October 31 – November 5, 2024 
$1600 shared room / $1850 single room (price includes 5 hotel nights, luxury ground transportation, museum admissions, guided visits, breakfasts, some meals and other amenities. Airfare is not included.)

Please note: Refunds (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) are available until June 15, 2024. After this date, only 50% of the ticket price (minus 10% processing and administrative fees) will be refunded. No refunds available after September 15.

This Day of the Dead, join us for a very special 6-day, 5-night trip to Mexico for our favorite holiday. We will visit the mystical city of Oaxaca, a multicultural locale renowned for its ancient traditions, vibrant art venues, and amazingly rich cuisine. Pack your bags and join our tour leader, Salvador Olguín, a Mexican writer and scholar who has focused much of his work on the visual culture of death in Mexico.

ITINERARY *

Our journey will begin on the evening of October 31 with a Welcome Dinner at our Hotel, Oaxaca Inn Hotel Reforma. Following this, we will pay visit to two cemeteries: the Panteón Xoxocotlán and Panteón Atzompa, located in the small town of Santa Maria Atzompa, where we will enjoy this wonderful night walking amidst tombs, candles, copal incense, music, and colorful flowers. We'll spend this evening enjoying the traditional Alumbrada at the cemetery, which is the night when people light the most candles on their family tombstones and graves. There will be music, food vendors, and much more. Get ready for a very traditional Dia de Muertos celebration.  

On November 1, we will visit San Bartolo Coyotepec, a Zapotec community known for its black clay pottery. There, we will meet Maestro Carlomagno Pedro Martínez, whose work appears in catalogues, exhibitions and private collections in Mexico, the U.S. and Europe. Maestro Carlomagno will share his deep knowledge of Zapotec traditions, local San Bartolo legends, and tell us about—and provide a demonstration of—his craft. Following this, we will visit the Regional Museum of Popular Art, after which we will head to the town of Jalietza—not before stopping for a complimentary lunch on the road— where we will visit the Navarro Family home for a demonstration of weaving techniques using a traditional backstrap loom, followed by a quick visit to the local cemetery. Next, we will pay a visit to Ocotlán Market, a place of tradition that attracts vendors from nearby villages.

On November 2, we will first delve into the history of an ancient city located atop a mountain, Monte Albán, a great urban center built by the Zapotec civilization. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, it is the most important archaeological site in the State of Oaxaca. You will learn about the history of each of the parts that make up this wonderful place, visit the main square, and have the opportunity to take wonderful photographs from the top of its pyramids. We will also visit the onsite museum, which hosts original pieces that have been unearthed from the area. 

Next, we will stop for lunch in San Antonio Arrazola, a place full of magic and tradition, known for its figurines depicting magical creatures called alebrijes, carved in copal wood. After lunch, we will visit an alebrijes workshop, where your senses will be stimulated by the work of local artisans who will demonstrate the making of the pieces and explain their history and meaning. These wonderful creatures are part of an ancestral tradition of the Zapotec, and they represent the innovative spirit of Oaxaca’s ancient soul. 

On November 3, we’ll pay a visit to Tlacolula de Matamoros, with a stop off at its 16^th century chapel to learn about its history. Next, we will enjoy a tour of the famed Tlacolula Market—one of the largest and oldest continuous markets in Oaxaca and across Mesoamerica—after which we’ll have some time to explore it on our own. This is a great opportunity to sample traditional cuisine, photograph the wonderful wares, and do some shopping, of course. Next, we’ll visit the small village of Teotitlán del Valle, known for its textiles and natural dyes, such as cochinilla. After enjoying a complementary traditional lunch onsite, we will enjoy a natural dye and loom demonstration by the wonderful craftspeople at Taller Casa Cruz.

After this, we will depart to the archaeological site of Mitla. The word “Mitla” comes from “Mictlan,” a word of Nahuatl origin that means “place of the dead.” In Zapotec, the town was known as Liobaa, which means “house of tombs.” In Mesoamerican tradition, this is one of a few places considered to be an Entrance to the Underworld. We will end our visit at Grupo del Arroyo, a special section of the Mitla archeological site, where our friend Rafa and other local guides will perform a small ritual involving copal to end the day.

On November 4, we will explore the historic center of Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage site that still preserves the taste of Colonial Mexico, including its unmistakably indigenous elements. We will visit the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, an important monument and one of the most beautiful examples of baroque-style architecture in Mexico. Next, we’ll head to the Regional Museum of Oaxaca, which exhibits pieces from the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures, including the treasure of tomb No. 7 of Monte Albán. We will also explore the former Convent of Santo Domingo, which houses the museum and still preserves the remains of its original 17^thcentury frescos of saints. We will then continue to discover the magic of Oaxaca on foot, walking on one of the main streets of the city. This cobbled street, dressed with green quarry, is the point of departure of what is known as the Tourist Walk, from Santo Domingo to the central part of the city, with various museums, galleries, craft stores and restaurants along the way. To finish this magical tour, we will visit the main folk markets: The Benito Juárez Market, which sells textiles, clothes, and much more, and the November 20 Market, famous for its food. After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll have the opportunity to stay downtown and enjoy some free time, or go back to the Hotel (transportation back to the Hotel will be provided).

November 5 will mark the end of our tour. You'll be treated to breakfast, and we'll get our last chance to gather and share our experiences. Join to get further details and updates, and start getting ready for Dia de Muertos 2024!TOUR LEADER 

Salvador Olguín is a writer and scholar who has focused much of his work on the visual culture of death in Mexico. His work has been published in print and online media in Mexico, Spain, Brazil, the UK and the United States. He has a master’s degree in Humanities and Social Thought from NYU. His first poetry book, La carabela portuguesa (The Portuguese Man O’War), received the Carmen Alardin National Poetry Award in Mexico. He currently lives in the Mayan Riviera.

*Some changes may apply.