TRIP OVERVIEW
Day 1 – Museo Textil de Oaxaca · Zócalo de Oaxaca · Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán · Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca · Árbol del Tule · Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
Day 2 – Monte Albán
Day 3 – Hierve el Agua · Zona Arqueológica de Mitla
Day 4 – Zona Arqueológica de Atzompa · Ex-Convento de Santiago Apóstol · Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Day 1
1. Museo Textil de Oaxaca~1 hr
A free textile museum in a restored 16th-century Dominican building, holding the largest textile collection in Mexico — over 10,500 pieces from Oaxaca's seven regions. Rotating exhibitions focus on weaving techniques, natural dyes, and the cultural significance of textiles in indigenous communities.
2. Zócalo de Oaxaca~45 min
The main public square of Oaxaca, established at the city's 1529 founding and bordered by the Palacio de Gobierno and the 17th-century Cathedral. The plaza has served as gathering ground for political events, markets, and festivals for nearly five centuries.
Open 24/7
3. Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán~1 hr
A Dominican church begun in 1572 with one of the most ornate Baroque interiors in the Americas. A gilded genealogical tree of the Guzmán family spreads across the choir ceiling vault; the nave is encrusted with more than 100 relief figures of saints and apostles.
4. Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca~1 hr 30 min
A 2-hectare botanical garden inside the former Dominican convent of Santo Domingo, documenting the plant heritage of Oaxaca's 16 ecosystems. The collection spans wild and cultivated agave species, copal trees, cacti, and medicinal plants. Guided tours only — booked at the museum office.
Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm
Closed Sunday
English tours: Tuesday · Thursday · Saturday 11:00am only
Cash Only
5. Árbol del Tule~45 min
A Montezuma cypress in the churchyard of Santa María del Tule with the widest trunk circumference of any tree on earth — 58 meters around the base. Carbon-dating supports an age of at least 1,400 years. The trunk's furrowed surface reveals shapes locals have named: an elephant, a lion, a puma.
6. Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad~45 min
Oaxaca's most beloved pilgrimage church, built between 1682 and 1690 in local Baroque style with a facade carved from green cantera stone. The interior holds the image of the Virgen de la Soledad — patroness of the state — encased in a pearl-embroidered robe and topped with a silver crown studded with diamonds.
Day 2
1. Monte Albán~4 hr
The Zapotec capital for 1,300 years, built on a mountain artificially leveled 400 meters above the Oaxaca Valley. The ceremonial core — the Grand Plaza, Building J observatory, the Ball Court, the North Platform, and the South Platform — served a city of 25,000 at its peak. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Daily 8:00am - 5:00pm
8 min uphill
Last entry 4:00pm
Day 3
1. Hierve el Agua~2 hr
Mineral-laden springs deposit calcium carbonate over millennia, building cliff cascades resembling frozen waterfalls. Two natural pools at the cliff edge look out over the Oaxacan valley. The name means the water boils — a reference to the visible carbonation, not temperature.
Daily 9:00am - 5:00pm
Cash Only
Periodic closures due to community land disputes — verify before visiting
2. Zona Arqueológica de Mitla~1 hr 30 min
The Zapotec religious capital after Monte Albán's decline. Palace walls are faced with the most sophisticated stone mosaic work in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica — cut pieces forming 14 distinct interlocking geometric motifs, assembled without mortar. The name means "Place of the Dead" in Nahuatl.
Day 4
1. Zona Arqueológica de Atzompa~1 hr
A Zapotec hilltop city active between 300 BCE and 900 CE, 8 km northwest of the city center. The site includes restored palace complexes, a ball court, and a ceramic workshop area producing distinctive green-glazed pottery. Far less visited than Monte Albán.
2. Ex-Convento de Santiago Apóstol · Cuilapam de Guerrero~1 hr
A Dominican convent begun in 1555 and abandoned unfinished around 1570 when indigenous labor was withdrawn after a dispute with colonial authorities. The roofless basilica nave — 74 meters long — now stands open to the sky. Vicente Guerrero, first president of independent Mexico, was executed here in 1831.
3. Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca~1 hr 30 min
The state's pre-eminent archaeology museum in the Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo. Its centerpiece is the Mixtec treasure from Monte Albán Tomb 7 — the largest pre-Columbian burial hoard ever found in the Americas, excavated in 1932: gold pectorals, jade masks, turquoise mosaics.
Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:30pm · Sunday 10:00am - 3:30pm
Closed Monday
Weekly Closures
Archaeological Sites & Museums · Closed Monday
Botanical Gardens · Closed Sunday
Historical Convents · Closed Saturday - Sunday
Tours
Viator
Small-group guided tour of the Zapotec hilltop capital — the Grand Plaza, Building J observatory, the ball court, and the North and South platforms — with a licensed guide covering 1,300 years of Zapotec history and astronomical alignments.
4 hr · max 10
Full-day small-group excursion through the Valle de Tlacolula — the Árbol del Tule, the geometric stone mosaics of Mitla, and the mineral petrified waterfall formations of Hierve el Agua — with a licensed guide and round-trip transport included.
11 hr 30 min · max 16
Small-group day hike through pine-oak cloud forest in the Pueblos Mancomunados at 2,800–3,100 m elevation — three route options of 2–25 km guided by community members, with views across the entire Oaxaca Valley.
9 hr · max 8
Full-day small-group tour combining Monte Albán's Zapotec ruins with hands-on craft workshops in the artisan villages of San Bartolo Coyotepec and San Martín Tilcajete, with a certified guide throughout.
8 hr · max 12
Full-day group tour to Monte Albán for Zapotec culture and astronomy, then south to the 16th-century Ex-Convento de Cuilapam and the black clay and carved wood artisan villages of Arrazola and Coyotepec.
8 hr · max 15
GetYourGuide
A guided walk through Oaxaca's colonial center — the Zócalo, Santo Domingo church, the pedestrian Andador Turístico, and the city's history from Zapotec, Mixtec, and colonial periods — with a licensed local guide.
4 hr · Open group
Half-day small-group tour to Monte Albán with a certified guide — the Grand Plaza, Building J astronomical observatory, the ball court, and the North Platform — with entrance ticket included and return transfer.
4 hr · Small group
Full-day group tour through the Valle de Tlacolula — guided visits to Mitla's stone mosaic palaces and Hierve el Agua's petrified waterfall cliffs — with certified guide, round-trip transport, and entrance fees included.
11 hr · Small group
TripAdvisor
Tip-based group walking tour of Oaxaca's Centro Histórico — the Zócalo, Cathedral, Santo Domingo, the pedestrian Andador, and the Xochimilco quarter — with local guides covering pre-Hispanic through colonial history.
2 hr 30 min · Open group
Small-group day tours led by local certified guides — city walking orientation, Monte Albán, and full-day valley circuits covering Mitla, Árbol del Tule, and Hierve el Agua — with deep focus on Zapotec and Mixtec cultural context.
9 hr · Small group
Small-group cultural and archaeological tours departing from Oaxaca — Monte Albán, Hierve el Agua, Mitla, and Árbol del Tule — led by local guides with strong knowledge of Zapotec history and traditions.
8 hr · max 8
Cappuccino
Café Brújula · 4.3 · 800+ reviews
Monday - Saturday 7:30am - 10:00pm · Sunday 8:30am - 9:00pm
Cafébre · 4.4 · 200+ reviews
Monday - Wednesday 8:00am - 8:00pm · Thursday - Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm · Sunday 8:00am - 10:00pm
Boulenc · 4.5 · 1000+ reviews
Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 8:30pm · Friday - Saturday 8:30am - 11:00pm
Closed Sunday
Muss Café · 4.4 · 51+ reviews
Monday - Saturday 7:30am - 9:30pm · Sunday 8:00am - 3:00pm
Café Punto Paz · 4.3 · 100+ reviews
Monday - Friday 7:00am - 8:00pm · Saturday 8:00am - 8:00pm · Sunday 8:00am - 3:00pm
Restaurants Near Hotel
Pitiona · 4.7 · 600+ reviews
Contemporary Oaxacan tasting menus from local producers and heirloom corn.
Monday - Saturday 1:00pm - 11:00pm · Sunday 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante · 4.5 · 1200+ reviews
Alejandro Ruiz's flagship — mole and heirloom corn menus, colonial courtyard.
Monday - Saturday 1:00pm - 11:00pm · Sunday 1:00pm - 9:00pm
Totopo Güero Cocina Istmeña · 4.9 · 296+ reviews
Isthmus dishes — garnaches, pork ribs, chile relleno, Zapotec tradition.
Daily 2:00pm - 11:00pm
Zandunga · 4.6 · 900+ reviews
Isthmus cooking — black bean tamales, yellow mole, Pacific coast tradition.
Monday - Saturday 1:00pm - 11:00pm · Sunday 1:00pm - 10:00pm
El Escapulario · 4.4 · 700+ reviews
Oaxacan home cooking — mole varieties, soups, memelitas; family recipes.
Daily 8:00am - 10:00pm
Downtown Restaurants
Criollo · 4.6 · 700+ reviews
Clay-pot cooking and heirloom corn near Santo Domingo.
Tuesday - Sunday 1:30pm - 11:00pm
Closed Monday
La Olla · 4.3 · 1100+ reviews
All-day café — breakfast dishes, soups, mole negro in a covered courtyard.
Monday - Saturday 8:00am - 10:00pm
Closed Sunday
Las Quince Letras · 4.3 · 695+ reviews
Women-run since 1992 — mole negro, tasajo, empanadas de amarillo, chile relleno.
Monday - Saturday 8:30am - 9:00pm · Sunday 8:30am - 7:00pm
Local Tastes
Tlayuda
Oaxaca's signature dish — a large crisped corn tortilla spread with black bean paste, Oaxacan string cheese, and a choice of tasajo dried beef, chorizo, or cecina. Eaten flat or folded, with fresh salsa.
Mezcal
Oaxaca produces 85% of Mexico's mezcal — distilled from agave varieties across the state's valleys. Batches differ by species, terroir, and distillation. In Situ Mezcalería holds the city's broadest small-producer selection.
Food Delivery
Uber Eats
Foreign number: accepted — the SMS verification code arrives on most international numbers.
Uber Eats covers the centro histórico and surrounding colonias reliably; most major restaurants and taquerias are listed. Delivery windows are typically 25–40 min and the app is easy to use without a Mexican number.
DiDi Food
Foreign number: accepted — the SMS code arrives on most international numbers; no Mexican SIM needed.
DiDi Food is the local alternative and often undercuts Uber Eats on price; coverage is strong in the centre and extends into the Jalatlaco and Reforma neighbourhoods. Useful when Uber Eats shows a long wait.
Rappi
Foreign number: not accepted — a Mexican phone number is required to receive the SMS verification code.
Rappi requires a Mexican phone number to register and is the least used of the three in Oaxaca; stick to Uber Eats or DiDi Food unless you already have a local number set up.
Getting Around
DiDi
Foreign number: accepted — the app verifies by SMS and most international numbers receive the code.
DiDi is the main ride app in Oaxaca — Uber pulled out of the city. The app accepts foreign payment cards without a Mexican number. Fares are metered and quoted upfront; the fleet is large enough in the centre that wait times are generally under five minutes during the day.
Michelin Restaurants
Levadura de Olla
Traditional clay-pot cooking — mole negro, tlayudas, regional dishes.
Los Danzantes
Contemporary Oaxacan — seasonal menus; Green Star for sustainable sourcing.
Hiking
Cerro del Fortín — Summit Trail · Moderate
2.2 km one way · 235 m ascent
Paved path from the Jardín Etnobotánico up to the hilltop viewpoint.
1 hr
Hierve el Agua — Lower Cascade Trail · Moderate
3 km loop · 120 m ascent
Rocky path to the lower petrified waterfall · Cascada Chica · steep return.
1 hr 30 min
Worth Knowing
Oaxaca at the Crossroads
Oaxaca is where three of Mexico's most significant pre-Columbian civilizations — Zapotec, Mixtec, and later Aztec — overlapped in time and territory without merging. Monte Albán was Zapotec for over a millennium; by 700 CE it was abandoned and the Mixtec moved into the surrounding valleys. Mitla, which Day 3 visits, served as the Zapotec sacred city through all of this — then became a Mixtec religious center, then fell to the Spanish. The 16th-century Spanish built their cathedral directly atop the Zapotec temples at Mitla's central group. Three civilizations, one sacred site.
The Mixtec treasure from Tomb 7 at Monte Albán — on display at the Museo de las Culturas — was found in a tomb the Zapotec had built but the Mixtec reused as a burial chamber around 1350 CE. Alfonso Caso opened it in 1932 and found nine individuals interred with gold pectorals, jade masks, and turquoise mosaics. The volume and quality of the objects make it the largest pre-Columbian burial hoard ever found in the Americas — hiding inside a site that had already been partially excavated for decades.
Also on this site
Nearby Guides