6 Days in Oaxaca City
Oaxaca City is a living museum of pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexico. The central plazas pulse with indigenous vendors, mezcal bars, and some of North America's best street food. Go for vibrant crafts, culinary depth, and a slower rhythm than the capitals. Ideal for solo travellers, food-focused adventurers, and anyone seeking authentic Mexico.
What to expect
- Haggle for hand-woven huipiles and embroidered textiles at Central de Abastos market
- Eat tlayudas (crispy maize discs) at street stalls; try mole negro at traditional comedores
- Wander gilded Santo Domingo church and its ex-convent cloister, a baroque masterpiece
- Hike to Hierve el Agua mineral springs or take a day trip to mountain weaving villages
Day by day
Check into a room around Zócalo (main plaza) or nearby Xochimilco neighbourhood.
Walk Zócalo and Alameda de León; sit on a bench and watch life unfold—markets, mariachis, indigenous women selling crafts.
Dinner at a comedore (family-run food stall) in the market; try memelas with tinga (shredded chicken).
Explore Central de Abastos, a sprawling indigenous market; bargain for huipiles, rebozos, and embroidered blouses.
Visit smaller craft markets: Taller Arte Papel Oaxaca for paper crafts, and Tlacolula Markets for ceremonial textiles.
Mezcal tasting at a bar in the historic centre; order flight with Oaxacan charcuterie.
Tour Santo Domingo de Guzmán; admire the gold leaf interior and the attached ex-convent's underground cemetery.
Walk to San Felipe Neri and San Agustín churches; rest in shaded courtyards between visits.
Cooking class (book ahead): make mole and tortillas with a local chef; eat your creations for dinner.
Early shuttle to Hierve el Agua (90 min); hike through pines to mineral springs cascading down limestone terraces.
Swim in cool pools; picnic with tlayudas and fresh agua fresca bought at the entrance.
Return to Oaxaca; light dinner—tamales or quesadillas—and rest.
Take a colectivo (shared van) to Tlacolula or San Antonino Castillo Velasco to watch weavers at traditional looms.
Buy directly from artisans; visit a mezcal distillery (palenque) in the hills; taste fresh mezcal.
Return to Oaxaca; dinner with live music—marimba or jarocha bands play in restaurants.
Visit artist studios in the Xochimilco district; watch potters, painters, and engravers at work.
Final stroll through Zócalo, buy last-minute crafts or mezcal bottles at markets.
Depart.
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