Things to Do in Oaxaca: A Guide from Someone Who Actually Lives Here (2026)
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What to see and do in Oaxaca city and surroundings, told by a local: named places, markets, mezcal, free tours, opening hours, and how to get around.
By
mish Dary
Director · Qué Onda Oaxaca
25 min
Foto: Foto: Qué Onda Oaxaca
This article contains affiliate links. If you book or hire through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Qué Onda Oaxaca.
I didn't grow up in Oaxaca City. I came from San Juan Juquila Mixe, up in the Sierra, and for a long time the city felt to me exactly like it does to most visitors: enormous, loud, and delicious in ways I couldn't quite get my head around — mostly because circumstances had me moving between boarding schools and study programs in other states before I could properly settle here. I now live in Atzompa, and almost every week someone asks me the same question: "What should I do in Oaxaca?"
Most online lists give you the same top 10. Almost none tell you what time to show up, which local bus to take, or when hiring a guide is actually worth it. This guide is what I'd tell a friend: the classics that are genuinely worth it, the hidden places, what you can do on your own, and the tours I'd actually recommend.
One honest warning: Oaxaca isn't a picture-perfect tourist village — it's a real city with traffic, protests, and the best pan de yema bread you'll ever taste. All three things are true. If you come for three days, you'll leave hungry. Not for food. For time.
Before you go: what nobody explains
When to come. Dry season runs October through April. The sweet spot is October, February, and March — good weather, fewer crowds than Guelaguetza, none of the dry heat of May. Día de Muertos (Oct 31–Nov 2) and Noche de Rábanos (Dec 23) are spectacular, but book ahead.
Getting around without overpaying. Local colectivos and second-class buses are safe, reliable, and very cheap. Quick reference:
To
Where to board
Approximate cost one way
Tule, Teotitlán, Tlacolula, Mitla
Stops near the Eduardo Vasconcelos Baseball Stadium
Bus from $18 MXN; shared taxi $25–50 MXN
Hierve el Agua
From Mitla, in vans that leave when full
$75 MXN, plus community toll $15–20 MXN
Monte Albán
Shuttles from Hotel Rivera del Ángel lobby (Mina 518) from 8:30am
Around $130 MXN round trip
Ocotlán
Automorsa buses and vans, every 20 minutes
Ask on board
San Agustín Etla
Colectivos at Central de Abastos, sign reads "San Agustín" or "Sitio el Cárcamo"
Ask on board
Cash. Bring it. Markets, colectivos, and artisan workshops don't take cards. ATMs exist in the city center but fail in rural areas — withdraw before leaving town.
Blockades and marches. These happen regularly. Check local news before heading out to villages. City marches usually clear in a few hours; highway blockades can last days.
Altitude and sun. The city sits at 1,550 m (5,085 ft). The sun is intense even when the air feels cool: hat, sunscreen, and water from day one.
Where to stay. The historic center and Jalatlaco are best for walking everywhere. For a quieter base, Xochimilco and La Noria work well.
If you only have time for five things
1. Eat in the smoke corridor at Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Choose your meat, watch it grill in front of you, eat with half of Oaxaca.
2. Get to Monte Albán early. Before the sun gets brutal and the tour groups arrive.
3. Walk Jalatlaco with Julio and Elece. A free art tour through murals and printmaking studios with people who actually live by making art.
4. Go to a day market. If it falls on a Sunday, make it Tlacolula.
5. Take a cooking or salsa class. It's the only part of Oaxaca you can fit in your suitcase.
My three favorites to book
If you're going to pay for anything, make it one of these.
Food Tour · Oaxaca Gastronomy and Market TourCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Smoke corridor at Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Cooking Class · Traditional Oaxacan Cooking ClassCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Traditional Oaxacan cooking class. Photo: GetYourGuide
Full Day Tour · Hierve el Agua, Mitla, Tule, Rugs & Mezcal DistilleryCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
And one free tour you can't skip: the art and murals walk through Jalatlaco with Julio and Elece — two Oaxacan artists who know the neighborhood from the inside. Julio is a poet and photographer; Elece, a painter. They have the kind of sensitivity that only people who actually make art can share.
Julio Escamilla during the free tour in Jalatlaco. Photo: courtesy
Free Tour · Jalatlaco Magic Neighborhood — murals and printmaking studios with Julio & EleceBook for free ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Tourist attractions in Oaxaca City
Historic Center
1. Santo Domingo de Guzmán Temple. Gold everywhere and a ceiling you won't expect. Entry is free — consider leaving a small donation even if you're not religious.
Interior of the Santo Domingo Temple, Oaxaca. Photo: courtesy2. Museum of Oaxacan Cultures. The full story of Oaxaca in one building — including the gold of Tomb 7 from Monte Albán, found by archaeologist Alfonso Caso in 1932. Entry: $210 MXN general, $105 nationals/residents; free Sundays for Mexican ID holders. Tue–Sat 10am–5:30pm, Sun 10am–3:30pm.
Tomb 7 treasures at the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca3. Ethnobotanical Garden. All of Oaxaca's native flora in a former military barracks, saved by artist Francisco Toledo. Entry is guided tours only — hours change frequently, so just walk up to the entrance at Constitución and Reforma and ask what tours are running that day.
Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca4. Macedonio Alcalá Walkway and the pozontle nobody knows about. Walk all the way up to La Cosecha, the organic market at the top of the pedestrian street. There's a stand serving pozontle — a ceremonial drink from the Sierra Norte made with cacao, corn, and cocolmeca vine, hand-beaten to a froth with a wooden whisk. You almost never find it in the city. While you're there: tejate, fermented pineapple tepache, pulque, and aguamiel.
Pozontle, ancestral drink from the Sierra Norte, at La Cosecha. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca5. Zócalo and Cathedral. The main square is somewhere locals genuinely gather on Sundays — sitting under the laurel trees, listening to marimba or a band, watching the world pass. If you're lucky there's a Bajo el Laurel concert. Check our events calendar to see what's on.
Zócalo de Oaxaca de Juárez. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca6. Macedonio Alcalá Theater. One of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Check the program — there are sometimes cheap or free performances.
7. Basílica de la Soledad and the ice cream. The home of the city's patron saint. Across the street: the famous nieves (sorbets) of leche quemada con tuna. Order a beso oaxaqueño or ask for a tasting with a mezcal. Nieves Chagüita has been there for over 40 years.
Ice cream of leche quemada con tuna outside the Basílica de la Soledad. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca8. Museo Casa de Juárez. The house where Benito Juárez lived as a teenager — the only Indigenous president in Mexican history, who arrived in this city at age 12 speaking no Spanish.
Museo Casa de Benito Juárez, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Markets
9. Mercado 20 de Noviembre — the smoke corridor. Choose your raw meat (tasajo, cecina, chorizo, or tripe), pay by weight, and watch it grill at the stand in front of you. Tortillas come from women walking between the tables; salsas, guacamole, and lime are sold separately. Pay each vendor individually, in cash. You'll leave smelling like smoke and deeply satisfied.
Cook inside Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Oaxaca. Photo: José Luis Aranda10. Mercado Benito Juárez. Chapulines (grasshoppers), quesillo, chocolate, and the legendary Doña Casilda — a stand with nearly a century of history serving family-recipe fresh waters in giant clay pots. Order the horchata with prickly pear.
Doña Casilda's fresh waters, Mercado Benito Juárez, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca11. Mercado de La Merced. My personal favorite for eating. Fewer tourists, family-run fondas where the neighborhood comes for breakfast. At Fonda La Rosita: the chilaquiles de cazuela with tasajo and quesillo, alongside a hot chocolate. Mondays they're 2-for-1.
Chilaquiles at Mercado de La Merced, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Museums and art
12. Rufino Tamayo Museum. Pre-Hispanic art as seen through a painter's eye. Recently restored and reopened in late 2025. $90 MXN; free Sundays for Mexican ID holders. Closed Tuesdays.
Rufino Tamayo Museum of Prehispanic Art, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca13. Textile Museum and Centro Cultural San Pablo. Huipiles, natural dyes and weaving techniques from each of Oaxaca's regions. No entry fee. No bargaining — the prices are set by the artisans. Mon–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 10am–6pm.
Textile Museum of Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca14. Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo and IAGO. The photography center — founded by Francisco Toledo in 1996 with Álvarez Bravo himself present — holds works by Cartier-Bresson, Modotti, Iturbide, and Salgado. Seven galleries, free entry. The IAGO (Institute of Graphic Arts), across from Santo Domingo, has one of the country's most complete art libraries, open to anyone.
Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca15. Philatelic Museum (MUFI). Sounds boring until you walk in — the only museum of its kind in Latin America. Free entry. Tue–Sun 10am–8pm.
Neighborhoods
16. Jalatlaco. The city's most photographed neighborhood. Next to the San Matías church stand palm trees said to have been planted by the friars — older than the church itself. The neighborhood is also home to El Mural Que Debió Ser: the mural the painter María Izquierdo was denied by machismo, later completed by a feminist movement. Better with a guide.
Jalatlaco neighborhood, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca17. Xochimilco and its aqueduct. An 18th-century aqueduct that locals use as a wall, a door, and a bench. A neighborhood of bakeries, chocolate shops, and quiet streets ten minutes' walk from the center.
Colonial aqueduct of Xochimilco, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Viewpoints and parks
18. Cerro del Fortín and the Guelaguetza Auditorium. Best view of the city. Go during daylight when there are other people around.
Cerro del Fortín viewpoint with the Guelaguetza Auditorium, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca19. Parque El Llano. Night plan: Taquería El Padrino (crispy tripe tacos), Hamburguesas San Fé (eight salsas), and Lupita's esquites.
Parque El Llano, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca20. The General Cemetery. Unusual funerary architecture and the ruins of an abandoned chapel among the graves. On Día de Muertos it fills with candles. Come respectfully — it's a living cemetery with families, not a photo set.
☕ Was this list helpful? If this guide saves you time or money, buy us a mezcal — it keeps this project going without editorial sponsors.
Free tours worth taking
You book for free, walk with a local guide, and tip what you feel it was worth at the end. That tip is the guide's income — be generous.
The one I recommend most: Jalatlaco with Julio and Elece
Julio Escamilla and Carlos "Elece" are my friends — and that's exactly why I recommend them. There's a difference between a generic tour and walking with people who live by making art. You'll see El Mural Que Debió Ser, Subterráneos (a printmaking gallery with a political edge), and Armadillo Gráfico, among other stops.
Julio with happy visitors on the Jalatlaco free tour. Photo: courtesy
Free Tour · Jalatlaco Magic Neighborhood — murals and art studiosBook for free ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Gastronomic Free Tour · Oaxacan Food as Cultural Heritage — markets, tejate, chapulinesBook for free ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Free Tour · Street Food Walk in Jalatlaco (English only, orange flag under the tree)Book for free ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Eating: the real reason you came
The markets
Smoke corridor, Mercado 20 de Noviembre. The full ritual: choose raw meat on display (tasajo, cecina, chorizo, or tripe), order by weight, watch it grill in front of you. Tortillas from women walking between the tables; salsas and lime sold separately. Pay everyone individually, in cash. You'll leave smelling like smoke and very satisfied. Inside the same market: Los Agachados serves caldos de pancita (beef tripe soup) — not for everyone, but remarkable.
Mercado Benito Juárez. Grasshoppers, string cheese, chocolate, bread, and paste mole. Don't miss Doña Casilda — a stand with nearly a hundred years of history.
Mercado de La Merced. My favorite for actual eating. Fewer tourists. Try the chilaquiles at Fonda La Rosita (2-for-1 on Mondays).
Central de Abastos. A city within the city. On Saturdays the valley market arrives. Look for Doña Vale's tlayudas and memelas with chile morita salsa. Keep your phone out of sight.
Named places
La Frijolería — The restaurant that treats the bean as the hero it is. Dishes cooked over wood fire in giant clay pots. Ask for the five-bean tasting and order whichever one you fall for. Tinoco y Palacios 209.
Bean pots at La Frijolería, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda OaxacaBodaega — The bakery that created a line. Chef Rafael Villalobos trained in Copenhagen and works with grains from the Mixteca. Order the cheese toast and anything with salsa macha and chapulines. Arrive before opening on weekends. Hidalgo 1203.
Artisan breads at Bodaega, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda OaxacaItanoni — Tortilla restaurant defending native corn, one tortilla at a time. Tetelas, memelas, and everything made with heirloom masa. Belisario Domínguez 513.
Levadura de Olla — Chef Thalía Barrios' Sierra Sur cooking, appearing on Latin America's best restaurant lists while staying honest. Order the mole de fiesta or chichilo. García Vigil 304; closed Sunday and Monday.
La Teca — Isthmus cooking by Deyanira Aquino. Garnachas and banana-leaf tamales in a no-sign dining room. Violetas 200-A.
Istmus garnachas at La Teca, Oaxaca. Photo: La TecaLa Cocina de Humo — Chef Celia Florián's take on the Mixteca Alta. One of the few restaurants where the flavor actually explains a whole region to you. Book ahead. Miguel Hidalgo 616.
Las Quince Letras — Also by Celia Florián. Legendary mole negro and four regional moles on a rotating seasonal menu. García Vigil 615.
Tierra del Sol — Local ingredients, creative preparations that don't lose the original flavor. One of my recent discoveries. Murguía 105.
Luz de Luna — When you want to eat well without the tourist-bar noise. Contemporary Oaxacan cooking with a good mezcal selection. Pino Suárez 806.
Taking a piece of Oaxaca home? Our little shop has locally-sourced pieces — artisan goods and items we've found exploring the city. What you buy there keeps our cultural calendar free for everyone.
Cooking classes, chocolate and food tours
Food Tour · Oaxaca Gastronomy Tour — with a local chef (9am, 12pm and 6pm daily)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Cooking Class · Traditional Oaxacan Cooking Class (5 hours, small group)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Cooking Class · Oaxacan Antojitos and Salsas Class (2 h, max 6 people, accessible)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Oaxacan antojitos and salsas class. Photo: GetYourGuide
Night Food Tour · Oaxaca Street Food Night Tour — 14+ tastings and mezcalCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Vegan class · Vegan Oaxacan Mole Cooking Class (transfer included)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Chocolate class · Chocolate Making Class — seed to bar, with tastingCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Make your own chocolate in Oaxaca. Photo: GetYourGuide
Mezcal (slowly — it's not tequila)
Ground rules: 1) Sip it, don't shoot it. 2) Always ask about the agave and who made it.
The basics: Espadín is the most common cultivated agave. Tobalá, tepeztate, and madrecuixe are wild — they take many years to mature; the higher price isn't a scam. Labels say mezcal, mezcal artesanal, or mezcal ancestral — the ancestral is the most traditional.
In the city. My three trusted mezcalerías: Mezcalogía, Hijuelo, and Quiote (Xochimilco). All three actively seek out mezcals from different regions and producers. Price is moderate to high, but the experience is worth it.
Mezcal Tasting · The Best Mezcal Tasting — 6+ mezcals, cocktail included, speakeasy venueCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Artisan mezcal tasting in Oaxaca. Photo: GetYourGuide
Clandestine Bar · Mezcal Class in a Speakeasy with a Master Mezcalero (max 6 people, 18+)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Full experience · El Viaje del Mezcal — agave field, earthen oven, milling, distillation and foodCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Mezcal experience in the agave fields of Oaxaca. Photo: GetYourGuide
Not into mezcal? Craft beer
If mezcal isn't your thing, Oaxaca has a small but serious craft beer scene.
Punta Cabras — The most experimental brewery in the city. IPAs brewed with oaxacan ingredients: grasshopper, hierba santa, mole. Independencia 403.
La Santísima Flor de Lúpulo — A neighborhood brewery with a relaxed vibe. Good seasonal beers and an easy place to have a conversation.
☕ Enjoying this independent content? There are no editorial sponsors behind this guide. Buy us a mezcal if it was useful.
Day trips from Oaxaca City
Money-saving tip: archaeological zones are free on Sundays for Mexican nationals and residents with ID.
Monte Albán (8 km west)
If you only visit one archaeological site, make it this one. Founded around 500 BCE and the Zapotec capital for over a thousand years, built on a hilltop they leveled by hand with views 360° across the valley.
Hours: 8am–5pm (last entry 4pm). Entry: $210 MXN general, $105 nationals/residents; site museum included.
Getting there: Shuttles from Hotel Rivera del Ángel lobby (Mina 518) from 8:30am, ~$130 MXN round trip. Other agencies on the same street leave every 40 min. Taxi/DiDi: 25 min.
I break down every option —BinniBus, shuttles, and on foot— in my guide to getting to Monte Albán. Or, if you want Monte Albán, alebrijes, and black clay in one day, this certified guided tour handles the logistics.
Monte Albán archaeological zone, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Half Day Tour · Monte Albán Half-Day Guided Tour (4 h, 680+ reviews, 4.7★)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Tule Tree (10 km)
A 2,000-year-old ahuehuete tree with the widest trunk in the world. Local kids point out animal shapes in the bark with a little mirror. Entry $10–$20 MXN; take a colectivo from the Baseball Stadium.
Teotitlán del Valle
Wool rugs dyed with cochineal, indigo, and plants. Go into a family workshop and ask them to show you how they dye — not just the catalog.
Wool rug workshop in Teotitlán del Valle. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Tlacolula on Sundays
One of the Valleys' biggest and liveliest weekly markets: barbacoa, bread, mezcal, and entire families doing their weekly shopping. Ask before photographing people.
Sunday Tour · Tlacolula Sunday Market and Family Mezcal PalenqueCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Mitla (45 km)
Stone mosaics unlike anything else in Mesoamerica, with a colonial church built right on top. A Pueblo Mágico; colectivo from the Baseball Stadium.
Hierve el Agua (70 km)
Petrified waterfalls and mineral pools managed by the local communities. Arrive before 10am or after 3:30pm to avoid tour groups.
By yourself: colectivo to Mitla ($18–50 MXN), then a shared van to Hierve el Agua ($75/ride), plus community toll ($15–20) and entry ($50–75). Total round trip: ~$265–350 MXN per person. Note: it sometimes closes due to land disputes between communities — confirm it's open before you go.Hierve el Agua, petrified waterfalls and mineral pools, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda Oaxaca
Full Day Tour · Hierve el Agua, Mitla, Tule, Rugs & Mezcal Distillery (11 h, 4.9★)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Adventure Hike · Hike from Las Salinas to Hierve el Agua — secret trails (2 h)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Secret path to the salt flats of San Baltazar Guelavila, Oaxaca. Photo: GetYourGuide
San Bartolo Coyotepec and alebrijes (south)
In San Bartolo, they hand-burnish black clay. Wooden alebrijes (not Mexico City cardboard) are carved and painted in San Martín Tilcajete and San Antonio Arrazola.
Hand-burnished black clay artisan, San Bartolo Coyotepec. Photo: GetYourGuide
Etla Valley and the quesillo (north)
Reyes Etla is the birthplace of quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese). Watch it being hand-stretched and eat it still warm.
Tour · Reyes Etla — quesillo, museum and the castle of the gnomesCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
If you want to explore multiple villages on your own:
Taking a piece of Oaxaca home? Our little shop has artisan goods and locally-sourced items — every purchase keeps our cultural calendar free.
Nature and adventure
Pueblos Mancomunados (Sierra Norte)
Eight Zapotec villages sharing and managing their forest together. Cold, misty, and the trout tastes like a river.
Hiking Tour · Pueblos Mancomunados — hiking, trout farm, suspension bridge and ziplineCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Hiking trail in Pueblos Mancomunados, Sierra Norte of Oaxaca. Photo: GetYourGuide
Sierra Juárez and Capulálpam
Capulálpam de Méndez is one of Mexico's most awarded community tourism villages. The Sierra Juárez has cloud forests, crystal rivers, and a Zapotec history that few guides tell well. Worth more than a day trip.
Experience · Sierra Juárez and Capulálpam — nature, history and ancestral knowledgeCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Apoala: the canyon worth two days
Apoala deserves more than a day. No signal — ideal for genuinely disconnecting. The two-day route covers 12 km through oak forest, swimming pools, the Cola de Serpiente waterfall, the Cave of the Devil, and palm weaving with a local family.
2-Day Adventure · Apoala Canyon Hiking Route — 2 days, pools and waterfalls (intermediate level)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Apoala Canyon, Mixteca of Oaxaca. Photo: GetYourGuide
Calendar: events not to miss
Date
What
Where
Mon Oct 12, 2026
Tule Tree Festival
Santa María del Tule
Oct 31 – Nov 2
Día de Muertos: processions, altars, cemeteries
Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilco, Xoxocotlán
Nov 6–8
1st Oaxaca Jazz Festival
Oaxaca City
Dec 23
Noche de Rábanos (carved radishes)
Zócalo — arrive early
Mar 5, 2027 (est.)
Día de la Samaritana — free drinks in streets
City Center
Mar 21–28, 2027 (est.)
Holy Week
City and villages
Jul 19 & 26, 2027 (est.)
Guelaguetza, Lunes del Cerro
Guelaguetza Auditorium
July 2027
International Mezcal Fair
Oaxaca City
Weekly markets in the Central Valleys
Day
Village
What to look for
Wednesday
Etla
Quesillo, bread, and barbacoa
Thursday
Zaachila
Barbacoa de chivo, ice cream, and marimba
Friday
Ocotlán de Morelos
Huipiles, black clay, and flowers
Saturday
Central de Abastos
Valley tianguis and Doña Vale's memelas
Sunday
Tlacolula
Barbacoa, mezcal, and bread — the biggest and liveliest
If you're visiting for Día de Muertos: processions are open and free — join them. Cemeteries are family spaces: ask before taking photos, don't step on offerings, and don't show up in face paint to someone else's vigil.
Day of the Dead Tour · Día de Muertos Cemetery Tour (7 h, food included)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Nightlife and making friends
Oaxaca at night is more about calendas, mezcal, and live music than nightclubs.
Calendas. If you hear a brass band and fireworks, follow them. These neighborhood street processions have giant puppets (monos de calenda) and almost always pull you into the dancing.
LudiTalk — the language exchange I organize. Wednesdays at Océano (Matamoros 201): 6pm languages, 9pm open mic with poetry, jam, karaoke, and stand-up. Thursdays at Wombat (Mártires de Tacubaya 517): 6pm languages, 9pm karaoke. There are always locals who want to practice English — it's the easiest way to step outside the tourist bubble. Read our guide to making friends in Oaxaca.
Dancing. Bar La Tentación fills with locals who actually know how to dance. Salón Alcalá has Latin rhythm classes. The Thursday salsa nights at Txalaparta get good after 11pm.
With kids
▸Chocolate workshop for children — they grind and make their own chocolate. The activity genuinely designed for them.
▸The Tule Tree — local kids show them animal shapes in the bark with a little mirror. Quick and cheap.
▸Painting alebrijes — workshops in San Martín Tilcajete and Arrazola.
▸The photo floor at Casa de la Ciudad — walk across an aerial map of the city.
▸Monte Albán early — open space to run, but steep stairs and no shade.
▸Calendas and Noche de Rábanos — a festival that blows kids' minds.
For kids · Oaxaca Chocolate-Making Experience for ChildrenCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
If you continue to the coast
Since February 2024, the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla highway cut the drive to Puerto Escondido to about 3 hours (it used to take more than 6 through the mountains).
Experience · Puerto Escondido — Sea Turtle Release at Sunset (2 h, 4.6★)Check availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Coral Beach in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca. Photo: Qué Onda OaxacaLaguna de Manialtepec and bioluminescence. 12 km from Puerto Escondido, a lagoon where marine plankton glows in the water at night. One of the most unique experiences you can have in Oaxaca.
Experience · Bioluminescence at Laguna de ManialtepecCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Huatulco. Nine bays declared a national marine park. Calmer than Puerto Escondido, better for diving and snorkeling.
Tour · Huatulco Tours — bays and national parkCheck availability ↗Affiliate link · no extra cost for you
Sample itineraries: 1 to 5 days
Day
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
1
Santo Domingo + Ethnobotanical Garden
Smoke corridor + Jalatlaco free tour
Walkway, nieves at La Soledad, a mezcal
2
[Monte Albán early](/guias/como-llegar-a-monte-alban?lang=en) (shuttle or tour)
Tamayo or Textile Museum + Xochimilco
Street food night tour, or LudiTalk (Wed/Thu)
3
Full east circuit: Tule, Teotitlán, Hierve el Agua, Mitla, mezcal
(continues)
Rest — you'll need it
4
Cooking class, salsas, or vegan mole
La Merced or Benito Juárez at a leisurely pace
Calenda or live music
5
Etla Valley (quesillo) or San Bartolo + alebrijes
Artisan shopping with what you've now learned
Farewell tlayuda off a comal
☕ Did this guide help you? I wrote it from Atzompa, without editorial sponsors, so no one misses out on the best of Oaxaca. Buy me a mezcal if it was useful.
Taking Oaxaca home with you? Our little shop has locally-sourced artisan pieces — what you buy there funds this guide and keeps the cultural calendar free.
✦
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need to see Oaxaca?
At minimum three: one for the city, one for Monte Albán, one for the east circuit (Tule, Mitla, Hierve el Agua). With five you can fit in a cooking class and another village. A full week is when you start to actually understand it.
What can I do for free in Oaxaca?
Walk Jalatlaco and Xochimilco, enter Santo Domingo, visit the free museums (MUFI, Textile Museum, San Pablo, IAGO, CFMAB), watch the Día de Muertos processions and the Noche de Rábanos, and take a free tour — just leave a fair tip. Archaeological zones are free on Sundays for Mexican nationals and residents.
How high above sea level is Oaxaca City?
About 1,550 meters (5,085 feet). The sun hits hard even when the air feels cool: hat, sunscreen, and water.
How do I get from the airport to the city center?
Only authorized taxis and shared airport vans can pick you up at arrivals — DiDi doesn't enter the terminal. The trip takes 20–30 minutes. See our Oaxaca transport guide for full details.
How much does Monte Albán cost in 2026?
$210 MXN general, $105 for Mexican nationals and residents; site museum included. Open 8am–5pm (last entry 4pm). Free on Sundays for Mexican nationals and residents with ID.
How do I get to Monte Albán?
Most convenient: shuttles from Hotel Rivera del Ángel (Mina 518) from 8:30am, ~$130 MXN round trip. Taxi or DiDi is 25 minutes. Walking is 9 km uphill and there have been robbery reports on the path — not recommended solo.
Take a colectivo to Mitla from the Baseball Stadium, then a shared van from Mitla to Hierve el Agua ($75/ride). Add the community toll and entry fee. Confirm it's open before going — it sometimes closes due to inter-community conflicts.
Are there beaches near Oaxaca?
The city is in the valleys, not on the coast. Puerto Escondido is about 3 hours by car on the highway; Huatulco and Mazunte also pair well with a city stay.
What is the best time to visit Oaxaca?
October through April is the dry season. October, February, and March are the sweet spot for weather and crowds. Día de Muertos and Guelaguetza are spectacular but require booking well in advance.
When is Guelaguetza 2027?
The Lunes del Cerro fall on the two Mondays after July 16th — in 2027, that's July 19th and 26th. The program and ticket sales are announced a few weeks before.
Is Oaxaca safe for tourists?
The city center and main tourist areas are generally safe with normal urban precautions. What does happen regularly are road blockades and marches — check local news before heading out to the villages. Read our safety guide for travelers in Oaxaca.
What must I eat in Oaxaca?
Tlayuda, mole negro, coloradito, memelas, amarillo empanada, smoke-corridor tasajo, quesillo, chapulines, tejate, and pan de yema with hot chocolate. And a nieve de leche quemada con tuna outside La Soledad.
What should I do in Oaxaca at night?
Follow a calenda, eat at Parque El Llano, visit a mezcalería, or go dancing. If you want to meet people, try LudiTalk on Wednesdays or Thursdays.
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Oaxaca doesn't end in one trip — and that's fine. Whatever you didn't get to see is the perfect excuse to come back.
One thing I'd ask in return for this guide: travel slowly, buy directly from the people who make things, ask before you photograph, and tip your guide well.
For what's happening this week, search "Qué Onda Oaxaca" — that's where the calendar lives. And if you spot an outdated price or schedule, write to us and we'll fix it.
See you in the smoke corridor. I'm the one ordering double tasajo.
