You can take a private car, ride the bus, or take a flight from Puebla to Oaxaca City. If time is a concern, driving is the fastest way to reach Oaxaca. Buses are the cheapest, but not the most comfortable.
How long is the bus from Puebla to Oaxaca?
5 hours and 10 minutes. ADO operates this route, and it leaves from Puebla Terminal CAPU to Oaxaca de Juarez hourly during the day. Expect delays during busy holiday weekends and rush hour traffic. Tickets cost between $23 and $50.
What is the easiest way to get from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez?
Hire a private driver from Daytrip to alleviate the stress of driving in a foreign country, renting a car, or flying. Order your ride online weeks ahead or at the last minute to enjoy the luxury of being shuttled directly to your accommodation in Oaxaca.
Is it worth it to go to Oaxaca?
Of course! Oaxaca is the culinary capital of Mexico and has the best-preserved pre-Columbian indigenous cultures in Mexico. It is also incredibly biologically diverse. Oaxaca de Juarez is a great base camp for seeing the rest of the state of Oaxaca, as itтАЩs a short distance from other popular cities.
What is the fastest way to get from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez?
At 4 hours and 20 minutes, taking a private car is the fastest way to travel from Puebla to Oaxaca City. Buses and flights take much longer and require you to find transportation from the airports and bus stations to your accommodation in Oaxaca.
Is Oaxaca next to Puebla?
Yes and no. While the cities of Oaxaca de Juarez and Puebla are quite far apart (211 miles or 340 km), the state of Puebla sits right above Oaxaca, and they share a border. They are both located in the southern part of Mexico.
The journey south from Puebla to Oaxaca takes you right through the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, as well as the most diverse deserts in North America. If your first thought when you imagine a desert is a lifeless duststorm, this trip will change your whole perspective!
Stop by the Helia Bravo Hollis Botanical Gardens to get up close and personal with the dozens of plants and animals that call the desert home. This garden is part of the greater Tehuac├бn Biosphere Reserve, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its diverse and untouched wilderness.
The total driving time is 4 hours and 20 minutes and mostly takes place on the 135 and 135D highways. You will be glad to have a local driver for this trip, as you will be traveling through remote and mountainous areas before reaching the capital of Oaxaca de Juarez.
About Oaxaca de Juarez
Oaxaca, a state in southern Mexico, is renowned for its delicious cuisine, thriving indigenous traditions, and diverse desert environment. The capital, Oaxaca de Juarez (or Oaxaca City), is the cultural heart of the region and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The main indigenous cultures in Oaxaca are the Zapotecs and Mixtecs. They formed communities in the Valley of Oaxaca for thousands of years. The city of Oaxaca we know today naturally evolved into the largest city based on their patterns of settlement.
Oaxacan geography
Oaxaca de Juarez sits in a valley surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains. This isolation helped protect the natives from extensive Spanish colonization, allowing them to maintain some of their traditions, cuisine, and languages into the present day.
Networks of small, freshwater rivers supply the area with the necessities of life, and due to its range in altitudes and landscapes, the state of Oaxaca has the highest biodiversity of any Mexican state.
Oaxacan art
Oaxaca is often called MexicoтАЩs indigenous cultural capital. Rich natural resources sustained the local economy for thousands of years and fueled native artwork. The Zapotecs and Mixtecs developed advanced pottery, textile, carpentry, and metalsmithing techniques that live into the present day.
These artisan crafts, which we think of as quintessentially Mexican, are deeply rooted in Oaxacan traditions and are sold throughout all of Mexico. Pre-Columbian styles of pottery, Alebrijes, masks, and jewelry are not only important cultural symbols but also vital economic drivers.
From Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez: travel tips
Before setting off from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez, keep these travel tips in mind!
DonтАЩt confuse Oaxaca City with Oaxaca the state
Oaxaca de Juarez is also often shortened to Oaxaca City or simply Oaxaca. Oaxaca is also the name for the whole state. YouTube videos and online lists of тАЬThings to do in OaxacaтАЭ often include places outside of Oaxaca City in other cities within the state of Oaxaca. When booking accommodation and researching activities, double-check the exact location to prevent disappointment or a last-minute scramble to another city!
Bring a phone charger and car adapter in your cabin bag
When traveling such a long distance, your phone and other electronics are sure to need a charge. Always have your phone ready for photos, videos, and excursion tickets by keeping it charged while on the road. Pack a car adaptor and a portable battery pack for charging on the go.
How to get from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez
Traveling through southern Mexico gives you the opportunity to see breathtaking arid and mountainous terrain, untouched by the endless growth of urbanization. However, it comes at a cost! Your Puebla to Oaxaca transfer will take most of the day, no matter how you travel.
Driving from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez
Make the most of your trip south by hiring a private driver and planning for 2 or 3 cultural stops during the day. Despite the 4 hours and 20 minutes of travel time, driving is the fastest way to get from Puebla to Oaxaca.
Daytrip drivers are local professionals who speak English and know the local driving customs. Our fleet of vehicles is insured and meets rigid safety standards. If you are traveling with a larger group, Daytrip also has shuttle bus options!
Your driver will pick you up from your address in Puebla and take you on the road trip of a lifetime as you journey south to Oaxaca. Once youтАЩre in Oaxaca, they will take you straight to your hotel or apartment.

Buses from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez
ADO operates bus routes from Puebla Terminal CAPU to Oaxaca hourly during the day. Tickets cost from $23 to $50, and the journey takes 5 hours and 10 minutes. This trip may take longer on weekends or in the case of rush hour traffic.

Flights from Puebla to Oaxaca de Juarez
There are no flights from Puebla to Oaxaca; however, you can travel by taxi or bus from Puebla to Mexico City and catch a flight from the Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Ju├бrez (MEX). The drive from Puebla to the Mexico City Airport (MEX) takes two hours.
VivaAerobus, Volaris, and Aeromexico have daily nonstop flights between Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Ju├бrez (MEX) in Mexico City and Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) for $35 to $85. Flight time is 1 hour and 10 minutes, but the total travel time is 6 hours.
Things to do when you get to Oaxaca de Juarez
Welcome to MexicoтАЩs cultural capital! Take in all the sights and sounds of Indigenous culture after your road trip from Puebla to Oaxaca with these great activities.
Wander OaxacaтАЩs mercados
YouтАЩll be surrounded by the colors, textures, tastes, and scents of all of Mexico in Mercado Benito Ju├бrez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Sample traditional cuisine, buy handmade artisanal crafts, and enjoy fresh, local produce. If youтАЩve been waiting to purchase your souvenirs and gifts, Oaxaca is the perfect city to stock up. Purchasing Oaxacan handicrafts not only helps the local economy but also preserves indigenous knowledge of weaving, leatherwork, and carpentry.

Tour the Oaxaca Textile Museum
Learn about the rich tradition of hand-woven cloth at the Oaxaca Textile Museum. See displays of beautiful woven and embroidered textiles from various indigenous communities. Admission is free, so donтАЩt miss out!

Savor Oaxacan Cuisine
Oaxaca is the culinary capital of Mexico. The lasting legacy of Indigenous cuisine leaves us with traditional dishes like:
Mole - This sauce can be sweet, spicy, or savory and is served over rice, meat, and vegetables. Oaxaca is тАЬthe land of seven moles,тАЭ so try as many as you can!
Tlayuda - This popular street food is essentially the Oaxacan take on pizza. Fried tortillas are topped with endless combinations of refried beans, Oaxaca cheese, avocado, lettuce, beef, chicken and/or salsa.
Chapulines - Fried grasshoppers are a great source of protein and are seasoned in salt, garlic, lime juice, and chilies.
Mezcal - TequilaтАЩs smoky cousin is often served with orange slices and seasoned salt. Follow the locals and drink it straight, not mixed into cocktails.
Chocolate con leche - This drink is traditionally served cold with a variety of spices and is more bitter and complex than the chocolate milk you may be used to drinking at home.
When is the best time to visit Oaxaca de Juarez
The best time to plan a visit from Puebla to Oaxaca City is from October to March, during the dry season. Daytime temperatures range from 60┬░ to 84┬░ F (15┬░ to 29┬░ C), and the likelihood of storms interrupting your plans is very slim.
October and November are particularly special, as they coincide with the Day of the Dead celebrations. This holiday occurs on November 1st and is a culturally significant event in Oaxaca that blends Catholic and indigenous traditions.
The Guelaguetza festival in July is another colorful highlight, but itтАЩs during the rainy season, which can bring occasional downpours. This festival celebrates the Oaxacan corn goddess, C├йnteotl, and stems from the Zapotec word тАЬguendalezaa,тАЭ meaning тАЬgift or offering.тАЭ
Though partly ruined, this former convent is still a precious example of early colonial architecture.┬аA Topless Treat┬а
Tehuacan
This bustling city lies in the heart of a UNESCO-listed landscape that is one of the most culturally and naturally significant in the Americas.┬аPrickly Perfection┬а
Helia Bravo Hollis Botanical Gardens
Home to some 80 species of cactus, this arid garden offers a taste of the biodiversity in the surrounding UNESCO-listed landscape.┬аPretty Prickly┬а
Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo de Yanhuitlan
A Mixtec mark on history, this Dominican convent has lasted through the centuries to teach the cultural and economic significance of the 17th century. ┬аNot so Convent-tional┬а
