Discover Mexico - Day of the Dead (San Cristobal)

Welcome to Mexico City, one of the most exciting capitals in the world and known for its layers of Aztec, colonial, and modern history. Today is all about settling into the hotel and city, as we have our welcome briefing tomorrow morning. Want more time in Mexico City? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Come together this morning for our welcome briefing, where your tour leader outlines the journey ahead and answers any questions. We then visit two of Mexico City’s most important museums: the Museo Nacional de Historia, housed in Chapultepec Castle, and the National Museum of Anthropology, whose collections provide essential context for the civilisations we’ll encounter throughout the trip. Turning to the city’s creative heart, we head south to Coyoacán, a district with deep pre-Hispanic roots and a long association with artists and intellectuals. Cobbled streets, shaded squares and colonial churches give it a distinctly different rhythm to the city centre. Subject to availability, we visit Casa Azul, the former home of Frida Kahlo. Preserved much as it was during her lifetime, the house offers insight into Kahlo’s work, her political ideas and her relationship with artist Diego Rivera. We round off the day with a welcome dinner at Azulísimo, where Chef Zurita has curated a menu based on traditional cuisine from the capital.

Explore the historic centre of Mexico City on foot, beginning at the Zócalo, once the ceremonial heart of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán and still the country’s main civic square. Nearby, we see the Metropolitan Cathedral, built directly over the ruins of the Templo Mayor, before finishing near the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a landmark of early-20th-century architecture. Food and craft traditions come into focus as we visit Mercado de San Juan, enjoying a small food tasting, and Mercado de la Ciudadela for handicrafts. Later, we travel south to Xochimilco, where we take a trajinera boat onto the canals – with a snack included. Cruising the waterways, we learn all about chinampas, ingenious floating gardens built by the Aztecs, some of which are still in use today.

Transfer (1hr 15min) to Teotihuacán, one of the most significant cities of ancient Mesoamerica. At its height, around 450 CE, it was among the largest urban centres in the world. With a local guide, we walk the Avenue of the Dead and explore the monumental Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, gaining insight into the city’s urban planning and enduring mysteries. Lunch is at La Catrina Restaurant before we continue (2hr 30min) to Puebla. Founded in the 16th century, Puebla became a key colonial centre linking Mexico City with the port of Veracruz. In the afternoon, we enjoy a guided city tour, including the Palafoxiana Library, founded in 1646 and widely regarded as the oldest public library in the Americas.

Begin at the Zapotitlán Botanical Garden, set within a semi-arid biosphere reserve known for its extraordinary diversity of cacti and desert plants. Lunch is at Itandehui Restaurant, known for its pre-Hispanic menu. We then drive (four hours) to Oaxaca, a UNESCO-listed city with a strong indigenous presence and a long tradition of craftsmanship. The historic centre is compact and walkable, with shaded streets, markets and important religious buildings clustered around the main square.

Our next exploration of Mexican history takes us to the Zapotecan site of Monte Albán. While the name dates to a 16th-century Spanish landowner, previous names come from the Mixtec word Sahandevul, meaning at the foot of the sky, or from the Zapotecan Danibaan, meaning sacred mountain. In 500 BCE, the Zapotecans moved into the Oaxaca region and began the monumental task of levelling the top of a 5,250ft (1,600m) high mountain that intersects and divides three valleys. Here, they built the city of Monte Albán with a maze of subterranean passageways, rooms, drainage and water-storage systems. We later return to Oaxaca and explore the cobbled streets, vibrant squares and churches of the historic city. We also visit the Museum of Cultures Santo Domingo.

Oaxaca’s reputation for regional cuisine takes centre stage today as we join a hands-on cooking class led by a Zapotec cook. After selecting ingredients from our host’s own produce store, we prepare a full meal together, learning techniques passed down through generations. We then sit down to enjoy the results. The afternoon is free to spend at leisure, with the option to visit San Antonio Arrazola for an introduction to alebrijes – the brightly painted, hand-carved figures that blend real and imagined animals and have become a defining expression of Oaxacan folk art.

Begin at Santa María del Tule, home to an enormous ahuehuete (Mexican bald cypress) tree believed to be more than 2,000 years old. Its vast trunk is marked by natural shapes that invite closer inspection. We continue to Mitla, a Zapotec ceremonial centre distinguished by its intricate geometric stone mosaics, unlike anything else in pre-Columbian Mexico. From here, we travel to Santiago Matatlán (30min) to visit a mezcal distillery and learn how this agave spirit is produced, followed by a tasting. Later, we stop at a beach on the Pacific coast, where you can swim (weather permitting) or take a walk on the sands, before driving to Salina Cruz.  

Take a boat trip through the Sumidero Canyon, where steep limestone walls rise dramatically above the Grijalva River and wildlife is often spotted along the banks. After, we drive to San Cristóbal de las Casas (about six hours plus stops), a highland city known for its colonial layout and strong indigenous identity.

Explore San Cristóbal de las Casas, browsing markets and cafes that showcase local produce and crafts made by Tzotzil communities. In the afternoon, there is an optional excursion to Chamula and Zinacantán. In Chamula, we visit the church where Catholic and Maya rituals coexist, creating a distinctive ceremonial atmosphere. In Zinacantán, we meet a family of weavers and learn about textile traditions that remain central to daily life.

Day of the Dead is possibly the most colourful tribute to human mortality there is. Traditionally, 31 October is for cleaning graves. They are made to look fresh, and planks of wood are placed on top to represent doors. On 1 November, the festivities begin. Offerings are made to the dead, typically their favourite food and drink, while the ‘doors’ are opened so friends and family can speak with their loved ones. There is mourning but also smiles and laughter – the experience is life affirming and uplifting. To fully immerse ourselves in the celebrations, we visit cemeteries around San Cristóbal to see altars and tributes and explore markets and bakeries selling Day of the Dead essentials – a great chance to sample specialities only available at this time of year. We also visit the Chamulan village of Romerillo, where the Day of the Dead traditions haven’t changed in many years – providing us with a very authentic experience. Here, the cemetery is covered with huge blue wooden crosses decorated with chrysanthemums, which makes for a very colourful view.

Leaving around 5.30am with a breakfast box, we drive (4hr 15min) to Villahermosa, stopping for lunch at El Edén Restaurant. We arrive at our hotel early afternoon. Later, those who wish can visit the Roberto Barrios Waterfalls (around a 1hr 10min drive from our hotel). This series of cascades sits within the subtropical jungle of Chiapas and is known for its tiered falls and forest setting − an atmospheric counterpoint to the archaeological wonders waiting nearby.

We explore the Maya city of Palenque, set within dense jungle and renowned for the quality of its stone carvings and inscriptions. At its peak in the seventh century, Palenque was a powerful city-state, and its architecture remains among the finest in the Maya world. We then transfer to Campeche (6hr 20min), a fortified colonial city on the Gulf of Mexico. An orientation walk introduces the historic centre and its defensive walls, built to protect against pirate attacks.

After a 2hr 35min drive from Campeche is our second Maya site: Uxmal. Quite open, it contrasts the jungle ruins of Palenque we visited yesterday. This site, which dates to the Late Classic era (500 CE to 800 CE), features the Pyramid of the Magician; the Nunnery Quadrangle, which has long, elaborately carved facades; and a ball court, where a traditional ball game was played, sometimes ending in human sacrifice. Having worked up an appetite, we drive (20 minutes) to a Maya family restaurant in Muna. Here we eat pollo pibil and cochinita pibil (slowly cooked pork and chicken). The meat is roasted for about five hours with achiote paste and wrapped in banana leaves. After lunch, it’s about a 1hr 20min drive to Mérida, where several colonial buildings, including the cathedral, were built using stones from nearby Maya ruins. Arriving mid-afternoon, we have a walking tour of Mérida, returning later to enjoy the main square, which is particularly delightful at night.  

Our first stop, after a 1hr 40min drive, is Izamal, a one-time Maya settlement now marked as a Pueblo Mágico (magic town) by the Mexican government. The town has yellow-and-white buildings and is known for the 16th-century Franciscan monastery built on top of a huge Maya pyramid. We then continue (1hr 10min) to Yokdzonot cenote, a natural swimming hole with vertical walls decorated with thick mangrove roots. From here, we transfer (25 minutes) to our hotel near Chichén Itzá, ready for our exploration tomorrow (total drive time: about 3hr 30min plus stops).

Our final day starts with a visit to Chichén Itzá. Having spent the night near the site, we can get in early before the day-trippers arrive from the beach resorts. Chichén Itzá served as the political and economic centre of the Maya civilisation and thrived from around 600 CE to 1200 CE. The pyramid of Kukulkan, the Temple of Chac Mool, the Hall of the Thousand Pillars and the Great Ball Court can still be seen today and demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to architecture, space and composition. The pyramid itself was the last, and possibly greatest, of all Maya pyramids. This afternoon, we drive about three hours to Cancún airport where the tour ends. Want more time in Cancun? Secure post-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Please note: The group transfer back to Cancún is scheduled to align with a chosen flight; therefore, you should not book flights leaving before then. Please contact your sales representative for the timings of this flight.