Experience Dia De Los Muertes Festival

The adventure

In the days before the festival, Mexico turns orange. Markets overflow with marigolds, sugar skulls and loaves of pan de muerto, and families build altars covered in candles, photos and the favourite foods of loved ones who have died. The scent of copal incense hangs in the streets.

At night, the cemeteries come alive. In Oaxaca, families sit beside graves covered in flowers and hundreds of candles, sharing food, drink and stories, while mariachi bands wander between them playing requests. Through the city, parades of dancers in skeleton costumes and elaborate Catrina make-up dance past papel picado banners. It is noisy, colourful and deeply moving, a celebration that treats death as part of life rather than something to fear.

Why it’s epic

UNESCO recognises Día de Muertos as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Bright orange cempasúchil marigolds are believed to guide spirits home with their colour and scent.
La Catrina, the elegant skeleton lady, began as a satirical etching by José Guadalupe Posada in the early 1900s.
Mexico City's huge parade began in 2016, inspired by the opening scene of the James Bond film Spectre.

What it is

Día de los Muertos is when families welcome back the spirits of the dead with altars, marigolds and celebrations.

How to do it

Oaxaca, Mexico City and Pátzcuaro have famous celebrations.

Top tip

Be respectful in cemeteries.

Need to know

Hotels in Oaxaca and Pátzcuaro book up months ahead for late October and early November.
Cemetery vigils are private family occasions; ask before photographing people or graves.
Most visitors fly into Mexico City and continue by bus or a short flight to Oaxaca.

Plan this trip

Rough cost: £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed: 3 days
Best time to go: 31 October to 2 November
Fly into: MEX airport

Festival demand pushes up hotel prices, and long-haul flights to Mexico add the rest.

Make it happen

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Why it’s on my list

Día de Muertos, or day of the dead in English, celebrates the lives of the deceased. Those who celebrate it believe that at midnight on October 31, the souls of all deceased children come down from heaven and reunite with their families on November 1, and the souls of deceased adults come visit on November 2.

The celebration originated in central and southern Mexico. Families make colourful altars in their homes in honour of their deceased loved ones, and the altars are decorated with flowers, candles, their loved one’s favourite food and pan de muerto (a slightly sweet bread specifically made for this time).

The festivities continue in the cemetery, where families bring picnics, play music and sometimes even spend the night as a way to celebrate the lives of those who are no longer on this earth.