This was a great tour run by a wonderful human, Cesar. It was nice to see a town outside of the city center and he planned such a nice mix of activities and cuisines. Definitely worth doing if you're in Oaxaca City.

I booked a tour with Cesar for myself and 8 friends. We started out the day learning about ancestral chocolate making techniques, before talking a walk around the village, having lunch with his family and visiting agave fields and an artisan mezcal distillery. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish. We were made to feel so welcome by Cesar and his family and there were many unique thoughtful touches. We were there during day of the day so we also got to observe some local traditions surrounding this holiday and eat an absolutely delicious meal. The mezcal from the distillery he took us too was my favorite from my entire trip too. Highly recommend for those wanting a slow paced tour where you really get a feel for local life. It is not your typical tourist group tour experience and exactly what we were looking for. Thanks Cesar!

Authentic, hands-on experience with family! Best mezcal distillery visit. Thanks Cesar for a great day ! Highly recommended !

Ceasar offers a personal and truly marvelous experience of life in a Zapotec Pueblo. He arrived promptly, the car was safe and comfortable, and his love for his community was evident throughout the day. Visiting his home, watching cacao turned into chocolate, enjoying a traditional meal, and meeting his family enriched our Oaxaca experience. It was market day in this tiny village, and as we strolled with him, we met locals, learned about indigenous government, and toured the nearby fincas. We ended the day with a stop at a local palenque to taste traditional mescal. Caesar is a comfortable, charming guide and knowledgeable local. We give this tour our highest recommendation. Jessie and Dan

Cesar was an excellent host and tour guide. He made sure our tour and visit to his village and Oaxaca was enjoyable. Cesars family was warm and inviting and didn't mind that our cooking skills weren't as good as theirs. His mother was funny and a very happy lady and we enjoyed her very much. The distillery tour was informative and relaxing. Very enjoyable day!

This experience was a true gift. Spending a day with a Zapotec family, getting to know Cesar, our tour guide learning his culture, welcoming us into his home, beautiful family and sharing his food as well and resources was a beautiful experience that evoked all of the senses.

Sharing a day with this family and this village was truly a treasure. We arrived on market day and even though, at nearly 6' tall I towered over all the other women by at least a foot, I felt welcomed and my curiosity felt no language barrier. I love that this town is actively preserving and sharing their culture and tradition. I am so glad to have been a part of their day. Learning can be a two way street and engaging together with multiple generations was beautiful. Contact Cesar at ladxatours.com or cesarin28gar@gmail.com to plan your experience. You will not regret a single moment.

Our day spent with César and his family was truly unforgettable. It will be hard not to write a very, very long review! César was the kindest, most welcoming guide who brought us into his home and offered a very authentic experience. It’s obvious that he is passionate about showing people his culture and he’s very good at what he does. His mother showed us how to make chocolate from scratch, and we even got to try grinding the cacao beans ourselves! She also showed us many other things in the kitchen, and we loved everything. We got to try some really delicious breakfast and lunch too, which was truly the best food we had in Mexico ! César took us all around his town, and we visited many interesting places which we loved. He took us to his friends Mezcal distillery (Dios Nunca Muere), where we saw how Mezcal is produced from the plant to the bottle, and tried some delicious samples with him and the owner. It was a very intimate experience, and did not feel like the usual Commerical tours as we just sat and chatted for a while, drinking mezcal like friends. We really appreciated being collected and dropped back to our accommodation in Oaxaca. I also want to note that we were hesitant about the deposit through PayPal but it is as César needs to buy all the ingredients etc. for the trip! It’s also best for both of you to book through his website directly. This was the best way to spend your money if you are looking for an authentic, relaxed and memorable day to learn about culture. Thank you so, so much to César and your family for welcoming us into your home. There is so much more I can say but instead, go experience it yourself. Lea and Jon Joaquín from Ireland :-)

We did a lot of great things in Oaxaca, but this was the best day of all. Our guide welcomed us into his home in a remote Zapotec village for a day preparing chocolate and meals the traditional way. You can’t get this experience in Oaxaca City. We also toured the pueblo and went to local sites, including an artisanal mescal distillery run by a local family dedicated to the tradition vs the comercial industry. You will be lucky to have this experience.

This experience was very personal - you essentially are welcomed into Caesar's own actual family, in his home, with his mother, father, brother and two lovely dogs Choco and Arena and a cat named Tita?. He offered to send the dogs off but we declined. If you are looking for high paced adventure travel or are afraid of missing out this may not be for you. If you want to have an intimate understanding of a life and attempt to see the world through another persons eyes then this is an extraordinary experience.

If you want to see what true Zapotec / Mexican village life is like, do not miss this day with César! Great guide; excellent English; down-to-Earth. He and his family are as warm and welcoming as can be. Understand, this is not a "Luxe" excursion. If you're someone who needs to go "glamping" instead of "camping" this is likely not for you. It's a long day in that the drive out is a bit over an hour. Breakfast (homemade chocolate and bread) and lunch (homemade tortillas with various toppings) are made in a traditional "comal" over an open wood fire. César's mother and the ladies preparing everything are charming and gracious. In truth, the tortillas were the best food experience we had in Oaxaca (we found some of the restaurants to be highly over-rated). We helped prepare the chocolate from the freshly-toasted beans (again, over on open fire). The visit to a small, locally run mezcal distillery was very interesting and worth seeing despite the fact we had already seen a larger operation on a different day. If you're fortunate enough to be in the village around noon, ask César if it's possible to go up to the old church's bell tower for the midday ringing! Can't recommend this excursion highly enough! Thank you, César & Family! Jesse & Mac

Taking this tour gave us the feeling of being closer to old Mexican culture than anything else we did on our trip to this country, Cesar and his family made us feel like welcome guests in their home. Watching (and taking part!) in the making of chocolate was something we won't forget. For a day, we were transported to another world. You can't ask more of a tour than that.

We hoped our experiences would be as good as the reviews and now think a sixth star would be a better description. Everyone we met was lovely and the food delicious. Cesar shared much more information than we had from another guide elsewhere The car and driver also couldn’t have been better. I enjoyed participating in the chocolate making and it will make you appreciate every bite of chocolate you take. The town was lovely and our briefer stop at the mezcal farm was interesting too. With the price of gas, we are not sure how he made any money so make sure he gets a big tip!

This tour was the highlight of our week in Oaxaca. Cesar is an excellent guide, warm and accommodating, with a list of activities that he tailors in real-time to your interests. The village is beautiful and peaceful, and we were lucky to go on market day (Tuesday), where we tried new fruits and local foods. Cesar shared not only the history of the village but also Zapotec history, language, and culture. The food, made in a traditional way using fire to cook, was amazing - my favorite was the memelitas with quesillo. Cesar also has two rescue dogs an adorable and cuddly rescue cat. I felt very at home on this tour and didn't want to leave. Highly recommend!!

We had a great day with Cesar. Above all, this a relaxing experience: a great way to slow down, learn about traditional Zapotec culture, and experience the home and community of someone who has great pride in sharing it. There was zero hustle and bustle here, but instead relaxing over breakfast and lunch in Cesar’s home, walking around the village (where were we were fortunate to catch a quinceañera and live band), and visiting a small, artisanal mezcaleria. If you’re looking for an opportunity to meet someone local and feel like you’re truly “in” the place you’re visiting, this is a tour for you.