Oaxaca travel guides [2026]

Guides & tips

Plan your trip like a local

Honest answers to the questions travellers ask us most.

Compare San Martín Tilcajete and San Bartolo Coyotepec, understand the work behind woodcarving and black pottery, and visit without sales pressure.

How to experience Día de Muertos in Oaxaca respectfully, from dates and altars to cemetery visits, parades and advance planning.

How to choose between a guided trip and travelling independently to Hierve el Agua, with current opening, access and timing advice.

Compare a palenque visit outside Oaxaca with a guided city tasting, including transport, depth, pace and who should choose each.

Plan a half-day at Monte Albán: official admission, opening hours, transport choices and when a guide adds real value.

How to choose an Oaxaca cooking class with a market visit, hands-on work and enough time to understand mole rather than just eat it.

A walkable route through Oaxaca’s centre, with Santo Domingo, the Museo de las Culturas, markets and advice on when a guide adds value.

What a guided Oaxaca food walk adds, how to pace many tastings and what to ask about allergies, spice and insects.

A practical guide to Tlacolula’s Sunday tianguis: what is sold, how to behave, what else to see and whether to take a tour.

What fits into the classic full-day circuit east of Oaxaca, where the day feels rushed and which stops deserve more time.