Oaxaca day of the dead tour | Mexico Insider

Mexico Tours > Oaxaca Day of the Dead Tour

Join our 2024 Oaxaca Day of the Dead Tour!

Oaxaca City, Mexico
October 29 – November 3, 2024
7/12 spots left
$150 USD off until March 15, 2024

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

HIGHLIGHTS ITINERARY TOUR ESSENTIALS INCLUSIONS EXCLUSIONS BOOK NOW! TOUR MANAGER TESTIMONIALS PHOTOS VIDEOS

Highlights

💀 Experience the biggest event in Mexico – dia de los muertos / day of the dead
🏺 Visit Oaxaca museums and markets
🪅 Explore the insane colors of Oaxaca City
🙋 Expert tour leaders who live in Oaxaca
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Small group (maximum of 12 participants)

🌮 An extensive and local food tour + cooking classes!
🍲 Non-repetitive Oaxacan cuisines per meal
🏨 Stay in a 4-star hotel
🇲🇽 This is a cultural and adventure tour
🤝🏻 Meet fellow travelers on the tour

✈️ Flights to Oaxaca City are NOT included in this package. If you need assistance with flight bookings, our Mexico Insider Concierge will help you via our Whatsapp hotline.
GOLDEN TIP: BOOK 6 MONTHS IN ADVANCE!

Itinerary

10:00 PM: Arrival in Oaxaca City

Private airport transfer to your hotel is included (air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver)
Water will be provided in the car
Your meals for the day are not included

Everyone must be in by 10:00 PM on October 27th. You will have to book your own flights to Oaxaca City so make sure you arrive on this date. If you need booking assistance, our travel experts will help you find the best flight at a good rate.

You will be picked up at the airport by our VIP drivers. They will be waiting for you at the arrivals gate holding a sign with your name. The car type is a Sedan (Toyota Vios or similar).

Optional: If you are arriving before 10:00 PM, join our group for a welcome dinner and drinks at a bar!

Oaxaca City walking tour

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing for the walking tour
Water will be provided during the walk

Go around the city and see all the colors of Oaxaca. This is a walking tour so make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothing. We will head to the famous Andador Turistico in Alcala Street. We will give you all the time to do all your pictures on the Instagram spots that we visit. Lastly, we will head to one of the best markets in Oaxaca to have a snack.

Oaxaca cooking class with lunch

After our walking tour, we will head to Santo Domingo Church to get to our next activity: Oaxacan cooking class! It will take place in another town (about 45 minutes away from Oaxaca City). Our locals will teach you how to make traditional Oaxacan food and we will have our lunch there.

5:00 PM: Free time

Go back to the hotel, shower, take a nap, relax, and get ready for the evening.

Tlayuda dinner

Meet at the hotel lobby at 7:10 PM then walk to the restaurant as a group
This dinner is included in the tour price

Tlayuda is one of the most iconic dishes of Oaxaca. Your expert guide will take you to the best tlayuda spot in Oaxaca, a street food cart that is flocked by many tourists and is also featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicle.

9:00 PM: Drinks at a local bar (optional)

After your Tlayuda dinner tour, you can go back to the hotel or join the group for a round of mezcal at a local bar in Oaxaca City.

Hierve El Agua tour

We will start the tour by hiking the petrified waterfall. This is a 45-minute hike and it’s not difficult. Just to make sure you’d be comfortable, wear shoes during the hike. After the hike, we will head back and swim in the petrified waterfalls. You can enjoy the pools in your own time, drink, relax, and take pictures.

2:30 PM: Lunch at a local eatery

This lunch is included in the tour price

We will head to a local eatery to have caldo de piedra, a traditional Oaxacan soup where they use a very hot stone to cook the soup. You will love this food and most of our clients love seeing the rock soup-making process.

6:00 PM: Back to Oaxaca City

We are expected to be back in Oaxaca City by 6:00 PM. Rest, take a nap, and prepare for the evening’s festivities.

Catrina make-up day

The make-up fee is included in the tour price

A group of make-up artists will be set-up in your hotel for your Catrina make-up. Make sure to have a picture from Pinterest of what you want your make-up to look like – our artists will be able to copy them!

Jalatlaco dinner and comparsa

This part of Oaxaca City is known for its comparsas. In Oaxaca, you have to go to a comparsa, which is a bright and lively event with a beautiful show of music, dance, and tradition. We will have dinner and drinks here.

7:30 AM: Hotel pick-up

Breakfast is included in your accommodations. It is advisable to take your breakfast before the mezcal tour. Make sure you are at the hotel lobby by 7:20 AM.

🥾 What to wear on this day: Comfortable shoes and no slippers. We will be going around the agave fields!
🎒 What to bring: Bring cash if you want to buy authentic local mezcal. They do not accept credit cards
ℹ️ About this tour: Read the article | Watch Instagram Reel

9:00 AM: Arrive in the mezcal field + mezcal tour

The drive from the hotel to the mezcal field will take an hour. Once we arrive at the palenque, the local family will welcome you to their home and will give you a brief intro about how the day will go. We will transfer to the truck that will take us to the mezcal field and take a 15-minute ride from the local home.

The local family will keep giving you shots of mezcal while doing the tour. You can say NO if you don’t want to drink while on the tour but this is how the tasting goes.

4:00 PM: Back to Oaxaca City / free time

We are expected to be back in Oaxaca City between 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM. You will be taken directly to the hotel. Take this time to shower, nap, and prepare for the evening.

8:00 PM: Cemetery tour

We will take you to the most local cemetery in Oaxaca where you will get to meet local families who will tell you about their dead. They will also share the traditions, cultures, and customs of dia de muertos. You will see the cemetery filled with lights and marigold flowers. Each grave is uniquely designed depending on the family’s customs.

9:00 PM: Dinner, drinks, and fellowship

We will have street food dinner on the streets of the cemetery. You can have tacos, and beers, and try different snacks from the many different street food carts lined up outside the cemetery.

Oaxacan Textile Tour

We’re going to drive to Teotitlan to see a group of artists there. Here, you will learn how to weave in Oaxaca the way people used to do it. This practice is still being kept alive, and this cooperative is one of the people we help in Oaxaca.

The local family will serve us lunch.

4:00 PM: Free time

Rest, shower, take a nap, and prepare for the evening’s festivities.

Farewell dinner

In honor of our last night in Oaxaca City, we will go to a Mexican restaurant with a Mariachi band. You will also meetour local friends from Oaxaca!

10:30 AM: Farewell brunch (optional)

This brunch is not included in the tour price

For those who are flying out in the evening, we will have a farewell brunch at a rooftop restaurant.

1:30 PM: Fly out of Oaxaca, end of the tour

Our drivers will drive you on a private vehicle to the airport.

Tour Essentials

Physical Level (Easy): Oaxaca is a walking city with no uphill/elevated streets. The city is flat and the streets are cobblestones. This tour is great for all ages.
Accommodation: We will stay in a 4-star hotel with breakfast. Our hotel partners for this Oaxaca day of the dead tour are within 2-minute walk to the center of town and is a safe area.
Transportation: We will be walking for most of the trip within Oaxaca City. If we are to go to the next town, we will have an air-conditioned vehicle/van. All Oaxaca airport transfers are also included in the final tour price.
Meals: You will have 7 dinners, 4 lunches, and breakfast is included in your hotel reservation. Alcoholic drinks are NOT always included but are in some.
Sustainability and ethics: Our quality control team has carefully vetted tall these tours. Meaning, we have personally traveled to these areas to experience these tours first-hand. Read our #SupportLocal project for more information.

What’s included?

An expert tour leader all throughout plus local community staff
All ground transportation
All airport transfers
Safe accommodation in the center (choose between shared or single room)
Breakfast is included in your stay
All dinners during the tours (street food tour)
Entrance fees to all sites and landmarks
Catrina make-up for October 31st
Pre-trip assistance via Whatsapp or e-mail
Cheap flight booking assistance from our airline insiders
Discounts in restaurants and bars
Professional photos to be sent to your e-mail after the trip

What’s NOT included?

Flights to and from Oaxaca City
Alcoholic drinks
Passport/visa fees (but we can provide assistance)
Other expenses that are not listed above

Reserve your spot!

All payments are fully refundable until June 30, 2024. Early birds who pay before this date also get a $150 USD discount. You can still book this tour beyond these dates – just contact us so we can inform you about last minute cancellations.

ORIGINAL PRICE: $1,999

$1,849

A private room to yourself + all trip expenses

ORIGINAL PRICE: $1,749

$1,599

Share a room with 1 person in your tour group + all tour expenses

Gold Members of our Insider Club travel get a 30% discount while Platinum Members get a 25% discount on all tours (early bird or not)
Subscribe to our unique tours and experiences newsletter to get a special discount code via e-mail.

DAY OF THE DEAD TOUR

Meet your tour manager

Trisha Velarmino has been running meaningful and unique day of the dead tours since 2020 and has been living in Mexico since 2018. She personally crafetd this itinerary together with the local community of Oaxaca.

Traveler Feedback

SEE ALL REVIEWS

I already joined Trisha in her two Oaxaca day of the dead tours and it is always different each year! Trisha is a great travel companion because she knows a lot about Oaxaca and she is always willing to give more tips outside of the tour itinerary. This tour is highly recommended and I have not seen anything like it!

Lisa Smith
Denver, CO

I had already been following Trisha on Instagram and I love all her day of the dead posts! I joined her day of the dead tours this year (2023) and this was the best week of my life! I recommend this tour for those who live culture and cities. Not an ideal trip for those who like beaches!

Mike J.
United Kingdom

This Oaxaca day of the dead tour is unique. It only does not show you Mexican traditions in a deep manner but also will introduce you to the most colorful city in Mexico. You can’t miss this trip!

William Gauthier
Canada

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