Stand on one of the most powerful cities of the ancient world. Built by the Zapotecs over 2,500 years ago on a flattened mountaintop overlooking three valleys, Monte Albán was a thriving metropolis of astronomers, warriors, and priests for over a thousand years. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the site features grand plazas, pyramids, tombs, and a unique observatory building. Your certified guide will bring the history to life with stories of power, astronomy, and Zapotec cosmology.

Watch skilled artisans carve and paint the fantastical wooden creatures known as alebrijes — each one a unique, hand-crafted work of art that takes days or weeks to complete. In the village of Arrazola, these brightly colored figures are carved from copal wood and painted in extraordinary detail, combining pre-Hispanic symbolism with the artist's own imagination. No two pieces are ever alike, making them one of the most authentic souvenirs you can bring home from Oaxaca.

Visit one of the most hauntingly beautiful colonial structures in Oaxaca — an unfinished Dominican convent begun in 1555 that was never completed. Beyond its architectural drama, this site carries deep historical weight : it was here that Mexican independence hero Vicente Guerrero was executed in 1831. A place where colonial ambition, indigenous history, and national memory converges in a single ruin.

Discover the birthplace of Oaxaca's most iconic craft : black mud, or black clay pottery. In San Bartolo Coyotepec, master potters shape elegant vessels entirely by hand — without a wheel — using techniques passed down through generations since pre-Hispanic times. The distinctive metallic black finish is achieved through a special burnishing and firing process unique to this village. Watch the artisans at work and browse their pieces directly in the family workshop.