Mexico
Oaxaca's food and craft city: Zapotec ruins, colonial baroque and mole negro in a UNESCO-listed valley.
The gilded gold interior of Santo Domingo blazing above the street, the smoke and sizzle of the meat hall in the 20 de Noviembre market, and a marigold-strewn cemetery glowing with candles as brass bands play through the night at the start of November.
Oaxaca is a low colonial city of green-tinged stone and tiled domes in a highland valley, ringed by Zapotec ruins, weaving villages and mezcal palenques, where the markets are the main event and Día de Muertos fills the cemeteries with candles at the start of November.
Oaxaca de Juárez sits in a wide highland valley in southern Mexico, ringed by mountains, at a comfortable altitude. The compact colonial grid centres on the Zócalo, its shaded main square, with the great church and cultural complex of Santo Domingo a few blocks north up the pedestrian Andador Macedonio Alcalá. Around the core, colourful barrios like Jalatlaco and Xochimilco keep their village feel. The Zapotec hilltop city of Monte Albán rises just to the west, and the craft and mezcal villages spread through the valley beyond. It's flat, walkable and deeply atmospheric.
Few cities fit this much into a walkable centre. The historic centre and Monte Albán are on UNESCO's World Heritage List together, but the draw is as much what fills the streets: a kitchen of moles, tlayudas and market stalls, mezcal made in the surrounding valleys, Zapotec and Mixtec craft villages a short ride away, and a Día de Muertos that takes over the city's cemeteries and streets at the start of November. It is a city for eating, buying from makers and slowing down.
Eating Oaxaca — This is a city you come to eat. Oaxaca's kitchen is one of Mexico's deepest — the seven moles (the black mole negro above all), the big crisp tlayuda, stringy quesillo cheese, chapulines (toasted grasshoppers) by the handful, and tejate, a frothy pre-Hispanic cacao-and-maize drink. Graze the 20 de Noviembre market's smoky meat hall and the Benito Juárez stalls, and let the food lead the trip. Go hungry and follow the queues.
Mezcal at the source — Oaxaca is the heartland of mezcal, the smoky agave spirit, and tasting it here is an education. The centre and Jalatlaco are dotted with mezcalerías pouring small-batch espadín and wild-agave varieties, and the valley beyond is full of family palenques (distilleries) you can visit. Sip it neat with orange and sal de gusano, and learn the difference between a joven and an añejo — this is the real thing, not a party shot.
Zapotec and colonial heritage — Just west of the city, Monte Albán crowns a flattened hilltop — a vast Zapotec ceremonial city of plazas, pyramids and carved stones with valley views in every direction, one of Mexico's great ruins. Back in town, the golden Baroque interior of Santo Domingo and its cultural centre trace the colonial and indigenous story. Together they bracket two thousand years of the valley.
Craft and colour — Oaxaca is a craft powerhouse, and the city is its shop window: black pottery, alebrijes (fantastical carved animals), and the famous wool textiles of the surrounding villages fill the Andador's galleries and the markets. Better still, head into the valley to Teotitlán del Valle for weaving or San Bartolo for pottery to buy from the makers. The colour spills into the streets, the barrios and, come autumn, the Day of the Dead altars.
Oaxaca neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
The colonial core around the Zócalo — a grid of low ochre buildings, shaded plazas, churches and the great markets, all walkable. The lively heart of the city.
The cultural spine running north from the centre up the pedestrian Andador Macedonio Alcalá to the great church, lined with galleries, craft shops, cafés and museums. The elegant, artsy stretch.
A colourful, cobbled colonial barrio just east of the centre — brightly painted houses, murals, a village church and a quieter, creative café-and-mezcal scene. Oaxaca's photogenic, bohemian corner.
Oaxaca is, for many, the best place to eat in Mexico. Its cooking is ancient and layered — the seven moles, from the deep black mole negro to the yellow amarillo; the tlayuda, a huge crisp tortilla folded over beans, quesillo and meat; chapulines (toasted grasshoppers) as a snack; and tejate and hot chocolate as drinks. The 20 de Noviembre market's smoke-filled meat hall, where you buy your cut and have it grilled, is a rite of passage. And underpinning it all is mezcal, the valley's smoky agave spirit, sipped everywhere.
Vegetarians do well — quesillo, beans, squash-blossom quesadillas, nopal and market fruit are everywhere, though lard and meat stock lurk in many dishes and some moles, so ask. Vegan food is a growing scene in the centre and Jalatlaco. Halal and kosher are effectively unavailable. Gluten-free is straightforward with corn tortillas (the maize staple) rather than wheat, but confirm at markets and stalls.
Base in or near the Centro Histórico to walk to everything — the streets around the Zócalo and up the Andador toward Santo Domingo put you in the middle of the markets, restaurants and mezcalerías. For a quieter, more atmospheric stay, the barrios of Jalatlaco and Xochimilco just east are colourful and calm, a short walk from the centre. Book far ahead for Day of the Dead and the July Guelaguetza.
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The historic centre is flat and entirely walkable — you'll do the markets, the Andador and the barrios on foot. Taxis and shared colectivos (and tours) run out to Monte Albán and the valley villages; a car helps for a self-drive valley loop but isn't needed in the city. A car in the centre is a liability.
The centre, the Andador and Jalatlaco are a short walk apart. Monte Albán and the valley villages are out of town: we plan them as half- or full-day trips by taxi, colectivo or tour.
Ready-made day plans for Oaxaca — from a single day to a long weekend.
Start on the Zócalo, then walk up the Andador to Santo Domingo for the golden church and the cultural centre and botanical garden. Dive into the Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre markets for a market lunch in the smoky meat hall, browse the craft galleries, and spend late afternoon in the colourful barrio of Jalatlaco. End with mezcal tastings and dinner in the centre.
Give day two to the valley. Head up to Monte Albán when it opens at 08:00 for the Zapotec ruins and the views, then go out into the valley for Mitla's stone mosaics or the weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle, and a palenque for mezcal. Come back for dinner and a rooftop mezcal over the domes.
Use day three to go deeper. Take in a village market day (Tlacolula on a Sunday, Ocotlán on a Friday), the textile and Tamayo museums, or a cooking class in the food capital — then a final graze through the markets and a slow evening in Jalatlaco.
Three or four days cover the centre: Santo Domingo, the markets, Jalatlaco and a morning at Monte Albán. Five to seven days leave time for the valley: Mitla, the weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle, a village market day and a mezcal palenque.
From 30 October to 2 November. In 2026 the Gran Comparsa leaves the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones at 18:00 on 31 October; Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán's cemeteries hold their night vigil on 31 October, and its comparsas parade on 2 November. Across Mexico, 1 November is for children who have died and 2 November for adults. See our Day of the Dead page.
Yes, Xoxocotlán invites visitors to its cemeteries from 30 October to 2 November. Go quietly, keep to the paths, ask before photographing families or graves, and light candles only while you are inside, as the municipality asks.
It is on the hill just west of the city: we go by taxi or on a tour from the centre. INAH opens the site daily from 08:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. In 2026 a ticket for foreign visitors costs MXN 210, which includes the site museum; food is not allowed. Go early, before the sun and the tour groups.
The dry season, from about November to April. Late October and early November bring Día de Muertos, and July the Guelaguetza (Lunes del Cerro on 20 and 27 July in 2026); both fill the city, so book early.
Some Spanish helps in markets and on colectivos; hotels, museums and tour companies in the centre usually manage in English. Greetings, numbers and please and thank you go a long way, and a translation app covers the rest.
31 OCT October to April — dry, mild days; late October for Day of the Dead
What to expect — Warm, dry and pleasant, the highland climate mild by day and cool at night, clear before the summer rains. A lovely, quieter time.
What's best — Comfortable weather for the markets, ruins and valley trips, Holy Week traditions, and long clear days — an easy season to eat and explore.
What to expect — Warm days with afternoon and evening rains as the wet season sets in, and the city's biggest festival in July. Green and lush between showers.
What's best — The Guelaguetza in July (Lunes del Cerro on 20 and 27 July in 2026), Oaxaca's festival of regional dance and costume, plus green hills; carry a layer and expect afternoon rain.
What to expect — The rains ease into mild, clear weather, and the city's busiest moment comes at the end of October and start of November. Book far ahead.
What's best — Día de Muertos, 30 October – 2 November: marigold altars, candlelit cemetery vigils (Xoxocotlán on 31 October), and comparsas with brass bands, including the Gran Comparsa on 31 October.
What to expect — Dry, sunny days and cold highland nights, with clear skies and comfortable sightseeing weather. Chilly after dark.
What's best — Bright clear light, cool comfortable walking, the December festivals — the Night of the Radishes among them — and fewer crowds than the autumn peak. Pack a warm layer for the nights.
Skip a hotel-restaurant mole → eat at the markets and the family fondas.
Skip a mass-market mezcal "party" bar → sip small-batch pours at a mezcalería, or visit a valley palenque.
Skip buying "Oaxacan" crafts only on the Andador → go to Teotitlán del Valle or a village market and buy from the weavers.
Skip only Monte Albán → add Mitla's stone mosaics on a valley day.
Día de Muertos (30 October – 2 November) and the July Guelaguetza fill the city and book out rooms months ahead.
In 2026 the Gran Comparsa leaves the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones at 18:00 on 31 October.
Monte Albán opens at 08:00: go early, before the heat and the tour buses (last entry 16:00).
Día de Muertos is a family occasion: in the cemeteries keep to the paths, never step on a grave, and ask before photographing people or altars.
Light candles only while you are inside the cemetery, as Xoxocotlán asks, and take care in the narrow spaces between graves.
Ask before photographing people in the villages, and do not haggle hard over handmade textiles.
Carry pesos for markets, street food, colectivos and small mezcalerías; cards work in hotels and bigger restaurants.
Take out cash from ATMs inside shops or malls during the day (FCDO advice).
The Zócalo and the Andador stay lively with café tables, marimba bands and rooftop bars.
Jalatlaco and the centre hold the best small mezcalerías for a slow evening of tasting.
Around the festivals, the streets fill with comparsas and music late into the night.
Oaxaca state is not in FCDO's list of areas it advises against travel to (checked 28 October 2026). FCDO's general advice applies: crime is a risk in cities and tourist areas, so keep valuables out of sight, use authorised taxis or one ordered by the hotel, take out cash from ATMs inside shops or malls during the day, and travel between towns by daylight on first-class buses using toll roads. FCDO also notes protests that have blocked road access to the airport, and that tremors happen regularly in Oaxaca state, so it is worth knowing what to do in an earthquake. Keep well away from demonstrations; foreign nationals are not allowed to take part in political activity. During Día de Muertos the state security service advises keeping belongings in sight in crowds and agreeing a meeting point. Read the FCDO advice for Mexico before travelling.
~£70–100/day mid-range
911 (police, ambulance and fire): Mexico's single national emergency number, free from any phone.
From the UK we fly to Mexico City (British Airways and Aeroméxico fly non-stop from Heathrow) and connect: Aeroméxico flies to the Aeropuerto Internacional de Oaxaca (OAX) from both Benito Juárez (MEX) and Felipe Ángeles (NLU). The airport is south of the city on the road to Puerto Ángel; the airport lists an authorised taxi service and car hire at the terminal. FCDO notes protests that have blocked road access to the airport, so check your flight and allow extra time. Long-distance buses from Mexico City and elsewhere arrive at terminals on the edge of town; FCDO advises first-class buses on toll roads. Compare flights to Oaxaca, and see the Mexico guide for the wider picture.
Flights, airport transfers and car hire to OAX — search and compare without leaving the page.
