Day of the Dead: Oaxaca, Mexico - María Mendez

Top Experience

Mexico A country of folklore, pyramids, art and flavor

Oaxaca

One of the most culturally rich places in Mexico, Oaxaca is a beautiful place to visit. A bastion of indigenous culture, it’s home to the country’s most vibrant crafts and art scene, some outstandingly colorful and extroverted festivities, a uniquely savory cuisine and diverse natural riches. This region, and the city in particular, is widely known for its mezcal, chocolate, and mole. Oaxaca
() is vibrant and interesting year-round and is notable for its Day of the Dead festivities.

Itinerary

Day 1 – October 29th: Arrive at Oaxaca, Mexico

1. Flight to Oaxaca, Mexico.
2. Ground transportation to hotel.
3. Accommodations.
4. Evening at leisure.

Day 2 – October 30th: Monte Alban and Oaxaca Cuisine

1. Breakfast at the hotel.
2. Morning visit the archeological site of Monte Alban, a great city on the hill that reigned for 1200 years. This great city’s remains reveal an already advanced culture with temples, pyramids, palaces, and ball courts.
3. Morning visit the archeological site of Monte Alban, a great city on the hill that reigned for 1200 years. This great city’s remains reveal an already advanced culture with temples, pyramids, palaces, and ball courts.
4. During the evening we will attend a cooking class and enjoy the preparations.

Day 3 – October 31: Day of the Dead Festivities

1. Breakfast at the hotel.
2. Lots of free time during the day to catch up on some rest or take in local sights- churches, museums, etc. as you like.
3. In the evening various options all night to take in various processions, graveyard watches.
4. 8 pm: is the procession honoring Our Lady of the Rosary starting at Santo Domingo.
5. Midnight: a “velada” at Xoxocotlan Cemetery to see the altars with its offerings and decorations of the graves. You will also see the colorful carpets of Marigolds, sand, and sawdust that adorn the streets, welcoming the spirits.
6. 2am: (optional) trip to Atzompa (highlight), a local graveyard is quieter than Xococotlan making it a good place to see authentic celebrations.

Day 4 – November 1: Etla villages

1. Breakfast at the hotel.
2. Free morning to sleep in late and relax.
3. Travel to nearby Etla villages to take in the afternoon traditional parades called comparsas.
4. A stop at a market to buy our supplies to make our own altar – a beautiful, interesting and personal activity that should keep us busy during the rest of the day.
5. The evening will bring a leisurely dinner at a local restaurant.
6. After dinner, continue to observe and participate in take in processions and graveyard watches.

Day 5 - November 2nd: Mitla, Hierve el Agua, Mezcal, Tule Tree

1. Breakfast at the hotel.
2. A visit to the archeological site of Mitla, “The place of the dead.” Built around 800 AD, Mitla contains amazing architecture and striking grecas that adorn the walls.
3. Learn how Mezcal and enjoy some of its different flavors.
4. Visit the Market Teotitlan Del Valle where you will know what they do to paint the wool colors and also have the security of buying an authentic craft
5. A visit to Hierve el Agua where calcified mineral puddles are formed by water bubbling from its springs. Explore the area and bathe (if time allows it) in the mineral-rich waters all the while taking in the scenic view of the surrounding mountain landscape.
6. A stop at Santa María del Tule to see the ancient Tree of Tule, an approximately two-thousand-year-old Montezuma cypress—its trunk is the stoutest in the world!

Day 6 - November 3rd: Ocotlan, Tilcajete and Jalieza

1. Breakfast at the hotel.
2. A stop at the traditional market of Ocotlan where you will fall in love with the pottery pieces of black mud elaborated by the local artisans, creating pieces of extraordinary beauty with unique techniques.
3. Travel to Tilcajete famous for its wood carvings of mystic figures, termed “alebrijes.”
4. A stop at Jalietza, where you will see artisans creating elaborate and beautiful embroidery cloth products.
5. Free evening.