Things to do in Oaxaca City
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Oaxaca City
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best all round, Día de Muertos, rains ending and green landscape.
Dry, warm, jacarandas and fewer crowds.
Dry season, warm days and cool nights, bring a jacket Nov to Feb.
Rainy season with afternoon downpours, green valleys and mushroom season.
Hottest, driest and least beautiful month, still fine for food.
Heaviest rain and most road disruption apart from Independence Day.
What's on
- Día de Muertos 31 Oct-2 Nov
Ofrendas, comparsas and cemetery vigils in Xoxocotlán and San Miguel, book a year ahead.
- Guelaguetza the two Mondays after 16 July
Eight regions bring dances and gifts to the Cerro del Fortín auditorium, month of events.
- Semana Santa March/April
Solemn processions including the Friday Silence procession in Centro.
- Noche de Rábanos 23 Dec
Night of the Radishes carving competition in the Zócalo, arrive early.
- Cuajimoloyas Mushroom Festival July-August
Wild mushroom festival in the Sierra Norte village of Cuajimoloyas in rainy season.
- Independence Day 16 Sep
Lively celebrations in the Zócalo during otherwise heavy rainy season.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Oaxaca City
Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
Oaxaca defining Baroque church with a gilded carved interior next to the main museum.
Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Essential context museum with Zapotec and Mixtec galleries and the Tomb 7 treasure from Monte Albán.
Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca
Guided only walled garden of native Oaxacan plants linking food, medicine, dyes and ritual.
Monte Albán
Zapotec capital on a flattened mountaintop with plaza, ball court, observatory and valley views.
Mercado Benito Juárez
City block market for mole pastes, quesillo, chapulines, chocolate, mezcal and tejate.
Mercado 20 de Noviembre
Eating market of fondas serving mole negro, tlayudas and tamales south of the Zócalo.
Pasillo de Humo
Smoke aisle where tasajo, cecina and chorizo are grilled to order for tacos at communal tables.
Plaza de la Constitución
The Zócalo arcades and street life anchor a walk through the UNESCO listed colonial centre.
Where to stay in Oaxaca City
Centro Histórico
first trip, all-round base
North Centro near Santo Domingo is quieter, prettiest and closest to top restaurants and museums.
Barrio de Jalatlaco
repeat visitors, couples, photographers
Cobbled mural covered barrio with cafes, village feel and quieter nights than Centro.
Barrio de Xochimilco
quiet and character
Oldest barrio by the aqueduct with textile workshops and a calm residential feel uphill from Centro.
Reforma
longer stays, drivers, value
More local and modern with larger hotels, easier parking and lower prices north east of Centro.
San Felipe del Agua
long stays with a car
Leafy northern suburb with spacious houses and B&Bs, lovely for a month but isolating short stays.
Think twice about
- Central de Abastos and Periférico
Persistent pickpocketing and robbery warnings around the wholesale market, unwalkable and unappealing at night.
- Santa Rosa
Flagged in local safety roundups for higher crime and no visitor infrastructure.
- Vicente Guerrero
Flagged in local safety roundups for higher crime and no visitor infrastructure.
- La Paz and Loma Bonita
Far Periférico periphery flagged for higher crime, cheap listings there are cheap for a reason.
Best restaurants in Oaxaca City
Levadura de Olla
Starred heritage cooking by Thalia Barrios Garcia, famous for its native tomato plate.
Los Danzantes Oaxaca
Starred table and Green Star courtyard restaurant, order the mole sampler first time.
Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante
Alejandro Ruiz flagship facing Santo Domingo, book the rooftop at sunset for the view.
Criollo
Olvera and Arellano six course tasting lab with daily changing Oaxacan menu and top brunch.
Alfonsina
Great-value family house lunch by Jorge León and his mother, exquisite corn based simplicity.
Las Quince Letras
Beloved traditional great-value restaurant, try the mole trilogy and almond mole estofado.
Ancestral Cocina Tradicional
Garden kitchen preserving smoke and clay cooking, known for mole and caldo de piedra.
La Cocina de Humo
Deliberately rustic wood fire tasting experience built around smoke in Centro.
Best bars in Oaxaca City
Sabina Sabe
Mezcal focused bar among North America's best bars with superb cocktails and small plates.
Selva Oaxaca Cocktail Bar
Polished botanical rooftop cocktail bar above the Alcalá for a nightcap.
Best coffee in Oaxaca City
Boulenc
Sourdough bakery cafe for molletes and shakshuka, the city best bread and weekend queues.
Pan con Madre
Artisan bakery alternative listed among the city best for a break from mole.
Outdoor things to do in Oaxaca City
Ex-Convento de Cuilápam de Guerrero
Vast unfinished Dominican monastery where independence hero Vicente Guerrero was executed in 1831.
Taller de Barro Negro Doña Rosa
Family workshop credited with the polished black finish for barro negro pottery in the 1950s.
Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca
State folk art museum in the barro negro village, pairing well with workshop visits.
Taller Jacobo & María Ángeles
Internationally collected alebrije studio showing copal carving and natural pigment painting.
Árbol del Tule
Montezuma cypress over 2000 years old with one of the widest trunks on earth.
Teotitlán del Valle
Zapotec weaving village for pedal loom tapetes dyed with cochineal, indigo and marigold.
Zona Arqueológica de Mitla
Intimate Zapotec Mixtec palaces with stone mosaic fretwork and painted tombs you can enter.
Hierve el Agua
Petrified waterfall formations and clifftop mineral pools with vast valley views.
Best hotels in Oaxaca City
Quinta Real Oaxaca
Former 16th century convent with cloisters, courtyards and pool steps from Santo Domingo.
Casa Oaxaca
Chef Alejandro Ruiz boutique hotel with calm rooms, rooftop, pool and excellent restaurant.
Pug Seal Oaxaca
Design forward mansion boutique with maximalist Mexican art, 20 suites and breakfast included.
Otro Oaxaca
Understated new design boutique near Santo Domingo with spa and underground pool.
Casa Antonieta
Serene courtyard boutique in Centro, a couples favourite in local hotel roundups.
Hotel Sin Nombre
Adults leaning design boutique in Centro with a rooftop, small and book early.
El Callejón Hotel Boutique
Spacious contemporary suites with private patios in the quiet Xochimilco barrio.
Grana B&B
Beloved small Centro bed and breakfast with few rooms, book far ahead.
Is Oaxaca City expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MX$900 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MX$1,950 a person |
| Splurge | MX$4,200 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca: a few days ahead
- Casa Crespo Cooking Class: a few days ahead
- Seasons of My Heart Cooking School: weeks ahead
- Minerva López Cooking Class: a few days ahead
- Mezcaloteca: a few days ahead
- Taller Jacobo & María Ángeles: a few days ahead
- Hierve el Agua: a few days ahead
- Santiago Matatlán: a few days ahead
- Festival hotels need 6 to 12 months. Levadura, Los Danzantes, Criollo and Alfonsina need 2 to 4 weeks in season. Mezcaloteca needs days.
Is Oaxaca City safe?
- Bag in front in markets, official taxis at night, Cerro del Fortín in daylight with company, and route around demonstrations and bloqueos. Emergency 911.
Oaxaca City travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Five stops in one day Hierve mega tours, mezcal crema pushes, acrylic rugs sold as natural dye wool, and full dinners on the Zócalo portales.
Getting around Oaxaca City: public transport and more
- Walk Centro, Jalatlaco and Xochimilco. No Uber operates, use yellow sitio taxis, DiDi for taxis if available, and colectivos for villages.
Who Oaxaca City suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Great |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Great |
Make Oaxaca City your trip
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