14 Best Things to Do in Oaxaca City, Mexico

Oaxaca City (Oaxaca de Juárez) is one of the top places in Mexico to visit, and for very good reason. It is artistic, and full of culture—from ancient ruins to mezcal tastings, and has some of the best Mexican food in all of the country. After spending almost a month in the city, this is my list of my absolute favorite things to do in Oaxaca. And they are perfect for your first visit. 

1. Wander Through the Street Art Districts

There are two neighborhoods you must see if you’re into street art: Xochimilco and Barrio de Jalatlaco. Each is walkable (Jalatlaco is flatter, while Xochimilco has some incline), and both are packed with colorful murals, cool cafés, and little artisan shops.

We took a free walking tour of Jalatlaco with Oaxaca by Locals, which I highly recommend—it added so much meaning to the art when you know the stories behind it. For Xochimilco, we followed a self-guided walking map and it was super easy to navigate.

2. Lucha Libre at Arena Oaxaca

Every Sunday at 6:30 PM, Arena Oaxaca hosts Lucha Libre—Mexico’s iconic, high-energy wrestling event. It’s a mix of acrobatics, drama, and humor, with “Rudos” (bad guys) battling the “Técnicos” (good guys). Sit front-row for the full experience (but stay alert—the wrestlers often fly into the crowd!). 

There are five matches with 3 rounds. Each match gets progressively better, so make sure to stay until the end! If you enjoyed the match, throw coins (or paper pesos) on the mat to show your appreciation. You can hold bigger bills close to the ring for the chance for a wrestler to come get it personally (that’s what I did).

➞ Tip: Bring extra cash for souvenirs (like Luchador masks), snacks (like nachos and cheese puffs), and tips. Tickets are available at the door, but showing up early or buying in advance at the arena will help you skip the very long line. We went a few hours beforehand.

3. Jardin Etnobotanico 

Don’t let the small view of Jardin Etnobotanico you get  from the street fool you—this botanical garden is massive and filled with native Oaxacan flora. You can only visit on a guided tour, offered in Spanish for 50 pesos. Even if you don’t speak the language, it is still worth it! Plus, there is typically somebody attending the garden tour who speaks Spanish and English so you may overhear people translating.

➞ Check the website for tour hours, typically offered at 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00 and 17:00. Tours last about an hour, just stay with the group and stay on the path.

4. Take a Wood Engraving Workshop 

Wood engraving (often seen in Oaxaca’s paste-up posters) is a traditional Mexican art, and you can try it yourself in a hands-on class. I took a 3-hour class at Galería 20-20 and absolutely loved it. We learned engraving techniques, practiced on a sample board, then created our own design to print and take home. 

➞ Tips: come prepared with a design idea—choosing one on the fly is harder than you’d think. Also, your piece will need about 8 hours to dry, so allow time to pick it up later. I made reservations by sending a message through Instagram.

5. Cooking Class Dos Corazones

This was hands-down one of the best experiences we had in Oaxaca. Chef Aubrey welcomed us into her home with warm hugs and stories of her grandmother’s recipes.

The class began with Oaxacan hot chocolate and regional fruit tastings (zapote negro and pineapple mango!), followed by snacks and then lots of cooking. We prepared chileajo, chile relleno with chicken picadillo, and two types of salsa. Aprons, mezcal, beer, and laughs were included! Aubrey and her husband made us feel like family.

➞ You can book the exact class I took here: Traditional Oaxaqueña Cooking with Grandma’s Recipes

6. Day Trip to Hierve el Agua

If you’re looking for an unforgettable day trip from Oaxaca City, this one’s got it all—nature, culture, mezcal, and one very wide tree! We started with a quick stop at El Tule, home to one of the widest trees in the world, then headed to Hierve el Agua, where cold spring pools sit on the edge of a cliff with insane views. There’s a short hike down (and a tougher one if you’re feeling bold), so bring water, a swimsuit, and a hat.

After soaking in the views, we toured Mitla, an ancient Zapotec site nicknamed the “land of the tombs,” and grabbed a buffet lunch at Restaurante Donaji (go for the memelas and tlayudas!). We wrapped up with a cozy mezcal tasting at a small family-run palenque and watched artisans create handwoven rugs at a textile workshop. It was a jam-packed day, but totally worth every minute!

➞ This is the tour I took and recommend: Hierve el Agua Guided Full Day Tour

7. Go to a Mezcal Palenque

Sure, you can sample mezcal in Oaxaca City, but nothing compares to visiting a palenque in the countryside. You’ll get to walk through agave fields, see how mezcal is made, and taste it right from the source.

You can make your way to a palenque on your own, but I opted for a tour. We  visited two palenques on separate tours: The Mezcal Journey took us to a large factory with a stop in Mitla for lunch, while the second was a small family-run spot included in the Hierve el Agua tour. Both were worthwhile, but the smaller one felt more intimate.

8. Shop the Markets

If you really want to soak up the heart and soul of Oaxaca, head straight to the markets. There are three major ones in the city, and each offers something a little different—so yes, I’m officially giving you permission to visit all of them.

20 de Noviembre Market

20 de Noviembre Market is most famous for the Pasillo de Humo (“Smoke Hall”)—a corridor lined with meat vendors grilling up everything from tasajo to chorizo. Photos usually show it filled with dramatic plumes of smoke, but full disclosure: it wasn’t all that smoky on any of my visits. (Honestly, the version at Central de Abastos was smokier and more atmospheric.)

Still, this is the place to go if you’re craving traditional Oaxacan eats. Grab a seat, order some meat to be grilled on the spot, and pair it with all the sides (don’t skip the grilled onions and salsas!).

Benito Juarez Market

Located just across the street from 20 de Noviembre, Benito Juarez Market is more of a mixed bag. You’ll find a handful of food stalls (including one of the best spots for nieve—more on that in a sec!), but it leans more toward souvenirs. Think: embroidered bags, salsa bowls, keychains, and yes, even live animals.

I picked up a cute woven market tote for $10, handmade salsa bowls for $2 each, and a generic version of my favorite perfume for just $7 an ounce.

Central de Abastos de Oaxaca

This one’s massive—and way less touristy. If you want to see where locals really shop, this is it. I first visited on a gastronomy tour with Etnofood (which I highly recommend—more on that below), and then came back later just to explore and shop.

You’ll find everything from fresh produce and mole pastes to handmade pottery and furniture. Seriously, you could get lost here for hours. And I kind of hope you do.

9. Grab a Cocktail (or Two!)

If you’re into cocktails, Oaxaca has some seriously impressive bars, and Sabina Sabe is one of the best. It’s even been named one of the top 50 bars in the world—so expect a wait, but trust me, it’s worth it. I loved the Paloma Margarita (tequila, Campari, Aperol, orange liqueur, and grapefruit juice—hello, delicious!) and the Guayabo Verde, which was light, herbal, and so refreshing. Plus, there’s a piece of art inside that totally captivated me. You’ll know it when you see it—let me know if it gets you too!

If you want to keep the cocktail crawl going, check out Selva Cocktail Bar, a higher-end spot with a gorgeous vibe and creative drinks, or swing by La Cueva, which is tiny, casual, and feels a little like being in a cool cave (hence the name!).

10. Eat Traditional Oaxacan Food

If you’re anything like me, then food is half the reason for traveling—and Oaxaca totally delivers! Whether you’re wandering through local markets, taking a street food tour, joining a cooking class, or dining in one of the city’s many restaurants, you’ll have no trouble tasting your way through the region’s most iconic dishes. Here are a few you have to try:

Nieve (Traditional Oaxacan Ice Cream)
Nieve isn’t your average ice cream—it’s more like a fruity, refreshing sherbet and often made with regional ingredients like mezcal, burnt milk, or even grasshoppers. My favorite place to sample it was La Oaxaqueña Nevería at Jardín Sócrates, where I tried a sampler of seven flavors (passionfruit was the winner!). You can also find incredible options at Chagüita inside Benito Juárez Market (stall #27), where locals line up for flavors like tuna (prickly pear), donají (lime & mezcal), and beso oaxaqueño (a tropical fruit mix).

Memelas
These thick, handmade corn tortillas are grilled and topped with ingredients like black beans, asiento (unrefined pork lard), cheese, and salsa. They’re simple but so flavorful, and usually eaten for breakfast or as a street snack. Casa Mook makes some great ones!

Tlayudas
Known as Oaxacan pizza, tlayudas are oversized, crispy tortillas layered with refried beans, meat (usually tasajo or chorizo), cheese, lettuce, avocado, and salsa. You’ll find them at street stalls and restaurants, often grilled over charcoal for that irresistible smoky flavor. The most popular place to get them is at the Tlayudas La Chinita food truck.

Mole
Oaxaca is famous for its different types of mole, rich and complex sauces made with everything from chili peppers to chocolate. Mole negro is the most iconic, often served over chicken or tamales (I loved the ones at Zandunga!)—and yes, it takes hours to make (or days!), so savor every bite.

11. Scope Out a Gallery or Museum

Oaxaca is an artistic city, from street art to high end galleries, and everything in between. Here are a couple of cultural places that really stood out to me:

Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

Housed in a former monastery next to the Santo Domingo Church, the Museum of Cultures is one of the most important cultural sites in the region. Inside, you’ll find artifacts from Monte Albán, pre-Hispanic treasures, and rotating exhibits that give real insight into Oaxaca’s rich history (plus, the views from the windows are stunning!).

Galería Taller La Máquina

This workshop-gallery hybrid houses a rare 8-ton electric lithography press from 1909, made in Paris by J. Voirin. It’s not just for show—the press is still used by local artists today. The mix of old-world machinery and contemporary Oaxacan art is amazing.

Want more? Stop by:

12. Take a Food Tour

The food tour with Etnofood isn’t your average touristy taco crawl. We explored the massive Central de Abastos market, where we were literally the only visitors who didn’t live there. It felt like stepping behind the scenes of Oaxacan daily life.

What made it even better? We didn’t just eat—though we did that a lot—we actually learned the history and meaning behind each dish. From building our own taco campechano with ingredients we picked out ourselves, to sipping tejate, a pre-Hispanic cacao and maize drink, every bite came with a story. We tried enmoladas drenched in rich mole, quesadillas from Comedor Conchita, chapulines (yes, the famous grasshoppers), and a bunch of local fruits like mamey and pineapple with honey. We even sipped on traditional fermented drinks like pulque and tepache.

➞ You can book the same tour as me here: Immersion Tour and Oaxaca Markets

13. See Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán

You cannot leave Oaxaca without stepping inside the Templo de Santo Domingo. This stunning Baroque-style church is dripping in gold leaf, marble, and intricate detail. It’s especially magical in the late afternoon—which was around 4:00 PM in February—when the sunlight hits just right and the gold practically glows.

Yes, there are other churches like Basílica de la Soledad, but if you only have time for one, make it this one.

14. Visit Monte Albán

Just a quick 25-minute drive from Oaxaca City, Monte Albán is one of those places that instantly makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. We booked a half-day tour through Viator that included a guided walk and then some free time to explore on our own—and honestly, it was the perfect amount of time.

Monte Albán was inhabited for over 1,500 years by the Olmecs, Zapotecs, and Mixtecs, and the entire site was literally carved into the mountain. We’re talking pyramids, terraces, canals, and temples—all designed with a sacred purpose. It’s wild to think about how much engineering went into it, especially considering how long ago it was built. And while Oaxaca City is known for its Spanish colonial layout and earthquake-resistant buildings, Monte Albán offers a glimpse into the brilliance that came long before that.

➞ Tip: Before you leave, pop into the small museum near the entrance. It’s packed with artifacts and gives great context to everything you’ll see out there. And wear sunscreen and bring a hat. The sun doesn’t play around up there, and there’s not much shade.

Save this Post to Pinterest