Quick answer
The best time to visit Oaxaca is November to March, the dry season. In the SMN's 1991-2020 normals, the wettest of those five months is March, with 17.6 mm (0.7 in). December and January mornings start at 10 or 11 °C (50 to 52 °F); April tops 34 °C (93 °F) in the afternoon and May 33; from June to September it rains about 20 days a month, and October lets up. November, with Day of the Dead, had the fullest hotels of 2025. Our month: February, dry and with none of the three big festivals.
Best time to visit Oaxaca, based on each month's weather
In January, Oaxaca City starts the day at 10 °C (50 °F) on average and climbs to 29 °C (84 °F) by afternoon: a swing of almost 19 degrees in a single day. That's from the 1991-2020 normals of the SMN, Mexico's weather service, for station 20079 Oaxaca, at 1,594 meters (5,230 ft). At that altitude the sun hits hard, and from November to February the early mornings drop below 13 °C. The year brings about 853 mm of rain over 128 rainy days, and almost nine of every ten millimeters fall between May and October. From November to March, the umbrella stays in your suitcase.
When is the rainy season in Oaxaca City?
From June to September, and the wettest month is June: 188 mm on average and almost 20 rainy days. July eases off in amount, with 119 mm, but not in days; August rises to 132 and September to 164. There are extremes: in June 2017 the station collected 549.8 mm, almost three times the normal. The upside of going in the rainy season is that July brings the Guelaguetza and the hills turn green. Pack an umbrella, have an indoor plan and check the SMN forecast on the day you drive through the mountains.
Which festivals fill Oaxaca, and when is it quieter?
Here the festivals shape the calendar more than the weather. In the 2025 bulletin of Oaxaca's Ministry of Tourism, built on DataTur figures, November leads the city's hotel occupancy at 59.66 percent, and July, the Guelaguetza month, follows with 58.78 and the most tourists. November also brought more foreign visitors than any other month. The quietest was September, at 40.77, followed by June, at 42.92. If you're going in July or for Day of the Dead, book your lodging before anything else.
Heads up
The Night of the Radishes (Noche de Rábanos) is a single evening. In 2025 the public could get in from 3 p.m. and Sectur Oaxaca expected 18,393 visitors: arrive early if you want to see the figures up close. In 2026 it falls on a Wednesday.
“February is our month for Oaxaca: dry, with 31-degree afternoons (88 °F) and no Guelaguetza, Day of the Dead or Radishes. Don't expect an empty city, since its hotel occupancy topped 55 percent in 2025, but you can walk it without an umbrella.”
— KORU RENT
What if you rent in Puerto Escondido to drive up to Oaxaca?
KORU has no vehicles in Oaxaca City: today its listed fleet is only in Puerto Escondido. If you want to drive up in a vehicle rented there, that depends on the vehicle and the provider; confirm with the team before you pay. With the go-ahead, the Barranca Larga–Ventanilla highway, opened in February 2024, gets you up in about 2.5 hours; the old road through Sola de Vega took around 6.5. For the mountains we'd pick a car or an SUV, not an ATV, and we'd leave in daylight. If you'd like to know whether there are ever vehicles in Oaxaca, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com.
Rent your vehicle in Puerto Escondido
That's where KORU's listed fleet is today; enter your dates to see only what's available.
Oaxaca de Juárez
The state capital and what's worth knowing before you arrive.
Guelaguetza 2027 in Oaxaca
The Lunes del Cerro, tickets and the drive from Puerto Escondido.
Frequently asked questions
November to March, the dry months: in the SMN normals, not even March, the wettest of the five, reaches 18 mm. If you're after the festivities, go in late October for Day of the Dead or in July for the Guelaguetza, with your lodging already booked.
June to September, with 20 to 21 rainy days a month. June is the wettest, with 188 mm on average; July brings less rain, but not fewer days. May opens the season and October already eases off.
Before dawn, yes. According to the SMN, the average low is 11 °C (52 °F) in December and 10.3 °C (50.5 °F) in January, with highs around 29 °C (84 °F). Bring a light jacket for the night and sunscreen for midday.
On December 23, in the Zócalo of Oaxaca de Juárez. In 2025 it was the 128th edition, with 137 works of radish, everlasting flowers and corn husk (totomoxtle), according to the city government. There's a parade the evening before: in 2025 it set off on the 22nd at 6 p.m.
No. Today KORU has no vehicles listed in the capital or at Xoxocotlán airport. The listed fleet is in Puerto Escondido, and that's where you book online. If you're interested, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com.
It depends on the vehicle and the provider; confirm with the team before you pay. If yours can make the trip, the highway gets you to the city in about 2.5 hours. Tolls and any fines along the way are on you, and only someone registered on the contract with a valid license can drive.
What we'd do: Oaxaca in the dry season to walk it, and in July or for Day of the Dead for the festivities. If you want to drive up from the coast in a vehicle rented on KORU, that depends on the vehicle and the provider; confirm with the team on WhatsApp, then book at korurent.com, in Puerto Escondido, from whatever is available on your dates.