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Oaxaca City has a quiet way of settling in and staying with you. It might be the smell of mole drifting throughout\u00a0 the markets, or the creative street art\u00a0 on a wall you almost walk past. It might be the giant puppet mojigangas that turn an ordinary street into a small celebration, or a glass of mezcal that somehow tastes better here than anywhere else.<\/p>\n
After spending weeks eating, walking and wandering Oaxaca City, I started to see a pattern in the moments that lingered. If you\u2019re planning your own trip and wondering about the best things to do in Oaxaca City<\/a>, these are the five experiences that capture the heart of the place, one meal, one street, and one unforgettable moment at a time.<\/p>\n If you want to understand the heartbeat of Oaxaca, start with its walls. The city\u2019s street art scene is not just decoration, it\u2019s storytelling, protest, and poetry rolled into one. Two neighborhoods, in particular, wear this artistic soul proudly: Barrio de Jalatlaco<\/strong> and Xochimilco<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Jalatlaco feels like a movie set, with narrow cobblestone streets, pastel-colored houses, and murals that spill across every surface. You\u2019ll find everything from portraits of Zapotec women to dreamlike animal figures in bright blues and oranges. It\u2019s small, flat, and easy to explore on foot\u2014perfect for a slow morning stroll with an iced caf\u00e9 de olla in hand.<\/p>\n Xochimilco, on the other hand, is a little different. The streets climb uphill, and the murals are big and bold, stretching across alleyways and over staircases. It\u2019s worth the leg workout for the views alone, but the art that is created by both local and international artists makes it unforgettable.<\/p>\n If you want context behind the color, Oaxaca by Locals<\/strong> offers a free walking tour through Jalatlaco, and it\u2019s absolutely worth it. You\u2019ll walk away seeing Oaxaca not just as a pretty city, but as a living, breathing canvas.<\/p>\n1. Wander Through the Street Art Districts<\/strong><\/h3>\n