Mexico, North America

Oaxaca in January

Crisp, bright, and calm after the holidays end on January 6. One of the best months for markets, ruins, and mezcal villages without crowds.

BestDry and sunny, highs near 77F (25C), cold nights near 46F (8C)

The ruins of Monte Alban above Oaxaca — OaxacaPhoto: DavidConFran, CC BY-SA 3.0

The straight answer

January is one of the best months of the year to visit Oaxaca. Crisp, bright, and calm after the holidays end on January 6. One of the best months for markets, ruins, and mezcal villages without crowds.

Weather: Dry and sunny, highs near 77F (25C), cold nights near 46F (8C)
Crowds: 2 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What January is like in Oaxaca

January in Oaxaca is dry, bright, and calm. Days reach near 77F (25C) under blue skies, and nights drop to around 46F (8C), so mornings start chilly. The Christmas crowds leave after January 6, prices ease, and markets, ruins, and mezcal villages are easy to enjoy at your own pace.

This is one of the best months of the year, and it suits almost everyone: food lovers, craft shoppers, families, and first-timers. The only people who should look elsewhere are those set on a big festival, who should aim for late October or the Guelaguetza in July.

Make the most of January

What is especially good about Oaxaca this month.

Quiet Monte Alban

Cool mornings and thin crowds make the mountaintop Zapotec city a pleasure. Arrive at opening and you may have the Grand Plaza nearly to yourself.

Craft village days

Spend a day watching rugs being woven in Teotitlan del Valle and alebrijes being painted in San Martin Tilcajete, buying straight from the families.

Hot chocolate weather

Cold mornings are made for a bowl of hand-ground Oaxacan chocolate and pan de yema at the Benito Juarez market.

What to pack for January

A warm fleece or jacket for nights near 46F (8C)
A wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen for strong high-altitude sun
Comfortable walking shoes for cobblestones
A refillable water bottle for the dry air

Our timing tip

Come after January 6, when the Mexican holiday crowds clear out and hotel rates drop.

Book Oaxaca for January.

Sponsored links to Expedia and Vrbo. We may earn a commission; it never changes a verdict.

Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Oaxaca
Opens a hotel search for Oaxaca in January, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for January
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Oaxaca
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Oaxaca
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Oaxaca for January. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

Things to do in Oaxaca

Full guide

Monte Alban

The Zapotec capital on a leveled mountaintop above the city. Go when it opens to beat the heat and the tour buses; bring a hat, there is little shade.

Tickets and tours →

Templo de Santo Domingo and the Museo de las Culturas

The gilded church interior is one of Mexico's baroque masterpieces; the former convent next door holds the treasures of Tomb 7 from Monte Alban.

Tickets and tours →

Mercado 20 de Noviembre and Benito Juarez market

The smoke-filled grill aisle for tasajo and chorizo, then chocolate, mole pastes, and chapulines next door. Go at lunch.

Tickets and tours →

Museo Textil de Oaxaca

A small, excellent museum of regional and international textiles in the Centro. Free and often overlooked.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Hierve el Agua

Mineral springs and petrified waterfalls about 90 minutes away. Access has occasionally been closed by local disputes, so confirm before you go.

Tickets and tours →

Mitla and the Tule tree

Combine the stone fretwork of Mitla with the massive ahuehuete tree in Santa Maria del Tule, one of the widest trees in the world.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

For Dia de Muertos, book hotels four to six months ahead, and consider arriving a week early to see altar building and markets before the peak crowds arrive.
January and February are the empty, sunny months. You get the same food and markets at half the Dia de Muertos price.
Go to Monte Alban at opening time and save the markets for the afternoon, when the ruins are hot and busy.
For the Guelaguetza, free community versions and parades happen around the city even if the main auditorium tickets are gone.

Know before you go

Many museums close on Mondays, which catches visitors out. Check hours for any museum you plan around.
Christmas through January 6 and Semana Santa are Mexican holiday periods: sights are open but crowded, and some small businesses shut for a few days.
Access to Hierve el Agua and some villages is occasionally closed by local community disputes or blockades. Ask your hotel before heading out.
Teacher and labor protests sometimes block streets in the Centro or roads to the airport, especially in late spring. Leave extra time and follow local news.