Hierve el Agua & Mitla Full Day Tour: 6 Stops with Guide

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/21

Duration10h–11h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Hike the mineral pools at Hierve el Agua, then walk through Mitla's pre-Hispanic ruins with a guide who knows the history

This full-day guided tour of Oaxaca visits six sites across the region: the petrified waterfalls and natural pools at Hierve el Agua (two hours of free time), the archaeological zone of Mitla with a certified guide, a textile workshop in Teotitlán del Valle where artisans show the wool-rug process, a mezcal factory with tasting, the ancient Tule Tree, and a buffet lunch of traditional Oaxacan food. Hotel pickup starts between 7:30 and 7:50 a.m., and the tour runs 10 to 11 hours total. The guide speaks English or Spanish depending on the option you choose at checkout.

10h–11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Hierve el Agua and Surroundings

Visit Hierve el Agua waterfalls
Hike and enjoy natural pools
Tour Mitla archaeological zone
Eat traditional Oaxacan buffet lunch
Visit wool rug artisan workshop
Tour mezcal factory and tasting
Visit the famous Tule Tree

The Experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel, then heads to Hierve el Agua in the town of Roagia. The site is a series of petrified waterfalls—mineral-rich water has calcified over centuries into terraces that look frozen mid-flow. You get two hours to hike the pools, swim in the natural basins if you want, and take in the landscape without a guide rushing you through it. After that, you move on to Mitla, the archaeological zone where a certified guide walks you through the pre-Hispanic buildings for 40 minutes to an hour, explaining the history and the layout of the site.

Lunch comes next at a buffet restaurant serving traditional Oaxacan dishes. Then you visit a master weaver's house-workshop in Teotitlán del Valle, where you watch the full process of making wool rugs—spinning, natural pigments, the loom work—and see the finished pieces. A short drive brings you to a mezcal factory and outlet, where staff walk you through how this traditional spirit is produced, followed by a tasting of mezcal and mezcal creams. The last stop is the Tule Tree in Santa María el Tule, one of the thickest trees on earth, and your guide explains why it matters to the region.

The tour is shared, so you'll travel with other visitors in an air-conditioned vehicle. Pickup and drop-off are included; the driver collects you from your hotel in the morning and returns you to the city center when the day ends. The order of stops can shift depending on traffic, festivals or other factors outside the company's control, and the total time may vary because of hotel pickups and transfers between sites. If you need extra space for luggage or personal items, you can reserve an additional seat and let the operator know.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and return to the city center.
air-conditioned vehicle for the full day.
a certified guide in English or Spanish.
entry to Mitla archaeological zone.
a guided tour of Mitla lasting 40 minutes to an hour.
lunch at a buffet restaurant with traditional Oaxacan food (depending on your option).
a visit to a textile workshop to watch wool-rug making.
a mezcal factory tour and tasting of mezcal and mezcal creams.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Continental Istmo

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving without a car—a shared van with a guide handles six stops across culture, archaeology, and nature, with two hours to explore Hierve el Agua at your own pace.