If you’re searching for the best way to get from Oaxaca airport to Oaxaca City, that’s great news because it means you’ve probably already decided to visit the gorgeous city of Oaxaca and now you’re just looking for the details. This is awesome news because Oaxaca City is such a gorgeous place and you’re going to have a wonderful time there. 

​How far is Oaxaca International airport from Oaxaca City?

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Oaxaca airport is about 10km (6 miles) from Oaxaca City, making it a fairly easy trip, in either direction. It can take around 30 minutes by car and up to an hour if you’re taking a bus.

​How can I get from Oaxaca airport to Oaxaca city?

The good news is that you have transport options when you arrive at Oaxaca city airport. The less good news is that Uber isn’t one of them. Whatever our views on Uber, they definitely make airport arrivals smoother. 

_{Oaxaca airport to Oaxaca City}

🚖 Official airport taxi

The same company runs both the official airport taxis and the airport shuttle. When you pass through customs after picking up your luggage you’ll see a taxi booth. You line up here with everyone else to book either your private taxi or your seat on the shared shuttle bus into Oaxaca city center. These can not be booked in advance, you just show up and wait your turn.

The private cab is called a “taxi especial”

​Oaxaca taxi zones

Here you’ll be asked where you’re going and charged depending on whether that address is in ‘zone 1’ or ‘zone 2’ – recently I was charged $680 pesos for a zone 2 drop off. Zone 1 is slightly cheaper. Once you’ve paid for your cab you’ll be given a receipt, which you need to then give to the driver. 

You take your paper and leave the arrivals lounge. As you exit, taxi drivers will approach you and direct you to their cabs – this is how it works. Don’t panic. 

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🚐 Official airport shuttle

You line up in the same place for the airport shuttle as for the private taxi, and again, depending on the zone you’re going to will be charged a set price (approx $115 pesos to go to an address in the city centre and slightly more for zone 2). 

The shuttle bus of course takes longer than the private taxi because it has to fill up before it leaves the airport and once it does leave, it drops everyone on it at their hotel, which can take up to an hour if you’re one of the last to be dropped off. 

The shuttle is called a “colectivo”. 

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🚌 Public bus

^{don’t worry, this isn’t a bus}

If you need to save money and are good for time, you could take the public bus. This requires leaving the airport grounds and walking to the bus stop, which is about 1km from the airport terminal. On Google Maps you’ll see the bus stop is at the “simbolos patrios” just outside the airport. 

📱 If you need data for maps while in Mexico you can either buy a local chip when you arrive or download an e-sim in advance. Both are good options.

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🚕 Private taxi 

​A local tip is to leave the airport on foot, as if you’re going to catch a bus. Once you leave the official airport grounds you’ll most likely see official Oaxaca city white taxis waiting to pick up clients who don’t want to pay the expensive airport taxi fare. 

​You can also call a Didi from this point – but be clear they will not enter the airport grounds as it’s illegal. They * may * drop you off when you’re leaving but they’re taking a risk to do so. 

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🚘 Private driver

You can, of course, arrange for a private transfer – this means a driver will meet you at the airport. They’ll either be waiting in arrivals with your name on a sign or they’ll send you information about where to meet them. It’s also possible to reserve a place on a shared minibus from the airport into Oaxaca city should you wish to do so.

➡️ Book a spot on a minibus transfer (single or return, AC available)

➡️ Book a private transfer between Oaxaca airport and Oaxaca city for your group

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🏨 Hotel transfer

Your hotel may also offer this service, it’s always worth asking. Even if they don’t have an official service they may be able to recommend a taxi company.

_{Oaxaca airport to Oaxaca City}

Rental car

If you’re going to be in Oaxaca for a while and plan on taking day trips to see places such as Hierve el Agua or Monte Albán or even take longer trips to somewhere like Puerto Escondido then you might want to pick up a rental car at the airport.

➡️ Check rental car options and prices from Oaxaca airport

🅿️ Note: If you’re going to do this, be sure to confirm that your hotel has somewhere for you to park while you’re in Oaxaca. 

🛝 And if you’re travelling to Oaxaca with kids, you can always ask for a car seat when you rent a car. If they don’t have any, head to Walmart in town to pick up a cheap booster seat.