In this short practical guide, we've shared all the essential information, context, and inspiration you need to visit Monte Alban ruins independently or with a tour - including how to get to Monte Alban from Oaxaca.

Atop the rugged landscapes of the Valley of Oaxaca, Monte Albán proudly stands on a flattened mountaintop as a monument to the ancient civilisations of Mesoamerica.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this former Zapotec capital of tombs, temples, pyramids and stunning panoramic views, is often labelled as a day trip from Oaxaca.

However, at just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, it's better to view it as a core part of your itinerary there, and set aside two or three hours to explore.

For some of you, with only so much time to devour and guzzle all the gastronomic delights of Oaxaca, pre-Colombian archaeological ruins may not be at the tippy top of the bucket-list. For others, you may be tossing up whether you should prioritise Monte Alban over Mitla, mezcal distilleries, and Hierve El Agua.

With this short practical guide, we've shared all the essential information, context, and inspiration you need to decide, and visit Monte Alban independently or with a tour. From transport connections and costs, personal tips on making the most of the site, tickets, and solid advice on whether you should choose it over mezcal.

This is our guide to visiting Monte Alban from Oaxaca.

monte alban essentials

// Hilltop capital of the Zapotec civilisation, founded around 500 BC
// A 9km, 20-minute drive from the centre of Oaxaca
// Travel by tour, taxi, or the regular shuttle bus
// Two to three hours needed to visit site
// Tickets cost M$90
// Avoid peak afternoon heat hours
// This is a highly-rated guided half-day tour

Why Should You Visit Monte Alban?

Here, in a valley surrounded by mountains, hilltops were cut and hillsides terraced to build a vast political, economic, and cultural complex.

Monte Albán traces its origins to the Zapotec people, who settled the region around 1500 BC. The development of their capital took place around five centuries later and, with its intricately designed pyramids, plazas, ball courts, and residential districts on the hillside, the ruins of Monte Alban reveal the richness, complexity, and some of the secrets of a pre-Colombian civilisation.

Mysteries still remain though and, despite being continuously occupied for 1,300 years, it is still not known why Monte Alban was abandoned many, many centuries before the colonising Spanish arrived in Mexico.

Comparisons with Machu Picchu in Peru, the Lost City in Colombia, and Tikal in Guatemala are apt, and UNESCO declared it “the most important archaeological site of the Valley of Oaxaca” in 1987.

Although it may be difficult to tear yourself away from the tlayudas and the captivating colonial streets of Oaxaca's historical centre, exploring the site when it’s bathed in golden hues is absolutely worth making time for.

We skipped it on our first visit to the city, but it was a highlight of our second trip.

If ruins aren’t generally your thing, you’ll be missing out if you don’t come for the views and landscapes.

Unlike Teotihuacán, the massive pyramids outside Mexico City, you can climb the pyramids to enjoy fantastic views of the valley, the main plaza, and appreciate the scale of the site. Do take advantage of it before the rules change, but less mobile travellers may not be able to go up the steep staircases .

It’s also worth saying that, in comparison to Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula, this is refreshingly far less over-visited and over-run.

Although a lot of Monte Alban is visible, much remains undisturbed. From the 19th century, there were various archaeological exploratory works undertaken, but the most significant work and discoveries was led by Alfonso Caso from 1931-49. The star find was Tomb 7, where the Mixtecs (a later civilisation who used the site) buried a powerful people with an array of treasures, and these can be viewed in the in the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca.

Plan // 13 Wonderful Things To Do In Oaxaca City

How To Get To Monte Alban from Oaxaca

Monte Alban Tours

Some travellers may prefer to do a dedicated guided tour of Monte Alban, or go for an option which allows them to visit the site as well as a few other popular places outside the city.

This is the best option for those who are shorter on time, prefer the convenience of a local taking care of logistics, and/or would prefer to go more in-depth on the history and bring the ruins to life.

We visited Monte Alban independently via a combination of taxi and bus, so don't have a specific tour recommendation. However, we've shared several highly-rated small-group and private Monte Alban tours for you below; all of them include accommodation pick-up, transport to/from Oaxaca in air-conditioned vehicles, and an English-speaking guide.

· Monte Alban Archaeological Tour | This will give you about 2.5 hours around the site with your guide - book here

· Monte Alban Half Day Tour | A similar option with similarly good reviews - find out more here

· The Oaxaca Valley & Artisans Tours | A full-day sightseeing tour, starting with around two hours at the Monte Alban ruins, then visiting several Oaxacan artisans and stops at San Antonio Arrazola, Convento de Cuilapam, and San Bartolo Coyotepec. All transport and lunch is included.

You can find out more here, and book it on Viator here- both offer free cancellation if cancelled 24 hours before.

THE Shuttle Bus to Monte Alban

Several agencies operate a regular shuttle bus from Oaxaca to Monte Alban, and this is an excellent option for travellers who want to save money and have a lot of flexibility.

Also called Autobuses Turistico, they offer good value daily round-trip transportation and a reliable schedule of departures; you can spend anywhere from two hours to five hours exploring the archaeological site, then hop on any of your chosen company's shuttles in the lower car park once you're done.

It's also the most affordable option for solo travellers, but do note that the M$90-100 bus ticket does not include your entrance for Monte Alban or any guide service.

The two main Monte Alban-Oaxaca shuttle bus options are:

Lescas Co | The first departure leaves at 8.30am, with a departure every hour thereafter (9.30am, 10.30am etc). Journeys start/end at their office in in the lobby of the Hotel Riviera (maps), 15-minutes from the zocalo, but they also pick-up and drop-off from three convenient locations in the historical centre of Oaxaca, including the zocalo!

Returns leave Monte Alban on the hour, every hour, starting at 12pm with the final bus back to Oaxaca leaving at 5pm.

Tickets are M$100, and you can buy them online in advance here, or buy them in person at their offices.

Viajes Turisticos Mitla | Starting at 9am, with departures on the hour, every hour (last departure at 2pm). The returns are every hour on the half hour from 10.30am, then 11.30am etc, with the last one at 16:30.

From late 2023, there may now be a departure at 8am but we recommend double-checking.

Journeys start + end at the Transportaciones Turísticas Mitla offices on the same street as Lescas, four blocks from the zocalo (maps).

Round-trip tickets cost M$90, but pre-booking isn’t possible online.

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have realised that, between the two companies schedules, that's a shuttle bus to Monte Alban from Oaxaca departing every 30-minutes, so if you do just turn up for your ticket, you won't have to wait around too long. You are however only able to go on the same operator's bus on the way back.

The shuttle bus takes 30-40 minutes one-way, depending on number of pick-ups and traffic.

Taxis to Monte Alban

The most direct and convenient option if you just want to get there quickly from the centre of Oaxaca, with travel time between 20-30 minutes depending on the traffic.

We had read about colectivo (shared) taxis to Monte Alban, and spent bloody ages trying to find them in the streets Oaxaca. Nobody we asked knew the answer (we speak Spanish and travel a lot in Latin America by the way) and several taxi drivers said there weren't any. Our Airbnb host had never hear of them.

Subsequent research tells us that it may therefore have been old or innacurate information, people mistakenly using ‘colectivo’ to refer to the shuttle buses which aren’t actually colectivos in the way most travellers will recognise them, OR people just regurgitated stuff they read elsewhere without doing the trip themselves (however do let us know in the comments if you find them!)

So, we gave up after half an hour and hailed a passing regular taxi to run us up to Monte Alban for a respectfully negotiated M$250 ($14 USD) one-way, as we knew we'd take the bus back*.

You may be able to get it for less than us - always agree the price before you set off - and feel free to share prices in the comments too so travellers like you can have a good baseline.

The taxi to Monte Alban will be more expensive than the shuttle bus for a solo traveller or couple, but may work out cheaper per person for a group of 3-4.

You may also be able to agree for a round-trip journey, where the taxi driver waits / returns to pick you up at an agreed time.

Note that Uber doesn't operate in Mexico, and some taxis won't be willing to take you up there as it's 'out of their zone (there's a whole thing in Oaxaca state with different colour taxis and areas they're permitted to drive around, but it's not that relevant here). If in doubt, head to the zocalo where you'll find several taxi ranks or alternatively, if you ask your hotel, hostel or Airbnb hosts, they'll help you arrange one or give you a good idea of where + and a ballpark figure.

*If you take a taxi up, you cannot guarantee that you will get a taxi back down, especially if you're leaving near to closing time. Instead, the bus may be the more reliable (and more economical choice), but you have to be 100% certain that you've gone to the correct car park to catch it - we've explained this more in the ‘Travel Better Tips’ section at the end of the post.

TWO Alternatives

The above are the three main options, but we want to give our thoughts on two alternatives:

· If you’re just going to Monte Alban, it’s pointless to rent a car in Oaxaca. However, if you’re planning to visit a few other places outside the city on the same day or over a few days (e.g. Hierve El Agua), then it’s certainly a practical alternative. There are a few companies offering hire cars in the historical centre, but the easiest way to look + book is on Rentalcars.com

· There is a 9km walking trail from Oaxaca to Monte Alban, and ten years ago we would probably have done this route just to save some cash and for the experience. Based on research and what we saw from the road, it’s mostly uphill, a bit unremarkable and with very little shade. However, recent walker reports have mentioned a few robberies of travellers along the trail, and that’s the main reason we do not recommend it. You can find more on recent experiences and the trail route + map here.

Monte Alban Tickets + Opening Hours

Entry is M$90 per person, and you can purchase them at the ticket office or self-service machines at the site entrance. Cards are accepted, but it’s a good idea to have cash too.

The site is open seven days a week from 9am to 4 pm*

We headed there on a weekday afternoon, giving ourselves three hours to wander before closing time, and it was blissfully uncrowded. However, visiting Monte Alban is one of the most popular things to do in Oaxaca, and it can become quite busy.

In order to avoid the worst of the crowds (and the heat), try to make it up here for opening in the morning or arrive later in the afternoon like we did and miss the majority of tour groups; the only point to note with the latter is that you will be asked to start leaving by staff 15 minutes before the 4pm closing, and you need to co-ordinate your departure with the shuttle bus schedue

Taxis are not guaranteed if you choose to leave at closing time.

For certain professional-standard cameras, you will be asked to pay M$50 in addition for permission to use the device; drones are prohibited

Concession and free entries, including on Sundays, only apply to Mexican citizens.

Tips For Visiting Monte Alban

· Conservation and respect for cultural heritage is vital, so whilst you can still climb the stairs and the staff:visitor ratio is low, please do not act irresponsibly.

· As mentioned, plan for 2-3 hours to explore the site, with an extra hour factored in for the round-trip transport from Oaxaca.

· There is little shade and much of the site is in the open-air, so slap on our suncream, bring sunglasses, and it’s a good idea to bring a hat.

· Bring a water bottle too - we recommend investing in a Water-To-Go for your Mexico trip, and you can safely refill it at the bathroom here. There is not currently potable water available on site.

· Next to the ticket office, you’ll find bathrooms and the small museum with some items from archaeological excavations and other explainers. Unlike the signage around the site - in Spanish, English, and Zapotec - many signs are currently only in Spanish.

· The signage at the site is generally quite good, but if you have a deeper interest or would like to know more, doing more reading in advance, buying a Mexico Lonely Planet, or joining a guided tour is recommended. You will also find guides offering their services outside.

· Make sure to scale the south platform for the most impressive views of the grand plaza, the valleys, and to best appreciate the scale and setting of the site. Edificio J, in the plaza, underpins the important of astronomy to the planning of Mesoamerican sites and the culture of the Zapotec civilsation; only priest-scientists and important individuals were allowed in it. Also, don't miss the well-preserved Juego de Pelota, a ballcourt of sloping walls where players would hit the rubber with knees, hips, and elbows, and the winner's purse was protection by the gods.

· Be careful going up and down the steep staircases. For travellers with mobility issues, it may not be possible or advisable to attempt them.

· Travellers in wheelchairs can access sections of Monte Alban via an elevator and walkways.

· There are two car parks. The ‘top’ one has souvenir and snack stalls, whilst the ‘lower’ one is a short walk down the road: it’s in the lower one where the shuttle buses depart and you’ll find taxis.

· As mentioned, don’t bank on finding a taxi for the return trip to Oaxaca. You have a better chance of finding them during the day, if they’ve just dropped off someone else. Otherwise, you can do as we did and pay a driver on the shuttle bus for a ride back to Oaxaca (M$50 per person).

· If you’re in planning mode, we can happily recommend this stylish colonial Airbnb we stayed in.