In this article, we’ll cover:

💀 What Día de Muertos is all about | 🎒Getting involved as a visitor | 🧭 Where to go for Día de los Muertos | 🌼 Understanding the ofrenda

What is Día de Muertos?

Día de Muertos is probably Mexico’s most famous export after tequila but what exactly is it? We’ll answer this with:

Book your trip asap to avoid disappointment. Accommodation in popular Día de Muertos cities will be snapped up fast. 

Does Día de Muertos = Mexican Halloween?

❌ Día de Muertos is absolutely not Mexican Halloween despite being celebrated at the same time and seemingly sharing some components.

In some Mexican cities, you may see people dressing up in Halloween-style costumes and you may even see some trick-or-treat style candy being passed around. It probably depends on how much American influence there is in a particular city. Children may ask you, “me das mi calaverita?” – “can you give me my little skull?” They are referring to the Day of the Dead sugar skulls you’ll see at this time of year).

In Oaxaca, it’s very common to see people dressed up in what you might think of as ‘Halloween fancy dress’. In other places, less so. If you’re considering wearing a costume yourself, note that Mexicans are very kind and generous people and they’re unlikely to tell you off but you might feel out of place if you’re dressed completely differently to others. I recommend waiting until you arrive and asking people what’s acceptable rather than bringing fancy-dress with you.

👻 Halloween is actually the modern descendant of the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Children were disguised to protect them from malevolent spirits who were thought to return to our realm at this time of year. Día de los Muertos does not see the spirits as malevolent, rather they are family members returning home.

Exploring festivals and celebrations in Mexico is a great way to educate children about Mexico and different cultures. Homeschooling families in Mexico can pick a different location every year.

Official dates for Día de los Muertos activities are released in late September/early October but it’s still absolutely worth booking your trip to Mexico as early as possible. 

How can visitors get involved in Día de Muertos?

This is a good question because of course, Día de Muertos, as a family celebration of life, doesn’t necessarily sound as if it has a place for visitors or tourists. But fret not, for it is perfectly possible for visitors to enjoy Day of the Dead. In fact, there are many places and ways in which you will be able to get involved in Día de Muertos celebrations. 

Please do remember that while Mexicans are incredibly welcoming and love sharing their culture, this is a festival that is intensely important to many. Families are truly celebrating the memory of their loved ones in the cemeteries and with their altars. Just because these celebrations take place in public doesn’t mean you can take photos or touch without asking first. Use your judgement, be respectful and have a wonderful time!

As a visitor you can:

Top Tip: If you want to buy artisan souvenirs then the markets and tourist shops are your best bet but if you just want Día de Muertos household items like those you might see in a Mexican home, head to a supermarket for some great deals.

Where to celebrate Día de Muertos

Remember how I mentioned that the official Day of the Dead schedules are often released pretty late? We’re talking mid-September to mid-October depending on how organised a local government is in any given location and year. If you’re worried about not finding information in time or you think you might miss out on the action, I recommend booking a tour in your chosen city. 

👣 Booking a tour will give you peace of mind that you’re not going to miss out on anything. Most Day of the Dead tours are run by local operators who really know what they’re doing, when and where the best comparsas (parades) will be, which cemeteries to visit and when and even where the most ornate or beautiful ofrendas are. Your experience of Day of the Dead will be deeper, more authentic and more connected to communities if you find a really good local tour guide.

→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to the best Day of the Dead tours

As I noted above, central Mexico and southern Mexico tend to celebrate Day of the Dead more than northern Mexico.

These are the places I most recommend if you want to experience Día de los Muertos celebrations. If you already know where you’re interested in visiting, use the links below to head straight to that section, if you’re not sure, read through it all.

Oaxaca | Mexico City | Mérida | Atlixco | Tlaquepaque | Patzcuaro | Guanajuato | Caribbean Coast

Oaxaca City, Oaxaca

I spent my first ever Día de Muertos in Oaxaca in 2016. My kids were two and four and we had just begun our Mexico journey. Being so lucky as to experience Oaxaca during Day of the Dead set us up for many years of living happily in Mexico. 

Oaxaca during Día de los Muertos

Oaxaca is often thought of as the heart of Mexico because so much of what foreigners think of as quintessentially Mexican comes from this region, including food and souvenirs. And as for Día de Muertos, there is simply nowhere like Oaxaca because while Oaxacans do take the festival seriously, they also love to party and they love for people to party with them. 

What to do in Oaxaca during Día de Muertos

Oaxaca is an incredible city to visit at any time of the year but it really ramps up for Day of the Dead. From about halfway through October you’ll start to see ofrendas (altars) and catrinas (dressed-up skeletons) in shops and the local markets will start selling Day of the Dead items.

🗝 Be sure to spend time walking around the city streets, plazas and markets (including the enormous Central de Abasto Market just outside Centro) in the run-up to Day of the Dead. You won’t believe the size of this place so be sure to leave a good few hours to really and truly get lost here. It’s incredible!

🗝 Visit the cemetery in the evenings of 31 October to 2 November. You can explore the graves and tombs, seeing how they have been decorated and then join locals at the funfair outside.

🗝 Join the parties outside the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, on Zocalo and throughout the streets of Oaxaca.

🗝 Enjoy a parade. The opening parade is called the Magna Comparsa. Because Oaxaca is Oaxaca though, every school, club, and group will have its own parade so you’re sure to have something to see or join. Be warned: there will be fireworks. A lot of fireworks.

🗝 Enjoy browsing the craft markets that are set up all around Oaxaca that sell traditional Day of the Dead items as well as artesanias from around the country. Maybe pick up an alebrije or small skull to take home with you. 

🗝 Visit the central Oaxaca highlands to experience a traditional comparsa (parade) with local tour guides.

Día de los Muertos Oaxaca bonus: Xoxocotlan

Xoxo (pronounced Ho-ho), as locals call Xoxoctlan is a pueblo just south of Oaxaca and while it isn’t generally considered to be a vacation destination, at this time of year it fills with tourists who want to see something outside of Oaxaca.

Día de los Muertos in Xoxocotlan

The main square in Xoxo will be beautifully decorated and the entire street to the main cemetery, the Panteon Mictlancihuatl, turns into a long market full of street vendors selling micheladas, snacks and painting calavera faces.  

The cemetery is the heart of everything in Xoxo though as families set up altars on their family tombs. The altars include candles, foods and drinks for their ancestors and plenty of cempasuchil flowers to guide their loved ones home from the spirit world. 

What to do in Xoxocotlan during Día de Muertos

🗝 Visit the plaza to see the Catrinas and the altars.

🗝 Visit the cemetery to see families in Xoxo welcome home their difuntos with decorated tombs, food, flowers and candles. 

Truthfully, Xoxocotlan has become something of a tourist spot since I visited in 2016, in fact, Katrin, who lives there, told me about how she had to push through drunk tourists just to get into the cemetery. Don’t be that way. Sure, enjoy a drink in the market but don’t get drunk and ruin it for others, please. 

Mexico City (CDMX)

Mexico City is my favourite city in the entire world because of its incredible number of museums, art galleries and parks. I highly recommend spending time in CDMX (or DF, short for Distrito Federal, as locals like to call it) at any time of the year.

CDMX during Día de Muertos

As you might expect, Día de Muertos in Mexico City is busy, hectic and it will blow your mind. Mexico City is the oldest city in the Americas, and it doesn’t disappoint for Day of the Dead. To be honest, like any trip to Mexico City, you’re going to have to plan your time and figure out what you really want to do because there’s just so much going on. 

⭐️ If the idea of the main desfile (parade) and the huge crowds it attracts terrify you, why not choose a smaller area of Mexico City and explore how it celebrates Día de Muertos. Below I include two areas I love very much: Coyoacan and Xochimilco for precisely this reason. The photo above was taken at the alebrije parade by the Alameda.

Top Tip: Mexico City, more than anywhere it’s important to book your flights and accommodation early.

What to do in Mexico City during Día de los Muertos

🗝 El Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos. Despite being the newest attraction, El Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos (the Great Day of the Dead Parade), shouldn’t be missed. It’s typically held on the Saturday preceding Día de Muertos but its date isn’t generally announced until early October. The desfile begins at Estela de Luz and ends in Zocalo. Be aware that around a million people are likely to attend this event so arrive early and keep a tight hold of your belongings. 

🗝 Visit Zocolo in the historic centre of Mexico City to explore the ofrendas. Every year, Mexico City’s Zocalo (main plaza) is home to a new display of monumental ofrendas. These go up before Day of the Dead and remain up for most of November. 

🗝 Day of the Dead in Coyoacan District: one of Mexico City’s most traditional districts, Coyoacan is also a great spot for getting into the swing of Día de los Muertos. The two main plazas are generally joyous and are colourfully decorated but at Día de los Muertos they go all out with ofrendas and decorations. There are performances to watch on these squares every year too as well as their own local Día de Muertos parade. Have your face painted with traditional calavera face paints, grab a pan de muerto and explore the ofrendas, the markets (I bought a massive stash of papel picado in the market here) and even the museums.  

🗝 Day of the Dead in Xochimilco: In this southern neighbourhood that is best known for its UNESCO World Heritage canals there is plenty going on for Día de los Muertos. In the main plaza you will find dancing, sand tapestries, ofrendas and more. There’s also a free pulque festival nearby. Pulque, if you’re not sure, is a local fermented agave drink. While you’re here, visit the Dolores Olmedo Museum and do not miss the opportunity to take a night ride through the canals. While it’s perfectly possible to do this all year round, for over thirty years, during Día de Muertos this has been transformed into something truly extraordinary:  “La Llorona en Xochimilco”, a retelling of a haunting traditional Mexican tale.

🗝 La Llorona en Xochimilco is a theatre production performed on the canals to an audience in trajineras (canal boats). The canal boats are rowed down the waterways to a meeting point where the audience is told the story of the woman condemned to spend eternity searching for the children she drowned in a fit of rage. The show culminates with a sound and light show. This show runs from the end of September to the end of November, Fri-Sun only except during the week of Día de Muertos when it shows every night. Buy tickets and pick up your boat at Embarcadero Cuemanco. Arrive early to ensure you manage to get a ticket. If you don’t want to queue for tickets and prefer to take a tour, this is also possible.

🗝 Take a tour of a cemetery in Mexico City. I recommend a tour because not all cemeteries are open for Día de Muertos and some aren’t as welcoming to visitors as others. It would be a shame to travel to a cemetery only to find it isn’t open. 

Mérida, Yucatán

Mérida was my home for many years; it’s where my children grew up and made their formative memories. It’s the place they will always think of as home as well as the place about which I’ve written two books. In Mérida my children learned to make their own altars, to make (and eat) the traditional tamales and xec, the Hanal Pixan salad and to sing the calaverita song with their friends. 

In Mérida by the way, it isn’t Día de los Muertos that is celebrated but rather, the Maya Hanal Pixan, an even older and more sombre affair than Día de Muertos.

Hanal Pixan means “food for the souls” and when you visit you’ll see why it’s called that. It really is all about welcoming family home from the spirit world with their favourite foods and enjoying eating those foods yourself, too.  

Mérida during Hanal Pixan

As I said, Hanal Pixan in Mérida is somewhat more sombre than you might expect if you’ve experienced Día de los Muertos somewhere like Oaxaca but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. Come with an open mind and be prepared to learn as well as party.

Even the ofrendas (altars) are different in Yucatán – here people tended to be buried in their homes so that’s where the altars are set up.

Altars require white tablecloths, jacaras (gourds to hold food and drink), candles (white for adults, coloured for children) and flowers. Typically you’ll see a green wooden cross in the centre of an altar. This represents the ceiba tree, which is very important in Maya cosmology.  

You’ll see far fewer altars in shops and cafes than in somewhere like Oaxaca. 

What to do for Hanal Pixan in Mérida

🗝 Explore the community ofrenda competition on the Plaza Grande to get an idea of how a Maya altar looks.

🗝 Eat pib at the pib festival. This is generally held over the weekend before Hanal Pixan in Parque San Sebastian. 

🗝 Follow the Paseo de los Animas (Parade of the Souls). This is the main procession in Mérida. It leaves from the main cemetery and ends at Parque San Juan where stages are set up for performances. While visitors can’t officially join the parade, they can follow along behind and enjoy the street party that erupts behind it. As you follow the party, stop and check out the altars people have moved outside their houses, grab snacks and marvel at everyone’s traditional clothing.

🗝 Visit Mercado Lucas de Galvez to gaze at all the Hanal Pixan items on sale, including the traditional sugar skulls, and candies. While you’re there, why not pick up some good value traditional Hanal Pixan clothing (huipiles for women and guayaberas for the men) to wear to the Paseo de los Animas?

You can either buy artisan huipiles and guayaberas that are handmade or you can buy cheap factory-made versions. You get what you pay for, of course, but don’t expect to pay factory prices for true artisanal work.

🗝 La Ermita Botanical Gardens – during the Paseo de las Animas you can take a peek inside these often closed gardens on La Ermita. Local businesses set up altars here and they’re generally fascinatingly specific to their business. (this is a true insider tip by the way – non-locals rarely know about this)

🗝 Attend any of the many local government-sponsored performances in Centro. The official schedule will be available by early October.

🗝 Camino de los Flores. This is located in Parque de la Paz (just in front of the old prison – don’t tell anyone I told you but if you can sneak inside, it’s really interesting!). This flower path is visited via a raised walkway. It consists of many thousands of flowers and planets and is different every year. 

Hanal Pixan bonus: Pomuch

Betwen Mérida and Campeche lies the fascinating small village of Pomuch. Truthfully, there isn’t much in Pomuch and people don’t tend to stop here very often but it’s an interesting stop as long as you’re respectful.

What to expect from Hanal Pixan in Pomuch

In Pomuch, five or so years after burial, bodies are exhumed and set out to dry in the sun before being lovingly cleaned by the family members. The bones are then placed in a small wooden box that is often left open and placed on a shelf in the cemetery for all to see. Annually, just before Hanal Pixan, the bones are ceremoniously removed and cleaned. While cleaning them they talk about their dead and they tell the dead about their year.

The main reason people visit Pomuch is to visit the cemetery (any time of the year) and around Hanal Pixan to get a glimpse of the bones being cleaned.

⭐️ In order to get to Pomuch you really need a car of your own or to go with a guide.

Atlixco, Puebla

Atlixco is a beautiful pueblo magico just under an hour from Puebla City in Puebla state. It’s a great option for a day trip at any time of year but it really outdoes itself at the end of October.

Día de Muertos in Atlixco

Atlixco is sometimes called the “City of Flowers”. Just before Día de Muertos, the cempasuchil fields just outside town (walking distance if you’re a walker like I am) are a delight to see. The town itself is also covered in flowers.

What to do for Día de Muertos in Atlixco

🗝️ Valle de las Catrinas – during the month of October, Atlixco is turned into a living art gallery stocked with monumental catrinas around the town as well as an actual (ticketed and paid) event in the Convention Centre at the weekends during October (and extra nights in the final week). 

🗝️ Desfile de Calaveras – Nov 2 is the culmination of the Valle de las Catrinas and Día de Muertos. There’s a whole procession through town.

🗝️ Try cempasuchil flavour ice cream (it’s delicious)

Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Jalisco

Tlaquepaque is a small “pueblo magico” within the metropolis of Guadalajara, one of the biggest cities in Mexico. Tlaquepaque, despite being hard to pronounce (tla-qu-pa-ke) is a fabulous place to visit at any time of year. Its streets are lively, there are numerous galleries and artisan shops, there’s music everywhere and the ice creams are delicious. 

Día de Muertos in Tlaquepaque

In Tlaquepaque, according to locals, Día de Muertos is less about remembrance and more about partying. In 2022, it was estimated that around 20,000 people attended the (mostly free) 120 Day of the Dead events in Tlaquepaque over the three days of festivities so you can be assured that even if the schedule isn’t released in time for you booking your trip, there will be extreme fun to be had in this small town. 

What to do during Día de Muertos in Tlaquepaque

🗝 Walk around the streets of Tlaquepaque enjoying the atmosphere, the catrinas, giant skulls and papel picado strung everywhere.

🗝 Watch (or even take part in the) Desfile de Novias Catrinas (Partners’ Parade) – this generally starts at 7 pm and is held on the Saturday closest to Día de los Muertos. Last year it was possible to show up early and get your photo taken with people in the parade. If you want to take part you’ll have to come dressed appropriately, with a partner and bring thirty candles with you. 

🗝 Watch the traditional dress competitions, & dance and theatre performances throughout town. You will find live performances all over the place. 

🗝 Check out ofrendas (altars) including interactive altars.

🗝 Visit Paseo Juárez to see the altars in this artistic neighbourhood (here you’ll find the altars from artists, make-up artists, and tattoo artists as well as gastronomic focused altars). 

🗝 Walk through the Andador Independencia where you’ll find a massive installation of cempasuchil flowers.

Patzcuaro and Isla de Janitzio, Michoacan

What to expect in Patzcuaro and on Isla de Janitzio

Janitzio is the place to experience Day of the Dead in the state of Michoacan. Janitzio is a small island at the centre of Lake Patzcuaro. People tend to base themselves in the lake-side pueblo magico of Patzcuaro and visit Isla de Janitzio for the Día de los Muertos festivities by boat.

🦋 Butterflies feature heavily in daily life in this part of Mexico. The monarch butterfly migration into the state of Michoacan begins around this time and also in this area the fishermen use large ‘butterfly nets’ to catch their fish. During Día de Muertos the fishermen ceremoniously fan their nets to create a breeze that will carry the souls of the dead from their watery graves in the lake and up the stairs to the cemetery on Janitzio Island.

This goes hand in hand with the local legend that says when people die, their souls fly like monarch butterflies over an enchanted lake to Lake Patzcuaro to the Island of Janitzio. As you cross the water in your boat, if you open your heart you’ll see their souls in the water of the lake. 

🎬 The old woman, Coco, from the cartoon, Coco, is based on a real woman who died in Patzcuaro fairly recently. 

What to do in Patzcuaro and on Isla Janitzio for Día de los Muertos

Patzcuaro 

🗝 Watch the performances by the butterfly net fisherman.

🗝 Explore the altars that are erected in businesses and public buildings.

🗝 Enjoy the processions through the streets of Patzcuaro.

🗝 Visit the cemetery.

🗝 Visit one of the villages around the lake on November 1 to experience the candlelit Noche de Muertos.

🗝 From October 30 enjoy the Day of the Dead Artisan Market where you can pick up artisans from craftspeople from across Mexico. 

 Isla Janitzio

🗝 On Isla Janitzio as you wander the streets you’ll see people preparing favourite meals for their returning family members. 

🗝 Danza de los Pescadores – enjoy this tradition where a sacred duck is hunted and cooked for the returning souls in the early hours of the 2nd November. During the night you’ll see the ‘fishermen’ heading out in boats illuminated by numerous candles to hunt this duck. 

🗝 Around midnight on November 1, watch the processions from Tzirumúraro Cemetery where women and children holding torches walk in silence to meet their returning relatives.

Top Tip for visiting Janitzio: While Janitzio is considered the place to go in Michoacan, there are other, less touristy places where you can get involved with the Fiesta de los Muertos, for example, Isla de Pacanda, some fifteen minutes by boat from Ucazanaztacua Dock. There are community hotels on the island.

Jim told me that, “to the native Purepecha people, the cold air is a sign of the spirits returning to the island to spend a couple of days with their friends and family during this incredible tradition.” Whatever the reason, take a sweater. 

Guanajuato City, Guanajuato

Guanajuato City, in central Mexico, is one of the most colourful cities in the world, it’s full of culture, good food and is very, very hilly. It’s located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, making for some stunning views.

What to do in Guanajuato during Día de los Muertos

🗝 Tapetes de arena (sand paintings) – Guanajuato goes big on this traditional art form so be sure to check them all out when you’re exploring the Centro Historico. Tapetes de arena, like the mandala, represent impermanace. They are are made to honour and welcome spirits home.

🗝 Enjoy the ofrendas in shops and homes as you explore the city of Guanajuato.

🗝 Watch the Día de los Muertos Parade (evening event).

🗝 Marvel at the famous monumental altar built by university students and locals on the steps of the University of Guanajuato to commemorate academic figures from the university. It’s worth seeing by day and after dark when all the candles are lit.

🗝 Check out the large sculptures outside the Teatro Juarez (which is reputedly the second most beautiful building in Mexico after the Palacio de Bellas Artes in CDMX).

🗝 Visit the Panteón de Santa Paula, the local cemetery to wander through the decorated tombs. 

🗝 Tunel de tradicion – I haven’t visited one of these during Día de los Muertos but it seems that during the celebrations, the many tunnels through this hilly city turn into party tunnels.

🗝 There are many contests spread throughout the city over this holiday. These include the ofrenda contest on Plaza los Angeles and the Pan de Muerto contest on Plazuela de San Roque.

🗝 If you speak Spanish, join a callejoneada macabre or a nighttime tour of the city. For Día de los Muertos the callejoneadas (street story tellers) turn spooky. Generally you pick up a tour outside the theatre in Centro. 

Mexico’s Caribbean Coast and the Riviera Maya

The Caribbean Coast—also known as the Riviera Maya— is located in Quintana Roo and includes three of Mexico’s biggest tourist cities: Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. Here you will find perfect beaches, incredible hotels and truly, some amazing adventure activities. Oh, and of course, parties.

What to expect from a Riviera Maya Día de Muertos

The beauty of an October/November trip to Mexico’s Riviera Maya is that it’s not peak season so there are good deals to be had. The rainy season and hurricane season have both ended too. Good weather and good prices. Sweet.

What to do on Mexico’s Caribbean Coast during Día de Muertos

🗝 Experience Día de Muertos processions, theatrical productions, music, ceremonial food and other traditions in Cancun and at Xcaret Park and other venues,    

🗝 Most of the bigger hotels will have elaborate altars but the best place to see how locals are celebrating Día de los Muertos in Cancun is in Parque de las Palapas in downtown Cancun. Here there are altars, face painting, and a Day of the Dead parade ends here. 

🗝 Playa del Carmen also hosts its own Hanal Pixan parade. 

🗝 Check out what the Xcaret parks have planned because there’s always sure to be unmissable shows in their parks. 

🗝 Find local tours that can show you how locals celebrate 

Check the official Cancun Visitors Bureau for a schedule in October

A few final Día de los Muertos facts

What goes on a Día de los Muertos altar?

Altars, of course, vary – some are very humble while others are ornate and wildly decorated. Generally, they will contain:

☠️ Photos of the deceased

🌼 Cempasúchiles – The smell of these Aztec marigold flowers is said to help souls find their path back home

🌮 Food and drink for the returning souls – Food plays an important role in this festival. After a few hours, it is considered that the ancestors have eaten and the living can then eat the food on the altar. There may well be some water on the altar too, both for purification and to quench the thirst of the returning souls.

🕯 Candles and incense – Each candle represents one soul. There will often be an extra candle for the “forgotten soul”. The incense is in honour of Mexico’s pre-conquest history.

🪅 Decorations such as papel picado and sugar skulls – Papel picado represents the wind and the fragility of life. It is essentially a coloured paper-cut bunting. Sugar skulls are everywhere because the skull is a commonly used symbol of Día de los Muertos.

They say that during Día de Muertos, Mexico smells of cemepasúchil flowers, pan de muerto, and in Yucatán, pib. 

What is La Calavera Catrina? 

🗝 La Calavera Catrina began life as a satirical etching created by Jose Guadalupe Posada in the early twentieth century, then incorporated by Diego Rivera into his famous murals. It was designed as commentary on the Mexican upper classes. It was only later that the figure became associated with Día de Muertos imagery. 

🗝 See my personal favourite depiction of a Calavra Catrin in Rivera’s mural “Sueña De Una Tarde Dominical En La Alameda” in CDMX (above).

🗝 Many of the Day of the Dead papier mache sculptures and the costumes you see on the street are based on La Calavera Catrina.

Are there special Day of the Dead foods?

Yes. And of course, I highly recommend you try as many as you can.

Atole – A traditional Mexican hot corn drink that is drunk (particularly in Yucatán) around this period. Young atole is particularly delicious and I highly recommend trying it.