10+ Best Things To Do in Oaxaca City for First-Timers

Last updated on July 28th, 2026

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Planning a trip to the colorful and vibrant Oaxacan capital? Here are 10+ best things to do in Oaxaca City as a first-time visitor.

Oaxaca City is a destination that took a long time to get on my radar—even as a Mexican—but once it did, I was shocked that I hadn’t visited it sooner.

Lined with colorful colonial houses and charming cobblestone streets covered in dangling papel picado, Oaxaca City is one of the most picturesque destinations in Mexico.

And while Oaxaca City is a much smaller city compared to other popular Mexican destinations, like Mexico City, there’s a good amount of activities to fill up your Oaxaca City itinerary with.

From diving into the incredibly delicious local cuisine and wandering the city’s artistic neighborhoods, to even exploring outside of the city itself, there are plenty of things to do to keep all types of travelers entertained.

And to give you a good base for your trip to this colorful city, here are 10+ top things to do in Oaxaca City as a first-time visitor.

10+ Best Things To Do in Oaxaca City for First-Time Visitors

1) Explore the colorful Historic Center of Oaxaca City

Strolling through the bright-colored streets of the Oaxaca City Historic Center should definitely be the first thing you do when you arrive in the city.

The charm of Oaxaca City is that it’s so small and walkable that you can easily cover all of the Historic Center in one day.

While that might sound boring if you’re used to bigger destinations, the beauty of a smaller city like Oaxaca is that you get the chance to slow down.

Wander through the colorful streets aimlessly, go into the small boutiques, stop at different cafes, check out the stands at the street markets.

Strolling through the Historic Center is one of the best things to do in Oaxaca City to get a feel of the place and then plan how your next days will go.

2) Admire the iconic Church and Convent of Santo Domingo

One of the most emblematic buildings in Oaxaca City has to be the Church of Santo Domingo, the imposing green-tinted structure standing in the heart of the city.

Green, you said? Yes! The Church of Santo Domingo was built with massive pieces of green Cantera, a unique stone that’s native to Mexico, which is what gives the whole building a very distinctive green hue.

Definitely something you won’t see anywhere else.

There’s also a cute little plaza right in front of the church with lots of seating space under the shade of the trees. Something worth remembering if you’re visiting during the hot summer months.

3) Walk along the charming Andador Turístico

One of the top things to do in Oaxaca City is to walk along the Andador Turístico, a traffic-free street in the heart of the city where you can peacefully walk and explore the cute businesses that line it.

If you stroll slowly through it, you can easily spend a few hours here, jumping from boutiques to coffee shops, browsing the street market stands, trying out street food snacks, and maybe stopping by a small museum somewhere along the way.

It’s also a great street to take at night if you have to get anywhere since it’s very well-lit, and there are normally people around.

4) Do as locals do and sip some mezcal

Tequila’s smokier cousin, Mezcal, is the liquor that Oaxaca is known for—the state is the biggest producer in the country—that’s why doing a mezcal tasting is one of the top things to do in Oaxaca City.

As soon as you arrive in Oaxaca City, you’ll find no shortage of tour promoters offering trips out of the city to visit mezcal distilleries.

While that’s also fun and recommended, you don’t need to go that far out to enjoy a drink.

You can have a mezcal tasting at any time of day inside Oaxaca City by visiting a mezcal shop or bar, like El Ultimo Trago, where you’ll be guided through the tasting right then and there.

Or, if you can’t get on board with sipping this smoky liquor by itself but still want to be involved, you can visit Mezcalogia, a mezcal bar that also offers mezcal-based cocktails—an easier way to dive into the mezcal world.

5) Try delicious local dishes at Mercado Benito Juárez

Oaxaca is the heart of Mexican cuisine, so if one thing is certain, it’s that in Oaxaca, you’ll have some of the most delicious food you’ve ever had in your life.

And the best place to start your Oaxaca foodie adventure is at Mercado Benito Juárez.

Benito Juárez is an indoor market packed with casual food stalls where locals gather to eat during their lunch break. The food is amazing, and all for ridiculously good prices—a whole lunch, with flavored water included, costs 50 pesos.

During my first visit to Mercado Benito Juárez, I followed the crowds and sat down where there were the most locals, mostly construction workers. I ordered memelitas, doughy disks with beans, chorizo, and cheese on top.

I kept ordering this dish wherever I went during my stay in Oaxaca, but honestly none of them were as good as those I had the first day at the market. So make sure to not skip this spot!

6) Explore the buzzing Mercado 20 de Noviembre

Just across the street from Mercado Benito Juárez, you’ll find another big market, Mercado 20 de Noviembre. In contrast with the food hall of Benito Juárez, this market focuses more on produce and general goods.

I highly doubt you’ll need to buy any produce while in Oaxaca City.

However, one of the main reasons I think it’s worth visiting Mercado 20 de Noviembre is to buy a bag of coffee beans from Pluma de Oro—some of the highest-quality coffee Oaxaca has to offer.

This makes the perfect practical trip souvenir—my favorite kind—and a great gift.

7) Go souvenir shopping at Mercado de Artesanías

Speaking of souvenirs, one of the best things to do in Oaxaca City to get good quality Oaxacan products—and at the best price—is to visit the Mercado de artesanías, the city’s handicrafts market.

Throughout the whole city, particularly at the plazas, you’ll find a variety of stands selling very similar items to each other: colorful cloth bags, embroidered blouses, table runners, and more.

At the Mercado de Artesanías, you’ll find unique designs, more options for types of products, and prices that are cheaper than they are at the city center.

I consider the Mercado de Artesanías a must-do in Oaxaca City to stock up on all kinds of beautiful textiles and local handicrafts to take home as gifts or souvenirs. We got so much stuff here!

8) Marvel at the unique green Cantera church: La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Soledad

If you can’t get enough of the green church of Santo Domingo, I have good news for you: Oaxaca has another green church for your viewing pleasure, la basílica de Nuestra Señora de Soledad.

This green Cantera church is a little farther from the City Center, but still within a very comfortable walking distance.

Right next to it, there’s a very picturesque little plaza, and if you go up the stairs at the back of the plaza, you can get a good viewpoint of the whole pistachio colored structure.

9) Visit the vibrant Barrio Jalatlaco

One of the absolute best things to do in Oaxaca City is to visit the artistic Barrio de Jalatlaco, one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in the whole country.

Jalatlaco, a quiet residential pocket of Oaxaca City, looks straight out of a coloring book.

With brightly-colored walls, full-blown murals on the front of residential houses, intricately painted scenes outside small businesses, and papel picado dangling from the lampposts, this is by far my favorite area of Oaxaca City to explore.

Even though the area is mostly residential, you can still find a variety of cute coffee shops and small restaurants in the neighborhood, as well as a nice park and a quaint little church.

10) Shop for unique products at the artisans’ market at Plazuela del Carmen Alto

One of my favorite discoveries during my trip to Oaxaca City was this small artisan outdoor market located right off of the Andador Turístico at the street plaza “Plazuela del Carmen Alto“.

Here you can find a unique variety of items for sale that you won’t find anywhere else in the city, like handmade jewelry, handwoven bags, linen clothing items, pressed flower art pieces, and much more.

 Definitely one of the best things to do in Oaxaca if you are looking for a unique souvenir. I got a few rings here and some handmade pouches.

11) Take a tour of the Ethnobotanical Garden and admire the massive cacti

If you’re looking for inspiration for your trip to Oaxaca City, you’ll surely come across this image of people standing in front of incredibly tall cacti. This is located at the Ethnobotanical Garden.

However, this is not just a shallow photo opp. The only way to visit the garden is with a guided tour, which takes you slowly through the gardens and explains the history of the local flora and how the ancient civilizations in this area used them.

The tour ends with the stunning view of massive cacti growing tall behind a man-made pool. The picture you see everywhere.

Besides being a beautiful place to take iconic Oaxacan photos, the tour is also very interesting and a good way to learn more about the area. Definitely a top thing to do in Oaxaca City, for the curious traveler—and let’s not pretend, also for the photo.

12) Take a day trip from Oaxaca City: Monte Albán, Hierve el Agua, Teotitlán del Valle, and Mezcal distilleries

One of the best things to do in Oaxaca City is to take a day trip out of the city and explore some of the other incredible things Oaxaca has to offer.

Like visiting the handwoven wool rug workshops in Teotlitlán del Valle, marveling at one of the most unique natural wonders, the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua, visiting the heart of the Zapotec civilization in Monte Albán, or a traditional mezcal distillery; the options are endless. 

This well-rounded, highly-rated Oaxaca tour includes some of the top highlights in one day: Hierve el Agua, the archeological Mitla site, a wool rugs workshop, and even a mezcal distillery, and for a very good price.

Book your Oaxaca day trip before it sells out:

Final thoughts on the top things to do in Oaxaca City as a first-time visitor

I still can’t believe how long it took me to visit Oaxaca City as someone who lived in Mexico for most of my life.

But I’m happy that’s no longer the case, and the question now is, when will I go back? Because honestly, it’s so cute and picturesque—I’m obsessed!

While Oaxaca City is a relatively small city, it’s such a joy to visit as a tourist.

You can easily tick off most of the top things to do in Oaxaca City in one day if you’re rushing, or leisurely spread them out through a few days, sprinkled with slow moments and some day trips.

And this is why I love this city. I love the pace and the size of it, perfect for savoring the city while still seeing all the highlights peacefully.

I hope this list of the best things to do in Oaxaca City helps you better prepare for your trip to this charming Mexican destination.

Which of these activities are you most looking forward to ticking off your list? Let us know in the comments.