How To Get To Oaxaca From Mexico City & Beyond – Ultimate Guide 2024
Last Updated on April 17, 2024 by Ashlea J. Russell
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Not sure how to get to Oaxaca from Mexico City or anywhere else?
Oaxaca, Mexico has been drawing in travellers from all over the world for a long time, often as part of a larger trip to Mexico. And almost every first time traveller to this region hits the same roadblock, trying to figure out how to get to Oaxaca, wherever they’re coming from.
I was in the exact same boat when I took my first trip to Oaxaca. There seemed to be a lot of ideas out there but I couldn’t seem to find a clear answer on the best way to get to Oaxaca for my trip.
Now that I’ve done this journey using a few different routes and methods I’m here to give you the skinny on all the different ways to reach Oaxaca.
This guide covers every option at every price point, except for long distance walking – you’re on your own there.
Where Do You Actually Want To Go?
When considering how to get to Oaxaca the first thing you need to ask yourself is: Where do you actually want to go?
Oaxaca is the name of two places in Mexico, Oaxaca City and Oaxaca State. Think of it like New York, New York. Are you headed to the Big Apple or Niagara Falls? Ending up in the wrong one could land you hours away from where you want to be.
Oaxaca City or Oaxaca State?
Oaxaca City, also known as Ciudad de Oaxaca and Oaxaca de Juárez, is the capital city of Oaxaca State and functions as an excellent gateway to all Oaxaca State has to offer. Most people visiting Oaxaca will spend a few days in Oaxaca City first.
If you are only looking to experience the Oaxaca Coast then you’re better off heading straight there instead of travelling via Oaxaca City. Puerto Escondido and Huatulco offer well-served airports that will get you to the Pacific cheaper and more quickly.
For more detailed information check out this How to Get to Puerto Escondido Guide for 2022.
How To Get To Oaxaca From The United States, Canada and International Locations
If you’re heading to Oaxaca for Día de los Muertos or Oaxaca is the only Mexican destination for this trip, you’re probably flying internationally. While it isn’t possible to fly directly to Oaxaca airport from Canada, it is possible from the United States.
Internationally By Air Direct
Direct flights from the United States operate from Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston to Oaxaca. Direct American Airlines flights from Dallas and United Airlines flights from Houston operate daily to Oaxaca. Mexican low-cost airline Volaris operates direct flights from Los Angeles to Oaxaca once daily on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Click the link below to check out flight schedules and options from North America to Oaxaca:
The only other direct international option to fly to Oaxaca is from Guatemala City with TAG Airlines on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. I have flown with TAG Airlines from Mexico to Guatemala and although these are small, older planes, they are a comfortable way to travel.
TAG Airlines has an English version of the website and it tends to function better on a computer but is totally possible to use on mobile.
Internationally By Air Indirect
If you aren’t lucky enough to be heading to Oaxaca from one of the cities that offers direct flights then you’ll need to fly indirect.
The easiest way to get to Oaxaca from the United States and Canada is by flying via Dallas with American Airlines, via Houston with United Airlines or via Mexico City with Aeromexico. With flights operating every day it should be no problem finding a flight that fits your trip.
If you’re flying to Oaxaca from Europe, South America or anywhere else in the world, you’ll likely fly via Mexico City.
If you do find yourself routing through Mexico City then you’re in luck! Mexico City is so worth visiting and is one of my favourite cities on Earth. It has so much to offer no matter what your interests are and I think anyone travelling via Mexico City should add a stopover for at least a couple days to explore.
How To Get To From Mexico City To Oaxaca
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and also happens to be located, smack dab in the middle of the country. Because of its handy location it’s easy to get to pretty much anywhere in Mexico from Mexico City and this includes Oaxaca!
From Mexico City By Air
The absolute easiest way to get from Mexico City to Oaxaca is by air and that’s exactly what I did! The journey takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes and flights are inexpensive at under $1,800MXN [$90USD/$120CAD].
Aeromexico, Volaris, and VivaAerobus all operate this route and there are several flights per day to choose from. Volaris is my personal favourite because they are cheap and cheerful but Aermexico is also a good choice.
While any airline is fine, I recommend skipping VivaAerobus. They have had some well-documented safety issues in the past and they tend to have more schedule changes and cancellations than the other airlines.
Oaxaca International Airport [airport code OAX] is located about 30 minutes outside of Oaxaca City itself making this a convenient way to travel. With that being said, Mexico is a developing country which means construction pops up all over the place.
When I arrived in Oaxaca this easy 30 minute journey took over an hour due to road closures and detours, so it’s a good idea to keep plans loose on your arrival day.
From Mexico City By Bus
Mexico doesn’t have a passenger train network but Mexicans and travellers alike will tell you Mexico has an excellent bus system! The first class buses are super comfortable and reliable and can connect you to pretty much anywhere south of Mexico City.
The largest bus service in Mexico is called ADO [ah-day-oh]. ADO serves most of the country south of Mexico City, are considered to be first class buses and have their own terminals.
ADO buses are very comfortable and have some excellent features depending on the level of service you choose. Check out the ADO Bus Class Pocket Cheatsheet below for the service levels and save it for later. ⬇️
There are a lot of options when it comes to finding a bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca. There are several bus journeys per day in every class and from multiple stations. Most buses from Mexico City to Oaxaca take about 6 – 7 hours but I always recommend allowing more time for delays.
To keep things simple I’ve broken down the buses from Mexico City to Oaxaca by service class. For each service class level I’ll cover the approximate cost and which terminal you need for each service with links to the map. You can use the pocket cheatsheet above to find the service that fits you best.
All ADO and OCC services arrive at the Central ADO Bus Station in Oaxaca as shown on the map below. The budget bus options do not arrive at this station.
ADO Bus Mexico City to Oaxaca
The regular ADO first class service is the cheapest option to get from Mexico City to Oaxaca – other than the basic bus services, but we’ll get to that later.
There are several ADO services per day that leave from México TAPO, Central México Norte, and México Taxqueña. Tickets cost around $700MXN [$35USD/$48CAD].
OCC Bus Mexico City to Oaxaca
A few years ago ADO purchased a competing bus service called OCC but they didn’t bother updating the branding and as such, some buses and stations are still branded as OCC but they are the same service level as ADO.
OCC bus runs an overnight service from Mexico City to Oaxaca and leaves from México Taxqueña. Tickets cost around $700MXN [$35USD/$48CAD].
ADO GL Bus Mexico City to Oaxaca
ADO GL bus services operate twice daily from Central México Norte and Aeropuerto Llegadas Nacional [Domestic Arrivals T1 at Mexico City International Airport]. Tickets cost about $900MXN [$45USD/$62CAD].
ADO Platino Bus Mexico City to Oaxaca
ADO Platino bus services operate multiple times a day offering both evening and overnight buses from México TAPO Lujo and Ejecutiva del Sur. Tickets cost around $1,200MXN [$60USD/$85CAD].
Budget Bus Services Mexico City to Oaxaca
If you’re looking at the Mexico City to Oaxaca bus route online you may notice some other services called AU and Cristóbal Colon.
AU is owned by ADO and offers a budget experience from Mexico City to Oaxaca. These are still a big step up from chicken bus services you might see in certain parts of Central America but they are a step down from the ADO service.
AU buses feature air conditioning and reclining seats. They don’t have bathrooms, entertainment or any of the other comforts ADO offers. But they are cheap! AU operates several services per day from Mexico City to Oaxaca from México TAPO and Central México Norte. Tickets cost around $525MXN [$26USD/$36CAD].
Depending on the service you select, AU buses will arrive into either Oaxaca Periférico or Oaxaca AU Santa Rosa.
Cristóbal Colon is the other budget option for bus travel from Mexico City to Oaxaca. These buses are older and less comfortable than the regular ADO services but are the cheapest option at only $330MXN [$17USD/$22CAD].
While Cristóbal Colon buses are the cheapest option there are a few cons to consider. These bus journeys do not originate in Mexico City, they are often very late and sometimes don’t arrive at all.
The buses depart from Santa Martha Acatitla which is located far from the city centre and is not an area I would consider to be safe, especially waiting for a bus that may never come late at night.
If money is tight I would recommend finding the extra couple hundred pesos and option for the AU service or better yet, go for the regular ADO service.
If you speak Spanish, you can purchase tickets at the bus station or in advance on the ADO website. If you do not speak Spanish you can purchase your tickets in English through BusBud.
From Mexico City By Road
How To Get To Oaxaca From Cancún
It’s no secret that Cancún tends to have the cheapest international flights in all of Mexico. And while Cancún is worth visiting for certain people, many travellers like to use it as a gateway to explore less popular parts of Mexico like Oaxaca. So if your grand plan is to snag cheap flights, here’s how you can get to Oaxaca from Cancún.
From Cancún By Air
Fortunately there is a fast, easy, and affordable way to get from Cancún to Oaxaca and that’s by using my good old friend Volaris.
Volaris operates one flight per day except for Tuesdays. The journey takes just shy of 2 hours and flights cost around $2,650MXN [$130USD/$180CAD].
From Cancún By Bus
Cancún is very far away from Oaxaca – 1,667km or 1,036 miles to be exact. So while it’s technically possible to get from Cancún to Oaxaca by bus there are some major cons: it’s inconvenient, takes forever, and isn’t much cheaper than a Volaris flight. But if you really want to take the bus I’ll tell you how.
The cheapest and fastest bus journey from Cancún to Oaxaca takes almost 36 hours and involves switching buses once.
First you would take a bus with ADO from Cancún to Coatzacoalcos in the state of Veracruz. This leg of the journey takes approximately 17 hours if there are no delays. Once you reach Coatzacoalcos you will need to switch to an overnight ADO bus to Oaxaca.
If you speak Spanish you can book this journey directly on the ADO website however you will need to book each leg individually. Alternatively you can make one booking for the whole journey in English through BusBud.
From Cancún By Road
If rental cars are your thing and you’d like to drive from Cancún to Oaxaca it’s going to take about 24 hours so I recommend making a road trip of it!
I would recommend stopping off in Merida, Campeche, Villahermosa, and Córdoba. break up the journey.
How To Get To Oaxaca From Puerto Escondido
A lot of travellers like to include a trip to Oaxaca City when they’re visiting other parts of Oaxaca. In fact, that’s exactly what I did when I decided to work remotely from Puerto Escondido.
I knew I wanted to visit Oaxaca City from Puerto Escondido but it was surprisingly complicated to find an option I wanted to take. So let’s go over all the ways to get from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca.
From Puerto Escondido By Air
The fastest and easiest way to get from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca is by plane, but this option isn’t something you’re going to find the usual way.
When it comes to flying to Oaxaca from Puerto Escondido there are only two options.
The least expensive and most common way to make this journey is by using Aerotucán. Aerotucán only flies within Oaxaca and only serves Oaxaca City, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido and Ixtepec.
There is only one flight from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca per day and which takes about 35 minutes. These planes are small, holding about 15 passengers. The airline actually refers to themselves as an “Air Taxi” service, so it’s kind of like flying in a minivan.
Flights sell out so you’ll want to book in advance. You can book directly on the Aerotucán website or if you run into any trouble you can give them a call.
The second option is even smaller – yes really. AeroVega is a private flight service that is run by Captain Vega who operates a 6-seat Cessna between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido.
Captain Vega has been doing this for a long time and is well known and well respected in the area. This service is a hit with those who have been able to find and book Captain Vega.
If you want to fly with Captain Vega you won’t find him on a website, you can email him at [email protected] or call him at +52 954 588 0062. He requires a minimum of 4 people to fly and it costs $3,500MXN [$175USD/$240CAD] per person. If you want to go crazy you can fly private with Captain Vega for $18,000MXN [$1,000USD/$1,250CAD].
From Puerto Escondido By Bus
If you want to save money rather than time, a popular way to get from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca is to take the ADO bus. ADO offers a really comfortable service across Mexico and it is growing in popularity with travellers.
To learn more about bus travel in Mexico including what to expect from the classes of bus check out this Ultimate Mexico Bus Travel Guide.
The bus journey takes about 10-11 hours, mostly through winding mountain roads. It’s a good idea to take something to help with motion sickness, even if you’re not prone to it. Many people opt for the overnight bus so they can sleep through the journey but that can be difficult with the changing terrain.
There are two types of buses that operate this route, OCC and ADO GL (Great Luxury). They are both comfortable but ADO GL is an upgraded version. Check out the handy ADO Bus Class pocket cheatsheet above to compare your options.
Note: Platino is not available on this route.
Tickets cost $360-760MXN[$20-40USD/$25-50CAD] one way depending on when you purchase and the class you opt for.
If you speak Spanish, you can purchase tickets at the bus station or in advance on the ADO website. If you do not speak Spanish you can purchase your tickets in English through BusBud.
From Puerto Escondido By Road
If you choose to rent a car you can brave the mountain roads. The most direct route along Highway 131 takes just under 7 hours but expect to spend longer. Some of the roads have tight hairpin turns and so remember to take it easy and follow the tips below:
How To Get To Oaxaca From Huatulco
Huatulco is a popular resort town on the coast of Oaxaca and many people who visit Huatulco like to add in a side trip to Oaxaca City. There are three main ways to make this journey.
From Huatulco By Air
The fastest way to get to make this journey is by plane with Aerotucán. Aerotucán only flies within Oaxaca and only serves Oaxaca City, Huatulco, Puerto Escondido and Ixtepec.
There is only one flight to Oaxaca from Huatulco each day which is at 10:00am (1:00pm on Sundays) and it takes about 35 minutes. These planes are small, holding around 15 passengers and they are more like a flying minivan that a commercial airplane.
The flights cost around $3,700MXN [$185USD/$255CAD] and they do sell out so you’ll want to book in advance. You can book directly on the Aerotucán website or if you run into any trouble you can give them a call.
From Huatulco By Bus
The cheapest way to get from Huatulco to Oaxaca is by bus. Regular OCC services and ADO GL services operate multiple times a day [if you don’t know the difference, scroll up to the ADO Bus Class Pocket Cheatsheet].
The journey takes 8-9 hours depending on which bus you catch but you can expect some delays. Oaxaca is located in the mountains so a large part of the trip is quite windy and it’s very common for people, even locals, to get motion sickness.
Tickets cost around $570MXN [$29USD/$39CAD] for the OCC level bus and an extra $100MXN will upgrade you to ADO GL.
If you speak Spanish, you can purchase tickets at the bus station or in advance on the ADO website. If you do not speak Spanish you can purchase your tickets in English through BusBud.
From Huatulco By Road
Driving from Huatulco to Oaxaca takes 6-7 hours through the mountains. It’s possible to find a local taxi driver to make this journey but expect to pay at least $9,000MXN [$450USD/$620CAD].
If you want to road trip then you’re better off renting your own car. This drive can be difficult with hairpin bends and choppy mountain terrain so I only recommend this option if you’re a confident driver.
While renting a car is a great way to add a little flexibility to your trip, there is not much to see between Huatulco and Oaxaca. You’ll also want to consider these tips before taking the leap.
Oaxaca FAQs
How do you pronounce Oaxaca?
Oaxaca is pronounced wah-HAA-kah. Most people expect to see Spanish names when travelling Mexico, but Oaxaca is one of many places that uses the Indigenous name. This language is called Nahuatl and has been spoken in Central Mexico for over 1,000 years.
Do they speak English in Oaxaca?
Most people in Oaxaca do not speak English. Everyone in Oaxaca speaks Spanish and many speak native languages, but finding English speakers is rare.
Customer service positions at popular hotels and restaurants often have one or two English speakers, but you are sure to encounter a language barrier visiting local shops and restaurants.
It is helpful to download Spanish Offline using the Google Translate app to have access to translations without internet. You can also download my Useful Mexican Words and Phrases Cheatsheet at the bottom of this page.
Is Oaxaca safe to travel?
Oaxaca is considered to be one of the safest states in Mexico, so in general, you are not likely to experience any safety concerns however, travellers should take the usual precautions when visiting this area.
Oaxaca has one of the largest Indigenous populations in Mexico and the political landscape here is complicated and can be tense. Avoid sharing opinions about local issues and entering into political discussions, especially when not fully informed.
How many days do you need in Oaxaca?
How many days you spend in Oaxaca depends on what your interests are and how much you’d like to see and do. Oaxaca City has enough to keep you busy for anywhere from three to five nights. This allows two full days to spend in the city and some extra time for day trips.
If you’re wondering how much time to spend in Oaxaca State, that’s a bit like asking how long is a piece of string! I recently spent 4 weeks in various parts of Oaxaca State and I still didn’t see it all.
If you just want to enjoy a bit of the flavour, add five to seven days on the coast to your trip.
Should I bring US Dollars to Oaxaca?
The short answer is no! By way of urban legend, it’s a common misconception that travellers should bring US Dollars to Oaxaca. The currency in Oaxaca is the Mexican Peso so if you want to bring cash bring that! A few businesses may accept US Dollars in Oaxaca but this will be at a very harsh rate.
For the best exchange rates, withdraw directly from a local bank using an ATM inside. Avoid stand alone ATMs inside or outside of stores as they tend to have high fees.
Summary: Getting To Oaxaca
With this guide in your pocket you should have no problem figuring out how to get to Oaxaca no matter where you’re coming from or what your budget is.
Whether you’re headed to Oaxaca City or Oaxaca State you’re in for a real treat. Oaxaca is worth visiting for anyone looking for authenticity, culture, incredible food, and gorgeous scenery. What more could you ask for?