MX · Oaxaca · 17.06°N 96.73°W

oaxaca

Mole sauces, market breakfasts, old courtyards and the hilltop ruins of Monte Alban.

Best time
October–March are dry and sunny, with Day of the Dead (late October to 2 November) the busiest and most colourful time. April–May are hot; June–September bring afternoon rain, and the Guelaguetza dance festival in July.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly with two stops, via Tokyo or Seoul and Mexico City, about 25–30 hours all in; the last flight takes about an hour. The airport is 25 minutes from the centre. Oaxaca is 14 hours behind KL all year. Malaysians don't need a visa for Mexico, but connecting through a US airport would need a US visa.
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MX · Oaxacaoaxaca17.06°N 96.73°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Mole sauces, market breakfasts, old courtyards and the hilltop ruins of Monte Alban.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingOaxacaMX, Oaxaca
KLoaxaca
≈ 16,993 km from KL, as the crow flies
This is a photo of a monument in Mexico, identified by ID

Photo: Juan Porter · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Oaxaca is one of Mexico's great food cities, a colonial town of green-stone churches and markets where mole is sold by the bucket. The hilltop ruins of Monte Albán and the weaving villages of the valley are a short ride away.

Makan

  1. MoleOaxaca's famous sauces, black mole above all, made from chillies, chocolate and spices and usually served with chicken.Map ↗
  2. TlayudaA giant crisp tortilla spread with pork lard (asiento), beans and cheese. Ask for it without the asiento.Map ↗
  3. Hot chocolateStone-ground with cinnamon and whisked frothy with water or milk.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Historic centreGreen-stone churches, the gilded Santo Domingo church and shady courtyards, all walkable.Map ↗
  2. Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre marketsNeighbouring markets of chocolate, chillies, bread and toasted grasshoppers, with a smoky grill hall for lunch.Map ↗
  3. Monte AlbánA Zapotec city on a levelled mountaintop above the valley, 20 minutes away.Map ↗
  4. Teotitlán del ValleA weaving village where families dye wool with plants and cochineal and weave it on hand looms.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is very hard to find; the many vegetarian dishes help, but ask about lard and meat stock.
  • Book well ahead for Day of the Dead, and treat the cemetery vigils as family occasions, not shows.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.