Oaxaca City is a colorful and vibrant 16th-century colonial town and UNESCO World Heritage site. Its historic center spans 247 blocks with 1,200 historic monuments. This self-guided walking tour takes you to the top 9 historic sights, passing by atmospheric pedestrian promenades, side streets, and lively outdoor markets.

PS. Also visit Barrio de Jalatlaco, a beautiful residential neighborhood east of the historic center filled with murals. You can walk there from Santo Domingo church heading east down Calle de la Constitución toward Once in Oaxaca Cafe. From there, head north toward the neighborhood church, Templo de San Matías Jalatlaco.

Xochimilco Aqueduct

On Rufino Tamayo Street, in the north of the historic center, are the picturesque arches of an aqueduct built with green Cantera stone in the mid-18th century. Just across is Plazuela de la Cruz de Piedra, a lovely square surrounded by colorful buildings (and my favorite pottery shop, Cooperativa 1050°!).

oaxaca city aqueduct

Calle Macedonio Alcalá

If you keep walking through Plazuela de la Cruz de Piedra down Calle de Xólotl, you’ll reach Calle Macedonio Alcalá, Oaxaca’s main cobblestoned pedestrian corridor. It’s lined from start to finish with beautiful shops, museums, galleries, cafes, restaurants, and street markets. It’s also where you’ll see local celebrations taking place for everything from weddings to school graduations and quinceañeras!

Oaxaca City Calle Alcala celebration mexico top sights
Oaxaca city Calle Alcala celebration top sights

Templo de Santo Domingo

Further south down Calle Alcalá is Oaxaca’s signature Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. This baroque church, with its ornate and gilded interior, is the city’s finest. It was built under the Dominican order starting around 1575 and named after the order’s founder, Spanish monk Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Saint Dominic’s family tree is depicted on the ceiling above the church’s entryway.

oaxaca city mexico top sights church templo de santo domingo
Oaxaca city Mexico templo de santo domingo top sights

Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

Inside a former 16th-century convent next to the Templo de Santo Domingo is the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca. It’s the city’s top museum and one of the best regional museums in all of Mexico. The architecture inside and views of the church and botanical gardens are as worthwhile as the museum’s great collection. The artifacts and treasures discovered in nearby Monte Albán are a highlight.

Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, museums to visit, mexico top sights

  • Behind the church is the Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca. Opened in 1998 and designed by Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo, the botanical gardens showcase the wide array of plants native to Oaxaca, Mexico’s most biodiverse state. I recommend visiting the gardens if you enjoy plants and natural history. Note that you can only visit through a guided tour, currently offered in Spanish or English.

Oaxaca city Mexico botanical garden Jardín Etnobotánico

Teatro Macedonio Alcalá

Down Calle Alcalá, passing the vibrant outdoor art market at Parque Labastida, turn left on Avenida de la Independencia and you’ll come across the stunning Teatro Macedonio Alcalá a block later. Built in 1909, the theater has an incredible French-style interior and hosts a variety of great performances and events.

Photo Credit: Teatro Macedonio Alcalá

  • Walk from the theater down the picturesque side street Callejón San Pablo and Plaza de los Paraguas. From there you can check out the San Pablo Cultural Center. It’s inside a 17th-century convent, has a lovely cafe, and regularly hosts exhibits and events. Also next door is Oaxaca’s Textile Museum, dedicated to preserving and showcasing the region’s traditional textile crafts.

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción

At Calle Alcalá’s southern end, a block from the theater, is the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption). This Roman Catholic baroque cathedral was built in 1553 and, following several earthquakes, reconstructed in the 18th century. My favorite part of the cathedral is its exterior, with beautiful carvings that contrast against the building’s green Cantera stone.

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Oaxaca City top sights church

Zócalo

Beside the cathedral is the bustling Zócalo, Oaxaca’s main public square. It’s shaded from the sun by laurel trees planted in the 1870s and lined by cafes that spill out from the archways of historic buildings. If you’re in town on a Sunday, the State Band of Oaxaca plays a free concert in the plaza around noon!

Photo Credit: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Palacio de Gobierno

The Government Palace is on the Zócalo’s south side. The historic building with a marble interior has murals inside, including one of former President Benito Juarez, a native Oaxacan and Mexico’s first indigenous president. It isn’t a must-see sight, but is lovely to walk through if you have the time.

Palacio de Gobierno Government Palace Oaxaca City Mexico top sights mural, benito juarez

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad

The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is a ten-minute walk northwest of the Zócalo. This late 17th-century baroque church is dedicated to Oaxaca’s patron saint. Check out the church’s chandeliers held by sculpted angels and the small museum next door. What I liked most about this church is that it’s a local favorite off the main tourist circuit, so you get to see more of authentic Oaxaca!

Explore More of Oaxaca City With a Guided Tour!