Visit Oaxaca
complete guide
Visit Oaxaca: Complete Itinerary + Pacific Coast Travel Guide
Why Visit Oaxaca?
Planning to visit Oaxaca and explore the Pacific coast?
Here’s our complete itinerary including Oaxaca City, Hierve el Agua, San José del Pacífico and Puerto Escondido — with activities, accommodation and practical travel tips.
If you’re wondering whether to visit Oaxaca, the answer is simple: yes — and take your time. Oaxaca is one of the most culturally rich regions in Mexico. Known for its traditional crafts, incredible gastronomy and deep-rooted traditions, it also offers stunning mountain landscapes and easy access to the Pacific coast.
It’s the perfect destination if you want to visit Oaxaca and experience a more authentic, diverse side of Mexico.
Please note: the prices of the activities and accommodation mentioned in the article can vary greatly depending on the time of year (weekday vs weekend, holidays, etc.).
Plan your Road Trip in Mexico
To find all the information about our trip to Mexico in general: full itinerary, budget, safety, tips… check out our article about our road trip in Mexico!
Oaxaca Itinerary: Our Route Through the Region
1. Mexico City – The Perfect Start Before You Visit Oaxaca (5 days)
Explorer le centre et les incontournables
If you’re starting your trip in Mexico City before you visit Oaxaca, this vibrant capital is an exciting first stop.
Things to do:
- Historic center: Palacio de Bellas Artes (free on Sundays), Alameda Park, Palacio Postal (50 pesos – wonderful and practical for buying beautiful cards and sending mail), Casa de los Azulejos, Museo de Arte Popular (60 pesos or free on sunday)…
- Local experience: watch lucha libre at Arena México (~€9/person — super fun!) or at Colisuem (North). The price depends on the fighters; we tried the “Martes Populares” at Arena Mexico, a great festive and authentic atmosphere.
- Neighborhoods: Roma & Condesa for cafés, street art and a safer vibe
- Chapultepec Park & Anthropology Museum (plan a full day!)
- Day trips:
- Teotihuacán pyramids (~1h away)
- San Angel market (same way that Frida Kalo House)
- Xochimilco canals (didn’t do it)
Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them, we’ll receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). It’s a simple way to support our blog and our work, so thank you! ❤️ P.S.: Of course, these recommendations are 100% independent and based on our own experience!
🔑 Where to stay in Mexico City
Accomodation
in Mexico City
North of Mexico City: 2 nights at Jeffrey’s place in the relatively safe, working-class neighborhood of Guerrero. Very friendly host and rooftop terrace, but it wasn’t clear from the listing that we would be living with him (€26 room for 2).
South of the city: ❤️ Casa Eufemia hostel near the Isabel la Catolica metro station. Great chill spot with a shared kitchen and bathroom, rooftop terrace, and laundry facilities (by hand). Perfect for meeting people, and the owners are super friendly and helpful! Note: it’s on the 4th floor with no elevator, and the neighborhood is a bit dodgy at night (€25 for a twin room).
Book at Casa Eufemia –> see availability on Booking !
🚌 Transport
Visit Oaxaca
Getting around town: Once you’ve managed to buy your transit card (around €1 and it’s not registered to a specific person, so you can have 1 card for several passengers), it’s quite simple and economical to get around by metro or metrobus (5 pesos for the metro (€0.25) – 6 pesos for the metrobus). For added security, there are even women-only carriages.
>> Getting around by Uber is perfectly feasible depending on your budget; the prices seemed reasonable.
- Mexico City > Oaxaca buses: ADO buses depart from the TAPO station (accessible by Metrobus line 4 or Metro line 1, San Lázaro stop). The journey takes approximately 8 hours, and the price varies considerably (we paid €40 per person one way).
2. Oaxaca City – A Must When You Visit Oaxaca (4 days)
Things to do in Oaxaca, between traditions, gastronomy and mezcal
A cosmopolitan and artistic colonial city, Oaxaca is a real gem:
- Discover the street art throughout the city… we arrived in Oaxaca at sunrise and walked to our accommodation… it took us twice as long to get there because the streets are so beautiful…
- Historic center: the Zócalo square, the magnificent Basilica (entrance to the Basilica is free, but not to the museum).
- Colorful markets: for handicrafts, like the Benito Juárez or 20 de Noviembre markets, or for inexpensive local food, try “La Merced”.
- Monte Albán, a beautiful Mayan archaeological site, especially at sunset. If you have very little time and plan to visit other sites, this one is cool, but it’s not our favorite! It’s a half-hour bus ride away, and costs 100 pesos per person (about €5).
- Craft workshops (engraving, textiles): We had a fantastic wood engraving workshop with “Taller Artistico Comunitario” on Avenida Independencia, a local specialty! The workshop cost 500 pesos for two people and was conducted in Spanish (4 hours).
- Mezcal bars and local restaurants: Oaxaca is known for its excellent food! Treat yourself and try the mezcal-based cocktails! If it’s hot, opt for bars with pools, like 3/7 Wombat, or for a truly local atmosphere, try “El Superior” (with a jukebox).
- Visit to the Botanical Garden
🔑 Where to stay in Oaxaca
Accomodation
in Oaxaca
Hostel “Hostal Zipolite Melcor o campo”: simple and basic comfort but clean and very kind owners (we were able to leave our big bags for the 2 days we went to Mitla), (€17 for a room for 2).
🚌 Transport
Visit Oaxaca
- Oaxaca Bus > Mitla (for Hierve el Agua and Matatlan): 25p/person colectivo to Mitla (departs from a different terminal than ADDO buses).
Oaxaca Bus > San José: Lineas Unidad buses, southwest terminal, departures every hour (reservations not always necessary), 180p/person, approximately 3 hours. Small bus with air conditioning, and the price includes luggage (though space may be limited).The main bus station (ADO buses in Oaxaca) is quite close to the city center, and the neighborhood is relatively safe; it’s possible to walk there.
3. Hierve el Agua, Mitla & Matatlán – Nature & Mezcal (2 days)
If you plan to visit Oaxaca, don’t skip these incredible day trips.
- Hierve el Agua and its petrified waterfalls: a great natural spot, quite touristy, avoid weekends. There are places to eat there, the pools are nice and cool, and there’s a short hike.
- Matatlán, the mezcal capital!! So many distilleries to visit! We chose Mal de Amor; the basic tour and tasting are free. The barrel car tour (very lively, depending on the group) lasts about two hours and costs 150 pesos per person. It includes a visit to the fields (different types of agave, tasting, a visit to a pulqueria…). Just so you know, it’s hard not to get very tipsy, especially with a group of five Colombians and two Mexicans!
- Mitla, Zapotec archaeological site (not visited).
- Arbol de El Tule: 1 of the oldest trees in Mexico, over 40 meters tall and in circumference. It’s possible to reach it by bicycle from Oaxaca.
Our itinerary was:
Day 1: Oaxaca > Tule > Mitla > Hierve El Agua (overnight in Mitla)
Day 2: Mitla > Matatlan (visits to Mezcal distilleries) > Oaxaca
🔑 Where to stay in Mitla
Accomodation
in Mitla
Casa de Huespedes Real 2: A small, independent apartment a 10-minute walk from the city center. Very well-equipped except for the fact that you have to wash the dishes in the bathroom… Be aware that the rental is poorly marked on the map, so it’s hard to find; it’s best to call the host as they don’t respond well to text messages (or perhaps we were just unlucky), but good value for money (€34 for two).
Book Casa de Huespedes Real –> see availabilities!
🚌 Transport
Visit Oaxaca
Mitla > Hierve el Agua: Once in Mitla, take a small colectivo (shared taxi) next to the bakery (apparently not always there) (150p/person round trip) + 15p/person road access fee and 50p/person entrance fee to the site (215p/person total, transport + entrance, approximately €11).
Mitla > Matatlan: There were no buses, so you either had to take a taxi or motorcycle taxi, or hitchhike (our option). To return to Oaxaca, you need to get to the main road and wait for a colectivo.
4. San José del Pacífico – Slow Travel in the Mountains (2 days)
To get a little higher up and escape the heat!
A small village perched in the mountains, perfect for slowing down in a peaceful atmosphere and enjoying the fresh air:
- Hiking to San Mateo, starting about 1 km outside the town (towards the coast) on the left with a blue sign for “Cabanas Moreno”. Approximately 8-10 km, 2 hours, easy downhill and uphill sections on the road to the village. Return via the same route or by colectivo (taxi and motorcycle taxi) to San Mateo (50p/person).
- Sunset viewpoints (150p/person)
- El Bosque Encantado (120p/person), a small spot with an illuminated bridge.
⚠️ No ATMs on site → bring cash.
🔑 Where to stay in San José
Accomodation
in San José
Very cute Airbnb right in the center, room at around €20 for 2. With shared bathroom (very rustic, sink outside…), small dining room but no kitchen access and Lorena is lovely. –> see the room.
🚌 Transport
Visit Oaxaca
- San José > Puerto Escondido:
1- San José > Pochutla (with Lineas Unidad at 190p/person) (hourly, approximately 3 hours, cash only). 2- Then Pochutla > Puerto Escondido with Delfines buses (80p/person, approximately 1.5 hours). Note: there is a terminal change; you can either take a taxi or walk (it’s less than a 5-minute walk).
5. Puerto Escondido – Pacific Coast Vibes (5 days)
The endless beaches of the Pacific coast!
A change of scenery awaits you on the Pacific coast of Puerto Escondido, synonymous with:
- Immense beaches and legendary surf breaks (Zicatela),
- Local markets: the central market is great for cheap local food, while the Zicatela market is a bit more touristy.
- Outdoor activities: river hikes with hot springs (50p/person for river access and 100p/person for the hot springs (in San José Manialtepec). A great, relaxing day out, with the option of horseback riding and staying overnight halfway), kayaking, and bioluminescence (we’d already done that, so we skipped it)…
- Nightlife: more local on Alfonso Perez Gasga Street, more touristy towards Zicatela.
- The magnificent beaches of Mazunte are a little further east…
We were meeting up with a friend from Réunion Island who lives there with his family, so it was more of a reunion than a sightseeing trip, and it was Holy Week, so it was packed since all of Mexico seemed to have descended on Puerto Escondido! For those interested, this friend, Cyril, opened his dojo there…
🔑 Where to stay in Puerto Escondido
Accomodation
in Puerto Escondido
Central location: 25 minutes from the beaches (the best being Playa Puerto Angelito and Playa Principal), and right next to the central market. Large, air-conditioned room with a fridge and a very friendly owner (€28 for two). Listed on Airbnb, but the ad is no longer available.
Out of our budget, but our friends have a wonderful rental home there… we visited it, it’s amazing (for up to 8 people) ==> see availability !
🚌 Transport
Visit Oaxaca
Bus Puerto Escondido > Tuxtla: ADO bus terminal, approximately 12 hours and €40 per person.
We explored the area with our friends by car; no tips for local transport in the area!
Regions of Mexico
This road trip in Mexico allowed us to discover an incredible diversity of landscapes, cultures, and traditions.
To plan your trip step by step, check out our detailed guides for each region.
Oaxaca
Chiapas
