What you actually do
The day starts at the Oaxaca by Locals office at Cosijoeza 110A in the centre and runs east along the valley, in this order:
- Tree of Tule, 30 minutes. The MXN 20 fee is for the close-up view of the tree.
- Teotitlán del Valle, 1 hour: the weaving village, with a visit to see how the rugs are made.
- Mitla archaeological zone, 1 hour; entry MXN 210.
- Hierve el Agua, 2 hours: the petrified waterfalls and the pools; entry MXN 70.
- Lunch break, 1 hour, at a buffet restaurant (optional, MXN 220).
- Mezcal distillery, 1.5 hours: a production walk-through and the tastings, both included.
Time at the stops adds up to 7 hours; the other 4 are on the road, with Hierve el Agua the far end of the route. Clémence (France, 20 September 2026) had Hierve el Agua before “a short visit to Mitla, and then a tasting and tour of a mezcal factory”, so the order can shift.
Inside Hierve el Agua only members of the local community may guide, so the tour guide helps you plan the two hours but does not lead you around the site.
What’s included (and what isn’t)
Included:
- Tour with a bilingual local guide (Spanish and English)
- Transportation from the centre and back
- Mezcal tastings at the distillery
Not included, paid in cash on the day:
- Tree of Tule close-up view: MXN 20
- Hierve el Agua entry: MXN 70
- Mitla entry: MXN 210
- Buffet lunch: MXN 220
That is MXN 300 in entry fees, or MXN 520 with the buffet, on top of the ticket price. Bring it in pesos: ATMs are scarce along the route, and the Hierve el Agua fee is set by the community and can change.
Who it’s for / who should skip it
The loop is built for travellers with one free day who want the east valley’s big sights without renting a car or chaining colectivos. The guide works in Spanish and English, and 91% of English-speaking bookers rate the tour well. Reviews describe a bus with downtime between stops.
The exclusion list is long: back, heart or blood-pressure problems, epilepsy, motion or altitude sickness, fear of heights, mobility impairments and wheelchair users, plus an age limit of 60 and a weight limit of 125 kg.
Miguel (31 August 2026) still booked it for his senior parents and reports the staff were “extremely friendly and helpful”; the limits remain the operator’s rule.
What travellers say
Guides score 4.9, transportation 4.9 and value for money 4.8 across the 670 reviews. The ten most recent are all five stars.
- “The schedule is well spaced out and there is no rushing. You have time to do everything and to admire Hierve el Agua, with more than enough time.” — Eros Gino, 4 September 2026
- “It was a long day, but there was free time at a few of the stops and downtime on the bus.” — Victoria, 6 September 2026
- “It was a packed day and we visited some great places.” — Paul, United Kingdom, 18 September 2026
- “We had enough time at each one, and despite being an 11-hour sightseeing tour, it’s very well organized.” — Samantha, 4 September 2026
Guides get named in most reviews (Andrea, Stéphanie, Adriel, Kevin), and so do the drivers. Pacing is the word that recurs: “well spaced out”, “no rushing”, “enough time at each one”. The one recurring complaint, in a summary drawn from 241 reviews, is that lunch comes late in the day.
Compared with the Hierve-only day and the private version
| Tour | Price | Hours | Rating | Stops | Entry fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This loop | from $58 per person | 11 | 4.9 (670) | Tule, Teotitlán, Mitla, Hierve el Agua, distillery | MXN 300 extra |
| Hierve el Agua and distillery | from $64 per person | 8 | 4.9 (695) | Hierve el Agua (3 h), distillery | Hierve entry included |
| Private Monte Albán, Hierve and mezcal | from $289 per group of up to 2 | 8 | 4.9 (65) | Monte Albán, Teotitlán, El Rey de Matatlán, Hierve el Agua | food not included |
Choose the loop if Mitla and the Tule tree matter to you; the Hierve-only day if you want three hours at the pools rather than two; the private car if you would rather see Monte Albán than Mitla and split the cost between two people.
Practical details
- Meeting point: Oaxaca by Locals, Cosijoeza 110A, Ruta Independencia, Centro. No hotel pickup.
- Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before; reserve now, pay later is available.
- Languages: Spanish and English.
How this day fits a 2- or 3-day stay is in planning your trip and the mezcal route map. Dates and the current price are on the booking button below; with 24-hour free cancellation you can hold a seat now and decide later.