★★★★★
The combination is what makes it: the ruins, the falls, a textile workshop and a mezcal producer in one day. Ismael was knowledgeable and helpful throughout.
Malgorzata Z. · Couple · January 2026
Private Tour: Monte Alban, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlán and Mezcal
Meet by the CathedralSite ticket includedPriced per group of 22 hours on site
Both entrance fees inside one fare, your own vehicle from the Alameda de Leon, and a route east that takes in the weavers, the market and the petrified falls.
What you get for the fare
Both admissions covered
Monte Alban and Hierve el Agua are named in the inclusions, which no other private day here manages.
Two hours on the plaza
Enough to reach the South Platform and back without hurrying, on a day that also crosses the valley.
Your own vehicle
A driver-guide for the whole day, with the stop order set with you rather than published.
Weavers at Teotitlan
An hour with the natural dyes and the pedal looms, and the part of the day you will not have expected.
The petrified falls
Two hours at Hierve el Agua, the other headline sight of the valley.
A mezcal palenque
An hour at a producer on the way home, with the stone tahona mill still turned by a horse.
Your day across the valley
You meet at the Alameda de Leon, the small plaza beside the Cathedral, and from there the day is yours to run. Two hours at the ruins comes first, with your ticket already covered, which is long enough to climb the South Platform, cross to Building J and take in Los Danzantes without watching the clock.
Then the route turns east. Teotitlan del Valle is the weaving village, where wool is dyed with cochineal, indigo and marigold and worked on pedal looms, and the dye demonstration is the part you will remember. Tlacolula market gets an hour, and it is a working market rather than a display.
Hierve el Agua is the second headline of the day: mineral springs that have built white terraces down a cliff face, with bathing pools cut into the rock at the top. Two hours there is enough to walk the terrace and swim if you want to. That entrance fee is also inside your fare.
The day closes at a mezcal palenque, where the agave is crushed under a stone tahona mill turned by a horse, and then back into the city.
The route, stop by stop
- Meet. Alameda de Leon, beside the Cathedral.
- Two hours at the ruins. Guided, with the entrance fee covered.
- Teotitlan del Valle. An hour with the weavers and the natural dyes.
- Tlacolula market. An hour in a working valley market.
- Hierve el Agua. Two hours at the petrified falls, entrance covered.
- A mezcal palenque. An hour with the tahona mill on the way home.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book this if
You want the two big sights of the valley in one day without paying at two separate gates, and you would rather set the pace yourself. The fare covers a group, so it divides sharply once there are three or four of you, and the vehicle waiting between stops is most of what you are buying.
Book something else if
The ruins are what you came for. Two hours on the plaza is good but not the three that the guided half day gives you, and a long day east is a lot of driving. If you want the crafts rather than the falls, the small-group day with admissions costs a fraction of it per head.
What the fare covers
In the fare
- Private transportation
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fee - Monte Albán entrance
- Entrance fee - Entrance Hierve el Agua
- Parking
- Water, gatorade or mineral water
Not in the fare
- Meals
- Gratuities
Where you meet, and how the fare is priced
The Alameda de Leon is the paved square immediately beside the Cathedral in the historic centre, which makes it one of the simplest meeting points in Oaxaca to find. From there everything is in your own vehicle for the rest of the day.
The price is quoted per group rather than per person, in units of two, so compare it against the shared fares only after you have divided it by the number of you travelling. On a party of four the arithmetic changes completely.
Know before you go
- Both entrance fees are inside the fare. That is Monte Alban and Hierve el Agua, and it is the reason this listing sits where it does.
- Meals and gratuities are yours. The itinerary passes a market, which is not the same as a lunch stop — plan to eat before or after it.
- Bottled water is provided in the vehicle.
- Wheelchair-accessible transport, infant seats and stroller access are all available on this one.
- Walking down into the canyon at Hierve el Agua takes far longer than most people expect; several travellers decide against it on the day.
What travellers said about this one
★★★★★
The ruins and Teotitlan del Valle were the two highlights. Watching the natural dyes being made and seeing the studio was not something we had expected to enjoy as much as we did.
Barbara P. · Couple · December 2025
★★★★☆
No complaint about the timings, and the driver-guide was friendly and well informed. We had assumed lunch was at the market because it is on the itinerary, and it was not, which matters if you have dietary needs.
Nicole W. · Couple · October 2025
Read all reviews → The full spread, criticism included
Frequently asked questions
Does this really cover both entrance fees?
Yes, both of them, separately and in writing. It is the only private day here that covers the pair, which on a combined day saves you two cash payments at two gates.
How is the price worked out?
Per group rather than per person, in units of two travellers. Divide the quoted fare by the size of your party before comparing it with a per-person listing, because the two figures are not measuring the same thing.
How long do I get at the ruins?
Two hours. That is enough for the South Platform, Building J and Los Danzantes without hurrying, but it is an hour less than the guided half day gives you, which does the ruins and nothing else.
Is lunch included?
No. Meals and tips are yours. The route passes Tlacolula market, which is a stop rather than a meal, so eat before you set off or plan to buy something there.
Can I swim at Hierve el Agua?
There are bathing pools cut into the rock at the top of the terraces and two hours is enough to use them. Take something to swim in and something to dry with, because neither is provided.
Can I change the stops?
It is your own vehicle with a driver-guide, so you can agree changes on the day. Raise anything you particularly want when you book rather than in the car, and the route can be built round it.
Other ways onto the ridge
Both gates covered, one vehicle, one day
The ruins, the weavers, the market and the petrified falls, with both entrance fees already inside the fare.
Check availability