Things to do in Oaxaca
The unmissables
Most booked
Oaxaca: Hierve el Agua, Mitla & Mezcal Day Trip with Lunch★ 4.94 (1,511) · 11h
Top rated
Monte Albán guided tour from Oaxaca: Expert archaeologist guide★ 4.84 (1,045) · 3h–4h
Best value
Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla tour: Four stops in one day★ 4.73 (1,170) · 12h
Recommended (7)
Oaxaca: 3 Markets Food Walking Tour & 24 Tastings★ 4.97 (498) · 6hUS$ 111View ›
Oaxaca: Market Food Tour with Gastronomy Researcher & 20 Tastings★ 4.78 (460) · 3h 30mUS$ 60View ›
Monte Albán tour from Oaxaca: Certified guide, UNESCO site★ 4.63 (434) · 4hUS$ 32View ›
Oaxaca: Hierve el Agua Day Trip & Mezcal Tasting Tour★ 4.83 (421) · 8hUS$ 65View ›
Copalitilla Waterfalls tour from Huatulco: Swim & hike★ 4.85 (409) · 8hUS$ 55View ›
Puerto Escondido: Dolphin Watching & Swim with Pickup★ 4.86 (360) · 3hUS$ 66View ›
Oaxaca: Cooking Class & Market Tour with Chef Oscar★ 4.66 (352) · 4h 30mUS$ 75View ›Top rated (10)
Traditional Oaxaca Cooking Class with Local ChefA hands-on cooking class in Oaxaca where you learn to prepare three traditional regional dishes—mole, handmade tortillas and chocolate tamales—from a local chef and cookbook author. The class runs 3.5 hours, is 100% practical, and includes all the food and drinks you make. Vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan menus are available on request.Is it for me?Book this class if you want to leave Oaxaca knowing how to make the dishes you've eaten there—the hands-on format and the chef's expertise in regional cooking mean you're learning techniques and stories, not just following a recipe.
Mezcal distillery tour in Puerto Escondido: 6 tastingsA guided mezcal distillery tour in Puerto Escondido combines a didactic presentation on mezcal's origins and production, a walk through a family-run facility, and a tasting of six artisanal mezcals made on-site, with hotel pickup and local snacks included. The tour runs 2.5 hours with a live guide in English, Spanish or French, and is open to travelers 18 and older.Is it for me?If you're staying in Puerto Escondido without a car, the included pickup means you skip the logistics of finding the distillery and get straight to learning. The small-group format with Antoine's team keeps the pace conversational instead of rushed, so you can ask questions as they come up.
Oaxaca: Zimatan Street Food Cooking Class & Lunch with PickupYou’ll join locals in Zimatan village for a hands-on Oaxacan street food cooking class—with plenty of laughter over handmade tortillas and fresh salsas. Taste hibiscus margaritas while learning why corn matters here, then share lunch under the trees before heading back with new stories (and maybe smoky clothes).
Oaxaca City: Traditional Cooking Class & Family Meal with MezcalYou arrive at a home kitchen in Oaxaca City, learn to make traditional salsas, chile rellenos and other dishes on a wood-fired brasero, then sit down to eat what you cooked with your instructor and other participants. The class runs hands-on from start to finish, includes all ingredients and beverages, and transport to and from your hotel.Is it for me?Book this if you want to cook in an actual home kitchen with someone who learned these recipes from family, not from a culinary school — the informal setting and the shared meal afterward are what make it feel like you've been invited in, not enrolled in a class.
Oaxaca: Art Walk & Cacao Tasting in Jalatlaco StudiosYou’ll wander Oaxaca’s colorful Jalatlaco streets with a local guide, meet working artists in their studios, try your hand at printmaking (and take your own piece home), then taste three different cacao drinks in Centro’s cozy chocolatería. Expect laughter, paint-stained fingers, and stories you’ll remember long after you leave.
Puerto Escondido: Surf Lesson with Flexible Beach & GoPro OptionYou’ll paddle out into Puerto Escondido’s famous waves with all equipment provided and a local guide who adapts to your level. Expect hands-on coaching, flexible beach locations depending on conditions, and optional GoPro footage of your lesson. It’s not about perfection—it’s about feeling the ocean for yourself.
Oaxaca Private Tours: Monte Albán, Artisan Workshops & MarketsYou ride in a private vehicle with a local guide and skip the standard tour route entirely, spending your day in artisan workshops, archaeological sites, and markets that operate on real community schedules. Pickup, transport, water, and fuel are included; you choose which stops matter to you and how long to stay at each one. No fixed itinerary means no rushing past something that catches your eye.Is it for me?Book this if you want to spend a day in actual artisan workshops and markets rather than tourist-facing stops, and you'd rather have a local guide handle the logistics and introductions than navigate timing and locations yourself — the private vehicle and local connections are what make access to family workshops possible at all.
Oaxaca City: Markets Food Tour & 15+ TastingsYou walk through Oaxaca's busiest markets with a local guide who grew up there, stopping at 15+ vendors to taste mole, tamales, chocolate, mezcal and street food. All tastings and drinks are included, the pace is slow enough to talk to vendors and the guide, and you finish knowing why Oaxacan food tastes the way it does. Book early if you're traveling in high season — groups are kept small.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat real Oaxaca food the way locals do, without arranging your own market route or figuring out which stalls are worth your time — the guide's family connections and years of eating in these markets is what makes the difference between a food tour and an actual introduction to the place.
Huatulco: Copalitilla Waterfalls Day Trip & Local LunchYou’ll hike through lush jungle near Huatulco to reach Copalitilla Waterfalls, swim in crystal-clear pools alongside locals, then share a traditional meal of handmade tortillas and regional dishes cooked over wood fire. With pickup included and a local guide leading you through coffee country, expect both adventure and warmth along the way.
Oaxaca: Mezcal Distillery Tour, Agave Fields & Oaxacan LunchYou’ll ride out from Oaxaca to walk real agave fields in Matatlán, watch artisans roast and distill mezcal step by step, taste as many varieties as you want, and sit down for a traditional Oaxacan lunch—all with stories from your local guide. You might even leave with a new favorite flavor or two.
Lowest price (10)
Huatulco Airport - Huatulco Hotels: Private Shuttle & Certified DriverYou’ll step off your flight in Huatulco and spot your driver waiting with your name—no hunting around or guessing games. Enjoy an air-conditioned ride with a certified local operator who knows every shortcut and shares small stories along the way. Arrive at your hotel or Airbnb feeling relaxed, already part of the rhythm here.
Huatulco Airport to Oaxaca: Private Minivan TransferYou get picked up at the arrivals gate with a nameplate, driven directly to your hotel in a private air-conditioned minivan, and pay a fixed price with no hidden fees. The driver knows your destination before you land, so there's no negotiation or confusion at the airport — just a smooth transfer that takes the logistics off your hands.Is it for me?Book this if you're landing at HUX and want to skip the taxi negotiation entirely — the fixed price and nameplate pickup mean you know exactly what to expect and where to go the moment you walk out of arrivals.
Monte Albán Full-Day Tour: 5 Oaxaca Artisan WorkshopsA full-day guided tour from Oaxaca that combines a 1.5- to 2-hour hike through the Monte Albán archaeological zone with visits to four artisan workshops in surrounding villages—San Martín Tilcajete, Santo Tomás Jalieza and San Bartolo Coyotepec. A certified guide leads the entire day, hotel pickup is included, and you choose at checkout whether to add a traditional Oaxacan lunch. The itinerary may shift depending on local festivals or hotel pickup routes, and shared tours mean seats are reserved in advance.Is it for me?Book this if you want to combine archaeology with hands-on artisan workshops in one day—the shared van connects five stops including Monte Albán's guided hike and working craftspeople in their homes, rather than visiting sites separately.
Huatulco Airport Transfer: Shared Shuttle to HotelsYou arrive at Huatulco International and staff meets you with a name sign, then drives you to your hotel in a cool, air-conditioned shuttle. On departure, you're picked up from your hotel lobby and taken back to the airport. The shared shuttle costs less than a taxi, runs round-the-clock, and you don't arrange anything beyond booking — they handle the route, the timing, and finding you at arrivals.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to skip the taxi line and arrive at your hotel without arranging transport or negotiating a fare — the fixed price and 24-hour schedule mean you can book it and forget it, whether you land at noon or midnight.
Bicycle Tour through Oaxaca: Urban Art & HistoryA two-hour guided bicycle tour through the City of Oaxaca covers the neighborhoods of Jalatlaco and Xochimilco, the colonial arches of the San Felipe aqueduct, and the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, with a local guide explaining the art, history and pre-Hispanic roots of each stop. The tour includes a bicycle, helmet and technical assistance; a viewpoint option is available depending on group fitness. English and Spanish guides are available, and the minimum age is 18.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to cover more ground than a walking tour allows while staying in the city center—you'll bike through neighborhoods to see colonial architecture and street art at a pace that lets you actually absorb what you're seeing.
Hierve el Agua & Mitla Full Day Tour: 6 Stops with GuideThis full-day guided tour of Oaxaca visits six sites across the region: the petrified waterfalls and natural pools at Hierve el Agua (two hours of free time), the archaeological zone of Mitla with a certified guide, a textile workshop in Teotitlán del Valle where artisans show the wool-rug process, a mezcal factory with tasting, the ancient Tule Tree, and a buffet lunch of traditional Oaxacan food. Hotel pickup starts between 7:30 and 7:50 a.m., and the tour runs 10 to 11 hours total. The guide speaks English or Spanish depending on the option you choose at checkout.Is it for me?Book this if you're arriving without a car—a shared van with a guide handles six stops across culture, archaeology, and nature, with two hours to explore Hierve el Agua at your own pace.
Huatulco Airport Transfer: Private Car, One-Way or RoundtripYou’ll step into Huatulco greeted by your own driver holding a sign — no guessing games or taxi lines. Enjoy an air-conditioned ride straight to your hotel (or back to the airport), with flexible pickup times and help with your bags. It’s simple comfort and local warmth you’ll remember long after touchdown.Is it for me?Your driver waits at arrivals with flexible pickup times and roundtrip options, so you control when you leave the airport and return.
Monte Albán, mezcal tasting & alebrijes tour from OaxacaThis seven-hour guided tour from Oaxaca combines the archaeological site of Monte Albán with visits to three artisan workshops in the surrounding villages: a traditional mezcal palenque where you taste ancestral spirits, a family workshop making hand-painted wooden alebrijes, and a black clay studio where potters use centuries-old techniques. A bilingual local guide leads the walking tour at the ruins and explains each craft process as artisans work in front of you; transport with air conditioning and hotel pickup from the historic center are included.Is it for me?The tour runs seven hours with walking at Monte Albán and standing time at each workshop while artisans demonstrate their craft — it is paced for observation and conversation rather than physical exertion, and suits anyone interested in how Oaxacan culture and traditions are made and preserved.
Oaxaca: Monte Albán, Arrazola & Black Pottery Day TripYou’ll stand above Oaxaca at Monte Albán’s ancient ruins, watch artists shape magical alebrijes in Arrazola, wander through sunlit arches at Cuilapam Convent, and see black pottery born from local hands in San Bartolo Coyotepec. Includes hotel pickup and an easy pace so you can actually take it all in.
Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca: Petrified Waterfalls & Natural PoolsYou're driven to Hierve el Agua's petrified waterfalls, swim in natural mineral pools, and have the option to hike to the main cascade—all in one half-day without stopping elsewhere. The 3-hour stay lets you move at your own pace instead of being herded through, and your air-conditioned vehicle handles the mountain roads both ways. Bring cash and swimwear; no card payments or restaurant stops along the route.Is it for me?Choose this if you want to see Hierve el Agua's unusual geology without arranging your own transport or timing—the fixed 3-hour stay gives you room to swim and rest instead of rushing, and the driver handles the mountain roads both ways.
