Overview & Highlights
Watch and take part in Mexico’s biggest annual cultural event, the Day of the Dead celebrations
- Half day guided city tour and Anthropology Museum in Mexico City
- Oaxaca: Tlacolula market, Teotitlan, Santo Domingo Tomaltepec
- Oaxaca: Explore Abastos market
- Visit a traditional wake
- Guided excursion toSoledad Etla Valley and Comparsa parade
- Guided excursion toValley of Ocotlan, Coyotepec and Tilcajete
This eventful short holiday invites you to observe and even participate in the colourful rituals of the Day of the Dead, a festivity which is enthusiastically embraced in Mexico. You spend some time in Mexico City before moving on to Oaxaca which, with its airy patios and graceful arcades, is famed for its colourful market, serapes, crafts and dances. The celebrations are particularly animated in this region.
The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) involves a traditional ritual, both vivacious and contemplative, during which Mexicans pray for and remember friends or family members who have passed away and assist them on their spiritual journey.
Death is not to be feared: this is a celebration of the lives of those who have died. The so-called Day of the Dead – actually three days – gets under way on Halloween, 31 October and extends into 1-2 November, coinciding with All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the Catholic calendar. Exuberant parades with rumbustious music, where participants wear ghoulish costumes and skull-masks in vibrant colours take place alongside calmer, quieter celebrations featuring anecdotes, many amusing, about the lives of the departed. You’ll get to know local families and share their experiences.
Outline itinerary
Day 1
28 Oct: Arrive Mexico City.
Day 2
29 Oct: Guided city tour and Museum of Anthropology.
Day 3
30 Oct: Fly to Oaxaca: explore Tlacolula market, Teotitlan, Santo Domingo Tomaltepec.
Day 4
31 Oct: Explore Abastos market; visit a traditional wake.
Day 5
1 Nov: Day of the Innocents. Soledad Etla Valley and Comparsa Parade.
Day 6
Nov 2: Day of the Dead. Valley of Ocotlan, Coyotepec and Tilcajete.
Day 7
3 Nov: Fly to Mexico City to connect with international flight home.
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Most memorable experience? "There were too many things but Bolivia in general and the Salt Plains in particular were amazing plus the flamingos. I also loved the night on Sun island. I never expected it to be so beautiful."
JS, Leeds
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