How to Spend 3 Days in Oaxaca, Mexico

Are you thinking about visiting the culinary capital of Mexico? Amazing. However, don’t think about it too much. Just go. I can guarantee that you’ll love it there. If you’re not sure what to do in the city, then I hope my blog post will give you an idea of how you can spend 3 days in Oaxaca, Mexico. 

The city of Oaxaca is filled with colourful buildings, street art, friendly people, the most delicious foods and drinks and plenty of unique day trips. So it’s no wonder that in just a few days Oaxaca became our favourite city in Mexico. 

If you’d like to see our Oaxaca adventures then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here. You can also check out our Mexico Playlist for more adventures.

Introducing the City of Oaxaca, Mexico

Located in the Oaxaca Valley at 1,550m above sea level is the culinary capital of Mexico: Oaxaca City. Officially designated as a city in 1529, Oaxaca is the capital city of the state of Oaxaca. Below are some interesting facts about both the state and the city:

• The name Oaxaca comes from the Aztec’s Nahuatl language and it means ‘at the top of the guaje tree’.
• Two of Mexico’s famous presidents, Porfirio Díaz and Benito Juárez, are from Oaxaca. You’ll notice a lot of references to Benito Juarez. For example, the city’s official name is Oaxaca de Juarez which was added in 1872 in honour of the president.
• Other than being considered the food capital of Mexico, Oaxaca is often referred to as the ‘Land of the Seven Moles’. Mole is a traditional sauce that contains fruits, nuts, chili peppers, and other spices. Each state in Oaxaca produces a different variation of the mole, hence the name.
• Oaxaca is also home to the famous spirit called Mezcal.
• Since 1987 both the city and Monte Alban archaeological site have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Oaxaca is well-known for its rich artisanal culture. Unique handicrafts are made in the surrounding towns and villages.
• There are several different indigenous groups in Oaxaca making the state one of the most diverse in Mexico.
• Oaxaca state is also home to the world famous surf beach called Playa Zicatela in Puerto Escondido.
• If you visit Oaxaca at the end of July, you can enjoy the celebration of Guelaguetza. It is an annual indigenous cultural event where dancers from all regions of Oaxaca come together to celebrate their music, dance, food, and traditions.

How to Get to Oaxaca, Mexico

By Plane: Oaxaca has an airport which is located just to the south of the city centre. Flights mainly go between Mexico City, but there are flights to and from other cities too such as Huatulco, Cancún and Guadalajara. In addition you can fly direct to a few USA cities like Dallas, Houston and LA. 

By Car: You can rent a car and drive to Oaxaca City. Bear in mind that the distances are pretty far between the main cities in Mexico. For example, expect to drive at least 7 hours from Mexico City to reach Oaxaca. Before you rent a car, I would do more research about driving in Mexico.

By Bus: A cost effective and also more environmentally friendly option is to take a bus to Oaxaca. Depending on where you’re coming from there are different companies that offer services to the city of Oaxaca. For example, if you’re coming from Mexico City you can use the ADO bus company. The journey would take around 7 hours and the ticket would cost around 700MXN. 

Click here to check out other bus companies and learn more about bus travel in Mexico. 

Where to Stay in Oaxaca, Mexico

I recommend staying close to Centro Historico since most points of interest are located in this area. You can also consider Jalatlaco which is just to the east of Centro Historico. For reference we stayed in this neighbourhood and it was quick and easy to walk into the city centre.

Oaxaca is such a walkable city and you can reach most of the tourist attractions on foot if you stay in either of the above neighbourhoods.

How to Spend 3 Days in Oaxaca, Mexico

I think spending as long as you can in Oaxaca is the best way to be able to visit nearby places too. However, I appreciate that not everybody will have that much free time. So for that reason I think a minimum of 3 days in Oaxaca will be enough to see a lot, eat a lot, and also take a few day trips.

3 Days in Oaxaca – Day 1: Tour Around the City of Oaxaca

Oaxaca City is filled with many attractions, so you can easily spend one full day wondering around it. 

Start your tour in Zocalo, the historic centre. There are many attractions nearby such as the Cathedral and many museums. From there you can head north to check out the stunning 16th century Templo de Santo Domingo. If you’re a plant lover then don’t miss a visit to the botanical garden. There are a couple of interesting museums in the area too. 

If you enjoy a city view, then make your way towards Auditorio Guelaguetza. From there, head south and stop by the Church of Our Lady of Solitude. At this point I recommend circling back to the centre and visiting many of the famous markets on your way such as Mercado 20 de Noviembre and/ or Central de Abastos. Of course, don’t forget to sample some of the best foods in the whole of Mexico and taste the famous Mezcal. 

For the best street art head to the Jalatlaco district, just to the east of Centro Historico. 

Top Tip – Make sure to walk everywhere you can in the city. Walking will help you to really see and feel the city. Most of the attractions are a walkable distance from one another and you really don’t want to miss out on the colourful streets. 

Click here to read about the best things to do in the City of Oaxaca.

Note – You probably won’t get to see everything you want to in just one day. If that’s the case you’ll have some more time the next day, so don’t feel like you have to run around the city. 

3 Days in Oaxaca – Day 2: Visit Monte Alban + Oaxaca City

Set on a mountaintop, approximately 9km to the west of Oaxaca City, at 1,940m above sea level, are the impressive ruins of Monte Alban. Your 3 days in Oaxaca wouldn’t be complete without visiting this archaeological site.

Founded in 500 BC, it served as the capital city of the ancient Zapotec people. It was also one of the most important cities in Mesoamerica. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987.

Based on the style of the buildings, murals and ceramics in Monte Alban, it has a link to Teotihuacán in Mexico City. Personally, we preferred Monte Alban to Teotihuacan, since it was smaller, less crowded and at the time of our visit it was also much greener than Teotihuacan.

There are quite a few areas to walk around, so make sure to allow a few hours for that. You can visit the site as part of a tour or on your own. 

Entry Fee – 85MXN per person.

Click here for a short guide on how to get to Monte Alban without a tour.

Top Tip – I think you can easily finish your tour around Monte Alban by early afternoon. Therefore, you can spend the rest of your day visiting places within the city of Oaxaca that you didn’t have time for the day before. 

3 Days in Oaxaca – Day 3: Take a Day Trip to Hierve el Agua

You definitely can’t leave Oaxaca without taking a day trip. There are many amazing locations you can visit such as Mitla archaeological site, El Tule tree, Teotitlan del Valle or Tlacolula. However, as soon as we saw some photos of Hierve el Agua, we instantly knew that we had to see this place in person. 

Located about 70km to the east of Oaxaca, you can visit this amazing place as part of a tour or on your own. Hierve el Agua is a set of natural rock formations that look like waterfalls from a distance. However, these are  petrified waterfalls which were formed by a small amount of fresh water springs which are oversaturated with calcium carbonate and other minerals.

You can enjoy swimming in the natural pools overlooking the valley and the mountains, but you can also complete a short circular hike for a different point of view of these ‘waterfalls’.

What makes this place even more unique is that this is one of only two petrified waterfalls in the world. The other one of its kind is the famous Pamukkale in Turkey. 

Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to visit Hierve el Agua without a tour.

Final Thoughts on Spending 3 Days in Oaxaca, Mexico

Without doubt Oaxaca became our favourite city w visited during our 2.5 months in Mexico. We loved just how colourful and vibrant the entire city was. After eating our way through the city we can totally appreciate why they call it the culinary capital of Mexico. Not to mention all the incredible day trips you can do from Oaxaca. We would definitely return to the city without a second thought.

Have you ever been to Oaxaca City before? If so, how much of the city and surrounding area did you manage to visit? If not, would you visit this beautiful and vibrant city? Let me know in the comments below.