Getting around · Oaxaca · Mexico
Getting around Oaxaca
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Comisión Mexicana de Filmaciones from México D. F., México, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
Oaxaca's historic centre is compact and best explored on foot, with most sights within 15 minutes' walk of the Zócalo. Taxis cover the rest of the city, while tours, shared colectivo taxis and second-class buses reach Monte Albán and the villages of the central valleys. Not for the city.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- OAX
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Walking
The Zócalo, markets, Andador, Santo Domingo and Jalatlaco are all within a 15–20 minute walk; pavements are narrow and uneven in places.
Taxi
Taxis are cheap and unmetered; fares within the centre are low and should be agreed before you set off.
Ask your hotel what a fair fare is for longer trips.
Bus
Second-class buses towards Tlacolula and Mitla run along the Carretera Internacional, while first-class ADO coaches link Oaxaca with Mexico City, Puebla and the coast from the terminal on Calzada Niños Héroes de Chapultepec.
Taxi
Shared colectivo taxis to the villages leave from stops on the edge of the centre and near the Central de Abastos market, carrying four or five passengers for a fixed fare per seat.
From the airport
Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) is about 10 km south of the centre, roughly 20–30 minutes by road. Authorised taxis and shared vans sell tickets at counters in the arrivals hall at fixed fares to the centre.
Do you need a car?
Not for the city. A car or a driver for a day makes the valley villages, Hierve el Agua and palenques easier, but tours and colectivos cover them well.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Mitla | About 1 hour by road | Tour, colectivo or bus along the Carretera Internacional |
| Hierve el Agua | About 1.5–2 hours by road | Tour or car via Mitla; the final stretch is a winding mountain road |
| Teotitlán del Valle | About 40 minutes by road | Tour, colectivo or car via the Mitla road |
| Tlacolula Sunday market | About 45 minutes by road | Colectivo, bus or tour along the Mitla road |
| San Bartolo Coyotepec | About 25 minutes by road | Taxi, colectivo or tour south along Highway 175 |
| San Martín Tilcajete | About 40 minutes by road | Taxi, colectivo or tour south along Highway 175 |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Oaxaca?
Not for the city. A car or a driver for a day makes the valley villages, Hierve el Agua and palenques easier, but tours and colectivos cover them well.
+How do you get from the airport to Oaxaca?
Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) is about 10 km south of the centre, roughly 20–30 minutes by road. Authorised taxis and shared vans sell tickets at counters in the arrivals hall at fixed fares to the centre.
+What is the best way to get around Oaxaca?
Walking: The Zócalo, markets, Andador, Santo Domingo and Jalatlaco are all within a 15–20 minute walk; pavements are narrow and uneven in places.