Monte Albán & More Guided Day Tour

On the day for which I booked the tour originally, I waited for more than half an hour before I finally got the confirmation from the operator the tour had to be cancelled due to an emergency situation with the guide. I was left scrambling for what to do that day, but I made it to work. Luckily the operator agreed to operate on the only day that I was free, and said it would happen even if I was the only person in the tour. At the end I was indeed the only person. The guide and driver, Emilio (I think not the usual guide for this tour), gave me a well informed tour. It's not a five star because there was no back-up plan initially, but luckily it worked out in the end.

This trip to Mount Alban was great! The ancient Mesoamerican city perched on a hill with its view of the beautiful mountains of Oaxaca and its history, made us have a magical time, especially because we were in a small group and our guide explained very well the history of the Zapotecs and the region. We also enjoyed visiting the ceramic workshop and discovering the inhabitants of Atzompa, as well as eating in the beautiful Tierra del Sol restaurant, where we enjoyed the delicious local specialties while admiring the sublime view of the city.

Thank you for this excursion marked by sharing and discovering the traditions of the beautiful city of Oaxaca. During the visit to the fabulous site of Monte Alban, we were able to learn more about the history of the Zapotecs and the role they may have played in the region but also in the Mesoamerican zone. We then went to Atzompa to discover the know-how of ceramics with a local artist who showed us his achievements and with whom we were able to discuss his inspirations and the symbolism behind his creations, which still use traditional techniques. Finally, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch in Tierra del sol, nothing better to continue this cultural day with one of the jewels of this country: gastronomy... and moreover accompanied by a breathtaking view!

We absolutely loved this personalized experience with Mexico Kan tours and highly recommend them! We had used this group once before when we were in Tulum and were excited to see them offering tours in Oaxaca too. We booked them through our hotel's website - Boulenc Bed and Bread (also a great spot!). Our host for the tour was Ivan and he was fantastic. He was professional while also very kind and patient with our questions and wanderings. He picked us up from our hotel at 8 AM with an air-conditioned van and had a cooler with snacks and water for us for the day. As a native to the city and 25 years as a guide, he provided a wealth of information about the history of Oaxaca as we drove up to our first stop. We were the first car to get to Monte Alban for the day and then Ivan walked us through a good portion of the ruins, educating us along the way. We were able to really immerse ourselves in imagining the history of this thriving ancient civilization, and appreciate how much restoration work has been done. He gave us some time to wander the greater grounds on our own, and then we headed out to visit the nearby town of Atzompa. In Atzompa he took us to a local artisanal pottery studio, Bichuga Bigu, run by Adrian Martinez and his partner, Janette (my apologies if I am spelling her name wrong). They kindly stopped their work to show us their studio, explain their traditional pottery process of coil building and wood-fired kiln firings. Adrian's father helped restore the ancient kiln that was discovered at the Atzompa ruins above the town, and he comes from a long family history of pottery makers / ceramicists, which the village is also known for. It was such a special way to appreciate local artisans and also have the chance to see someone "breaking the mold" on his style of art that went beyond just making the style commonly seen in stores in the city. We were lucky to purchase a couple items from the studio too. Adrian and Janette were extremely kind and happy to explain everything from each ingredient in their process to the larger philosophy of their art and how it connects to their deep local roots. After Atzompa, Ivan drove us to downtown Oaxaca and took us through the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca , Santo Domingo to see more details of the treasures discovered and preserved from Monte Alban. He continued to tell us so much amazing detail about the history of the ancient city, and the history of those who followed and changed the city over time. Then he took us down the street to Tierra del Sol - a top-list restaurant that focuses on honoring traditional Mixtec people's cooking. Ivan had a personalized menu arranged for us to highlight the restaurants' menu, and made sure we were seated on the roof patio and well attended to before heading out. The food was delicious! We felt so spoiled and cared for all along the way. We could not recommend this tour enough! It's a great way to remember Oaxaca.

The morning excursion to the famous town of Monte Alban, where we were practically alone in the world, was simply incredible: the profound explanations of our guide Paola and the impressive landscapes as far as the eye could see left us speechless. Without forgetting the tasty lunch in an exceptional setting in Tierra del Sol and the visit to the Aztompa ceramics workshop, which allowed us to learn even better about the exceptional heritage of the city, as well as the Santo Domingo museum.