Private Day Tour inclusief Artisan Villages of Alebrijes en Black Pottery

Gerardo was very knowledgeable and we had a wonderful time! It was definitely worth it! One of the best tours we’ve been on

Guide was great…but, not really a tour of the two artisan villages…we only visited 1 studio in each town…sadly nobody working at pottery studio …more a shop for selling their work and tour of facilities

We had such an amazing time on this tour. I was worried that 7-8 hours would be too long, but the day flew by so quickly. Josefet was an amazing tour guide. He was full of information and took us to so many great places that we wouldn’t have found on our own. We had three generations on our tour and everyone had a great time! This was definitely a highlight of our Oaxaca trip.

We (a group of 4 seniors) had a lovely day trip with our guide Fransisco and driver Jesus. Fransisco was a very knowledgeable guide and we connected well with him. We were fortunate to experience the weekly market (Friday) in the town of Ocotlán de Morelos - what a market and a lovely church in town. We then visited pottery artisans, weavers and Alebrijes on the way back to Oaxaca city. Stopped for a nice lunch along the way. Wonderful experience!

Great tour with Juan and Jesus to Jacobo Angeles Alejibres in San Martin Tilcajete (hand carved wooden painted animals), Mercado Santo Tomás Jaliez (woven cotton products), Maestro Jose Garcia Antonio in Ocotlán(red clay ceramics) and Mercado Ocotlán and La Cocina de Frida (indoor market and restaurants), Palacio Municipal Ocotlán (murals). Juan was well informed and interesting and Jesus a great driver, we can recommend this tour !

This was a great route from start to finish. The communication and coordination with Orlando beforehand was very quick, and they modified the tour to suit our agenda. They picked us up on time, the van had plenty of room for all of us. Our guide spoke perfect English, and was very knowledgeable about the culture, history, customs of Oaxaca, and made sure that we were happy with our experience, and catering to our desires. We will be touring with them again!!

Juan was an amazing tour guide for the Artisan Villages tour! He’s very knowledgeable about and familiar with the different artists in the area and he allowed us to tailor our stops to the ones we most wanted to see. His recommendations really made the tour exceptional! We started at the Workshop of Jacobo and Maria Angeles where artisans were working on colorful alebrijes, we saw beautiful ceramic ware and other art pieces. We were even shown how natural dyes are made, and our Protector animal and birth year animal were looked up from a chart. Next stop was another workshop - “An Inspiration of My Life” where artisan and proprietor, Victor Ortega, welcomed us with incense and a taste of his family’s mezcal. Here we saw alebrijes decorated with the natural dyes as well as more colorful alebrijes and other beautifully detailed painted pieces. After this, a stop at the workshop of Jose Garcia Antonio who is known around the world for his sculptures in spite of loosing his eyesight nearly 20 years ago. We were so fortunate to find the artist and his wife in the studio and they were very generous in taking time out to chat and take pictures with us. On to a community weaving center where local women and men were weaving their craft on blackstrap looms. Juan asked if I could give the loom a try and I was able to weave a couple rows myself - it is definitely not as easy as these professionals make it look! So much sightseeing needs replenishment so a delicious lunch at ‘la Cocina de Frida’ in Octolan de Morelos market where Dona Beatriz Vazquez graciously took pictures with us. The day was filled with many extraordinary moments for us and I can credit our guide Juan for these once in a lifetime opportunities. Thank you 😊.

This tour is a must! Alex was an amazing guide and showed us the best craft scenes Oaxaca had to offer.

Gregorio made our trip to Oaxaca so much more enjoyable. Besides being an outstanding individual, the day that we spent with him was something we will always remember. From his personal stories to his knowledge of the region, it was an action packed day beginning with an early morning visit to the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua about an hour outside of Oaxaca. Thanks to our 6 AM start, we beat all the crowds and even entrance fees. Afterwards, we stopped in the nearby village for a breakfast in a tiny place with excellent food at an unbelievably cheap price. Just to give you an Idea of how nice a guy Gregorio is, he brought a pair of shoes with him to give to someone in the village that was in need. Then off to Mitla to visit the ruins and to do a little shopping. Interesting ruins but they don't compare to Monte Albon. Next we visited a Mezcal distillery and a nearby rug weaver; both were amazing. We started to wind down in Tule where we visited the worlds oldest tree (supposedly). Our only regret is that we didn't spend a second day with Gregorio. Highly recommended.

Our guide Gregorio made our recent trip to Oaxaca a most wonderful experience. Well spoken, funny, down to earth and open hearted, he was simply the best possible guide imaginable. Five stars plus. He knew the valley, the mountains, the people, the places and took our party of four to see the artisans he knew and admired in the valley. These weavers, ceramacists, Alebrije carvers and paper makers are people he knows well. With humble pride, he spoke of his family and his country. The meals were the best and the artesanship the finest. We felt so lucky to have him at the helm of our trips outside the city. I highly recommend Gregorio to anyone who visits Oaxaca. My hope is I will be able to cruise the countryside with him again and again....