Monte Albán Architectural Site Tour
This tour takes us to the most emblematic place of the ancient Oaxaca: The sacred city of the Zapotecs. It is beautifully placed on top of hills near the modern city of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Monte Albán was the ancient Zapotec capital and one of the first cities in Mesoamerica. Monte Albán was founded approximately 500 years B. C. , flourishing until A. D. 850. Located in a complex of hills in the center of the Valley of Oaxaca, Monte Albán held political, economic, and ideological control over other communities around the valley.
About This Tour
This tour takes us to the most emblematic place of the ancient Oaxaca where we will visit:
A stunning place with massive and at the same time very delicate and harmonious architecture. It used to be the Sacred City of the Zapotecs in the ancient times and remains until now as a symbol of greatness and accomplishment of a culture which did not stop in front of the enormous effort to build a city in a place where water was not available.
Monte Alban is the result of hundreds of years of construction and we will start our tour in the Northern Platform to enjoy the best view of the whole site, then we will see the surrounding building of this platform, going further to the main plaza, past the main staircase and the VI complex; the Gallery of the Dancers displaying the most ancient representation of human figures in the site, we continue with the visit of the Observatory the Main Altar and finally we will end our visit in the Ballgame courtyard.
There will be some time for personal needs and then we drive back to Oaxaca city.
Tour Price
Tour pricing is tailored to accommodate the specific needs of your group, taking into account both the number of participants and the season of the year. We invite you to request a personalized quotation to ensure you receive the most accurate and competitive pricing for your memorable journey. THE FEE INCLUDES TRANSPORTATION AND GUIDE SERVICES ONLY.
Duration & Start Time
The tour last normally 4 hours, from the time we leave the hotel to the time we return to it. If the group has lots of questions it might be longer, but can be shorter if the group decides so.
The starting time is 8.30 or 9 am in the morning; no tours in the afternoon; the site closes at 3 pm
Itinerary
If your hotel is in the city, you will be picked up from your hotel. The trip from the city to the site takes about 30 min. depending on traffic conditions and where your hotel is located. Once the tour is finished, we will return to your hotel. The tour ends at the starting point or any other point downtown, at your convenience.
Meeting Point & Transportation
The standard meeting point is the lobby of your hotel if it is located downtown in the city. If you are in a place around the city, we will need to set a convenient meeting point in the city. Transportation is in an A/C VAN, fully authorized for tourism service.
Recommendations
Good walking shoes, water, a hat for the sun, sun cream, camera… eventually, binoculars, raincoat or umbrella in the summer months.
Included With This Tour
Transportation in an A/C VAN
Guide Service by a fully Licensed and Certified guide
A soft drink
Additional Costs
Additional cost for admission fees ($5 USD per guest), extra beverages & food as needed, tips.
Tour Reviews
☆☆☆☆☆
“Juan is an extremely knowledgeable and extremely nice guide. He really brought the history of the place alive and gave us an amazing amount of insight and knowledge. We really enjoyed learning from him, and his company. I could not recommend him and this tour more. Excellent and hugely enjoyable.”
— AB, UK
☆☆☆☆☆
“Juan was a charming, knowledgeable guide, who provided great information and worked to understand our needs as travelers. His English was quite good, and he was a great driver. Would book him again in a heartbeat! Can't wait to visit Oaxaca again for our next adventure!”
— TSW, USA
☆☆☆☆☆
“This is long overdue, but Juan was absolutely outstanding. He guided us on two days, first to Monte Alban, and then to Mitla, which included several additional stops, the last of which was to a mezcal producer. Juan was not only knowledgeable, he was friendly and simply a pleasure to be with. He helped make our trip memorable.”
— SN, USA