Dia de Muertos Group Trip Highlights: Mexico City & Oaxaca
Dia de Muertos Group Trip
Ever since I began guiding trips through my own business, Wanderlust Group Trips, it was a huge goal of mine to host trips to Mexico for Dia de Muertos.
Having celebrated the holiday twice in the past, I was incredibly eager to bring a group back with me to experience first hand just how incredible this holiday really is!
It’s such a beautiful cultural experience.
You can watch the full recap of our trip here:
Day 1: Arrival
We kicked off the group trip in lively, festive Mexico City!
For those who arrived early, we went to the stunning Aztec canals of Xochimilco.
We spent the day on the water, shopping from vendors in little colorful boats and sampling different Mexican sweets and snacks.
That evening, once everyone had arrived, we went for our welcome dinner at Lugar del Mariachi where we were serenaded by a traditional mariachi band.
Although it was difficult to talk over such a rousing band, it was great getting to connect and meet everyone at that initial dinner!
In the evening, we went for a churros (a must have in Mexico City!) and a drink near our hotel.
The night owls stayed out to salsa dance for a bit before turning in for the night!
Day 2: Mexico City
The second day began with a full day tour of Mexico City!
Starting in the historic centro, we checked out the Aztec ruins, the cathedral and the stunning display of Catrinas and traditional ofrendas for Day of the Dead.
And it was fun capturing photos of everyone at the iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes.
This famous building makes for stunning photographs in downtown Mexico City!
Once we wrapped up our mini photo shoot, we boarded the bus to go to the Jamaica market for lunch.
Our local guide brought us through the twisting, weaving aisles of the colorful and chaotic market to several of the best taco stands in the area.
Here we pulled up seats next to the locals and dug in! The tacos did not disappoint.
And as we went further into the market, we came upon the flower market and WOW! Never in my life have I seen such an explosion of colorful flowers piled on top of trucks, cars, people… they were piled high to the ceiling! And many massive bouquets were priced about $2-$3.
I purchased an enormous bouquet of marigolds to use in our Catrina photos the following day. The dazzling gold flowers are EVERYWHERE this time of year in Mexico and they are beyond stunning.
After the flower market, we had some downtime before our taco and tequila night! Some of the ladies got their face painted, other shopped and wandered the neighborhood by hotel.
That evening, we boarded a bus and went to some of the must-try taco places in downtown!
Some tried the famous “taco al pastor” that Mexico City is known for while others had the amazing shrimp tacos.
The group ordered micheladas, a particularly tasty concoction of beer, lemon and spices.
Once we had devoured all the tacos, we were on our way to the second taco stand. A tasty hidden gem off the main road. A total hole in the wall eatery. It was fantastic.
We tossed back a shot (or in some cases) several shots of tequila before opting to head back to the floating gardens of Xochimilco.
It was Halloween night after all! So we decided to spend the evening on a candlelight boat on the eerie and calm waters. The market had closed for the day but a nearby liquor store provided us with plenty of snacks and drinks for our evening.
Although there weren’t nearly as many boats out on the water, we had a blast.
This group was SO much fun. Between the games, snacks, drinks and amazing conversation, the evening flew by!
Day 3: Coyoacán
The following day, a local make up artist came to the hotel to give us the classic Day of the Dead makeup for the festivities.
Once everyone had their faces done up, we headed to my favorite neighborhood in Mexico City, the colorful Coyoacán.
Highlights here included the insanely vibrant market where we had lunch, the amazing artists sailing their work in the park, friendly vendors with beautiful pieces.
After some free time in the area, we headed to the Frida Kahlo house so we could see where this legendary icon of Mexico, the art world and pop culture lived and died.
Once we finished in Coyoacán, we were off to the little town of Tlahuac!
I can’t even begin to describe how special this night was, it was simply unforgettable to spend Day of the Dead in a small village where the tradition is alive and well.
From the moment we arrived in this small rural town outside of the typical tourist route, we could tell we were in for a special evening. The atmosphere was incredible. Parades in the street everywhere! Countless people with their faces painted or dressed up.
As we wandered the cobbled streets, our group got swept up in a passing by parade! The sound of drums, trumpets and joyful shouting filled the air.
As I looked across the street, I saw members of our group dancing in the crowd and it was a real “pinch me” moment. My cheeks hurt from smiling as the spontaneous parade danced past.
Eventually our local guide brought us to the home of a local family who welcomed us into their home to see a traditional ofrendas for their dead. It was a beautiful sight to see. Colors everywhere, flowers galore and plenty of food offerings!
But the real highlight was seeing the cemetery. I truly have no words.
Families everywhere celebrating their loved ones. People singing to graves, chatting, hanging out, cracking a beer… then there was the graves themselves! Piles and piles of flowers! Colors like you wouldn’t believe. Decorations made with such love and care. All illuminated by candlelight.
We were totally overcome by the beauty and the emotion of it all. I teared up more than once witnessing families snuggled around the graves, singing to their loved ones… waiting for their soul to return that evening.
All their favorite things waiting for them..favorite snacks or drinks gathered around the graves just waiting for all those departed souls.
Following the cemetery visit, we weaved our way through the lively town until we reached a home on the outskirts of the celebrations. Here a family had prepared for us a dinner of tamales. One sweet and one savory. They were delicious.
After thanking our hosts and heading out, we began the walk back to our bus. Thoughtful, joyful and so content with the night we had just experienced.
Day 4
Unfortunately our flight to Oaxaca was cancelled and we were moved to an early flight time. So it meant a really early start on our 4th day! But as a silver lining, we had the WHOLE day in the beautiful mountain town of Oaxaca.
So we dropped off our luggage at the hotel and went for breakfast. Afterwards, we were caught up in a massive street party of live music and dancing! There were festivities breaking out all over the city!
Shortly after, we hopped in our transportation to head over to the ruins, Monte Albán, just outside of the city. It was a gorgeous sunny day to explore these historic ruins.
After our tour at the ruins finished, we went for tacos in the local market.
We came back and checked into our stunning hotel right in the heart of the city. Everyone took some much needed down time after such an early morning and day spent out in the sun.
So we napped, swam in the rooftop pool and hung out before dinner that night.
Day 5: Oaxaca Free Day
After a fun night out, we slept in slightly before heading out to enjoy a free day in the colorful city.
We had such a fun time taking pictures, day drinking in the main square and shopping for art and souvenirs.
More drinks were had a rooftop bar overlooking the cathedral before everyone met up for dinner. It was such a fun night with far too many laughs!
Day 6
The next morning, we shopped for art at the markets before attending a mezcal tasting in a scenic bar with mountain views.
After our mezcal tasting, we met with a local chef who brought us to a market to prepare a home cooked meal.
We gathered in his beautiful home and together, made one of the most delicious meals we had in Mexico! It was a total culinary delight. I couldn’t believe how well everything turned out with his expert guidance.
After our fabulous Mexican cuisine dinner, some of us headed out for one last farewell drink! It was so hard saying goodbye to this especially wonderful group.
Day 7
In the morning, we all departed for home! Thank you to everyone who made this trip so special and wonderful. It was such a joy traveling with this amazing group of humans.
Plan on attending the festivities one year?
Here are my top tips for celebrating Day of the Dead as a foreigner:
Dia de Muertos Group Trip
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