Three days cover the mezcal side of Oaxaca: an evening tasting in the Centro, a full day at the palenques around Santiago Matatlán (46 km east of the Zócalo) and a day that pairs Hierve el Agua or Monte Albán with a distillery stop. November to April is the dry season and the easiest time for village roads; the second half of July packs the Feria del Mezcal, the Guelaguetza and Matatlán’s own mezcal festival into ten days. Mexico City is about an hour away by air or 6.5 hours by ADO bus.
How many days: 2, 3 or 4
| Days | Plan | Tour on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, walk the Centro, 2-hour tasting of six-plus mezcals at 20 de Noviembre, groups of 10 max | Centro tasting, from $36 |
| Day 2 | Matatlán corridor: 50 minutes by van from Jalatlaco to the agave fields, 3 hours at an artisanal palenque, lunch at Doña Chica, back by mid-afternoon | The Mezcal Journey, 6 h, from $104 |
| Day 3 | Hierve el Agua (105 minutes out), 3 hours at the pools, distillery stop on the way back | Hierve el Agua and distillery, 8 h, from $64 |
| Day 4 | Monte Albán at opening (8:00), guided 1.5 h plus free time, drop-off at your hotel | Monte Albán half-day, 4 h, from $31 |
Two days means Day 1 and Day 2 only.
With three, swap Day 3 for the 11-hour loop that adds the Tule tree, Teotitlán del Valle rugs and Mitla before Hierve el Agua (East Valley loop, from $58). With four, a Friday works for the Ocotlán market and the Real Minero visit in Santa Catarina Minas: 3 hours, MXN 750, Spanish only, booked in advance (Real Minero visits).
For two people who want the whole east valley in one private car, the private combo does Monte Albán, Teotitlán, El Rey de Matatlán and Hierve el Agua in 8 hours, from $289 per group of two.
Book a mezcal experience
Private Monte Alban, Hierve el Agua, mezcal and Teotitlan
From $289 per group up to 2
8 hours · English, Spanish · Private group · Free cancellation
Private transport format connecting Monte Albán, Teotitlán, El Rey de Matatlán distillery and Hierve el Agua. Pickup is subject to the eligible Oaxaca zone.
Hierve el Agua, Mitla, Tule, rugs and mezcal distillery
From $58 per person
11 hours · Spanish, English · Free cancellation
Tule, Teotitlán, Mitla, about two hours at Hierve el Agua and a distillery. Meeting at Oaxaca by Locals, Cosijoeza 110A.
When to go
Oaxaca City sits at 1,555 m. Rain concentrates in summer: June is the wettest month at 171 mm, the year totals about 853 mm, and November to April is dry. Daytime highs run from 27 °C in December to 33 °C in April; January nights drop to about 9 °C (SMN 1991–2020 normals via Wikipedia, state climate profile).
June to September afternoons bring showers, and the hurricane season on the coasts runs June to November (FCDO Mexico). Oaxaca’s civil-protection service posts the current alerts (Protección Civil Oaxaca).
Event dates for 2026, all in or near the city:
| Event | 2026 dates | Where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guelaguetza, Lunes del Cerro | 20 and 27 July, shows at 10:00 and 17:00 | Auditorio Guelaguetza, Cerro del Fortín | México Desconocido |
| Feria del Mezcal | 17–28 July, 11:00–22:00, MXN 80 | Centro Cultural y de Convenciones (CCCO) | Oaxaca government |
| Gran Fiesta del Mezcal | 23–26 July, free BinniBus from El Llano | Santiago Matatlán | El Heraldo Oaxaca |
| Día de Muertos | 31 October–2 November; comparsas in the Centro on 31 October and 1 November, night vigil at the Xoxocotlán cemetery | Oaxaca City and villages | Qué Onda Oaxaca |
The 2027 dates are not out yet; the 2026 fair was announced on 13 July for a 17 July opening, so expect a late announcement for the second half of July. Our Feria del Mezcal report has the 2024–2026 dates side by side.
Getting there
Oaxaca’s airport (OAX) is in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, 8 km and about 12 minutes from the Zócalo. It handled 1.86 million passengers in 2025 with nonstop flights from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana, Cancún, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles (Oaxaca International Airport). Mexico City to Oaxaca is about 1 hour 5 minutes in the air (FlightConnections).
By bus, ADO leaves Mexico City’s TAPO terminal for the 465 km run, about 6 hours 30 minutes, last departure 23:59, arriving at the ADO terminal on Niños Héroes at 5 de Mayo. Fares in September 2026: MXN 485–966 in ADO first class, MXN 840–1,470 in ADO Platino (140México, updated 11 September 2026).
From the airport, book at the authorised ground-transport counter at arrivals. A seat in the shared van to the Centro cost about MXN 135 per person in July 2026, MXN 210 for outlying zones (Travel Report). A private airport taxi to the centre runs MXN 200–300 (Oaxaca Capital). Uber does not operate in Oaxaca and app pickups are not allowed at the airport; the safety guide covers taxis and DiDi in town.
What it costs
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm bed / private room | about USD 5 / USD 43 per night on average | Hostelz |
| Hotels, lowest nightly rates | 2-star from USD 31, 3-star from USD 38, 4-star and up from USD 61 | KAYAK |
| Centro tasting, 2 h | $36 | GetYourGuide |
| Matatlán palenque day, 6 h, lunch included | $104 | GetYourGuide |
| Hierve el Agua plus distillery, 8 h, entry included | $64 | GetYourGuide |
| Monte Albán half-day, 4 h | $31 (ticket extra) | GetYourGuide |
| Private east-valley day, 8 h | $289 per group of two | GetYourGuide |
| Monte Albán admission | MXN 210 general, MXN 105 nationals and residents | INAH |
| Hierve el Agua / Mitla / Tule admission | MXN 70 / MXN 210 / MXN 20, paid at the gate | East Valley loop listing |
| Buffet lunch on the day tours | MXN 150–220 | tour listings |
| Real Minero visit, 3 h, 4 distillates | MXN 750 adult, MXN 500 child 5–17 | Real Minero |
| Colectivo bus Oaxaca–Mitla | MXN 25 | Where the Road Forks |
| Village Espadín bottle to take home | MXN 850–909 | Mezcal Vago, Vinos y Licores |
The gate fees add up: on the 11-hour loop you hand over MXN 300 in cash at three gates plus MXN 220 for lunch, and ATMs are scarce once you leave the city.
Getting to Matatlán, Hierve el Agua and Monte Albán
| Destination | Road km from the Zócalo | Driving time, no traffic | Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monte Albán | 9 km | 15 min | Taxi, or a tour van (30 min each way from 5 de Mayo). Open 8:00–17:00, last entry 16:00 |
| Santiago Matatlán | 46 km | 40 min | Tour van (50 min from Jalatlaco); colectivo to Mitla, then taxi 8 km |
| Hierve el Agua | 67 km | 1 h | Tour van (105 min from the Centro); private driver |
| Santa Catarina Minas | 43 km | 47 min | Private driver via Ocotlán; Real Minero does not include transport |
Distances are road distances from OpenStreetMap routing; van times come from the tour itineraries. Colectivos to Mitla leave from the second-class bus station by the Central de Abasto every 15–20 minutes, MXN 25, about an hour, and Matatlán is 8 km further by taxi (Where the Road Forks). The mezcal route guide has every village.
What to pack
Closed-toe shoes (agave fields have thorns, and the palenque tours say so), sunscreen and a hat for Monte Albán and Hierve el Agua, swimwear and a towel for the pools, and a light jacket for afternoon departures and January nights at 9 °C.
Cash in pesos for gate fees, lunches and bottles. Bottled water: the FCDO advises drinking only boiled or bottled water and skipping ice (FCDO health advice).
Eat before a tasting. Mezcal is bottled at 35–55% alcohol under Mexico’s mezcal standard (NOM-070-SCFI-2016). The Matatlán tours pour generously.