Alebrije Workshop: Authentic Artisan Experience

Experience the art of Alebrijes in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca. Visit a workshop, learn how to carve and paint these colorful figures, and create your own unique piece. Inspired by the movie Coco. Transportation and guide included.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Taller David Hernández - Once you’re familiar with the creation of these exquisite sculptures, you’ll have the opportunity to adorn your personal alebrije with guidance from an artisan.
What's Included
  • Guided visit inside an authentic artisan workshop
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Bilingual host (English/Spanish)
  • Travel insurance during transportation
  • Wooden Alebrije figure (10 cm)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels only)
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Tips (optional)
  • Additional purchases in the workshop
Additional Information

Participate in a well-organized and dependable Alebrije workshop, perfect for travelers seeking a secure, comfortable, and genuine experience. Enjoy convenient pick-up from your hotel or Airbnb in a climate-controlled vehicle, accompanied by a bilingual host who will guide you throughout the activity. The workshop is held in San Martín Tilcajete, a town…

Location
Taller David Hernández
8 de Octubre
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.6
(18 Ratings)
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Michelle_t
Nov 25, 2025
Well worth it!! - Sebasupicked us up at the hotel on time and my husband and I were the only passengers. Great conversation in both Spanish and English. Loved the experience and explanation of how alebrijes are made. Great day and came back with a gorgeous peacock!!
Review provided by Viator
Alejandrovf2638pw
Jan 23, 2025
We visit chipehua beach a beautiful place with virgin beach its very nice dunes - Very beautiful view u. Very nice place to vacation and rest very rich food delicious baked fish and seafood
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claire_w
Dec 23, 2024
Great half day for the family - What a great experience. Our 5 year old daughter loved it and so did I. The explanation of how the alebrijes are made was great. I definitely appreciate the craftsmanship so much more now. And the choices of what we could paint were great.
Review provided by Viator
Lirio_p
Jul 1, 2024
Enjoyed the workshop - Enjoyed the explanation, view of studio, and opportunity to paint with the family. The artist helping us was great at adding details when we asked for them.
Review provided by Viator
Samuel_l
Nov 17, 2022
A relaxing painting experience - They provided a pick up to and from our airbnb, they arrived early. Once we got to the site, Joseph gave us a tour of their workshop and their paintings, and we ended with choosing our own models to paint. I chose a bird and my wife choose an elephant. One of their best artists was our teacher and gave us tips on how to get our models exactly how we wanted them. My wife really enjoyed the experience and it was a really relaxing atmosphere.
Review provided by Viator
Jessie_b
Oct 2, 2022
Book it! You won’t regret - transportation was very comfortable, our translator was excellent, & the people at the workshop were so kind and welcoming. They gave us mezcal, homemade chocolates, and a hot chocolate drink. Highly recommend for an intimate and authentic experience!
Review provided by Viator
Margaret_c
Feb 3, 2026
Beautiful alebrije studio - We enjoyed our driver and the journey to St Martin Tilcajete. The studio was amazing, and we learned about the significance of the spirit animals. It was good to see artists painting and carving. Our painting time was a bit rushed- we needed more time to work on it. We were back in Oaxaca at 2:00, not 3:00 as advertised.
Review provided by Viator
Vicandrh45
Sep 7, 2023
So much fun - This was such a fun tour. You select your Alebrije and get to paint it. I wish they had more Alebrije options. But definitely must do. Everyone there is so talented.
Review provided by Viator
Theresa_v
Dec 29, 2024
Fun to paint but too much time getting there and back. - It was a fun experience but pickup was 30 minutes late, and driving time was about 30 minutes each way so we didn't have very much time to actually paint the alebrijes. I would have been nice to have had another hour and a complimentary beverage.....or maybe have signed up for a painting workshop in central Oaxaca.
Review provided by Viator
Tourist623345
Jan 17, 2022
This is an Alebrijes tour and shopping experience not a creative workshop - We enjoyed learning about the complex process of creating Alebrijes and witnessing these amazing artists at work. Now we understand that most of the Alebrijes that plentifully occupy market stalls, tiendas, and even airport gift shops are cheap copies of these incredibly intricate works of art. Unfortunately, we were expecting to spend time in a workshop creating our own works of art. All 3 of us who attended are creative artists and we were excited to participate in creating Alebrijes, not just buy them in the gallery. We were given very few choices of samples to paint. All 3 of us ended up having to paint the same figure (snake). We were given only 25 minutes for the whole painting experience, while the samples placed in front of us for pattern and reference inspiration obviously took many hours. The paint palette we were working from was crusted over. An employee stood over us watching (presumably to help?) which was unnerving and she managed to bump the work table a couple of times which caused our carefully done work to smear. It was very disappointing to be given unlimited time to shop but very limited time to create. This "workshop" would work for a young child who only wants to play around with paints for a few minutes and does not care about the finished piece. We DID buy a beautiful Alebrije and we respect the work this family is doing. They just need to rename the workshop or change the format.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $54
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).