Private Tour: Mezcal Day Tour in Oaxaca
5
Private Tour: Mezcal Day Tour in Oaxaca
By Experience Agave - Oaxaca
About
Ages 18-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
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Written guide: English, Spanish
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
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- Professional guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Distillery visits and tastings
- Lunch
- Transport by private air-conditioned vehicle
What's not included- Gratuities
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.
- If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 48873P1
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- A maximum of 10 people per booking
- Minimum drinking age is 18 years
- Minimum age is 18 years
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 48873P1
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- chrismG1154BJ0 contributionsIn-depth and insightful tourA great day with our guide Leon. We visited three mezcal palenques which all had a different character and excellent products. We learnt so much about the process, industry, and local community. Our lunch was also a highlight.Written March 14, 2024
- Aaron S0 contributionsA long journey to the world capital of mezcal.Rich in culture and history.Now we understand why Oaxaca is the cuisine capital of Mexico … the variety, the depth of flavors, the intense colors(mole), the dedication to perfection. Our guides (Dari, Kami) made our trip educational, inspirational, and above all, FUN! Experience Agave gets 5 Stars+Written October 12, 2021
- jay_baer_bloomington0 contributionsA trip you’ll NEVER forgetAbsolutely incredible. Extraordinary guides (Kami is the bomb), unbelievable food, and up-close access to some of the worlds greatest mezcal makers. Whole trip is incredibly well-organized, educational, and fun. Highly recommended if you love agave spirits, and are okay going off the beaten path a bit. This is my second trip with Experience Agave and i recommend them to everyone. I’ll be back again!Written March 18, 2020
- MattFirth0 contributionsThe ultimate Mezcal experienceOur guide Dary was superb right from the moment he picked us up at our apartment. He was friendly, knowledgable and very proud to show us the best of what the region he grew up in had to offer. We visited tiny palenques run by one person right up to bigger operations and tasted an incredible selection of Mezcals. Dary also took us for a great lunch and went out of his way to show us a couple of other local attractions. All in all, a fantastic day that I would recommend to anyone interested in Mezcal and having an authentic local experience.Written July 25, 2017
- Brian K0 contributionsFascinating and deliciousWe learned so much on this trip and tasted so many interesting and completely off-the-grid Mezcals that you simply couldn't find anywhere outside of Mexico. You see the entire process from plant to bottle and you can sample how the different genus of agave produce different tastes. I highly recommend it!Written February 8, 2017
- Gabriel G0 contributionsAmazingGreat place amazing time. Great guide. I recommend highly. Great price. We met many local Mescaleros. We tried amazing mezcal Silvestre.Written February 3, 2017
- benjaminlund0 contributionsOaxaca mescal distillery tour.One of my favorite vacations. Tasted mescal from such a variety of places...huts in fields to production facilities...most with clay pot stills, some with copper stills. Got to open cooking pits, taste right from the stills, talk to the people involved directly. Great opportunity, recommend Clayton without reservations.Written January 2, 2017
- Genevieve C0 contributionsUnforgettable trip, incredible mezcal, stellar hostSince I knew next to nothing about mezcal starting out, and had never been to Mexico, the trip was truly eye-opening for me and Clayton was the perfect host, warm knowledgeable, and honest. We visited a range of mezcal producers, from families making tiny batches behind their homes to larger operations producing beautifully packaged higher-end mezcal. We learned about all phases of production from the ground up--Clayton is fantastic at imparting whatever amount of technical information you're interested in. And most importantly we had a huge amount of slightly drunk (me) fun.Written December 20, 2016
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
30 reviews
Excellent
28
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Sandy H
4 contributions
Sep 2021
This was an amazing day for us beginning to end. The mezcal tour was phenomenal and so educational. The tasting was fabulous, learning all of the differences between the different mezcal. Our driver was very nice and helpful. We also enjoyed the additional stops to the gallery and public market. I would highly recommend this company!!!
Written October 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joshtrix
England9 contributions
Oct 2019
I went on one of my favourite tours I've been on, doing a four day experience with Experience Agave, staying on a palenque and being part of the process of making a pechuga mezcal.
This tour went above and beyond my expectations. The experience travelling through and staying in the Sierra Norte mountains, being able to get our hands dirty in the stages of mezcal production was an incredibly unique experience.
The Experience Agave team were engaged throughout, and it was obvious they loved mezcal and genuinely cared for the producer they brought us to, which made the experience all the more special.
The mixture of (a lot of!) mezcal, great company, amazing home-cooked food in an incredible setting will stay with me for a long, long time.
This tour went above and beyond my expectations. The experience travelling through and staying in the Sierra Norte mountains, being able to get our hands dirty in the stages of mezcal production was an incredibly unique experience.
The Experience Agave team were engaged throughout, and it was obvious they loved mezcal and genuinely cared for the producer they brought us to, which made the experience all the more special.
The mixture of (a lot of!) mezcal, great company, amazing home-cooked food in an incredible setting will stay with me for a long, long time.
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much, Joshtrix! We hope to have you back in Oaxaca someday! Saludos.
Written March 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TravelingKims
Central Florida, FL9 contributions
May 2021
Excellent day! My husband and I were able to book this excursion on our first trip traveling since the start of the pandemic. First, Clayton was wonderful to communicate with regarding tourism opening back up and answered my many questions. After speaking with him a few times I felt very comfortable to take part in this tour. He genuinely cares about the people that we would be interacting with in the various villages.
Second, upon booking Clayton introduced me to Dari who would be our guide for the day. Prior to arriving in Oaxaca Dari sent me a thorough list of restaurants at my request. Fantastic recommendations. He even offered to pick us up from the airport which was very thoughtful.
Now the day of the tour - Dari made it the perfect day for us starting with his favorite coffee stop on our way out of town to delicious breakfast stop. He took us to a wonderful village to see the art of alebrijes. Our day continued with a stop at two mezcal distilleries in Santa Catarina Minas. It was so neat to see the process of mezcal and experience the maestros working. I appreciate the knowledge that Dari imparted to a mezcal newbie like me. (He has graciously continued to answer my questions even upon me returning home.) My biggest regret is not bringing home some of the mezcal we tried. I guess I will have to return.
I travel a lot and have had a variety of tour guides. Dari is one of the best. I appreciate tour guides who are more like a friend than a business person. Dari is thoughtful, observant, and personable both with us as tourists as well as with the people in the communities we visited.
One more tip - ask Dari to take you to Dona Gloria's for the best mole you'll taste in Oaxaca!
Second, upon booking Clayton introduced me to Dari who would be our guide for the day. Prior to arriving in Oaxaca Dari sent me a thorough list of restaurants at my request. Fantastic recommendations. He even offered to pick us up from the airport which was very thoughtful.
Now the day of the tour - Dari made it the perfect day for us starting with his favorite coffee stop on our way out of town to delicious breakfast stop. He took us to a wonderful village to see the art of alebrijes. Our day continued with a stop at two mezcal distilleries in Santa Catarina Minas. It was so neat to see the process of mezcal and experience the maestros working. I appreciate the knowledge that Dari imparted to a mezcal newbie like me. (He has graciously continued to answer my questions even upon me returning home.) My biggest regret is not bringing home some of the mezcal we tried. I guess I will have to return.
I travel a lot and have had a variety of tour guides. Dari is one of the best. I appreciate tour guides who are more like a friend than a business person. Dari is thoughtful, observant, and personable both with us as tourists as well as with the people in the communities we visited.
One more tip - ask Dari to take you to Dona Gloria's for the best mole you'll taste in Oaxaca!
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OrangeOrb
Redlands, CA35 contributions
Nov 2019
I'm an independent traveller. I speak Spanish. I can find my own way and have great experiences. BUT I had my eyes opened on this four-day guided stimulation called the "Pechuga Tour". The objective was to go get some hands-on experience at distilling mezcal. Sure enough, we did get crazy hands on with making Mezcal - piling in the firewood, jumping in the fire pit to pull out the cooked heads of agave, taking sip samples of the mezcal as it dribbled out of the still. So mission accomplished, but I have to say it was much more than that. This odd mix of tour participants - urbanites, mostly thirties/some forties, some international - didn't seem like it was going to click when we first met - but we ended up pulling together over the four days, especially when mixed with the charismatic glue of our leader, Clayton Czchzczk. We just really had a fun time getting to know each other. The food, all cooked outside on wood, was excellent. The family hosting us was excellent. The cliffside waterfall pool bathing was excellent. The buzzed sing-along of "Soy el Rey" with the neighborhood band was excellent! Tours can be awful, but this Experience Agave tour proved to me that, wow, with the right leadership and a company that attracts these kinds of participants - that was an experience that I could never achieve on my own. Clayton and crew, you have established the benchmark for what makes great tour experiences absolutely great. You have truly achieved something with this. WELL DONE!!
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear OrangeOrb,
Thanks so very much for your fantastic review! Also, LOL re: Clayton's last name. It's indeed a doozy!
Saludos!
Written March 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rebelorac
Petaluma, CA20 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
The all day tour back into the hills and valleys of Oaxaca was fantastic. Dari, our driver and guide, shared with us so much of his knowledge about the plants, herbs, mezcal making, and the people. We were fascinated to see two artisan palenques where mezcal was distilled and to meet the owners, learning about the process and their vision. Dari is a terrific bilingual and personable guide.
Written January 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for showing your support for Experience Agave and for joining us on tour in Oaxaca! We're happy you were able to connect with the mezcaleros and learn more about the spirit and the region. You're more than welcome back on your next visit!
Written November 23, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
nelly_182
Montreal, Canada37 contributions
May 2018
My husband and I are both mezcal enthusiasts and we were looking for an authentic, non-touristic tour of traditional palenques in Oaxaca; we found our perfect match with Experience Mezcal! Dari, our tour guide, took us off the beaten path to rustic family owned venues and explained in great length and detail the wild agave cultivation and production process behind mezcal. A local from Oaxaca, Dari is warm, engaging and personable; it was great spending time with him and learning firsthand about local traditions and culture. He was kind enough to share some of his favourite spots in the city - all of which were awesome! A must do if you are visiting Oaxaca, we are already planning our next trip and loom forward to going again on the tour.
Written May 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your enthusiastic review!
Written March 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Passportrdy
San Francisco, CA7 contributions
Mar 2018 • Friends
Dary took 4 of us through the mezcal fields to several distilleries and an amazing lunch at a roadside restaurant. He exceeded any expectations that we may have had. He took us to 3 mezcal distilleries, 2 of which we never would have been able to find on our own. We were the only people at each one and were able to speak with the people who produced the mezcal. We were able to buy mezcal siphoned right from their tubs. Dary was warm, professional, knowledgeable, and had many recommendations for the remainder of our time in Oaxaca. I can not recommend this tour enough. It was well worth every penny.
Written March 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're so please to hear that you enjoyed the tour so thoroughly! Enjoy the rest of your time in Oaxaca and of course that mezcal you're taking home. Thank you for coming on tour!
Written March 28, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Felisa Rogers
Deadwood, OR13 contributions
Nov 2019
The word unique is overused, but this truly was a unique experience. I've been traveling in Mexico for forty years and am a seasoned travel writer. I've visited many mezcal palenques on my own. Thus, I was skeptical about going on a tour. But I'm so glad I did. I would never have been able to get this kind of access on my own.
After a fun orientation night in the city of Oaxaca, we got up early in the morning to travel far into the lush Sierra de Juarez mountains to the remote Tosba distillery and the home turf of master distiller Edgar González, his wife Andrea, and his charming family.
The accommodations were rustic, as advertised. A few of us brought tents and the other guests slept in a basic bunkhouse. But we were treated like kings. Andrea Gonzalez is an amazing cook who specializes in local, indigenous delicacies. We feasted on venison ribs, giant homemade tortillas, fresh eggs, incredible salsas, and black beans, all cooked over a wood fire.
We spent two full days at the Tosba palenque, and our tour leader and Edgar had perfectly timed it so we were able to participate in or witness all aspects of the distilling process--from farm to table. We toured Tosba's sustainable agave farm, planted agave seedlings, witnessed harvest, helped fill the ovens, later helped remove cooked agave from the steaming pit, and then watched the traditional crushing of the gave hearts with a horse-powered tahona. Meanwhile, Edgar was distilling a batch of pechuga and we sat up at night in the glow of the wood-fired still, sampling the "fresh" mezcal--from heads to tails.
Highlights included hiking to drink mezcal in a tropical waterfall and hanging out with a great group of people. Edgar and Andrea are lovely, tour leader Clayton Szczech is charming and adept at sharing his deep knowledge of agave spirits, and Experience Agave guide Darinel Silva was incredibly attentive and made everyone feel at home and cared for. Partially through Szczech's ability to put people at ease, our group of (mostly) strangers soon coalesced into a lively and relaxed group of friends.
Overall, the entire experience felt fun and relaxed while simultaneously engaging, rich in detail, and well-organized. I learned a lot.
This was a real adventure and an experience of a lifetime.
After a fun orientation night in the city of Oaxaca, we got up early in the morning to travel far into the lush Sierra de Juarez mountains to the remote Tosba distillery and the home turf of master distiller Edgar González, his wife Andrea, and his charming family.
The accommodations were rustic, as advertised. A few of us brought tents and the other guests slept in a basic bunkhouse. But we were treated like kings. Andrea Gonzalez is an amazing cook who specializes in local, indigenous delicacies. We feasted on venison ribs, giant homemade tortillas, fresh eggs, incredible salsas, and black beans, all cooked over a wood fire.
We spent two full days at the Tosba palenque, and our tour leader and Edgar had perfectly timed it so we were able to participate in or witness all aspects of the distilling process--from farm to table. We toured Tosba's sustainable agave farm, planted agave seedlings, witnessed harvest, helped fill the ovens, later helped remove cooked agave from the steaming pit, and then watched the traditional crushing of the gave hearts with a horse-powered tahona. Meanwhile, Edgar was distilling a batch of pechuga and we sat up at night in the glow of the wood-fired still, sampling the "fresh" mezcal--from heads to tails.
Highlights included hiking to drink mezcal in a tropical waterfall and hanging out with a great group of people. Edgar and Andrea are lovely, tour leader Clayton Szczech is charming and adept at sharing his deep knowledge of agave spirits, and Experience Agave guide Darinel Silva was incredibly attentive and made everyone feel at home and cared for. Partially through Szczech's ability to put people at ease, our group of (mostly) strangers soon coalesced into a lively and relaxed group of friends.
Overall, the entire experience felt fun and relaxed while simultaneously engaging, rich in detail, and well-organized. I learned a lot.
This was a real adventure and an experience of a lifetime.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear glassmongoose,
Thank you so much for your extremely thorough review! It was a pleasure having you along, and we hope to have you back on a tour someday!
Saludos.
Written March 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
OrangeOrb
Redlands, CA35 contributions
Jul 2019
My wife, son, and I went on Experience Agave's Mezcal day trip to the area outlying from Oaxaca City. We walked away jaws dropped - it was such a rich, fun, mind-boggling, delicious, and even touching experience. We went in a private car, led by Dari, a mezcal savant, to two different pechugas in the Las Minas area. One was a clay pot still, the other copper, out in the middle of nowhere, like little moonshine shacks minus all creepiness. We tasted lots of different varieties, were blown away by the quality, and brought back plenty (thanks, Dari, for having the forsight to have some empty bottles available). We had a really pleasant lunch at the 2nd pechuga with a family whose patriarch had lived and worked in a town right next to ours. We exchanged stories and memories,... we made contact family to family - it was touching to us. This was no cattle call Napa wine-tasting tour - this was a family experience that we will not forget. Well done, well done!!!
Written March 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear OrangeOrb,
Thanks so very much for your enthusiastic review! It was a pleasure to host you and your family, and we hope to do so again one day!
Saludos!
Written March 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SuzMcQ
Castle Pines Co13 contributions
I booked a mezcal trip with this company and they cancelled on us last minute. It was Day of the Dead so there were no other companies with availability. So We missed the tour all together. It was very disappointing as that was a huge item on outmr list of things to do. Then it was very difficult to get them to refund my money.
Written August 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear SuzMcQ,
I'm very sorry you had such a disappointing experience. I've looked into what happened (ten months ago), and see that you made a reservation for November 2 (Day of the Dead - possibly _the_ biggest day of the year in Oaxaca) on November 1. Six hours after you made your reservation, we informed you that we did not in fact have any more space on the tour. We offered you a tour on November 3, which you declined. At that time, we immediately began processing your refund. The amount of time a refund takes to make it back to your account depends on many factors, including your bank's policies. Card refunds - whether from Experience Mezcal or from a giant like Amazon.com - can take as long as 14 days.
Again, I'm sorry to have disappointed you. I take such rare incidents very seriously. Our seven years in business and the body of our TripAdvisor reviews indicate that they are, in fact, rare. It's a shame you decided, ten months later, to leave us a malicious one-star review. But that's certainly your right. I hope you are able to make it back to Oaxaca in the future. If you do so during Day of the Dead, Noche de Rábanos, or Güelagetza season, I would strongly encourage you to plan more than one day in advance.
Sincerely yours,
Clayton J. Szczech
Owner/Founder
Experience Mezcal
Written August 8, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chente S
Oaxaca, Mexico
Ofresco servisios d tour si alguien le interesa soy d oaxaca y conosco bien el lugar .los puedo llevar en taxi libre. Y el costo es muy accasible .viajes a todas partes donde gusten ir d paseo
Lorein J
Mexico City, Mexico1 contribution
Hola, me gustaría saber donde puedo contratar el tour del mezcal y que costo tiene?