Oaxaca de Juarez, also known as Oaxaca City, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The city’s vibrant culture, rich history and delicious local food make it the ideal destination for travelers craving a well rounded getaway. Walking through the city you’ll find colorful streets packed with unique museums, delicious restaurants and unparalleled shopping experiences. After spending 8 days exploring this one of a kind city, I’ve rounded up my travel guide for the area, exploring Oaxaca City: Your Ultimate Travel Guide for Culture and Cuisine. You can also check out my Oaxaca City Guide to the Best Eats for specific food and restaurant recommendations.
The Best Time to Visit Oaxaca City:
Oaxaca’s dry season runs from October through April so this is the best time to visit to take advantage of the city’s beautiful weather. During this time the temperature ranges from 82° F during the day to 51° at night. We visited in late December and experienced ideal weather with radiant sunshine all day, everyday.
How to Get to Oaxaca City:
The best way to get to Oaxaca City is by plane. From the US, there are direct flights from Dallas, Houston and LA. If you’re traveling within Mexico, there are direct flights from most major Mexican cities though they can be a bit expensive. There is also the option to take a bus, which is what we did. ADO, one of the largest Mexican bus companies, operates daily buses from Mexico City to Oaxaca City, which take about 7 hours. Their more luxurious buses, ADO GL, are only $50 per person and offer a MUCH more comfortable experience. We opted for this given the long travel time and found that it was well worth it! You can book through the ADO website or through Busbud.
What to Do and See in Oaxaca City:
Get a taste of the local food culture at Mercado 20 de Noviembre.
Visiting the Mercado 20 de Noviembre is an experience that one must partake in when visiting Oaxaca. In this one block long building, you’ll find an endless amount of food stalls where you can try any number of Oaxacan food specialties. One of the most unique areas of the Mercado is what they refer to as ‘smoke alley’. There you’ll find vendors offering a variety meat that they’ll BBQ/smoke for you on the spot and then serve alongside a selection of sides and of course, tortillas.
Venture to Monte Alban.
Speaking of Monte Alban, you absolutely must take a trip here while visiting Oaxaca. Just a 20 minute drive from Centro, Monte Alban is an archeological site that was once inhabited by the Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs. It has been well preserved over time so you’re still able to see a number of the massive plazas, pyramids, passageways and tombs that were built thousands of years ago. We used Lescas Co Tours shared shuttle service to get to Monte Alban from Centro (and back) and chose to tour the space on our own rather than booking an all inclusive tour.
Shop for local goods at the Mercado Benito Juarez.
Whether you’re looking to browse through handmade textiles and local goods, shop for your dinner supplies or just simply grab a quick bite to eat, Mercado Benito Juarez is just the place to do it. You’ll find locals and travelers alike roaming through the many stalls packed in this block-long building. We spent many an afternoon looking through the local mezcal options, contemplating a chapulines (grasshoppers) tasting and marveling at the artisans hand-making their crafts. Open daily, there’s rarely a time that you won’t find it packed with people so it’s best to embrace the chaos.
Wander through the colorful streets of Jalatlaco.
A quaint barrio (neighborhood) just a few minutes walk from Centro, Jalatlaco is full of design-centric coffee shops, boutique hotels and endless street art. In the center you’ll find the beautiful Templo san Matias of Jalatlaco. I recommend spending a morning or afternoon wandering through the neighborhood.
Pop into the many small museums scattered throughout the city.
One of the things that I personally love about Oaxaca City is the number of small, unique museums that are scattered throughout Centro. Each offers something different and the great part is that most are free. A few that I recommend visiting are:
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca
- Oaxaca Graphic Arts Institute
- Centro Cultural San Pablo
Take a day trip to visit the mezcal manufacturers in neighboring Santiago Matatlán.
The state of Oaxaca, and Santiago Matatlán more specifically, is known as the capital of mezcal. If you’re not familiar with mezcal, it’s a type of liquor made from agave plants. You may be more familiar with tequila, which is actually a type of mezcal. But, while tequila can only be made from one type of agave plant, mezcal can be made from any type of agave plant. And Oaxaca is full of agave.
While visiting Oaxaca, I would highly recommend joining a tour or hiring a private car to take you to a few of the mezcal manufacturers in the area. We booked a tour, Las Bugambilias Tour, which took us to 4 different mezcal tasting locations, gave us a tour of the agave fields, and an explanation on the production process. Lunch was also included, although it wasn’t our favorite, but despite that fact we really enjoyed the tour. We found that we were able to visit some of the more under-the-radar manufacturers, giving you the ability to try more artisanal mezcals rather than the commercial ones you often see in stores. We even took a bottle home because we enjoyed the tastings so much! The tour was on the pricier side ($140 per person), but overall it was a great experience. That being said, if you have a larger group of people with you and can organize a private car, I would definitely recommend coordinating your own tour.
Spend a day visiting Oaxaca City’s mezcal tasting rooms.
If you’re unable to dedicate a full day to a mezcal tour in Santiago Matatlán, you can easily visit the many mezcal tasting rooms located throughout Oaxaca city. A few that I’d recommend include Mezcalería In Situ, Cortijo La Mezcaleria, La Mezcalerita, Tres Hermanas Bar and Smoke Shop and Mezcalería Mono de Calenda.
Visit the Zócalo, aka the Plaza de la Constitucion.
Known as Oaxaca’s main square, the Zócalo is a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. Here you’ll find tree lined squares with benches, cafes and restaurants, historic buildings and souvenir stands. This is the heart of the city so its often where the city’s festivals and main events are held.
Brush up on your Oaxacan history at the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca Santo Domingo.
Located in the monastery buildings attached to the Templo de Santo Domingo, this museum is full of Oaxacan history that extends up to the present day. One of its highlights is the room full of artifacts found in Tomb 7 at Monte Alban. But, the museum artifacts aren’t the only attraction, the building itself is also quite impressive. One thing to note is that while some of the museum has English displays, most are in Spanish so be sure to have your translation tools on hand!
Marvel at the interior and exterior of the Templo de Santo Domingo.
The Templo de Santo Domingo is at the heart of Oaxaca City. Both the exterior and interior of this former convent and present day church is decked out in baroque design, with gold as far as the eye can see. The church is free to enter so I highly recommend paying it a visit.
Visit the Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca.
The Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca is one of the main attractions in Oaxaca City, although we didn’t have the chance to visit given its entrance restrictions. Unfortunately, you’re only able to enter the Jardin Etnobotanico through an organized tour. These roughly 60 minute tours are only offered a few times a day in Spanish and once in English at 11am, so you need to arrive early to get a spot as this often fills up. There is also a fee of $100 Mexican Pesos per person to enter.
If you find that you’re not able to make it to one of the tours, I highly recommend visiting the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca Santo Domingo which has beautiful open air views of the Jardin Etnobotanico.
Dine at one of the many delicious restaurants and eateries in Oaxaca City.
I cannot express enough how delicious and unique the food in Oaxaca is. Whether you’re dining at a high end restaurant or frequenting a local establishment, you’re sure to be wowed by the many flavors and unique ingredients found in the food. A few of our favorite restaurants included Boulenc, Levadura de Olla, La Popular, La Cosecha Organic Market and Onno Loncheria. Check out my post on Oaxaca City Guide to the Best Eats for detailed food & drink recommendations.
Experience a local festival.
If you have the chance to plan your trip around one of Oaxaca’s annual festivals, I highly recommend it. We were lucky enough to be there during Noche de los Rábanos, or Night of the Radishes and it was one of the coolest things that we’ve seen in a long time. Although the official event occurs the night of December 23rd, the night before the city held a parade and then the festivities ran all day and well into the night the next day. It was such a unique experience to get an intimate look at another culture and their traditions that are so different from ours.
Visit the neighborhood of Xochimilco.
Xochimilco is Oaxaca’s oldest neighborhood. Just a few minutes walking from Centro, you’ll find the heart of Xochimilco which is lined with colorful, mural filled walls and historical buildings. The area has a more residential feel so its much quieter than Centro, but you’ll still find a number of locally run cafes, restaurants and shops that are definitely worth venturing out for.
Indulge in traditional Oaxacan food.
Oaxaca is home to a number of Indigenous groups who call the neighboring rural villages home. By keeping with ancient traditions, much of the food in Oaxaca hasn’t been influenced by other cultures and has stayed largely the same, setting it apart from the rest of Mexican cuisine. A few dishes that you must try while you’re there are tlayudas, mole, chocolate, pulque, memelas, tetelas and tamales.
Enjoy the views at one of the rooftop bars and restaurants.
Oaxaca’s rooftop bars and restaurants are a great place to take in the beautiful views of the city and the mountains beyond.
Browse through the many artisanal shops.
There is no shortage of artisanal shops in Oaxaca City and each one is so unique. I highly recommend spending some time wandering through them and looking at the local goods. A few that I recommend are:
- Abarrote de Diseño
- Cooperativa 1050
- Patrona
- Mercado Benito Juarez
Oaxaca City is a truly incredible and unique place that I highly recommend adding to your travels this year. Whether you enjoy indulging in local food, rich culture or beautiful scenery, this is the place for you. If you liked this travel guide, you can find more of my Mexico travel content here.
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