5 Day Oaxaca Itinerary: 24 Best Things to do in Oaxaca

If you’re itching to travel and want to take advantage of working remotely, there’s no doubt you shouldn’t consider visiting Oaxaca. Not only is Oaxaca extremely travel friendly, but it’s also full of endless history and culture.

Whether you’re visiting Oaxaca for 3 days or for an indefinite amount of time , the city has so much to offer. Depending on what you look for when traveling, listed are a variety of touristy and non touristy things to do in Oaxaca.

Before going into some of the best things to do in Oaxaca, I want to clarify that Oaxaca isn’t categorized as what the news may portray Mexico to be. Yes, there are certain parts of Mexico that shouldn’t be traveled to as freely as Oaxaca but it is a great destination to travel solo, as a couple, and even in groups.

During my visit, majority of my time spent in Oaxaca has been solo as I can confidently say that it is an extremely solo travel friendly city.

During your visit to Oaxaca, a huge chunk of your time will be walking to, from, or across the Temple of Santo Domingo. The temple is surrounded by amazing restaurants, bars, and coffee shops all within walking distance as you’ll find locals and tourists hanging out at the temple for sunset. You’re also allowed to enter inside Santo Domingo but make sure to keep quiet and respect those praying.

Adjacent to Santo Domingo has countless stands from locals selling variety of goods and merchandise, as well as a ton of food trucks selling Oaxaca’s most notable street foods.

The stands are usually open between 8AM – 6PM

One of the top things to do in Oaxaca is to visit the Museum of Cultures. Located inside Santo Domingo, you will find multiple dozens of archaeological artifacts and ancient books from the 17th-century convent.

The cultural center is a great place to learn about Oaxaca’s history, jewels of Tomb 7 of Monte Alban, and over 20,000+ bibliographic collection of old volumes.

Spend about an hour and a half at the museum and take your time getting to know the art collection. You won’t regret spending your time getting to know Oaxaca’s history and how the city was built as it stands today.

Covering 2.32 acres of land, Oaxaca’s botanical garden sits adjacent to Templo de Santo Domingo. As you’re in the process of creating your Oaxaca itinerary, you can already tell that a handful of things on your list are right by each other, allowing you to naturally explore the city.

The botanical garden holds every single native Oaxacan plant species imported from all regions of the state. Not only do the plants range from both humid and dry climates, but they also adjust from cold and temperate mountainous areas.

And because it’s always hot in Oaxaca, the garden encapsulates the perfect scope of diversified plants.

The garden even has a popular walkway surrounded by plants, which is a perfect spot to take memorable reflections photos of the small body of water.

Known as the center of the city, the Zócalo is the public square of Oaxaca. With the Cathedral located in the center, the Zócalo is surrounded by countless restaurants, performers, outdoor markets, and historical buildings. During your visit, you’ll notice people strolling around the square, one of many outdoor restaurants, and people simply relaxing all throughout the day.

If you’ve signed up for a tour or are planning on meeting someone for the first time, the Zócalo is a great, central meeting point. But if you haven’t booked a tour yet, you’ll probably be approached by someone to sign up for one, giving you a variety of tours to choose from.

Paid Walking Tours

Before scrolling past the paid tours section, booking a paid tour will be well worth your money. One of the bigger highlights of my time in Oaxaca was booking a paid tour with Griollo Tours. Alturo from Griollo Tours was an amazing tour guide, as he took me around and educated me about the most notable spots in Oaxaca.

Alturo educated me about history I probably wouldn’t have ever received about the city. He is extremely knowledgeable and even takes you to the “hidden gems” and local spots around town.

Looking for instagrammable photography spots? Not only is Teatro Macedonio Alcalá full of rich history, but it’s also extremely aesthetic as well. It was fully finished being built back in 1909 as it’s known to be one of the most important art nouveau styled buildings in the entire country.

Teatro Macadonio Alcalá is located just a few blocks away from the Zócalo as you’ll need a wide angle lens to capture the entire building. But if you don’t have a phone or a camera with a wide angle, perhaps throwing up a drone like I did. Can you spot me in the photo?

Since the 19th-century, art nouveu styled buildings started dominating a huge portion of the country’s architecture build up, referring to newly styled interior design, jewelry and illustrations. For this reason, it’s pretty hard to miss the building as it’s marked with three doors. And the moment you walk inside, you’ll be in awe noticing the French style, white marble staircase.

Known as a Oaxacan staple, Benito Juárez Market is full of numerous vendors selling some of the freshest produce, textiles, and unique crafts.

Walk past the walkway of foods to be purchased and at the very end, you’ll find a seating area where you can sit down and enjoy some of the most authentic foods found in Oaxaca.

Once you walk past the walkway and seated area, you’ll walk right into an open area with even more options to eat and drink. Try some Tlayudas and top it off with a Mexican coke from one of the vendors, or sit at one of the booths and feel like a local for the day.

If you’re planning on staying in Oaxaca longer than just a vacation, take your time looking through the variety of produce at the market.

A block over from Benito Juárez is another infamous Oaxacan staple to check off your itinerary list. While walking around Oaxaca, you’ll probably come across Mercado 20 de Noviembre without even knowing, an important market to visit.

I like to call Mercado 20 de Noviembre the traditional mall of Oaxaca. From having souvenirs to furniture and more, you WILL most likely find whatever you need at Mercado 20 de Noviembre. The market is easy to navigate as it’s organized and sectioned, making it easy to find shelves of Mezcal.

If you signed an agreement to rent a room in Oaxaca for at least a month and looking to refurnish it, I highly recommend checking out what you can potentially purchase at Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Decorate your stay and feel like a true, Oaxaca native during your time being.

Known as a further attraction points to visit in Oaxaca City, even if you try, I promise you can’t miss seeing a big, white tent from on a hill from almost all angles from downtown. The Guelaguetza was created specifically for the most notable holiday, the Guelaguetza Festival, in Oaxaca. It’s a huge stadium holding hundreds of seats, located about 30 minutes from downtown on foot.

Guelaguetza is a celebration that Oaxaca is most known for, honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel, emphasizing a combination of Marianism and surviving beliefs.

In the early 20th century, there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed majority of the city, affecting thousands of peoples livelihood and well-beings. For this reason, leaders organized a barter exchange to support those who were affected by the earthquake, which ended up carrying its tradition till today.

Over time, it became a day of celebration that turned into a festival, with everyone celebrating each region.

Spanish for “the water boils”, Hierve el Agua is a must and should be on the top of your itinerary when visiting Oaxaca. Located about an hour and a half drive from downtown Oaxaca City, this waterfall is one of the biggest tourist attraction points into the city.

Hierve el Agua is located in Sierra Norte, as the waterfall overlooks the vast hills and mountains.

How do you get to Hierve el Agua?

There are a couple of days to get to Hierve el Agua. Depending on preference, you can either rent a car and drive to the falls, or you can book a Hierve el Agua Tour online.

Sitting in the Sierra Juarez Mountains, the hike up to Teotitlan Del Valle will leave you speechless. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get to the top.

Surrounded by a small village east of the Valles Region, this unmarked trail is the spot to be for sunset and to simply enjoy the outdoors.

Nature activities and hiking isn’t so popular in Oaxaca so it may be a bit difficult finding this hike if you don’t know the area. I highly recommend going with a guide or with locals to avoid getting lost. I tagged along with Coyote Aventuras as Fernando guided the group up this beautiful trail.

This hike doesn’t require you to wear hiking boots, but I wore mine anyways. Some people in the group wore sneakers and didn’t have a problem getting to the top.

If you’re not normally active outdoors, this hike may not be the easiest but it definitely isn’t too difficult either.

Also located in the Sierra Norte mountains, the Ixtepeji trail was by far one of my favorite activities in Oaxaca.

There aren’t too many tours that offer outdoor hiking activities so I went with Coyote Aventuras for another hike. What I really like about Coyote is that they take the time to get to know everyone’s story, ensure to educate you about the activity, and any other questions you may have about Oaxaca. Plus, they even supply snacks for the day.

Hiking Ixtepeji with Dylan was an amazing experience as he knew the story behind every single flower and tree in the forest. Bringing along Pacha, his rescue dog, we hiked through semi-moist mud and mountain bike paths. You’ll also note bikers along this path as mountain biking is an extremely popular sport in the Sierra Norte Mountains.

Located about 20 minutes outside of downtown Oaxaca, Monte Alban is another must go-to when visiting Oaxaca. Rent a car or hop on a tour bus and explore some of the most iconic and historical landmark of the city.

Visible at almost any part of the Valley, these ruins elevate to about 1,940m above sea level with rich character and terraces.

Attracting hundreds and thousands of visitors every year, Monte Alban is full of history as you’ll understand why it was built on top of a hill if you choose to hike to the top.

If you don’t feel like hiking, no need worry. There’s also another entrance with a parking lot.

You’ll know when you get there when you see the outdoor vendors selling souvenirs and amazing Mezcal ice cream to top off your visit.

Tree of Tule, also known as the widest tree in the world, is located in the town center of Santa Maria, Oaxaca. You’ll be in awe just gazing at how large the tree is, as it was listed on UNESCO‘s tentative list of World Heritage sites.

With a circumference of 42.0m and a diameter of 14.05m, the Tree of Tule is actually known to be wider than the Giant Sequoia Tree in California, with a 8.90m diameter.

The tree is so big that there have been doubts that it was thought to be a combination of multiple trees. However, with studies and DNA testing, Arbol del Tule has officially been proven to be one singular tree.

Visit the “Tree of Life” during your visit to Oaxaca and snap some photos with this massive beast. It’s even said that it would take 33 people to hold hands and fully wrap around the tree. Bring 32 other people and see if it’s possible!

Mitla, also known as the “place of the dead” or “underworld” means the place of rest, originating from the Zapotec nam, Lyobaa. Known for its handcrafted textiles, Mitla is important for its Zapotec culture. Experience something a bit different from Oaxaca City and you’ll notice how different these two cities are.

On your way to Hierve de Agua, swing by the Palace of Mitla and explore what’s outside Oaxaca City. Although there are bus systems that will take you to the site, I recommend renting a car since you don’t want to be restricted on a bus schedule.

Bottoms up! Get ready to drink a ton of Mezcal. If you don’t know already, Oaxaca is the most popularly known for Mezcal. Lots of Mezcal. No matter where you are in Oaxaca, whether it’s at a coffee shop, ice cream shop, or even a salon, don’t be surprised if you see Mezcal glasses laying around store.

On top of that, higher end restaurants serve some of the best infused Mezcal cocktails, although locals drink Mezcal straight.

Distilled from cooked saps from a variety of agave plants, sign up for a Mezcal tour to see the the end-to-end process of how Mezcal is made. Indulge yourself with endless amounts Mezcal but remember to drink responsibly. I also highly recommend going on a Mezcal tour with someone who is fluent in Spanish since many of the farmers don’t know how to communicate in English.

What to do on Sunday in Oaxaca?

If you’re still in the works of planning your trip to Oaxaca, trust my word and make sure your visit lands on a Sunday.

Why?

Because Sundays in Oaxaca means you need to make your way over to Tlacolula.

Tlacolula is a town about 40 minutes outside of Oaxaca City. Vendors from all over the valley come to sell a variety of goods as you’ll find fresh meats, produce, and surprisingly, baby chicks to purchase. It’s an amazing experience that you can only get in Tlacolula as people will come clothed in traditional clothing from their respective villages.

Take your time and don’t rush exploring the biggest market in Oaxaca, offering some of the freshest produce and street food.

Obsessed with how rich gastronomy and the food culture is in Oaxaca? By the end of the first day of your visit, you’ve probably already picked up which dishes are traditionally eaten and prepared. From the number of food options available, why not learn how to cook and prepare these Oaxacan dishes from the locals?

From the number of Oaxaca cooking class options to choose from, choose which type of cuisines you’d be interested in learning how to make. Note that depending on the class, a good handful of classes are taught from someone’s home. So make sure you’re comfortable learning and cooking in someone’s house before signing up.

But what makes these cooking classes that much more exciting is that the instructor will usually take you to the market and get the best and freshest produce from the locals.

Originally built in 1927, the Fountain of the Eight. Regions was built to represent all indigenous regions of Oaxaca. Over time, the fountain was built to be taller as the number of visitors started to rise.

If you’re open to a long walk or morning run, swing by the Fountain of the Eight Regions, located in Reforma and north of Oaxaca City. Although it is a bit out of the way from the main city, it’s something different to do. I walked to the fountain from downtown as you’ll have to cross a highway to get to the spot.

Representing the eight regions of Oaxaca Women, you’ll notice a male dancer in the middle, dressed like he’s about to perform the Danza de la Pluma dance.

Play ball!

Home of the Guerreros de Oaxaca Liga Mexicana de Beisbol baseball team, the Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos Baseball Stadium is located right outside the city, holding up to 7,200 people.

Baseball is popularly played in Oaxaca and although there weren’t any games playing during my visit, I wanted to check it out anyways.

Not only is it a nice change from downtown, but with distance, it’s also a great spot for aerial photography.

Without an aerial perspective, you probably wouldn’t have even guessed that Oaxaca had a baseball stadium so close to the city. And although you’re not allowed inside, it’s rather a nice, quick walk from downtown.

Built in 1959, Plaza de la Danza was commissioned by Eduardo Vasconcelos in order to hold cultural events and educate people on the traditional dances of Oaxaca. It’s located right outside the Temple of San Jose, as you can find the square on the right side of Cerro del Fortin (Fortin Hill).

Once known as Plaza de la Soledad, there are extremely important events held, one known as Fiesta de los Lunes del Cerro, a day before the Guelaguetza celebration.

Walk down the stairs down to the plaza during the events and indulge yourself with more of Oaxaca’s history. During these events, you’ll find people showcasing vibrant tapestries with Oaxacan designs.

Known as what I’d like to call the hipster part of Oaxaca City, Xochimilco is full of some of the cities finest restaurants, wall art, and quieter neighborhood.

Located right outside of downtown, Xochimilco is by far my favorite part of Oaxaca.

Although this image does not show the main street of Xochimilco, this photo was taken on a rooftop of Filemon Coffee, located in Xochimilco.

I discovered Xochimilco towards the end of my stay but will definitely stay in this area the next time I visit.

It’s actually known as the oldest neighborhood in Oaxaca as you’ll find a handful of locals people watching on the streets, and bikers strolling around the neighborhood.

Covered in street art, Jalatlaco is a Oaxaca hidden gem that many don’t really talk about visiting. I’d like to say it’s a more non touristy spot to visit in Oaxaca, but definitely should not be skipped.

The neighborhood is small and quaint as there are a handful of restaurants and shops surrounding Church of San Matías Jalatlaco.

Covered in cobblestone, this hidden gem is full of vibrant color and art pieces on the walls of these historical buildings.

What’s cool about this neighborhood is that the buildings here are not allowed to be demolished unless the result was from a natural disaster. So how you see Jalatlaco is exactly how it’s been kept for hundreds of years.

If you’re tired of the hustle and bustle of downtown, Jalatlaco is a great escape.