Day of the Dead: where to experience it well (and what not to do once you are there)

The first thing I tell a client who wants to go to Day of the Dead is that they are not going to a show. They are going to a night of mourning, and the family that is there lets them in. If they understand that, the trip works. If not, they end up holding a phone with the flash on in front of someone eating dinner next to their grandmother's grave.

Twenty-one days left. There is still time, but not for everything.

What is celebrated each day

1 November is for the children who died, the angelitos. The offerings carry toys, sweets and flowers. The 2nd is for the adults: food, drink and marigold flowers. There are regions where the big night is 31 October or the 1st, which is why dates change from place to place. UNESCO inscribed it in 2008 as intangible heritage of humanity, but what really matters to you is what comes next: where to be each night.

Oaxaca: the most complete

It is the plan that comes together best, because Oaxaca makes Day of the Dead a full season. This year's official program runs from 26 October to 3 November, with more than a hundred activities. The Verbena Xandú is on Friday 30 October at seven in the evening in the Zócalo, with free tamales, bread, chocolate and coffee. The big comparsa is on Saturday the 31st, from Calzada Porfirio Díaz to García Vigil. There are thirty monumental altars in the Zócalo and a 250-square-meter sand carpet in front of the Jalatlaco church.

The cemeteries are what change the trip most. The one in Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán is the most visited by tourists, and for that reason the most crowded. It has two cemeteries: the New one, large and with music, and the Old one, smaller and quieter. The order that makes sense: go into the New one while there is light, and move to the Old one once it is dark. You get to Xoxocotlán by taxi or moto-taxi, which drops you a couple of blocks away, because the perimeter becomes pedestrian-only. San Felipe del Agua is more intimate and more of a neighborhood affair. In neighborhood and village cemeteries the rule is stricter: they belong to the families and are visited with discretion.

Many people ask whether you can go with a painted skull face. The guides do not agree: in Xoxocotlán it is part of the festival, and in a neighborhood cemetery it can go over very badly. My answer: if you are unsure, don't.

It fills up. In 2024, on 1 November, hotel occupancy in the city reached almost 95%. To sleep, the MICHELIN Guide gives one Key to Pug Seal Oaxaca and to Hotel Casa Santo Origen. To eat, Levadura de Olla and Los Danzantes have one star, and Xaok and Las Quince Letras are among the Bib Gourmands. Book the tables before the cemeteries.

Pátzcuaro and Janitzio: the night vigil

It is the most moving plan and the hardest to put together. The Night of the Dead on the island of Janitzio, on Lake Pátzcuaro, is the night of 1 November. You get there by boat from the Pátzcuaro pier, in about twenty minutes, and that is where the problem lies. The guides talk about waits of hours to go and to come back.

Hoteliers in the region talk about almost full occupancy in Pátzcuaro, and say that bookings for that night sell out one or two years ahead. Last year, according to the local press, a good part of the visitors slept in Morelia. My advice is that: sleep in Morelia, arrive in Pátzcuaro by day, with warm clothes and comfortable shoes, and see the island calmly. It is not a plan to improvise.

One thing I must tell you: the MICHELIN Guide has no Key hotels in Michoacán, so here luxury is built with care, not bought ready-made.

Mixquic: the easiest, in Mexico City

If you live in the city or are there, it is the best night. In San Andrés Mixquic, in Tláhuac, the night of 1 November is called the Alumbrada: thousands of candles light the cemetery. There are free activities, and the borough authorities recommend arriving early, using public transport and respecting the families' offerings. There are usually street closures on the main avenues, and each year's hours are worth confirming with the borough.

To stay in the city, the MICHELIN Guide gives two Keys to Casa Polanco. And for dinner, Pujol and Quintonil, both with two stars, are in Polanco.

What not to do

There are only a few things, and they are worth more than any itinerary. Don't use flash. Don't interrupt a ceremony. Don't photograph a family without asking. Don't touch the offerings. Keep your voice low. And don't treat it like Halloween: here nobody dresses up as anything.

This is not extra politeness. It is what separates a visitor from one who gets in the way, and the family that let you in remembers.

Which one I would pick

If you want the most complete and there is time to travel, Oaxaca. If you want emotion and don't mind organizing months ahead, Pátzcuaro, but for next year. If you are in Mexico City and want a single night, Mixquic.

How much it costs

My fees are calculated per person and depend on the destination, the days and how much logistics the trip takes. Trips start at around 4,000 dollars per person, double occupancy and in four- and five-star hotels, without international flights: I work airport to airport. Upward there is no fixed ceiling.

What people ask me most

01

What day is Day of the Dead?

1 and 2 November. The 1st is for the children and the 2nd for the adults. In 2026, Sunday and Monday.

02

Can I take photos in a cemetery?

With permission and without flash. In a neighborhood or village cemetery, better without a camera in your hand.

03

Where should I sleep to go to Janitzio?

Pátzcuaro is practically full. Morelia is the realistic option.

04

How long does the season last in Oaxaca?

The official 2026 program runs from 26 October to 3 November.

How we plan it

The first thing I ask you is how many nights you have and who is traveling. If there are children, everything changes: the cemetery at night is not for everyone.

That is how we build a tailored trip, and it is what the first call is about, which costs nothing. If you already have dates, tell us where to.

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Escrito por Diego Ramírez · Publicado el 11 October 2026