxaca. And she structured the tour around what our group was in the mood for! She also went way beyond food - but include insight on the geography, culture, art, and politics. Would definitely recommend!Raquel was amazing!!

Daniel🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Sofia)

4 May 2025

Sofia was the prefect guide, tailoring the tour as we went. Highly recommend Amazing tour

Abhijit🇺🇸 United States

(About local Rolando)

1 May 2025

We had an amazing experience with Rolando. We requested early start to our tour & he gladly obliged.since he is studying architecture we not only get to enjoy delicious Oaxacan food but also historical buildings.. He was very personable , pleasant & passionate.. I will highly recommend him.Oaxaca food tour

Kathy

(About local Tanivet)

27 April 2025

We loved our tour with Tanivet yesterday. She was knowledgeable, patient, and shared fascinating facts with us. She speaks English perfectly well, and was patient with us trying to learn Spanish. I highly recommend her as a tour guide!What a fantastic tour guide!

John

(About local Tanivet)

24 April 2025

Tanivet was excellent, she is knowledgeable, friendly, and flexible. She was prompt and we were never rushed.Excellent guide

Holly

(About local Tanivet)

24 April 2025

We had an excellent time and a very full day on our tour with Tanivet and Enrique. They were both full of very fun facts and we learned a lot about the region. They were flexible to add in stops and change up the itinerary. They also answered a lot of questions for us about navigating Oaxaca. We felt very comfortable in their care!Tanivet is an excellent tour guide!

Amy🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tanivet)

19 April 2025

We used Tanivet for the night tour and the a few days later for the tour of Jalatlaco. She was terrific! She was on time, responded to questions easily, and overall very friendly. Tanivet is very knowledgeable and shared so much of the history of the city and surrounding area. We learned a lot. It is apparent that she has a passion for what she does. I highly recommend her as a guide. Make sure you've got good walking shoes because she will take you everywhere!

daniel🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local Tanivet)

17 April 2025

We spent the better part of the day with Tanivet and a driver. She was knowledgeable and friendly. She checked in with how we were doing and if she was meeting our expectations throughout the day .Sheba’s extensive knowledge of Mexican history, particularly that of Oaxaca. We could not recommend her more highly !!Great guide in oaxaca

Conor🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Rolando)

16 April 2025

Rolando tailored our tour to meet our preferences which resulted in a really fascinating few hours. He was particularly strong on the architectural, historical and craft perspectives. Great tour guide! Very flexible on timings etc tooWonderful introduction to Oaxaca

Dan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Rolando)

14 April 2025

Rolando was exceptional. He was very knowledgeable, smart , interesting. He asked questions about us and our stories, but not too many. He shared stories about himself, but not too many. We travel all over the world. We especially like With Local guides. Rolando was one of the best guides we've had Excellent. He ended the evening by bringing to a restaurant that he suggested, and leaving us there. A wonderful introduction to Oaxaca.

Kevin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Sofia)

13 April 2025

We enjoyed meeting Sofia. She grew up in the city and so had lots of interesting places to show and share. We appreciated that she shared her favourite places including somewhere nice for coffee!An enjoyable tour

Carla🇺🇸 United States

(About local Rolando)

12 April 2025

Rolando was great! We had a great time learning about Oaxaca and also visiting all the local food spots. Thank you Rolando! We hope to see you again in the future! Fabulous!

Denise

(About local Tanivet)

12 April 2025

Tanavet was amazing! Great communication even after we returned home! She has great historical knowledge and we enjoyed her local walks! We would definitely tour with her again!!

Kathy

(About local Tanivet)

11 April 2025

We enjoyed one and a half days with Tanivet guiding us around Oaxaca. She is very knowledgeable about the city and the small villages and artisans. She knew just where to take us based on our interests and was a delight to be with! The best guide in Oaxaca!

Luis Pablo🇲🇽 Mexico

(About local Tanivet)

11 April 2025

Muy buen inglés conocimientos amplio de la historia Muy bien

Stefanie

(About local Sofia)

10 April 2025

Our guide, Sophia, and driver, Saul, were absolutely amazing!! They made the entire day so memorable, and were so accommodating in every way and really made this trip special. I highly recommend both of them for any tour. They really were the best. 10 out of 10!

John

(About local Rolando)

4 April 2025

Rolando is an excellent guide. Our custom tour was designed to meet our needs. We saw what we needed to see. We had good food. Excellent educational tourMore than expected

Chris

(About local Rolando)

2 April 2025

Rolando was a wonderful guide for getting to know Oaxaca and the surrounding area. His background in architecture added a lot of interesting insights to our understanding of the area and the city. He adjusted our tour based on our interests and was happy to add on a few extra food stops and a tour of the market to help us get orientated. We also spent a great day with him at Mount Alban were we learned a lot about the history and design of the ruins and then travelled to a workshop and a wonderful Oaxacan buffet. Rolando is very friendly, interesting and very welcoming to our family. He was a great host and guide to help us get orientated and comfortable in Oaxaca.

Chris

(About local Tanivet)

2 April 2025

Our family of 5 spent a lovely, full day with Tavinet and her driver Daphne travelling to Hierve el Agua. She gave us lots of insights into all of the areas we travelled, brought us to interesting places and introduced us to interesting people. She gave us lots of options for how to spend our day and was happy to answer all and any of our questions about anything we were seeing or questions we had generally about Mexico or Oaxaca. She and Daphne were enjoying showing us around - there was lots of laughter and fun to be had - it was like spending a day with an old friend. She has a wonderful spirit and brought a lighthearted enthusiasm to our experience. Would definitely recommend. Wonderful day travelling to Hierve el Agua

Marylou

(About local Sofia)

22 March 2025

Sofía led our group of four to several delicious eateries. I was great to be able to eat food from several different street vendors with the confidence that Sofia knew the vendors and that their food was safe for tourists to eat. Sofia is very knowledgeable about Oaxaca as well as its cuisine. I highly recommend Sofia! Sofia

Lansford

(About local Rolando)

19 March 2025

Rolando was so knowledgeable. Great personality. Easy going. I would highly recommend his tour. Excellent

Jessica

(About local Rolando)

16 March 2025

Highly recommend Rolando! He’s an extremely knowledgeable and interesting guide. We had a fantastic time!Fantastic Tour

Linda

(About local Sofia)

14 March 2025

My husband and I had the good fortune to have Sophia guide us on a Oaxaca food tour. Because we are familiar with Oaxacan cuisine she wanted to introduce us to places we had not been. Her selections were both interesting and delicious. Besides being knowledgeable about Oaxaca and the food scene, Sophie is an absolute delight. We had a great time. Thank you so much, Sophia!Tour with Sophia!

Lesley🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Tanivet)

14 March 2025

We were enlightened and delighted with Tanivet’s knowledge and stories of her hometown, Oaxaca. With her well honed experience and insights, we enjoyed a new and interesting side to this amazing city. Most informative

Sharon

(About local Raquel)

14 March 2025

We did the Culinary Experience with Raquel and we absolutely loved it. Not only does Raquel know a lot about the foods that are an important part of the Oaxacan culture but she has relationships with many of the vendors. She chatted with them as friends and treated everyone with respect. We tried crickets (not required!) and mole sauces plus so many delicious dishes I can’t remember the names of them all. Raquel was easy to talk to, and loves the culture and people of Oaxaca. Her enthusiasm was infectious and made us want to know more. She also gave us great recommendations on restaurants and other must-see cultural sites. Book this tour early in your Oaxacan visit so you can take advantage of all the other places Raquel recommends!Raquel makes you feel like an old friend

Lisa

(About local Rolando)

12 March 2025

Rolando was the perfect guide, entertaining, fun and informative!10 hearts

Arthur🇺🇸 United States

(About local Tanivet)

11 March 2025

Tanivet is wonderful. She somehow knew what we would like to see and do and she exceeded our every expectation. She is very knowledgeable about Oaxaca and its people. Thanks for a great experience.The best of the best

Ashley

(About local Tanivet)

10 March 2025

My mother and I were most fortunate to have chosen Tanivet for the “hidden gems” tour. Tanivet is a phenomenal tour guide! She met us at our B&B, asked what we’d already seen in Oaxaca de Juarez, and then modified our tour plans to show us areas of town that we’d not yet visited and that we likely would not have discovered on our own. We wandered through El Llano Park (once a zoo!), toured Jalatlaco while taking in loads of great murals, stopped in a couple of stores selling art and handicrafts, sipped a refreshing aqua de chilacayota while sitting outside by a 300+-year-old coqui to tree. All the while, Tanivet shared fascinating information and/or history about what we were seeing, and she answered all of the random questions we came up with. Tanivet is extremely knowledgeable about Oaxaca de Juarez and surrounding towns. About twenty minutes into our tour, I remarked about how much I’d learned already! Additionally, Tanivet is warm, kind, annd thoughtful, and has a great sense of humor. We enjoyed our tour so much, that we immediately recommended Tanivet to a couple staying at our B&B. Now, I’m happy to recommend her to you! She is fantastic, and I would schedule another tour with her if I were still in Oaxaca de Juarez. Our time spent with her was one of the highlights of our trip. Thank you, Tanivet!Choose Tanivet!

Lesley🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Raquel)

10 March 2025

From the moment we met Raquel, her passion and enthusiasm for her ancestral home was apparent. With gentle enthusiasm she shared her vast knowledge and experiences here in Oaxaca. We were fortunate to have Raquel for two tours - a highlight of Oaxaca and a food tour. Raquel accepted our limitations and planned our excursions accordingly. Her knowledge is vast and with her pleasant disposition, she made our time in Oaxaca more memorable. Raquel made our Oaxaca experience!

Bennett

(About local Tanivet)

10 March 2025

We had just arrived in Oaxaca and Tanivet was waiting at our Airbnb to meet us, couple with two adult children, for our walking tour. She kindly waited as we got settled and then off we went. I cannot say enough what a great way to be introduced to Oaxaca than by touring the city on foot with Tanivet. We knew very little of the town before we left home and gained so much knowledge of Oaxaca, its culture, its places of interest, and its people in three short hours. She is warm, funny, and kind, but most of all her wealth of local knowledge and ability to communicate (in English) was outstanding. We had not eaten lunch so mid-tour we asked if we could stop to get some food. She accommodated us by taking us to a small local restaurant to get tacos-simple and outstanding. I point that out because the tour while planned also allowed for flexibility. We all throughly enjoyed the tour and especially getting to know Tanivet. It was an outstanding way to start our travels in Oaxaca!Absolutely Book a Tour with Tanivet!

Karina

(About local Tanivet)

7 March 2025

Tanivet and Enrique the driver were fantastic guides for my family. We were able to customize our trip to Hierve el Agua, by stopping to see the Tule Tree, which is the oldest and largest tree in the world. Before Hierve el Agua, they took us to a 5th generation weaver in Teotitlan del Valle who showed us his process for creating beautiful rugs. Tanivet is extremely knowledgeable about the area being an insider and shared personal stories. Having her as a private guide was the best way to explore. Hierve el Agua and Surroundings

Unknown

(About local Raquel)

5 March 2025

We did the culinary experience with Raquel and it was amazing - we learned not only a lot about Oaxaca’s native foods but also about the culture and how everything ties together. One of the things I have noticed since being in Oaxaca is how proud the people are of their culture and heritage and that certainly came through during Raquel’s tour. We not only sampled many of the items in the market but she also explained how it fit into their culture. She also took us to a cultural museum and made suggestions for other things we might want to consider while we’re visiting Oaxaca. Overall it was a great experience and would highly recommend.Totally enhanced our Oaxaca experience!

Maggie

(About local Raquel)

28 February 2025

We had an amazing tour our first evening in Oaxaca. Raquel was so knowledgeable about the history and culture of the area and also, where to get the best bites. From tamales and tlayudas in the market to street tacos and mezcal tasting, we ate and sipped our winding way through the streets of this tradition-rich city. Raquel was so personable and tailored everything to our wishes, even showing us an amazing print making cooperative at the end of the tour. Everyone in our group raved about how great she was, and what a fun time we had. It was a great introduction to the city and its food at the beginning of our trip! Wonderful way to learn and taste!

Phillip

(About local Tanivet)

26 February 2025

Enjoyed a three hour walking tour with Tanivet our first full day here. She was knowledgeable, personable and customized our tour to our needs. We appreciated that she took us to places we might not have seen, showed us the aqueduct and took us to some terrific artisan workshops. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience!Excellent Walking Tour: Oaxaca Centro

Donna

(About local Raquel)

26 February 2025

We were so fortunate to book Raquel on our first day in Oaxaca, and I strongly suggest you do this! Not only did she give us an unbelievable introduction to Oaxacan food with the most respected vendors in the Benito Juarez market, she took us around town to familiarize us with several notable sites and artisan places which we were able to spend more time at later on. She also gave us an extensive list of restaurants, many of which we ate at and thoroughly enjoyed. Raquel is so energetic and enjoyable… truly felt like we were with an old friend. If you are going to Oaxaca and want a great experience, don’t hesitate to book her! Absolutely fabulous experience!

Chelsea

(About local Tanivet)

25 February 2025

Tanivet was a wonderful guide and Enrique was a great driver! Tanivet's knowledge of the region was on full display and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring Tule, Yagul, and Hierve el Agua—a tour that Tanivet customized just for us :) She even went so far as to bring us towels for Heirve el Agua, which was very appreciated. Highly recommend Tanivet!A fabulous day with Tanivet!