7 Unforgettable Days in Oaxaca

Welcome to our 7-day dive into festive and DELICIOUS Oaxaca de Juárez!

Per capita, I am hard-pressed to think of a destination more rich in culinary bounty just a short walk from its lovely city center. If you speak food, you belong here.

We fell in love with Oaxaca de Juárez instantly. It’s one of those special places that just clicked with us, and we spent much of our visit fantasizing about what it would be like to move there. From that first bite of a tamale con mole, Oaxaca hooks you – on the city’s food scene, history, and vibe. Picture a city (that, at times, feels more like a town) surrounded by rugged mountains, bursting with history, color, and some of the best overflow-your-table cuisine you’ll ever have.

Its deep Indigenous roots—Zapotec and Mixtec people have lived here for thousands of years—are messily layered with the history of Aztec and Spanish conquests. You can see the city’s past on full display at the ancient ruins of Monte Albán (a UNESCO site) and Mitla.

The streets are lined with bright, colorful buildings, rooftop bars with great views, cobblestone alleys covered in street art, and stunning churches. Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s top foodie destinations. The best stuff is often on the street or in the markets (think smoky haze and grilled carne asada at 20 de Noviembre Market or tamales at Mercado de la Merced) but you’ll find no shortage of bold, modern restaurants by Oaxacan chefs spinning new takes on traditional flavors (you’ll hear that phrase a lot!).

Oaxaca is also the heart of mezcal production, so you don’t have to go far to find a good mezcal bar. You can also venture a few hours to Santiago Matatlán, aka mezcal country, where every corner has a mezcalería. Prepare to get smoky and weird!

Oaxaca is also totally baby-and-kid-friendly (though by no means stroller-friendly!); people love kids here! If you have kiddos, you might find yourself eating more memelas and drinking less mezcal, but there’s still plenty to keep you well-fed and well-entertained with little ones in tow.

Here's our full 7-day itinerary for an amazing week in Oaxaca de Juárez and the surrounding areas. We suggest basing yourself in the city and doing day trips, though you can certainly spend a night or two in any of the surrounding areas. We found that there was so much to do just steps from the historic city center, we were grateful to have the whole week! If you don't have as much time, or you're heading to the coast next, check out our condensed-but-awesome 3-day Flash Trip guide!

And don't forget to check out our “eating your way through Oaxaca” guide for all things food and our favorite restaurants in the city!

7-DAY OAXACA ITINERARY – QUICK PEEK

Day 1: Landing and Getting Settled

Day 2: Explore Oaxaca City

Day 3: Cooking Class or Tree of Tule

Day 4: Monte Alban

Day 5: Herve del Agua and Mitla

Day 6: Continue Exploring Oaxaca City

Day 7: Head Home (and start planning your next trip!) 

When to Go to Oaxaca City

As we often say at WS&T, there's no bad time to travel. Each season in Oaxaca offers something unique.

October–March: High Season

This is the most popular time to visit, with cooler, dry weather and clear skies. Mornings and evenings are crisp, and days are pleasantly warm. Major festivals like Day of the Dead and Christmas make this a magical (but busier) time of year. Expect more tourists and higher prices.

April–May: Shoulder Season

The hottest and driest months of the year. While it’s not the most scenic time (landscapes are parched), it’s great for travelers looking to avoid crowds and enjoy lower prices. Bonus: April’s Traditional Chefs Festival is a must for foodies!

June–October: Rainy Season

Don’t let the rain scare you—showers usually come in the afternoon, leaving mornings free to explore. Everything turns lush and green, and aside from July’s Guelaguetza Festival, it’s generally less crowded. Just pack an umbrella and stay flexible with your plans.

Now let's get into the itinerary!

Day 1: Arrive In Oaxaca City

Welcome to Oaxaca!

Let the adventure begin!

Getting to Oaxaca

You’ll most likely change planes in Mexico City, hopping on another flight for the last hour to Oaxaca de Juárez. You’ll land at Oaxaca’s Aeropuerto Internacional Xoxocotlán, located a brisk 7km outside the city. It's a cute airport and they've made safe transport to the city efficient.

Getting Cash:

• Money: We grab some Mexican Pesos from an airport ATM (best rates) or use the currency exchange counter if we’ve brought cash.

Getting to Your Hotel:

The trip from the airport to the city center will take about 18-25 minutes, depending on time of day.

• Taxi: When you emerge into the arrivals hall, you’ll find a taxi kiosk located right next to the rental car booths. Prices are set and posted for two different zones of the city, depending on exactly where you’re headed. Make sure to have your hotel address handy. 

  
  

• You can choose a private yellow taxi or a cheaper colectivo van, where you’ll share with several other passengers. If you go for a colectivo, make sure you have an available seatbelt to buckle in your car seat. A private taxi ride should cost you about 500 MXP ($24.31 at the time of writing) while a colectivo is about 175 MXP per person ($8.50 at the time of writing). Since colectivos charge per person, depending on how many family members you have it might be worth it to go for the private taxi.

• Rideshare: Uber is currently (at least officially) banned in Oaxaca City after a protest by the taxi unions. DiDi is another ride share app which is available in Oaxaca City, though more often than not it will just match you with a local taxi. Taxis are the best way to get around, just make sure that if you’re hailing one outside the airport you confirm the price in advance.

• Car Rental: If you plan on renting a car, you may want to wait until you’re headed out of Oaxaca City as you really don’t need one to get around the (very walkable!) town. If you would like to rent a car, head to the car rental booths in the arrivals terminal and find your agency. You can also rent a car for a day trip at a rental location in town. We didn’t rent a car during our stay, but we’ve heard good things about Ñuu Kava Renta de Autos and Only Rent A Car on Mariano Matamoros in Centro.

• Public Transportation: Oaxaca’s bus system is kinda complicated and not very convenient; the best option on a budget is to book seats on a colectivo. 

Where to Stay in Oaxaca City

Wondering which neighborhood to choose in Oaxaca de Juárez? Read on!

ZÓCALO

The Zócalo is the bustling heart of downtown Oaxaca, a lively square shaded by trees and packed with activity day and night. When people refer to the staying in “Zócalo,” they mean the area south of Avenida de la Independencia. Market stalls line its edges, selling all sorts of trinkets, while restaurants spill onto patios with live music. Street food carts and performers keep the energy high, though things quiet down later at night.

Staying here means you’re within a short walk of Oaxaca’s top sights, including the famous Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Mercado Benito Juárez. Most hotels and hostels in the area are set in historic colonial buildings, surrounded by landmarks like the former Government Palace and the grand Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. For first-time visitors who want to be in the center of it all, the Zócalo is a great choice!

SANTO DOMINGO

Santo Domingo is the neighborhood just north of Avenida de Independencia in El Centro. It is a lively part of the city, full of art, music, and rooftop restaurants. Named after the beautiful Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, it has colorful colonial streets, local shops, and plenty of places to explore. It’s a bit more expensive than other areas, but with great hotels, good food, and easy access to Oaxaca’s main attractions, it’s a great option!

EL LLANO

El Llano is a quieter neighborhood just northeast of Santo Domingo, centered around the tree-filled Parque Juárez El Llano (which was once a zoo! Check out the golden lion statues in each corner of the park). Here you’ll be close to Centro but farther from the tourist crowds. Mornings and evenings in the park are popular for locals, with families rollerblading, jogging, or grabbing snacks like elotes, nieves, and tacos. This is a more affordable and quieter neighborhood, so it’s a good choice if you’re traveling with kids.

Hotel Recommendations in Oaxaca City

• Ayook (Zócalo): Beautiful hotel in a very central location. Smallish rooms (as you’ll normally find in Oaxaca), but a nice included breakfast for those kiddos who wake up hungry.

  
  

• Hotel Dainzu (Zócalo): With a great location and lovely green courtyard, this simple but cozy boutique hotel is a fan favorite.

  
  

• Hotel Casa del Sótano (Santo Domingo): Simple, welcoming hotel with kind staff and a nice restaurant on the property, as well as a rooftop jacuzzi!

  
  

• Hotel Casa de la Tía Tere (Santo Domingo): Colorful, pleasant hotel with a great location and lovely outdoor area – and a heated pool. A little more expensive than our other picks.

  
  

• Eco Hotel Las Mariposas (El Llano): Cozy, family friendly spot with inviting gardens, though they only have twin-bed rooms. 

  
  

• Airbnb: There’s no shortage of well-situated Airbnb options in Oaxaca City, and this might be the best choice for you if you’re traveling with kids. We actually split our time between a cute Airbnb (with a rather rustic bathroom) and a fun hotel near the main food markets.

Now that you’ve made it to your hotel or Airbnb and settled in, it’s time to eat! Head over to our big, deep dive of Oaxacan cuisine to get started, then check out our restaurant recommendations for everything from street food to dinner to mezcal. 

Day 2: Explore Oaxaca City

WHAT TO DO IN OAXACA CITY

Wandering through the colorful colonial center of Oaxaca City is a feast for the senses which could easily... eat... up many days. Allow yourself some freedom to just explore and spend time in the central plazas, where there is always something lively going on.

We were lucky enough to spend Christmas in Oaxaca City, which was so warm and festive. Centro becomes an almost nonstop cycle of events, parades, and concerts. Thanks to the sheer preponderance of families, the revelry manages to retain a small city vibe through which you can still navigate the bustle with relative ease.

And keep in mind that the most important thing you can do all day every day in Oaxaca City is eat. You can think of every other activity as a warm-up for your next incredible meal!

Start your tour of the city in the Plaza de la Constitución, a pedestrian-only square surrounded by arcades. You’ll find nonstop vendors, musicians, political rallies, you name it. The Catedral de la Asunción has a beautiful façade and a large (if cavernous) interior, while the Museo del Palacio building is worth a look as well. 

We loved the exhibit of contemporary Oaxacan art at the Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños, which is open until 6PM in case you need a pre-dinner activity. 

The Teatro Macedonio de Alcalá is a colonial confection, especially if you can sneak inside for a peek at the interior. Then, learn about the region’s gorgeous textiles at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca. 

Just north of the city center in Santo Domingo, you’ll find a great mix of local and international contemporary art at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MACO).

The extravagant Mexican Baroque church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán was a highlight too.

The Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca just next door has some incredible treasures from the region, especially from the Monte Alban site (which you’ll be visiting later in the itinerary!). Fair warning, they are weirdly strict about how you walk through the museum; you can only travel in one direction, and I got reprimanded for trying to backtrack.

If you’d like to get out of the museums and churches and into nature, definitely hit up the Jardin Etnobotanico – a true breath of fresh air (and weird cacti).

West of the city center, you’ll find the Basilica Menor de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, which contains a nationally revered statue of the Virgin Mary. Nearby, the Museo Rufino Tamayo has some lovely artifacts in a historic building, and you can see a gorgeous Indigenous jewelry collection at the Museo Belber Jiménez. 

As we strolled through the city, we stumbled on libraries, art centers, and cultural oases… it’s such a dynamic place!

You can while away hours just wandering through the many markets of Oaxaca, from Benito Juarez to 20 de Noviembre to the massive Mercado de Abastos (we didn’t find the Mercado de Artesanías too exciting). This is also the perfect way to combine sightseeing and eating! 

Where to Eat in Oaxaca City

This is such a food paradise, that we can’t possibly keep our recommendations limited to this article. Check out our deep dive into Oaxacan cuisine along with a ton of restaurant recommendations so you can eat your way through town!

If you're traveling with your baby, check out our thoughts on what to do when your baby gets fussy at a restaurant!

Day 3: Take a Oaxacan Cooking Class or Visit the Árbol de Tule

On Day 3, start the day off with a market atol, the pancakes at El Tendajon, or one of a million delicious options in the city.

Today, you can choose one of two exciting day-trip options, depending on your preferences!

Option 1: Oaxacan Cooking Class

We signed up for El Sabor Zapotec, a wonderful cooking class run by Reyna, the Indigenous Zapotec chef extraordinaire who lives in a small village just outside the city called Teotitlán del Valle. We met the shuttle bus at a designated pickup spot (easily walkable in town), then drove to Reyna’s lovely home, past arid landscapes and field after field of mezcal, for an introduction to our menu for the day: sopa de frijol, mole amarillo, fried squash blossoms, and a traditional dessert..

After that, Reyna took our small group to the local farmer’s market, where we got to shop for the day’s ingredients (and pick up a few beautiful souvenirs from the people who actually made them). Back at Reyna’s extensive outdoor kitchen, we roasted chiles, fried squash blossoms, and learned how to make mole the old-fashioned way: grinding everything on a metate or grinding stone which was deeply grooved and passed down for generations. We were… not good at it, but it was fun to try!

Afterwards we enjoyed the best part: feasting on our several-course meal, with a side of mezcal to wash it all down. 

If you’d like to book this class, check out their site here – we don’t get a kickback, we just loved the experience!

Option 2: Visit the Árbol de Tule

Located about 13 km east of the city, the small village of Santa Maria del Tule is famous for its absolutely enormous Montezuma cypress tree, known simple as Tule. It is incredibly large and impressive, at least 36 meters around and weighing a shocking 500 tons. It’s over 2000 years old and makes a compelling case for being the widest tree in the world. 

Tule is sacred to the Zapotec people, and your kids will have fun picking out the animal shapes hidden in the branches which have earned Tule its nickname: Tree of Life.

It is definitely worth a visit!

How Do You Get to the Árbol de Tule?

• Rental Car: If you have a rental car, this will be an easy (if trafficky) trip. Park on the edge of town and walk up to the tree. 

• Taxi or Rideshare: Since Ubers are currently banned in Oaxaca, you can use the rideshare app Didi or skip the middleman and hail a taxi. This will be one of the easiest options for your day trip, you just might have to bring your stroller/car seat combo for the trip. The good news is that the town of Santa Maria del Tule is fairly stroller-friendly. 

  
  

• Hire a Driver: Less cost efficient but more convenient, you can book a driver for a half day or a full day (and combine with another site). Leave the car seat and kid supplies in the car while you explore. Ask at your hotel, or check out Turismo El Convento de Oaxaca or Descubre Oaxaca.
  

• Bus: If you’re solo or have older kids, flag down a local bus on Niños Héroes near the intersection with Boulevard José Vasconcelos, one block east of the baseball stadium. The front of the bus will say “Tule” and the driver will be able confirm. Buses are cash-only, so keep some pesos handy. At the time of writing, the cost is around $8 pesos per ride.

  
  

• Rent a Bike: If you’re up for an adventure, you can rent bikes and cycle the 13 kilometers (around 8 miles) to Tule. You can get an inexpensive bike rental at Zona Bici or Bicicletas Pedro Martinez (which also offers guided bike tours). Some sites claim that it’s an easy, no-stress ride, but we found it to be somewhat challenging: first, navigating the city from the bike rental shop to the highway required full attention, then there were some stretches along the highway where you were sharing the road with traffic. For most of the trip, however, you’re on a nice wide bike path right in the middle of the highway. And the ride is straight and flat for most of the way. We found it to be a vigorous experience; doable but definitely on the harder side, depending on your cycling skill.

How do you visit the Árbol de Tule?

Once you arrive in Santa Maria, you can’t miss the gigantic tree in the middle of the central square. You can get pretty close for free, but if you want to enter the gate and walk around the tree, you’ll pay a small fee (about MXN 15). It’s open from 8am-8pm.

What else can I do around the Tule tree?

What else is there to do around the Árbol de Tule?

If you want to spend the day in Santa Maria, start with a stroll through the Mercado de Artesanías, where you’ll find a collection of colorful textiles, souvenirs, clothing, bags, and more. It’s a little tacky, but you never know what you might find…

Next, treat your taste buds at Mercado Antojitos, a lively food hall filled with budget-friendly eats and drinks. 

Ready for a bit of nature? Head out to La Calera del Tule, a nearby hiking area just outside town. The trail leads to a beautiful scenic viewpoint.

On your way back, take a peaceful pause at Los Cinco Sabinos, a charming garden featuring a group of Montezuma cypress trees. They might not be giants like the big guy, but they’re still a lovely and tranquil spot to relax.

Wrap up your day with a mezcal experience—you can visit El Sabor de Oaxaca bar right in town for a tasting.

Day 4: Day Trip to Monte Alban

Today, get ready to visit one of the region’s most exciting ancient Indigenous sites – and a bit of a sleeper hit compared to its very well-known cousins like Chichen Itza. 

The Zapotec city of Monte Alban was founded around 500 BCE, and was excavated and restored in the 1930s. It’s located on a gorgeous hilltop where you can take in sweeping views of the valley and admire the sheer scale of structures.

When you arrive at Monte Alban, you’ll stand in line for a ticket and then you can climb up to the site to begin your tour. At the entrance, there’s also a souvenir shop and museum, which is small but has some important treasures found during the site’s excavation.

If you’re really interested in the history of the site, you can hire a guide at the entrance. There isn’t much signage once you’re inside.

How do you get to Monte Alban?

• Rental Car: If you have a rental car, you can drive right up to the site’s parking lot.

  
  

• Taxi or Rideshare: Use the rideshare app Didi or hail a local taxi for an easy and inexpensive trip to Monte Alban. They’ll drop you off at the parking lot. Again, if you have a kiddo you’ll need to deal with the car seat situation – and Monte Alban is not stroller-friendly. We haven’t tried this, but you could ask the ticket booth folks to hold onto it, possibly for a fee. 

  
  

• Hire a Driver: Less cost efficient but more convenient, you can book a driver for a half day or a full day (and combine with another site). Leave the car seat and kid supplies in the car while you explore. Ask at your hotel, or check out Turismo El Convento de Oaxaca or Descubre Oaxaca.

  
  

How do I get back to Oaxaca City from Monte Alban?

• Bus: If you took a taxi or Didi to get to Monte Alban, you can easily return on a public shuttle bus. You buy a paper ticket from a vendor in the parking lot, then chill until the next bus arrives and hop on. They seem to leave every hour, or every 30 mins on weekends.
  

• Walking: If you’re up for an adventure, you can take a 2-hour downhill walk through the outskirts of Oaxaca – passing through some slum areas – back into the city center.

Day 5: Day Trip to Hierve el Agua and Mitla

Today, you can head out to Hierve el Agua, an incredible calcified rock formation that looks like a gushing waterfall.

Afterwards, you can check out the stunning, well-preserved Indigenous burial site at Mitla, which is about a 45-minute drive from Hierve el Agua.

Despite the name, which means "Boil the Water," the water isn’t hot—it’s a refreshing 72°F—but it does bubble up from underground thanks to natural spring pressure.

Important Note: Check with your hotel or a tourism agent before heading to Hierve el Agua; in the past few years they’ve had issues with over-tourism, so they’ve limited how many visitors can check the place out each day. At the time of writing, that limit is 200 visitors per day. As a result, it may be easiest to see Hierve el Agua with a tour… but over here at WS&T we’re not that excited about group fun unless absolutely necessary, so consider booking a driver for the day. 

Admission is about MXN 50, and parking is about MXN 100. The park is open from 7am to 5pm, and we highly recommend arriving early.

What Should I Bring to Hierve el Agua?

• Sunscreen! It is often quite hot at the site, which has very minimal shade, so plan accordingly.

• Water! Hierve del Agua sits at 5000 feet elevation, so you'll need to stay hydrated.

• Hiking shoes or good sandals

• Bathing suit + towel if you'd like to swim

• Consider water-safe shoes if you swim

How far is it from Oaxaca City to Hierve el Agua?

Hierve el Agua is located in the town of San Isidro Roaguía, about 70 km from Oaxaca City. It takes about 1 hour and 25 mintues-2 hours to drive there, depending on traffic and road conditions.

How do you get to Hierve del Agua?

• Tour: A tour can be a stress-free way to visit Hierve, though you'll be beholden to the group itinerary for the day. If you book a tour, you’ll likely also stop at Mitla and one or more mezcalerias along the way. 

• Rental Car: This would be a great day for a car rental so you can see both Hierve el Agua and Mitla stress-free.

• Taxi or Rideshare: Use the rideshare app Didi or hail a local taxi for an easy and inexpensive trip to Monte Alban. They’ll drop you off at the parking lot. Again, if you have a kiddo you’ll need to deal with the car seat situation – and neither site is very stroller-friendly.

• Hire a Driver: Less cost efficient but more convenient, you can book a driver for a half day or a full day (for both sites). Leave the car seat and kid supplies in the car while you explore. Ask at your hotel, or check out Turismo El Convento de Oaxaca or Descubre Oaxaca.

What Do You Do at Hierve del Agua?

The short trail to the pools is a bit steep but worth it, with sweeping views of the Sierra Madre del Sur and giant blooming agave stalks popping up here and there. Along the way, you’ll pass stalls selling snacks, cold drinks, beer, micheladas, and piña loca—a mezcal cocktail served inside a pineapple and topped with chamoy, chile, and lime.

If you’d like to hike to a different view of the two petrified falls, the longer trail takes about 40 minutes each way. The hike is about 1.6 miles with a 623-foot elevation gain. It’s not too hard, and there are spots to rest along the way. It's a kid-friendly hike. You’ll get an up-close view of both the 98-foot Cascada Grande and 39-foot Cascada Chica, formed over thousands of years by mineral-rich water that left behind frozen-in-time rock formations.

Afterwards, enjoy your piña loca or go for a dip! Be careful at the edges of the pools, which can be slippery. You might want to wear water-safe shoes, epsecially for kid-feet.

As always, be respectful of the site, which has experienced vandalism in the past!

Visiting Mitla

Mitla was a sacred site to the Zapotec people before the year 1000—a place where they held important religious ceremonies and buried their elite. The name Mitla comes from the Nahuatl word Mictlán, which means “Place of the Dead.” Later on, when the Zapotecs started to lose power, the Mixtecs came in and began burying their own royalty there. 

Today, the site is decorated with jaw-dropping stone mosaics that are among the most intricate and well-preserved in the country. 

Mitla itself is a fairly uninspiring town, although we did enjoy wandering around the central square. There also happened to be a lively outdoor market in progress when we were there, which was great. It’s a half day trip, so you can combine with Herve del Agua especially if you have a car or book a driver for the day.

How far is Mitla from Oaxaca City?

Mitla is about 46 km or a 1-hour drive from Oaxaca City, depending on traffic.

How do I get to Mitla? 

• Rental Car: If you have a rental car, you can drive to the edge of town, then walk up to the Mitla site at the top of the hill.
  

• Taxi or Rideshare: Use Didi or a local taxi for an easy and inexpensive trip. Again, if you have a kiddo you’ll need to deal with the car seat situation – Mitla is not really stroller-friendly.
  

• Hire a Driver: Less cost efficient but more convenient, you can book a driver for a half day or a full day (for both sites). Leave the car seat and kid supplies in the car while you explore. Ask at your hotel, or check out Turismo El Convento de Oaxaca or Descubre Oaxaca.
  

• Bus: We had a more time consuming but super easy bus ride to Mitla. We went to the Oaxaca Bus Station (located here at Central de Abasto, 68090 Oaxaca, Mexico). Look for a bus with a large “Mitla” sign in the window or ask for help locating the Mitla bus. There is no set bus schedule, but buses leave frequently, sometimes as often as every 15-20 minutes. We waited about 40 minutes for the bus.

  
  

In Mitla, you can have lunch at a few different spots including Restaurante Doña Chica or Yalnadoo.

Day 6: Continue Exploring Oaxaca City

There are plenty more day trips around the area… you could go on a mezcal tour, explore more Indigenous towns and villages, or go hiking. The possibilities are endless!

But since you’ve been sightseeing like mad – and this will surely not be your last visit to Oaxaca City – we recommend enjoying the last full day of your trip in the city itself. Take in any museums you missed, and most importantly, visit more of the restaurants on your list (or revisit your favorites). 

This would be a great opportunity to check out the Restaurante Coronita. This is the lobby restaurant for the Hotel Coronita, whose faded beauty feels nostalgic. Beware the odd hours – they close early so we ended up coming for lunch. The star of the menu here is the “seven mole tasting,” an absolute treat which brings you around Oaxaca via seven of its most distinctive moles. From the spicy sweetness of the fruit-forward moles to the rich, dark chocolaty goodness of the mole negro, this will be a true experience. Come very hungry!

Check out our full foodie guide for all of our recommendations, and an overview of Oaxacan cuisine.

Day 7: Head Home (and start planning your next trip!) 

It’s time to pack up all of your souvenirs, grab one last tamale and head home. You’ll be dreaming of mole for weeks to come, we can attest to that.

We hope you enjoyed your time in the incredible Oaxaca City… next up, check out our everything-guide to visiting Colombia!

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