MIXQUIC “Day of the Dead “- 1 Day Tour

The celebration of Day of the Dead is known all around the world for its vibrant colors of the Mexico City.

You can also enjoy this ancestral festival with the locals of smaller towns who give this special day a magical and traditional touch. This celebration is known to be the best time of the year for the whole of Mexico.

What is Included?

-Comfortable transportation –

-Mexican food

-Tours

• Tecomitl cemetery
• Mixquic cemetery
• Xochimilco Boat tour

Enjoy a real Day of the Dead experience.

A day trip to the famous cemetery of Mixquic and to a local cemetery outside of Mexico city.

2 cemeteries. Live the REAL celebration in Milpa Alta and also the FESTIVAL at the Mixquic cemetery.

• Did you know that the way that the real way that Mexicans celebrate the day of the dead is by going to the cemetery as a family?
• The Mixquic cemetery is so famous now, that the amount of people there makes it impossible to have an authentic experience of this amazing celebration, so it is better just to experience as a festival rather than a traditional local celebration.
• Mixquic cemetery is about 25 kms outside of Mexico City and gets around 100,000 people attending the celebration, this will make it complicated for you to return to the city. Private transportation or transit  options will  have a long waiting times and very high elevated prices, this is why the best way to go to the cemetery is by tour.

Itinerary:

Mixquic & Tecomitl

10:00 am Meeting hour at República de Guatemala 30, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06020 Ejido del Centro, CDMX

• Boat tour through the canals of Xochimilco with day of the dead show
• Lunch time (vengan options)
• Tecomitl cemetery
• Mixquic cemetery

In Xochimilco:

There are occasions when local parades are organized and we can enjoy them, in order to improve the experience or for reasons beyond our control the schedule may change.

• Enjoy an authentic experience, not only going to the festival, but also by going to a little local cemetery to experience the real Day of the Dead.
• The tour is a day trip. The day of the dead is a rich and historic celebration and we want you to really understand it in a comfortable way.
• You will have the option to decorate the forgotten tombs to make the cemetary more beautiful and to make an impact on the community.
• The tour includes 2 graveyards: the cemetery of Tecomitl and Mixquic, as well as food, transportation and an explanation of the celebration’s significance and symbols. The guide will also help you with anything you need.
• We invite you to live the FESTIVAL of Mixquic cemetery with all the colorful altars that the Mexicans prepare as well as a totally different experience at the local cemetery of Milpa Alta so you can really live this celebration.

As you have seen in “COCO” the movie! 

Day of the Dead (known as Día de Muertos in Spanish) is celebrated in Mexico between November first and 2nd. On this holiday, Mexicans remember and honor their deceased loved ones. It’s not a gloomy or morbid occasion, rather it is a festive and colorful holiday celebrating the lives of those who have passed on. Mexicans visit cemeteries, decorate the graves and spend time there, in the presence of their deceased friends and family members. They also make elaborately decorated altars (called ofrendas) in their homes to welcome the spirits.

Because of its importance as a defining aspect of Mexican culture and the unique aspects of the celebration which have been passed down through generations, Mexico’s indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead was recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2008.

In Pre-Hispanic times, the dead were buried close to family homes (often in a tomb underneath the central patio of the house) and there was great emphasis on maintaining ties with deceased ancestors, who were believed to continue to exist on a different plane. With the arrival of the Spaniards and Catholicism, All Souls’ and All Saints’ Day practices were incorporated into Pre-Hispanic beliefs and customs and the holiday came to be celebrated as we know it today.

In the Cemeteries:

In ancient times, people were buried close to their family homes and there was no need to have separate grave decorations and home altars, these were together in one place. Now that the dead are buried away from their homes, graves are decorated with the idea that the dead return there first. In some villages, flower petals are laid in paths from the cemetery to the home so that the spirits will be able to find their way. In some communities, it is customary to spend the whole night in the cemetery, and people make a party of it, having a picnic supper, playing music, talking and drinking through the night.

Tecomitl cemetery

A traditional place for the Mexicans, known for the balloon festival and the local feel that this warm place has to offer  you. The historical town of  Milpa Alta is one of the main producers of what the Mexicans denominate as the green gold: The nopal. This cactus is one of the most important foods of the Mexicans, and this town it is known for its crops of this essential ingredient of Mexican cuisine. This cemetery is not as famous and popular so it will help us to better understand the traditions of this celebration.The way that the Mexicans cover their tombs with the colorful orange flower of cempasuchil and play Mexican music all around makes this special place unique.

Mixquic cemetery and the Alumbrada

Perhaps the most widely known celebration in Mexico City is the one that takes place from the night of November 1 and November 2 in the community of San Andrés Mixquic. The Day of the Dead has been the most important holiday there for a long time now, which is reflected by the fact that the local graveyard is located in the front lawn of the town’s church. In keeping with this spirit, the cemetery is covered in marigold and other flowers for the duration of the celebration, which turns it from a typical field layered with tombstones into a canvas of multiple colors, which is in itself a worthy sight.

Fun fact: The cemetery seen in the Pixar movie Coco is visually very similar to, and was probably inspired by the cemetery in San Andrés Mixquic, where the Alumbrada is held.

TO CONSIDER

Please bring your booking either by cell phone or by paper.

THE TIMES OF TRANSPORTATION COULD CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE TRAFFIC IN MEXICO CITY., Tthis is a big celebration and we can expect traffic on our way to the sites..

The guides will help you with directions or anything you need, the tour information is going to be provided on the bus so you can enjoy the celebration. This is a big festival full of food, music and color to enjoy, so we want you to walk freely through the cemeteries. But you do also have the option to go with the guide to the festival if you prefer.

It may rain so we recommend that you take the associated precautions.

The dropping-off point is near the meeting point. Because the government may close some streets near the meeting point, we recommend that you take an uber or didi home. We will share internet with you if you need it. We recommend that you download the app before the experience.