Private Journeys

Signature Mexico: Day of the Dead

9 days from £3,080pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Mexico

  • Traditional handcrafted Mexican souvenirs for sale at marketplace

Places visited

Overview & Highlights

Head for Oaxaca and observe Mexico's biggest annual cultural event, the Day of the Dead celebrations.

Our Day of the Dead tour invites you to observe the colourful traditions and rituals of this iconic celebration in Mexico. Spend some time in Mexico City before moving on to Oaxaca which, with its airy patios and graceful arcades, is famed for its colourful market, serapes, crafts and dances. The celebrations are particularly animated in this region. Hotels fill up well in advance and early booking is essential!

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) involves a traditional ritual, both vivacious and contemplative, during which Mexicans pray for and remember friends or family members who have passed away and assist them on their spiritual journey.

Death is not to be feared: this is a celebration of the lives of those who have died. The so-called Day of the Dead – actually three days – gets under way on Halloween, 31 October and extends into 1-2 November, coinciding with All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the Catholic calendar. Exuberant parades with rumbustious music, where participants wear ghoulish costumes and skull-masks in vibrant colours take place alongside calmer, quieter celebrations featuring anecdotes, many amusing, about the lives of the departed. Observe local families and learn about the fascinating Zapotec culture, an indigenous pre-Columbian civilisation which thrived in the valley of Oaxaca.

Read More
  • City tour and Anthropology Museum in Mexico City
  • Oaxaca: Explore the city, local markets and artisan towns
  • Visit the Zapotec ruins of Mitla and Monte Alban
  • Observe traditional Day of the Dead activities in Oaxaca city

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    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

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    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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