Oaxaca de Juárez, confusingly known as just 'Oaxaca' is the capital of the Mexican state, of well... Oaxaca. This name may be familiar to you, as anyone who knows anything about Mexican food knows that Oaxaca is where it's at. It's also the home of Mezcal, that smoky spirit that drink nerds love to love.
In this travel guide for Oaxaca City, we will go over everything you need to know to plan your trip to visit Mexico's most colourful and flavourful city!
CONTENTS
About Oaxaca State
Oaxaca state is in south Mexico, and if you're familiar with the UK government travel advice website, you'll know that would be on the 'green' side.
Only 7 hours by road from Mexico City, Oaxaca state stretches from the mountains down to the Pacific coastline - where you'll find the surfing town of Puerto Escondido, famous for its world-class barrels. The road is rough though my friends, as the high altitude and mountainous terrain meant up until Feb 2024 it was a 9-hour bumpy journey from Oaxaca city to her sandy shores.
BUT 15 long years after its conception, a new 104km superhighway complete with 3 tunnels, 10 bridges and a viaduct, is finally here and has radically reduced travel time to just 2.5 hours. Oaxaca was ruled by the Zapotecans (not Mayans or Aztecs, which are words that feel more familiar), and these were 'Cloud People'. This is more to do with their beliefs on creation, not because of the altitude, but being 1555m up thankfully makes Oaxaca City cool and breezy - and you will certainly notice the difference if you head downhill to the coast.
A Backpackers Travel Guide to Oaxaca City
How to Get to Oaxaca City
BUS
Joe and I took the bus from Mexico City, which we booked via Busbud. The journey took 9 hours and the ticket price was £20.
FLY
It's actually a few pounds cheaper to fly, as long as you are only travelling with hand luggage. You can compare prices on Skyscanner and book directly with the airline.
FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE for Mexico, do what I do, and browse Travel Supermarket - where you can choose an affordable policy with a high Defaqto rating.
Where to Stay in Oaxaca City
In true backpacker style, I try to keep accommodation costs low, and my budget for Mexico was less than £20 per night (between 2 of us). For all my travel guides I normally always recommend searching on booking.com first.
We stayed in Barrio de Jalatlaco - and I am so glad we did. This neighbourhood is simply gorgeous. Our cute apartment here was £18 per night.
We also heard good things about Barrio de Xochimilco - which, like Jalatlaco, is only a 20-minute walk away from the main square.
This central hub is so very different from the quirky suburbs, as it is crowded with touts and vendors. This didn't match with the artsy chill of the neighbourhoods slightly further out, so perhaps avoid staying directly in the centre.
Not sure what to pack for your trip to Mexico? Check out the I Dream of Mangoes article:
Things to Do in Oaxaca City
As this is a backpacker travel guide to Oaxaca City, I have only chosen free or cheap things to do, of which there are plenty!
1. EAT
Foodies, rejoice! They know how to cook in Oaxaca. Recipes here are ancient, vibrant, and exciting.
Oaxaca’s prevalent Indigenous identity and the off-the-grid lifestyle of many rural villages have made the region largely resistant to the rapid Americanisation happening in the rest of Mexico. Fire-cooking with earthenware vessels is still the norm in these parts.
Food is inseparable from life in Oaxaca - and home cooking is as revered as haute cuisine. You can expect Chillies, Corn, Beans, Cheese, and Smoke, just for starters.
Some local must-tries include simmering Chilaquiles (see pic), crispy Tlayuda, blistered Empanadas, and of course, Mole; Oaxaca's most well-known dish.
Two of our favourite street food joints were Tacos del Carmen and Torta Hormiga.
2. Join A Free Walking Tour
I think it's a great idea to join a walking tour on the first day in any city, we chose this one which I would recommend. They are normally free and you are expected to leave a tip afterwards (Joe and I gave 100 pesos each, which works out to be about £5 each).
We were able to get the lay of the land, learn a bit of history about the Zapotecans, and find some amazing street food treasures, like the Chile Relleno tacos at Tacos del Carmen! We went back to eat them three more times afterwards, they were that good.
3. Drink
Not only is the food sublime, but the drinks are deserving of a spot on this list all their own. Our tour guide told us 'Mexicans don't like drinking plain water', so even soft drinks are wildly interesting.
Starting with Tejate, a maize and cacao 'milk' which tasted earthy and homely if you can get past the bitty texture. There's also Tepache, a super refreshing spritzy soda made from fermented pineapple skins.
For a slightly higher abv. you've got Pulque, a sour-milky beverage made from the sap of the Maguey plant. And I think the most famous of all, there's Mezcal. (Tequila is a type of mezcal). Oaxaca de Juarez is surrounded by Mezcal distilleries, so you'll find no shortage of tours depending on your interest.
You can take a shared taxi to Santiago Matatlán - the town in the heart of mezcal production, which is a 45-minute drive from central Oaxaca de Juárez. Your guesthouse owner can give you coordinates of the shared taxi pick-up spots within the city.
We booked a tour at Fábrica de mezcal Mal de Amor, but unfortunately, when we arrived there was nobody to conduct the tour in English (even though we had booked an English-speaking guide ahead of time), so I can't comment or recommend.
If you want to try some fantastically made cocktails inspired by Oaxacan cuisine, head to Selva. The prices are steep (relative to Mexico) but it's a nice treat, the staff are excellent, and the drinks are innovative and f*cking delicious.
4. Hike
Oaxaca de Juárez is surrounded by more than thirty beautiful walking trails, all the details of which can be found on AllTrails. It's the perfect way to work off all of those Margaritas!
5. Admire the Street Art
The entire city of Oaxaca de Juárez is a work of art, and very walkable. You can easily spend a day getting lost in the maze of cobbled streets, stumbling across artisan coffee shops and bakeries.
As the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, houses must fall in line with the colourful motif, which means no two houses on the same street can be the same colour. I would love to be the person who decides the colour of each house, that's the type of power I want!
6. Lucha Libre Match
This is a bonkers style of professional wrestling originating in Mexico, where masked characters 'free-fight' - much to the joy of the enthusiastic audience. It's a good craic! You'll see posters all around town for the upcoming events, where a ticket on the door will cost you in the region of 200 pesos.
8. Visit the Mercados
Mercado Benito Juárez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre are both bustling local markets where you can shop for groceries and trinkets (or puppies and other animals in small cages, much to my dismay).
But, if you want somewhere to spend a few hours I think La Cosecha Organic Market is it. It's quieter, and there's a seating area, music, and stalls serving delicious drinks and street food. The market is open 9am - 4:30pm.
All in All
If you could not already tell from this backpacker's travel guide to Oaxaca City, I think it's safe to say that Oaxaca was our favourite place in Mexico.
It felt so much more authentic than the mass resort/building site that was Tulum, the temperature was perfect, and there was no insane police/military presence like Mexico City and parts of Yucatan.
As a female tourist, Oaxaca City felt completely safe. I went out at night, but I did not walk alone, and I kept my phone concealed. To make me feel safe, I always carry my Empowered by Ashley personal alarm when travelling, although thankfully, thus far I have never had to use it.
And I'll say it one last time, THE FOOD IS EPIC. If you only go to one region on your trip to Mexico, make sure it's Oaxaca.
If you are swinging by Mexico City, be sure to check out my CDMX City Guide.
Coming down from the USA? Find inspiration for the ultimate California road trip with my guide: San Francisco to San Diego on a Shoestring.
If you have enjoyed reading my backpacker's travel guide to Oaxaca City, please consider subscribing to my blog where I publish articles from my current travels every 1-2 weeks.
Happy Travels!
xxx
START PLANNING YOUR NEXT TRIP
11 Steps to Plan a Trip Around the World - Find out my planning process!
How to Travel for Longer - What's the secret?
Backpacking on your Period - Everything you need to know to prepare for different toilet situations.
My Favourite Countries in the World (and my least favourite!) - Get inspired.
My 5 Favourite Cities in the World - Some to be expected, and some, not so much!