Mexico City: Day of the Dead Original - 5 Days
Who is this trip for
Age range
15 - 99Start / End
- Mexico City
- Mexico City
Physical rating
Group size
1 - 12Meals included
4Highlights
- Take part in the rituals and festivities of the Day of the Dead, like making your own traditional altar offering.
- Discover how sugar and chocolate calaveritas (sugar skulls) are made during a workshop at Calazucho. Hear the stories of this tradition before making your very own sugar skull!
- Visit Tlahuac Cemetery to see the graves that have been decorated with colourful flowers, photos and food. Then, watch the Day of the Dead ceremonies in this spooky setting.
- Sample tasty street food at the open-air Mercado San Juan, where people come to buy everything they need for the Day of the Dead, including the famous pan de muerto sweet rolls.
- Join a walking tour of Mexico City’s historic centre. Pass the Zocalo, Metropolitan Cathedral and Palacio de Bellas Artes and see the city come alive with decorations as locals prepare for the festival.
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Summary
Feel the mystical vibes of the weird and wonderful Dia de los Muertos, or the annual Day of the Dead festival, on this five-day cultural exploration of Mexico City. Sample tasty street food at the open-air Mercado San Juan, join a calaveritas de azucar (sugar skulls) workshop and take part in a traditional Day of the Dead ceremony. This festival is all about rituals, so you’ll dive straight into the spiritual (and sometimes spooky) ceremonies that have made this tradition so famous.
Itinerary
Day 1
Mexico City
Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe head to the Zocalo to see Aztec ruins and architecture, visit the Frida Kahlo Museum or simply relax in one of the many gardens. After your meeting, maybe head outto see the city in full swing – street tacos, anyone? You may have already noticed a mystical feeling in the air – keep an eye out for Day of the Dead decorations around town.
Day 2
Mexico City
This morning is free for you to explore Mexico City at your own pace, before making your way to Tlahuac. When you arrive, you’ll meet your local host in their home and create your own traditional altar for the Day of the Dead. This afternoon, visit Panteon Cemetery to see the graves that have been decorated with colourful flowers, photos, food and more – as part of the festival, the locals organise ceremonies at the cemetery to commemorate the lives of people that have passed on. Tonight, maybe find a local restaurant for dinner – your leader will have the best recommendations.
Day 3
Mexico City
Set out on a walking tour of Mexico City’s historic centre, passing the Zocalo, Metropolitan Cathedral, Templo Mayor and Palacio de Bellas Artes. Along the way, stop by the open-air Mercado San Juan where people come to buy everything they need for the Day of the Dead – including the famous pan de muerto sweet rolls (bread of the dead). After you’ve looked around, maybe find a local cafe for lunch or try some of the special festival foods. The afternoon is then free for you to explore on your own.
Day 4
Mexico City
This morning, visit Calazucho – a family-owned workshop dedicated to teaching the art of making sugar and chocolate calaveritas (sugar skulls). When you arrive, join the workshop where you'll hear the story of Calazucho and the calaveritas, and learn about the history behind the Day of the Dead. Then, follow a demonstration on how the skulls are made and create your own. The rest of the day is free for you to explore Mexico City. Tonight, maybe head out for dinner with your fellow travellers to celebrate the last night of your trip.
Day 5
Mexico City
After breakfast, your trip comes to an end. If you would like to spend more time in Mexico City, just speak with your booking agent ahead of time.
What's Included
Accommodation
Hotel (4 nights)
Meals
Breakfasts: 4, Lunches: 0, Dinners: 0
Vegetarian options are available on all meals throughout the adventure.
Vegetarian options availableLocal Guide
GuidedThis adventure is led by a local guide throughout. The main language of this adventure is English. Please contact us for other languages available.
Wifi
Wifi is available during the adventure. In some areas and / or accommodation / transport Wifi may be free.
Dates & Prices
Oct 25
from £807Oct 26
from £946Oct 27
from £995
- Save 12%Fri 31 Oct 2025 > Tue 4 Nov 20254 spaces of 12 left£915Best offer£807
Customer reviews & ratings
Trip promoting day of the day but it does not include the parade. You need to take a day out of the tour to attend which is poor.
Susan Nov, 2024 VerifiedI highly recommend this trip to learn about the various aspects of Day of the Dead and as an introduction to Mexico City. Our guide Erhart was lovely, knowledgeable and patient. The decorations within the city for this cultural event are fascinating with colorful ofrendas and giant skeletons in the Zocolo. A highlight for me was visiting the cemetery at night with the festive atmosphere, and local guide Alma. Try to see the parade, if time allows. Other highlights were visiting the temples at Teotihuacan (we had another excellent guide Adriana), and while not included on the tour, the Anthropology Museum is superb, and the colorful Arte Popular museum is delightful and aided our knowledge of Dia de los Muertos. Privately, please rethink the order of some of the activities. The ofrenda group building exercise is obviously an activity to add onto the visit to Teotihuacan pyramids due to its proximity. It seemed a waste of time to drive all the way there, then another 3 hours to the cemetery. Also, everyone in our group wanted to see the parade on Saturday. Some in the group didn’t even go to Teotihuacan on Saturday, as they wanted to make sure they saw the parade. Erhart and our driver Carlos worked with us to get us back early enough to see the parade, which was great. I realize that the parade day and time can change, but that day should be a free day, with the cemetery visit the night before if possible.
M Nov, 2024 Verified
Essential trip information
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