Gathering the gems worth your time…
Destination guide
Oaxaca
Mexico
Oaxaca (officially Oaxaca de Juárez, pronounced Wa-HAH-ka) is the colorful, delicious, and culturally-rich capital of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Its historical city center, along with the archeological ruins of Monte Albán overlooking it, is a .
Introduction quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
At a glance
- Best time to go
- October–January and July–August
- Getting around
- Bus · Taxi · Orientation
- Vetted picks
- 28 places to see, do, eat, and stay
- Real coverage
- 15 vetted creator sources
AI insights
AI-written from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and the video stats on this page
When visiting the Jardín Etnobotánico, remember that entry is restricted to guided tours only, which are capped at 30 participants and do not accept advance reservations.
For the most authentic meat experience at Mercado 20 de Noviembre, head directly to the Pasillo de Humo on the east side, where you select raw meat from vendors to be grilled for you on the spot.
Do not expect the Zócalo to always be a quiet space for a stroll; it is a frequent site for long-term political protests and tent encampments, so observe the current state of the square before planning your afternoon.
When taking a taxi, clarify the fare with the driver before you depart to ensure you have reached an agreement on the price for your trip.
Prioritize visiting traditional markets like Mercado de la Merced over main tourist centers for specialized local dishes like memelas and huitlacoche, keeping in mind that the most popular stalls often have very limited seating.
How these 28 picks are sourced
6 of 28 are named by a second, independent source — Lonely Planet, Eater and Eat See TV, and 1 other — and each card names its own. The remaining 22 rest on the reference article alone: we list them because Wikivoyage or Wikipedia documents them, not because anyone else vouched for them. We also watched 15 creator videos, 5 of them from local channels rather than visiting ones. 23 of the 28 descriptions are quoted word for word from Wikivoyage under CC BY-SA rather than written by us, as is the introduction above — each of those cards says so. What we add is the checking, the corroboration above, and the choice of which places are worth your time at all.What we can't promise is that it's still true. Venues close, hours and prices change, and we don't re-check them — a place here closed for good and sat on this page for a year before anyone noticed. The insights are AI-written from these sources and can be wrong too. Confirm anything you'd be sorry to be wrong about before you set out. Terms.
Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
OAXACA GUÍA 2025 🔴 qué hacer, visitar y comer en 2 días ► TOUR GASTRONÓMICO COMPLETO
Sin Postal · 441K viewsLocales
Street Food in Oaxaca - CHEESE CORN CHAMPION and Mexican Meat Alley Tour in Mexico!
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OAXACA de Juárez en 4 días: guía de viaje completa 🇲🇽🫔🌽
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Oaxacan Mole Negro - THE MOST MYSTERIOUS Mexican Food in Oaxaca Village, Mexico!
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Qué hacer en OAXACA: Guía completa con atracciones, museos y dónde comer
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Oaxaca Travel Guide | Everything you need to know about the Food Capital of Mexico
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4 Days in Oaxaca: The BEST City in Mexico! (Travel Guide)
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Downtown Huatulco FOOD Tour (Tlayuda de MOLE!?)
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MEXICAN STREET FOOD in Oaxaca, Mexico | Street side TLAYUDAS + in the KITCHEN for MOLE
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![OAXACA CITY TRAVEL GUIDE 2022 [Things to Do in Oaxaca!]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-NNMQOGsGRc/hqdefault.jpg)
OAXACA CITY TRAVEL GUIDE 2022 [Things to Do in Oaxaca!]
Travis Grossi · 11K views
Best time to go
Best window: October–January and July–August
Kind weather all year — there is no month to avoid.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
IdealGoodOkayOff-season
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By bus
You can get a good bus map for M$40 at the Oaxacan Lending Library. Colectivos (shared buses) to the outer villages leave from hubs near Mercado de Abastos and Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos baseball stadium.
By taxi
There are plenty of taxis found in the Centro Histórico, including a taxi rank near the Zocalo. Make sure to settle on a price before heading off to your destination.
Orientation
The Spanish laid out a colonial town in the present grid pattern in the 16th century. Later development hasn't touched it much since the 1800s, so today it makes for a charming old-time Centro Histórico (Historic Center).
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check. Single source means the opposite, said plainly: the reference article lists it and nothing else we checked does.
Monte Albán
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 1 other
Stopped here on camera: Eat See TV
A Zapotec archaeological site atop a leveled mountaintop overlooking the Oaxaca valley.
Vetted sources
Jardín Etnobotánico
Worth itAlso recommended by Israel Plata
Stopped here on camera: Israel Plata
corner of Constitución, Centro· Expensive
A former army base, converted to a large botanical garden in 1993.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
A gilded Baroque church and former monastery, now also home to the city's cultural museum.
Vetted sources
Museo Textil de Oaxaca
Single sourceCentro· Free
An 18th century mansion (restored in 2007) with exhibits featuring the designs, techniques and creative processes used for the production of Oaxacan textiles. In addition, the museum regularly runs conferences and workshops.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Casa de Benito Juarez
Single sourceCentro· Pricey
Historic childhood home of former Mexican President Benito Juarez. It's an unassuming home fitting for a man of humble roots.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Templo de Santo Domingo
Single sourceStopped here on camera: Eat See TV, Israel Plata
corner of Alcalá and Gurrión· Free
A spectacular church built from 1570-1608, with subsequent Baroque renovations.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Catedral Metropolitana
Single sourcenext to the Zocalo
Oaxaca's largest church dates from 1533 and is known for its unique interpretation of baroque style architecture.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Zócalo
Single sourceCatch a street act, watch a clown entertain children, buy a souvenir or just people watch from a sidewalk cafe as time passes by. Dozens of vendors have set up booths around the square.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
What to do
Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos
Single sourceDe Los Derechos Humanos· Moderate
Oaxaca has a popular and successful baseball team, the Guerreros, who play from late March through late August in a modern, well maintained stadium. Good concessions at reasonable prices.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
MOC Adventures
Single sourceProvides small week-long tours during Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Hoofing It In Oaxaca
Single sourceOrganizes regular hikes, both day and the occasional overnight, to various locations around Oaxaca and also into the Sierra Norte.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Guelaguetza festival
Single sourceThe Guelaguetza highlights the traditional practices of the various indigeneous cultures from the state of Oaxaca. The main days are the Mondays following July 16 (Feast Day of Saint Carmen).
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Día de Muertos
Single sourceA Mexican holiday that traditionally takes place in candle-lit city cemeteries, but today takes place in front of almost every church in the historic city center.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Benito Juarez National Park
Single source· Moderate
Large natural park with hiking trails, zip lines, and great opportunities for bird watchers.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
What to eat
Los Danzantes Oaxaca
Worth itAlso recommended by Eater
Contemporary Oaxacan cooking built around the region's seven moles.
Vetted sources
Criollo
Worth itAlso recommended by Eater
Chef Enrique Olvera's Oaxaca outpost applying Pujol-style technique to local Oaxacan ingredients.
Vetted sources
Mercado 20 de Noviembre
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
Stopped here on camera: Israel Plata
A market hall famous for its smoke-filled 'Pasillo de Humo' grilled-meat alley.
Vetted sources
Las Quince Letras
Single sourceCalle de Mariano Abasolo 300
Offers a wide selection of moles, including three-mole combination plates and varieties not easily found elsewhere.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Boulenc
Single sourceC. Porfirio Díaz 207
Should you tire of the traditional Oaxacan fare and desire something more familiar, this is the place to go.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Mercado de la Merced
Single sourcebetween Av Morelos and Calle Murguía
There are several excellent eateries in this traditional market.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Basílica de la Soledad Plaza
Single sourceThe plaza in front of this church is filled with stores selling nieves (snows), frozen sorbets flavored with any number of fruits.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Cabuche
Single sourceMiguel Hildalgo 1017
A pleasant little restaurant with fresh-tasting Oaxacan cuisine and an understanding of vegetarian/vegan requirements.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Where to stay
Casa Angel Youth Hostel
Single source4 blocks from Santo Domingo Church
Casa Angel is a stylish backpackers hostel in a restored downtown house. It offers inexpensive and stylish accommodations for their guests in 3, 4, and 10 bed dorm rooms.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Oaxaca Campground
Single source18 km from Centro· Expensive
The campground is gated and safe with level campsites, clean restrooms and hot showers.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Casa Arnel
Single sourceJalatlaco, 3/4 mile from the Zocalo, near the 1st class bus station· Expensive
Run by great family. Lots of parrots in a wonderful garden. Nice terrace overlooking the San Matias church. Breakfast in common area (extra).
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Hotel Eclipse
Single sourceAbout 3 blocks W of zocalo· Expensive
Shares a wall with an identical hotel. Shared baths. Some rates by the hour, to give you an idea of how budget it is. Not clean at all!.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Hostal Central
Single sourcewest of Centro
A highly-rated hostel renowned for its incredible breakfasts and customer service. Offers basic and premium dormitories as well as private rooms. Not a party hostel, but certainly a social hostel.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
La Villada Inn Hostel
Single sourceEjido Guadalupe Victoria, 15 min taxi ride from the Zocalo· Expensive
A family-run property, a well done eco-construction, relaxing environment and a great view of the surrounding mountain ranges with large swimming pool.
Description quoted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA
Vetted sources
Build your day
Pick the places you want in Oaxaca, Mexico and we will put them on a map in an order that does not cross the city twice.
Where to next
Nearby cities in Mexico we’ve vetted too.
Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.