3 days in Oaxaca

Day by day

1. Day 1: Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán and Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

   Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca and Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca, then Zócalo and Cathedral in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán

      Oaxaca's most spectacular church was built by Dominican friars from the late 16th century and is covered inside with gilded and polychrome stucco.

   2. Late morning

      Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

      Go before visiting Monte Albán to understand the site, and leave time for the window views of the garden and the church dome.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Mole negro

      Fondas in the 20 de Noviembre market and traditional restaurants in the centre; mole pastes are sold by the kilo in the Benito Juárez market.

   4. Afternoon

      Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca

      Laid out in the former convent orchards behind Santo Domingo, this garden displays plants native to Oaxaca, one of Mexico's most biodiverse states: columnar cacti, agaves used for mezcal, cochineal-hosting nopal and dye plants.

   5. Evening

      Zócalo and Cathedral

      Take a coffee under the arcades in the early evening, when the square is at its liveliest and the marimba players set up.

2. Day 2: Monte Albán and Mercado 20 de Noviembre

   Monte Albán, Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Mercado Benito Juárez, then Andador Macedonio Alcalá in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Monte Albán

      Go early, when it is cooler and the light is soft; there is little shade, so bring a hat and water.

   2. Late morning

      Mercado 20 de Noviembre

      Two blocks south of the Zócalo, this food market is known for its Pasillo de Humo, a smoky corridor where you choose tasajo, cecina and chorizo from butchers, have it grilled over charcoal, then buy tortillas, grilled onions and salsas from the women walking the aisles.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tlayuda

      Evening street stalls across the city and the grill stands in the 20 de Noviembre market; ask for it sin asiento for a vegetarian version.

   4. Afternoon

      Mercado Benito Juárez

      Buy mole paste here to take home; stallholders will let you taste the negro, rojo and amarillo before choosing.

   5. Evening

      Andador Macedonio Alcalá

      Walk it twice: in the morning for galleries and shops, and after dark when calendas and street performers take over.

3. Day 3: Museo Textil de Oaxaca and Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo

   Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo and Oaxacan cooking class, then Mezcal tasting in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Museo Textil de Oaxaca

      A restored colonial building near the Andador houses rotating exhibitions of Oaxacan and international textiles, from backstrap-loom weaving and natural dyes such as cochineal and indigo to contemporary work.

   2. Late morning

      Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo

      Allow an hour and combine it with lunch nearby; the museum is small enough to see without fatigue.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tasajo and cecina

      The Pasillo de Humo in the 20 de Noviembre market, where you pick the meat and have it grilled on the spot.

   4. Afternoon

      Oaxacan cooking class

      Many local cooks run classes that start with a market visit to buy chiles, herbs and quesillo, followed by hands-on preparation of a mole, salsas made on a stone metate and tortillas on a clay comal.

   5. Evening

      Mezcal tasting

      Ask for the agave type and the producer's village for each pour, and sip slowly; artisanal mezcal can be well above 45% alcohol.

Before you go

• Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca: Visits are by guided tour only; reserve a place at the entrance a day or two ahead, especially for English tours.
• Oaxacan cooking class: Popular classes fill up around Día de Muertos and the Guelaguetza; reserve a few weeks ahead for those periods.

If it rains

• Swap in Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca (Santo Domingo and the Andador): Use the courtyard as a calm break from the Andador, and ask about other cultural centres Toledo founded in the city.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Centro Histórico keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Santo Domingo and the Andador ($$$) suits couples, first-timers, culture, food lovers and shopping. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 17–22 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.1 hours in December to 13.1 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Oaxaca
• 2 days in Oaxaca
• 5 days in Oaxaca

Questions travellers ask