Oaxaca Private Driver & Airport Transportation
Airport transfers into the city, and a driver by the hour for the valleys around it.
What’s included
- Met at the single terminal's arrivals exit
- Day hire for Monte Albán and the valleys
- Guelaguetza and Día de Muertos weeks booked early
- One fixed price for the whole car
- Your flight watched, an hour's wait included
- Cancel free until a day before
The city
The old city and the neighborhoods beside it
Most visitors to Oaxaca stay within walking distance of the Zócalo. The Centro Histórico is the colonial grid around it; Jalatlaco, the old barrio just northeast of the center, is a few quiet streets of small hotels and guesthouses; and Colonia Reforma, to the north, is the residential area with the newer hotels and restaurants.
The airport is south of all three, in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, and the drive in is short: MEX-175 north into the city, then the streets of the center.
From the airport, free-flow
- Centro Histórico
- 5.3 miles, about 10 min.
- Jalatlaco
- 5.8 miles, about 15 min.
- Reforma
- 6.2 miles, about 15 min.
Prices
Oaxaca airport transportation prices by zone
One price for the whole vehicle, fixed when you book. At these distances most of the price is the vehicle, not the miles, so the three zones are close together and the choice of vehicle matters more.
| Zone | Miles | Free-flow time | Premium SUV | Executive SUV | Sprinter Executive | Motor Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | 5.3 | about 10 min | $160 | $190 | $450 | $985 |
| Jalatlaco | 5.8 | about 15 min | $165 | $190 | $450 | $990 |
| Reforma | 6.2 | about 15 min | $165 | $195 | $455 | $990 |
Arriving
The airport, and where the driver meets you
Oaxaca's airport is run by ASUR, the operator of several airports in southeast Mexico, and ASUR's own map of it shows one passenger terminal, Terminal 1. There is no terminal to choose.
The driver waits outside the arrivals exit with a sign showing your name. We track the flight, so an early or late landing moves the pickup, and the first 60 minutes after the aircraft is on the ground are free.
ASUR lists taxis and car rental as the airport's ground transport. A pre-booked car differs in that the price is fixed before you fly and someone is waiting for you when you come out.
Our meeting-point policy
- Outside the arrivals exit, with a sign showing your name.
- Flight tracked; the first hour after landing is free.
- The Centro's streets are narrow — send the exact address.
Leaving
Back to the airport for a flight
The drive out is as short as the drive in — 5.3 miles from the Zócalo — but the Centro's one-way streets can slow the first part. Work back from the airline's check-in cut-off, add the drive with a margin, and tell us the flight; we suggest the pickup time.
By the hour
Day hire: a driver for the valleys
Much of what brings people to Oaxaca is outside the city — the archaeological sites, the craft villages, the mezcal country — and none of it is on a single road. A vehicle held by the hour, with the driver waiting at each stop, is the simplest way to see it.
Day hire has a 4-hour minimum, and the clock runs from pickup to drop-off.
| Vehicle | Seats | Per hour | 4 hours | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premium SUV | Up to 5 | $145 | $580 | $1,160 |
| Executive SUV | Up to 5 | $155 | $620 | $1,240 |
| Sprinter Executive | Up to 12 | $215 | $860 | $1,720 |
| Sprinter Coach | Up to 14 | $215 | $860 | $1,720 |
| Executive Coach Bus | Up to 40 | $275 | $1,100 | $2,200 |
Monte Albán
Monte Albán, on the hill above the city
The Zapotec city of Monte Albán sits on a flattened mountaintop just west of Oaxaca, 5 miles from the Zócalo — about 15 min with the roads clear, most of it the climb up the hill.
Because it is so close, it is usually a half-day: a 4-hour booking covers the drive up, a long visit and the drive back, with the driver waiting at the site. Opening days, hours and entry fees are set by INAH, Mexico's national institute of anthropology and history; check its page rather than a copied timetable.
When
The Guelaguetza and Día de Muertos
Two times of year fill the city. The state government calls July the month of the Guelaguetza, with its main Lunes del Cerro performances at the Rotonda de las Azucenas and tickets sold well in advance; the dates are published each year on guelaguetza.oaxaca.gob.mx.
Día de Muertos comes at the turn of October into November, and the state government names 1 and 2 November as its most significant days.
For either, book the car as early as you book the room. Vehicles, like hotels, go first in those weeks.
Further
The valleys and the coast
Two longer trips have their own pages: the day east through Tule, Teotitlán and Mitla to Hierve el Agua, about 90 miles round, and the run south to Puerto Escondido on the new highway, 118.5 miles.
Booking
What we need, and what is included
For the airport: your flight, the street address in Oaxaca and the bag count. For a day out: the date, the time to collect you, and the stops in the order you want them.
Any toll is inside the price, child seats cost nothing if requested, and a tip is your choice. Cancel up to a day ahead at no charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
5.3 miles, about 10 min free-flow, north on MEX-175.
Outside the arrivals exit, with a sign showing your name. There is one passenger terminal.
By the hour, with a 4-hour minimum; it is 5 miles from the Zócalo, so four hours is usually enough.
In July. The state government publishes each year's dates on guelaguetza.oaxaca.gob.mx.
No. The price is for the car, so it is the same for one passenger or a full vehicle.
Yes. Hierve el Agua is a day hire by the hour; Puerto Escondido is a fixed-price transfer.
Nothing you need to do: the driver follows the flight, and the first hour after it lands is included.