This trip generates 21 kg of CO2-e per person per day. Learn more about our climate commitment.
Mexico City: Day of the Dead Original
Attend a cultural festival that will spook you in all the right ways
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 make your own traditional altar with fresh flowers, candles, paper and incense. Then, 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 annual tradition so famous.
4.0
24 reviewsStart: Mexico City, Mexico
End: Mexico City, Mexico
- Duration
- 5 days
- Group size
- 1 to 12
- Minimum age
- 15 years old
- Style
- Original
- Theme
Our themes categorise trips based on a common interest or activity, while showcasing the highlights of a destination.
- Festival
- Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Why you'll love this trip
- Take part in the rituals and festivities of the Day of the Dead, like making your own altar offering with candles, flowers and incense.
- 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 – don't miss 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.
Itinerary
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 cobalt-blue-walled Frida Kahlo Museum in the Coyoacana neighbourhood or simply relax in one of the many gardens – Parque Bicentanario is a favourite for its extensive orchid collection. After your meeting, maybe head out to 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.
Accommodation
- Hotel (1 night)
Meals
There are no meals included on this day.
Special information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
This morning, visit Calazucho – a family-owned workshop dedicated to teaching the art of making sugar and chocolate calaveras (sugar skulls). When you arrive, join the workshop where you'll hear the story of Calazucho and the calaveras, 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.
Accommodation
- Hotel (1 night)
Meals
- Breakfast
Included activities
- Mexico City - Calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls) workshop
Optional activities
- Mexico City - Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) (entrance fee) (Closed Mondays) - MXN95
- Mexico City - Torre Latino 360° Lookout (entrance fee) - MXN200
- Mexico City - Boat ride through Floating Gardens of Xochimilco (Approx. per boat per hour) - MXN1000
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 1 hour.
Set out on a walking tour of Mexico City’s historic centre today, 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 all the treats 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.
Accommodation
- Hotel (1 night)
Meals
- Breakfast
Included activities
- Mexico City - City Tour
- Mexico City - San Juan Market visit
Optional activities
- Mexico City - Frida Kahlo Museum (entrance fee) - MXN320
This morning is free for you to discover Mexico City at your own pace, before making your way to Tlalocan. When you arrive, you’ll meet your local host in their home and create your own traditional altar for the Day of the Dead. Get creative with fresh flowers, salt, water, candles, incense, paper, bread, sugar and calaveras. This afternoon, drive to Tlahuac and 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. After immersing yourself in the traditions of Day of the Dead, return to Mexico City later this evening.
Accommodation
- Hotel (1 night)
Meals
- Breakfast
Included activities
- Tlalocán - Day of the Dead altar creation
- Tlahuac - Cemetery visit in Tlahuac
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4 to 5 hours, depending on traffic conditions.
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.
Meals
- Breakfast
What's included
Accommodation
- Hotel (4 nights)
Activities
5
- Mexico City - Calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls) workshop
- Mexico City - City Tour
- Mexico City - San Juan Market visit
- Tlalocán - Day of the Dead altar creation
- Tlahuac - Cemetery visit in Tlahuac
Meals
4
- 4 breakfasts
Transport
- Private vehicle
- Metro
Destinations
Activities
4
- Mexico City - Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) (entrance fee) (Closed Mondays) - MXN95
- Mexico City - Torre Latino 360° Lookout (entrance fee) - MXN200
- Mexico City - Boat ride through Floating Gardens of Xochimilco (Approx. per boat per hour) - MXN1000
- Mexico City - Frida Kahlo Museum (entrance fee) - MXN320
Flights to and from trip
Flights to and from the trip need to be booked separately from your trip, but if you'd like, we can help arrange them for you.
Request a flight quote when you book or contact us to talk through options.
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Before you book you should know
- The Day of the Dead celebrations in Tlahuac are included in your itinerary! Additionally, Mexico City hosts a parade between late October and early November, though exact dates are not set until a few weeks before the event. If the Mexico City parade coincides with your trip, we may need to rearrange some activities so everyone can attend this parade as well. While we can't make guarantees due to the parade's unpredictable scheduling, we're committed to helping you experience both magical celebrations if timing allows.
- This itinerary is designed to provide the best possible experience of the annual Day of the Dead festivities around Mexico City. As such, there is very limited free time to explore the area’s most popular tourist attractions, including the Museum of Anthropology and Chapultepec Park. We recommend you stay a few extra days before or after the trip to make the most of this vibrant metropolis.
- We will be operating multiple departures of this trip so it’s possible that more than one group will be at some locations or activities at the same time. However, each group will have a maximum of 12 passengers with its own dedicated local leader.
- This trip visits places that are at high altitude, and as a result some people can suffer from altitude sickness, regardless of age or physical health. Please see the Medical and health information section of the Essential Trip Information for more detail.
1. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm on Day 1. There are no activities planned for the final day so you may depart at any time.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights on your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. Traffic in Mexico City during this festival is very busy. This at times may hinder drive times and sitting in traffic.
4. Mexico City's Day of the Dead Parade is typically held in late October or early November, with the official date confirmed closer to departure. If the parade takes place during your trip, we'll do our best to adjust the schedule where possible so you can experience this spectacular celebration.
5. We will be operating multiple departures of this tour so it is possible that more than one group will be at some locations or activities at the same time. However, each group will have a maximum of 12 passengers with its own dedicated tour leader. Please advise us of any travel companions that are not booked on the same file.
Visa information is provided by Sherpa, a third-party. The "Add connection" feature shows transit visa requirements only and does not include full entry visa needs. Please note, additional service fees apply if you choose to purchase a visa through Sherpa.
Travel and visa requirements
Hotel (4 nights)
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
Hotel Bristol
Plaza Necaxa No. 17 Cuauhtemoc District.
Mexico City
Z.C. 06500
MEXICO
Instructions
Intrepid offers a pre-arranged arrival transfer service from Mexico City International Airport [MEX] at an additional fee. If you have pre-booked this service, please ensure you provide your flight details to your booking agent at least 14 days prior to travel so the transfer can be organized.
Your meeting location depends on which terminal you will arrive to:
Terminal 1 International Arrivals: From Arrivals E2, Exit 8.
Terminal 1 Central American Arrivals: From Arrivals E1, Exit 7.
Terminal 1 Domestic Arrivals: From Arrivals A1, Exits 1 & 2.
Terminal 2 International Arrivals: From the immigration exit in room P.
Terminal 2 Domestic Arrivals: From the immigration exit in room Q.
If you have any problems and cannot locate your driver on arrival, please call our Intrepid Emergency number listed under the ‘Problems and emergency contact information’ section of your Essential Trip Information document. If you don’t have a device or mobile coverage, Mexico City Airport has a free Wi-Fi connection, so you can call that same number via an online application such as Skype. There are also several information desks and tourist information desks around if you require further assistance.
Otherwise, you can travel from the Mexico City Airport to the hotel by taxi. We recommend you use the authorized taxi services organized from inside the terminal. They will charge you approximately MX$250-350 (USD$14-20) for a trip to downtown. The drive to where the hotel is located is approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic.
Dates and prices
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Reviews
4 . 24 reviews
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.
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Traveled October 2025
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