Oaxaca City tour: Tule Tree, Hierve el Agua & mezcal tasting

Swim in natural pools beneath calcium cliffs that look like frozen waterfalls

This eight-hour tour from Oaxaca City visits three landmarks: the Tule Tree, a 2,000-year-old Moctezuma cypress and the world's widest tree; Hierve el Agua, where mineral-rich water has formed petrified waterfalls over thousands of years; and a traditional mezcal palenque for tastings of different agave varieties and mezcal creams. You swim in natural pools at Hierve el Agua, hike the mineral formations, and learn how mezcal is made from local guides who know the remote villages along the route.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit natural wonders and mezcal tasting

• Visit Santa Maria del Tule tree
• Hike and swim at Hierve el Agua
• Lunch at Citlali’s in Roaguia
• Tour traditional mezcal palenque
• Taste various mezcal varieties

The experience

Eight hours takes you 40 miles into the foothills outside Oaxaca City, following a dirt road through remote villages to reach Hierve el Agua. What appears from a distance to be flowing water is actually calcium deposits built up over thousands of years, now rising strikingly above the valley. You'll hike around the formations to see them up close, then swim in the natural pools: a moment most visitors travel to Oaxaca specifically to experience and few find on their own.

The tour includes a stop at a traditional palenque where you learn the process of making mezcal, from agave selection through fermentation and distillation. You taste different varieties of agaves, categories of mezcal, and mezcal creams, guided through each one by someone who works there. Lunch happens at a family kitchen in Roaguia where they cook tlayudas, quesadillas, and memelitas. The food you'll eat is what locals eat, not a tourist version of it.

The third stop is Santa Maria del Tule, where you stand in front of the Tule Tree itself: a Moctezuma cypress that is 2,000 years old and holds the record as the world's widest tree. Your bilingual guide handles the route and the stops. The vehicle is air-conditioned and pickup comes from your hotel or a central point in Oaxaca City.

What’s included

• Passenger insurance.
• air-conditioned vehicle with bilingual driver and guide.
• courtesy beverages.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Oaxaca City.

Before you book

Lasts 8h, runs Friday to Sunday with no fixed time, from US$ 461 per group, with a live guide in English and Spanish, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesFriday to Sunday

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 4.12

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Oaxaca Experience Tours

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup from Oaxaca City means you don't need a car or local knowledge to reach these three sites: the remote villages and dirt road to Hierve el Agua are navigable only with someone who knows the route, and the guide speaks both English and Spanish.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What exactly are the petrified waterfalls at Hierve el Agua?

Hierve el Agua's "waterfalls" are not flowing water but calcium deposits that have accumulated over thousands of years, now forming striking formations that rise above the valley below. You hike around them to see the mineral buildup up close and then swim in the natural pools fed by the mineral-rich spring water.

Can I actually swim at Hierve el Agua, or is it just a viewing stop?

You do swim at Hierve el Agua. After hiking around the petrified formations, the tour includes time for a dip in the natural pools. It's a core part of the experience, not an optional add-on.

How far is Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca City, and what is the road like?

Hierve el Agua sits 40 miles into the foothills outside Oaxaca City, reached by following a dirt road that winds through some of the most remote villages in Oaxaca. The journey itself passes through areas most visitors don't see on their own.

What do I learn about mezcal on this tour?

At the traditional palenque, you tour the facility to see how mezcal is made, from the agave plant through fermentation and distillation. You taste different varieties of agaves and different categories of mezcal, plus mezcal creams, with someone who makes it explaining each one.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food will I eat?

Lunch is not included in the tour price, but it happens at Citlali's in Roaguia, where a family kitchen prepares homemade traditional food: memelitas, tlayudas, quesadillas, and other local dishes. You eat what residents eat, cooked fresh on site.