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Mexico City
Day of the Dead: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure
October 29 - November 03, 2025
October 29 - November 03, 2026
Where
Mexico City
Group Size
6 - 12 Travelers
Duration
6 Days, 5 Nights
When
Oct 29 - Nov 3, 2025 Oct 29 - Nov 3, 2026
Price
From 4,200 USD per person
On this culinary adventure, we’ll be lucky enough to explore Mexico City during the Day of the Dead and immerse ourselves in the complexities of this megacity during one of its most famous and colorful celebrations. The images are iconic: Revellers painted in skeleton-like “Catrinas” makeup, the streets and tables across the city awash with orange and yellow marigolds. Together we’ll celebrate this holiday as the locals do, with parades and celebrations, but also with the soulful, spiritual aspects that make this such a meaningful occasion for locals.
Over the next six days, we’ll also explore the breadth of Mexico City’s mouthwatering local gastronomy and experience those rare moments when the city’s eras of history and its different identities are in beautiful harmony and which are even more poignant and powerful during the Day of the Dead holiday. We’ll also dive deep into Mexico City’s complex and fascinating cultural identity. It is a place where pre-Hispanic, Colonial, and contemporary influences collide in a riot of street food, and bustling markets. Here, the Aztec ruins of the city aren’t just buried under the surface, they become a backdrop to a thriving, ever-changing metropolis, a microcosm of many of the country’s diverse cultural and culinary identities. We’ll spend time exploring some of these specific eras and their influences on modern Mexico City: from a heady Aztec brew, or a colonial-era mole recipe, to the unique, pre-Hispanic floating farms still in use today. We’ll head outside the center city to enjoy a boat ride to the floating gardens and green oasis of Xochimilco, where farmers preserve over a thousand years of agricultural legacy. We’ll also get a chance to see how families honor their ancestors during the Day of the Dead holiday, visiting a local home to see a colorful altar and stopping at a cemetery where some of the period’s rituals are most pronounced. From street food to contemporary Mexican dining trends, and traditional restaurants to meals in local homes, our focus throughout will be food and the people who make it. On the ever-present periphery of our taste buds will be the history, art, architecture, landscape, agriculture, and street life that brings everything together during one of Mexico City’s most magical times.
Immerse
Learn
Feast
Step
Meet
Your itinerary
Day 1
Welcome to Mexico City
Arrive in Mexico City and check into our group’s hotel, which is located in the Centro Histórico, the monument-studded neighborhood where all of Mexico City’s incredible layers come together, making it the perfect setting for the start of our trip. Take some time to settle in and wander the neighborhood before we meet this evening for our welcome dinner at Limosneros. Chef Atzin Santos will work with pre-Hispanic ingredients, colonial techniques, and modern creative twists to create an unforgettable meal. In a private room, we’ll share our first of many meals, and get a glimpse into what the week will hold.
Day 2
The Many Layers of Mexico City
After breakfast at our hotel, we will be spending the day feasting in downtown’s Centro Histórico, exploring our trip’s themes through food, history, and culture – all of which become even more pronounced during the exuberant Day of the Dead period, when the area is filled with colorful decorations and parades of revelers dressed up as skeletons run through the streets. Today will be a crash course in the history of Mexico City, peeling back the layers of pre-Hispanic, Colonial and modern Mexican heritage with visits to the major monuments and historic remnants hidden from view, including Aztec temples, a mural by Diego Rivera, and former sacrificial sites. To finish, we’ll have lunch at a family-run Oaxacan spot that does double duty as a grocery and restaurant. In the evening, we’ll set out on a taco tour, hitting a number of nighttime taco stands, including an al pastor spot housed in an auto repair shop. Along with classic tacos, we’ll also have the chance to taste ones made with brains, bull’s eyes, and intestines. Afterwards, turn in for some well-earned rest, or explore some of the local nightlife on your own.
Day 3
Ancient farms & traditions
Ancient farms & traditions We’ll set out on an action-packed exploration of Xochimilco, a highlight of the region and treasure of pre-Hispanic living culture. Unlike many monuments of that era that are entombed in museums, Xochimilco is a living place with working farms – many of the marigolds used for Day of the Dead decorations and altars are still grown here – and much to see, eat, and drink, all linked to pre-Hispanic Mexico. We’ll hop aboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat as we float along canals that have been in use for more than 2,000 years. We’ll then have a very special lunch will at a chinampa, one of the area’s famous “floating farms,” prepared by locals using products just picked in the fields. While on land, we’ll have a chance to explore the chinampa and learn firsthand about how the area’s ancient agricultural practices are being safeguarded. The evening is free for relaxing back at the hotel or exploring Mexico City on your own.
Day 4
Shop, Cook, Feast & Lucha Libre
We will spend the day with well-known chef Graciela Montano, who will take us on a guided shopping trip through a colorful market in the hip Roma Norte neighborhood, during this period filled with Day of the Dead specialty foods, and return to her nearby atelier for a cooking lesson. Step by step, she will lead us through the recipes and techniques of classic Mexican cooking, focusing on the materials we’ve picked up in the market, with a particular emphasis on salsas. After the lesson, we’ll feast on what we’ve prepared, celebrating the native ingredients we’ve tracked from farm to market to table. In the evening, we’ll head out to grab some birria tacos before making our way to the main arena of Lucha Libre, the famous Mexican professional wrestling. Here we will meet an insider to the sport, who will give us exclusive access to the arena before it opens. Explaining the backstory of this uniquely Mexican past-time, he will also introduce us to some wrestlers themselves, giving the brave among us a chance to grapple with them before we take our ring-side seats at the match.
Day 5
Day of the Dead Celebrations in Milpa Alta
In the morning we will head out to Milpa Alta, an agrarian town on the outskirts of Mexico City, where our day begins at the home of a local farmer to learn about the artisanal production of pulque, a pre-Hispanic drink made from the sap of the agave-like maguey plant. Later, as guests of a local family, we will visit a cemetery and attend an esperada: a Day of the Dead celebration. In the family’s home, we will be shown the colorful altar they have made to honor their departed relatives and also be taught how to make pan de muerto, a sweet bread only made during this special period. For dinner, we’ll enjoy a paired mezcal tasting led by a bottler who travels the Mexican countryside in search of small-batch producers of the spirit. The mezcales will be paired with classic Mexican dishes with a creative spin, served in a private home for our final meal together.
Day 6
Farewell and Departure
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll say adios. If you are staying on in Mexico City or the region, we will be happy to give recommendations for further exploration. Until our next adventure!
Meet the Crew
We are firm believers in the power of local knowledge. Our trip leaders and the culinary masters and other artisans who are part of our trips all deeply reflect that. Meet some of Mexico City’s finest:
Paco
Liz
Victor
Graciela
Mayra
Gabriel
Tony
Where you'll stay
Historico Central
This week’s focus on deeply local experiences and places is also well reflected in our choice of accommodation. We always select boutique and independent places, ones inspired by international standards while staying loyal to the area’s local heritage – that’s the balance we seek for more than a good night’s rest.
Our group will be staying at the Historico Central Hotel, a boutique hotel housed in a restored, 300-year-old building. Located in the heart of Mexico City, the Centro Historico, we’ll be a stone’s throw from many of the city’s most historic buildings and museums as well as its vibrant lifestyle. The hotel also features a 24 hour cafe, and drinks and snacks are included in your stay.
Hear what travelers are saying
The standard to which all future trips will be judged.
Sam W.
An in-depth look at Mexican culture and cuisine, one that you will not find anywhere else.
Bonnie C.
The very best culinary focused trip I have ever been on. A great glimpse into Mexican culture. Absolute fun!
Mark S.
Know before you go
Pricing and Accommodation
The total cost of this trip is $3,500 per person for 2025 and $4,200 for 2026 in a shared room. For travelers wishing to have single accommodations during the trip, an additional $750 ($1,000 for 2026) will be due at the time of the final payment. A $500 non-refundable deposit per traveler is required to secure space on the trip. The balance is due 90 days prior to the start of the trip.
Activity Level
Travelers should be reasonably fit and feel comfortable walking three to five miles each day and remaining on their feet for long periods of time. Keep in mind that Mexico City is a bustling and crowded place!
Arrival and Departure
For flights in and out of Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez, MEX), we suggest you arrive by 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 6. We’ll provide the option of booking additional nights at our Mexico City hotel before and/or after the tour, and are more than happy to provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.
Inclusions
• All accommodation throughout the trip in stylish, boutique hotels. • Professional guides throughout the entire experience. • A belt-popping experience, with all meals and drinks included in planned activities. • All activities and events as mentioned in the itinerary. • A hungry group of Culinary Backstreets travelers, excited to explore all that Mexico City has to offer!
Exclusions
• Transportation and flights to and from Mexico City, including airport transfers. • Food and drink outside of Culinary Backstreets Trip offerings, as well as any personal expenses. • If applicable, applying for a Mexican visa (not required for U.S. citizens). • Travel insurance (recommended).
Dietary Restrictions
We encourage an adventurous palate! We try our best to accommodate dietary restrictions, though in most cases ingredients can’t be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a particular food allergy or intolerance, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
Notes on Itinerary
Itineraries and daily schedules are subject to change. We expect to do everything listed in the itinerary, though the order may be rearranged based on weather or other local conditions.
Safety and Sustainability
We have reinforced our commitment to sustainability and safety with new guidelines to assure maximum safety of our guests on our trips while maintaining the quality of the experience. All of our experiences are designed to have minimal impact on the community and environment. For more details on our precautions, read here. Our cancellation policy is extremely flexible to deal with changes in travel plans.
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel 90 days before the start of the trip and receive a full refund minus a $500 per-person service fee. If you cancel on or after 60 days before the start of the trip there is a 50% cancellation fee. On or after 30 days there is a 100% cancellation fee. We highly recommend purchasing travel insurance as we are not able to make exceptions to this policy in cases of family/medical emergency or cases of the trip being canceled (see our Terms and Conditions for full details).
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