In this paper, performance of a photocatalytic process for degrading catechol with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide catalysts is described. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been used to plan and analyze the experiments. The factors investigated include catalyst dose, pH and amount of oxidant. The performance of photocatalytic process was investigated in terms of percentage degradation (residual catechol concentration). The experimental results indicated that the proposed mathematical model could adequately describe the performance of the factors being investigated. Further the results showed that catalyst dose and amount of oxidant have significant effect on the degradation process. Photodegradation efficacy was confirmed under optimized conditions. The study was further extended to explore the degradation process under sunlight using titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as photocatalysts.