Mexico·October 30 - November 4 2025

Celebrate Day of the Dead in Oaxaca

Oaxaca is one of the most beautiful, historic cities in all of Mexico, and it's the epicenter of the famous Day of the Dead celebrations.

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Overview

Immerse yourself in the history, beauty, & culture of Oaxaca. Celebrate and learn about the rituals and customs of Día de los Muertos. The most important and well-known time of year to visit Oaxaca is during the Day of the Dead celebrations, over three nights, culminating on November 2nd. You will learn about and partake in many of these experiences, celebrating and inviting the souls of the dead back to the world of the living. The weather at this time is picture-perfect, every day – highs in the 70s and nighttime lows in the 50s. We’ll also savor all of Oaxaca's sensory delights, from artisanal crafts to hand-made Mezcal to the best food in the country. This is the land of the seven moles of barbacoa and blue tortillas. While Tequila is better known in the US, the most important drink in this part of Mexico is Mezcal. Made from a dozen different agave species and 52 more sub-species, Mezcal is emblematic of Oaxaca’s diversity and at the heart and soul of Oaxaca, to be sipped and celebrated with friends. Once you get to know this town, you won't want to leave!

Highlights

Visit a Mezcal Palenque distillery & enjoy a tasting or two

Visit a Mezcal Palenque distillery & enjoy a tasting or two

Take a hyper-local cooking class using market fresh ingredients

Take a hyper-local cooking class using market fresh ingredients

Stay at a calm yet chic hotel in central Oaxaca

Stay at a calm yet chic hotel in central Oaxaca

Take part in the Day of the Dead festivities with a knowledgeable guide

Take part in the Day of the Dead festivities with a knowledgeable guide

Shop ‘til you drop for the most beautiful pottery, textiles & rugs you’ve ever seen

Shop ‘til you drop for the most beautiful pottery, textiles & rugs you’ve ever seen

Explore the Santo Domingo Church built in 1575, dripping in gold and superb statuary

Explore the Santo Domingo Church built in 1575, dripping in gold and superb statuary

Awaken your tastebuds - Oaxaca is the culinary capital of Mexico

Awaken your tastebuds - Oaxaca is the culinary capital of Mexico

Join our extension and explore a frozen water fall with soaking pools

Join our extension and explore a frozen water fall with soaking pools

Itinerary

Here's a day-by-day itinerary of the trip.

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Oaxaca

Day 1: Thursday, October 30th, 2025

Our driver will meet you at the airport and take you to the wonderful Grand Fiesta Americana Hotel, conveniently located in the historic downtown area. 

You’ll have time to unpack and refresh before we meet for our welcome drink and snacks with a stunning view of the historic Cathedral at around 6 p.m. 

Then, we'll depart for the cemeteries with our trip leader and local guide. Coco, one of our beloved guides, will explain the beliefs and significance of the Day of the Dead. This is not a somber event. It's a welcoming home of departed spirits and a chance for families to commune with their ancestors. Tonight, in addition to the appetizers we'll have with our drinks, we'll sample local street food. 

You may want to consider arriving a day early to shake off that travel fatigue because your first and second nights will be late ones. 

Rest will come easy tonight. 

Included

Cocktails and appetizers

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Day 2: Friday, October 31st, 2025

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll tour the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. Construction of this beautiful Cathedral began in 1585, along with the cathedral’s museum, an absolute treasure. Then, we'll walk about the central part of town to discover the beauty of the colonial buildings, all painted in vibrant colors. We'll also take in the neighboring district of Barrio de Jalatlaco. You're in for a visual treat.  

Lunch is at one of our favorite places, Casa Oaxaca. The salsa there is to die for. 

After lunch, we'll have some free time to shop or relax, but hurry back to the hotel by 4 pm. Leticia, your trip leader and Day of the Dead aficionado will help you dress up in the personalized headdresses she's made for you. You'll also don an appropriate outfit and make-up, so you're all ready for our excursion tonight.

We'll have a simple meal of Oaxacan Tlayudas. It's like a Mexican pizza but way better! This is the quintessential homey, feel-good food of Oaxaca.

Then, we're off to explore the neighboring town of San Augustin de Etla. Parades and festivities for the Day of the Dead will continue throughout the night! You'll sip on Mezcal tonight, so get your party shoes on and prepare for a late one!

Included

All Meals

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Day 3: Saturday, November 1st, 2025

Today, we'll have a hearty breakfast to coat our tummies for what's to come. 

We'll drive outside the city for a comprehensive tour to learn all about the making of artisanal Mezcal. Even if you've told yourself you don’t like Mezcal, this experience will change your mind. Our guide is one of the most knowledgeable people on the subject in Mexico, and he is also a producer.  

After an excursion including multiple tastings, we’ll stop at a famous market for a late lunch. 

This afternoon, enjoy much-needed time on your own. Take a nap after two late nights or shop some of the superb stores in central Oaxaca City. 

Enjoy supper on your own tonight. Discover some good neighborhood places, or pick up something simple and relax in your hotel room. You deserve an early night!

Included

Breakfast-Lunch

Not Included

Dinner

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Day 4: Sunday, November 2nd, 2025

Sleep in a bit today. We're heading out to enjoy a proper Mexican breakfast at Florecita, a small market nearby. Try the delicious hot chocolate, and if you're adventurous, some chapulinas (grasshoppers). They are quite good, providing extra protein on your morning tortilla. 

After breakfast, we’ll head out to a nearby village that makes handmade rugs. Crafters have been creating and hand-weaving rugs in this town for nearly 1000 years. We’ll stop at the women’s cooperative, our favorite. We’ll have a simple homemade lunch nearby. We'll also visit a pottery maker or two in a different town. The town specializes in the black pottery this region is famous for. 

Once back in town, we'll make one more stop at a wonderful artisan craft store containing almost any homemade item you've ever wanted from the area, including stunning Huipils. 

After rest time at the hotel, we'll dine on the elevated über fresh cuisine of a very talented female chef at Lucina Cocina de Humo. She focuses on heirloom tomatoes and is famous for her tomato displays. Her food, often smoked, is out of this world!

Included

All Meals

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Day 5: Monday, November 3rd, 2025

Today, we'll delve deep into the richness of Oaxacan cuisine and its classic ingredients. The state of Oaxaca may be one of the poorer ones in Mexico, but it’s rich in heritage thanks to the diversity of the indigenous peoples that hail from this area.

In the morning, we’ll drive to our chef and cooking instructor's home. She and her son have created a gorgeous outdoor covered kitchen. You’ll get to make your own homemade tortillas, memelitas,and so much more. After our hard work, we’ll enjoy the fruits of our labors.

Use your afternoon for rest, shopping, or hitting up the modern art museum MACO, situated in a gorgeous old colonial building in Oaxaca’s historical district. 

Tonight, we dine in style at Origen, one of the prettiest places in town, serving elegant cuisine that will surely knock your socks off!

Included

All Meals

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Day 6: Tuesday, November 4th, 2025-Homeward bound-Or stay for more!

We'll arrange transport back to the Oaxaca airport for those heading home.

For those staying on for the Trip Extension, we have more in store for you.

After breakfast, we're off to Monte Alban, a pre-Columbian settlement that was the center for the Zapotecs for about 1000 years, from 500 BC to 500 AD. We'll take a tour, during which the guide will explain the pyramids and the cultural significance still strong in Oaxaca today. 

A stop at the small shop is not to be missed. The jewelry designed according to ancient archeological finds is well worth a look.

Today’s late lunch is an exciting one. A trip to Alfonsina is more of a pilgrimage than a lunch stop. It was voted best restaurant of the year by New World Magazine several years back, but you’d never know it from the humble look of the place. Chef Jorge León began his journey back home by working first at Casa Oaxaca and then Pujol (voted the best restaurant in the world several years ago in Mexico City), and now he is at his happiest in his family compound working outdoors and creating whatever he wants for his small cadre of diners. You are guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face. 

The afternoon is for rest, recovery, or shopping. 

Dinner tonight is on your own. You may still be full from the epic lunch at Alfonsina. 

Included

Breakfast-Lunch

Not Included

Dinner

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Day 7: Wednesday, November 5th, 2025- Extension Day 2

Today's excursions take us to two epic sites. We'll stop at Mitla, an important archeological site of the Mixtec culture. The 30-40 minute drive will take us up to an elevation of nearly 5,000 ft above sea level. Up here, you're surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountain range. 

Then, we'll head over to Hierve El Agua, a petrified or frozen waterfall complete with soaking pools. This is a site of unparalleled natural beauty. Plenty of photos will be taken and don't forget to bring your swimsuit if you'd like to take a dip. 

After all of the sightseeing, we'll sit down for a local lunch and then drive back into town. 

After a rest, we'll meet again for a meal at Teocintle. This is a unique experience that you won't soon forget. Experience a Michelin star-worthy tasting menu in a glorified garage. This is a secret "hole in the wall" that attracts serious foodies. It's the perfect place to toast to our last night in this rich Mexican paradise.

Included

All Meals

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Day 8: Thursday, November 6th, 2025-Departure Day

Oaxaca is a hard place to leave, but somehow we must all muster the courage. No doubt you'll leave with your suitcase full of handmade treasures and your heart full of memorable experiences and the best part - new friends made! 

Our driver will escort you to the airport around 10 or 11 am based on your flight time.

Included

Breakfast

You'll Be Staying Here

Grand Fiesta Americana

Grand Fiesta Americana

Grand Fiesta Americana Oaxaca is a unique experience that will captivate you. Be impressed by the architectural wonders of a hotel where tradition and modernity merge, creating an atmosphere of luxury and exclusivity.  

Hosts

Leticia Martinez

Leticia Martinez

Leticia Martinez is a multilingual travel director and artist who specializes in providing unique tour experiences influenced by her passion for art and culture. She is fluent in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

Leticia’s approach to providing a unique cultural and immersive travel experience is inspired by the gastronomy of Oaxacan cuisine and the cultural celebration of Dia de Los Muertos. Her Mexican ancestral roots inspired her to develop her brand “Leticia M Studio,” which provides signature floral head crown collections featured on superstars like Beyonce, magazine covers, and fashion runways, marrying her two passions in life Travel and Design. A Bespoke travel experience.

leticiamstudio

Price

Reserve your spot

Reserve your spot

We're not quite ready to publish this trip, but you can reserve your spot with a FULLY-REFUNDABLE deposit of $250

FROM$250

Private Room

Private Room

This is an estimated price. (It's not really sold out). When the trip is finalized ,we will activate this option so it can be purchased.

FROM$8,575

There is something magical about Oaxaca and the vibe of the people

Oaxaca

Oaxaca, Mexico, is a magical place – especially during the annual Day of the Dead celebrations! The Day of the Dead (or Dia de los Muertos) is a festival celebrated in Mexico on October 31, November 1, and November 2, 2022. During this time, locals believe that the veil between the world of the spirits and the living is lifted so their deceased loved ones can travel back for a visit. 

Oaxaca

What's Included

What's Included

All ground transportation (including airport transfers)

Welcome gift

2 glasses of beer, wine or mezcal (when specified) at dinner

Welcome drinks

All market visits, mezcal visits and tastings

A cooking class

Your stay at a boutique hotel in downtown Oaxaca

All meals except for dinner on Day 3 as well as Day 1 of the Extension

Guided tours and experiences around Day of the Day including local parades

International airfare

Souvenirs

Massages or additional spa treatments

Trip and Medical Insurance (required)

FAQs

You should fly into Oaxaca International Airport

We will have a zoom call about 6 weeks before the trip starts to discuss all that information and give you a packing list Here is a great website that we love that will help you with packing and travel trips.

No visa is required for this destination for a stay of up to 180 days. Please keep in mind that while a visa is not required, you must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond your date of country exit and with one blank visa page

Most guests will decide to arrive the day before the trip actually begins to settle in and relax before the trip starts. If you do decide to arrive early, please let us know and will will book your room for you and make sure that you are kept in the same room until the trip starts.

Inquire about this trip

Celebrate Day of the Dead in Oaxaca

Mexico· October 30 - November 4 2025· 5 nights

FROM$8,575/pp