Legend has it that on the nights of November 1st and 2nd, the dead come to visit us…
Program:

• Cultural immersion: participation in the Day of the Dead celebration.
• Visit to Morelia, a colonial city and World Heritage Site.
• Visit to the home of Mexico's most famous artist: Frida Kahlo.
• Visit to the archaeological site of Teotihuacán.
• Dinner with mariachis at Garibaldi.
• Ride on the colorful trajineras on Lake Xochimilco. 

28 OCTOBER       CIUDAD DE ORIGEN - MÉXICO 
Morning arrival at Mexico City's Benito Juárez International Airport. Your guide will meet you to take you to the city center. Lunch (not included). Guided tour of the Historic Center, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we will visit the National Palace, the Zócalo, the Aztec Templo Mayor, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the Postal Palace. Check-in at the hotel. In the evening, departure to Plaza Garibaldi, the most representative place of Mexican popular music and mariachis. We will enjoy a traditional dinner at the Parían restaurant. Return to the hotel. Overnight stay.

29 OCTOBER       CIUDAD DE MÉXICO / XOCHIMILCO
Breakfast at the hotel. We'll begin the day with a trajinera ride on Lake Xochimilco. Xochimilco's origins date back to pre-Hispanic times. Xochimilco is particularly important for its chinampas. These rafts, made of wood and covered with earth, were used to grow flowers and vegetables, making Mexico-Tenochtitlan a floating city. They were used for agriculture and to reclaim land from the lake waters. We'll continue to the emblematic neighborhood of Coyoacán, where you'll have time for lunch. Coyoacán was an independent rural town in Mexico City until the 19th century. We'll visit Plaza Hidalgo, the main square with its kiosk and fountain, the cathedral, and the cobblestone streets where we'll find colonial-era mansions. This is the home of the famous painter Frida Kahlo; her house hosted meetings with artists and politicians of the time, including Leon Trotsky. We'll visit this house, now a museum (admission included), which preserves the decor in the spirit Frida gave to her famous "Blue House," where she was born, lived, and died. The rest of the night is free. Accommodation is available.

30 OCTOBER       BASÍLICA DE GUADALUPE / TEOTIHUACÁN 
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the Plaza of the Three Cultures, where the pre-Columbian, Spanish, and Mexican present intertwine. Continue to the Basilica of Guadalupe, the most sacred place for Mexican Catholics, dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. We then head to the wonderful archaeological site of Teotihuacán, which in Nahuatl means "City of the Gods" or "The place where the Gods are created." During the visit, you will see the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. The former reaches a height of 65 m, making it one of the largest pyramids on the continent. The pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god, is the only pyramid with sculptures; its sculptures are in the shape of a serpent's head. We will cross the Avenue of the Dead, which was the most important avenue in this city, and at the Temple of Quetzalpapalotl, we will see murals from that period. After a Mexican buffet lunch (included), we visit an artisan center, where you can visit an obsidian stone carving workshop, the main craft of the locals. We'll taste maguey pulque, a typical drink from the region. The rest of the evening is free. Accommodation is available.

31 OCTOBER       CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – PÁTZCUARO – MORELIA (367 KM - 6 HRS)
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Pátzcuaro. Upon arrival, you will have free time for lunch (not included). In downtown Pátzcuaro, you can enjoy a variety of cafes and restaurants serving traditional and international dishes. Don't forget to try "niche pasta," the most typical ice cream flavor. To help with lunch, we take a guided tour of downtown and the Day of the Dead candy market.
The name Pátzcuaro means "gateway to heaven" in Purépecha. It is a city famous for its colonial beauty and the authentic customs of its inhabitants.
Cultural treasures include the Basilica of Our Lady of Health, the "House of the Eleven Patios," the library, the Temple of San Francisco and the Temple of the Tabernacle, the Museum of Popular Arts (tour included), the Convent of San Agustín, the Shrine of Guadalupe, and the Plaza Don Vasco de Quiroga with its handicraft market. Today we will see the preparations for the Day of the Dead celebration; this celebration is of utmost importance to the Mexican people. It takes place over two days, November 1 and 2. It is an opportunity to gather with family. Mexicans visit the cemeteries where their relatives are buried while they await their arrival: the belief that the Dead come to visit them is a strong one.
For this reason, they decorate their homes and graves with candles and flowers. This festival is characterized by the offering of "calaveritas," sugar and chocolate candies shaped like skulls, as well as "pan de muerto" (bread of the dead).
In the city center, you will have the opportunity to have Day of the Dead makeup done (at your own expense).
Free time to visit the crafts market, have dinner (not included), and sample traditional dishes.
In the evening, you will enjoy a traditional dance performance at the port of Lake Pátzcuaro, "the dance of the old men." This performance culminates with a special presentation by local fishermen in their canoes, showing their traditional fishing method with a butterfly net. (This activity depends on the schedule of the Pátzcuaro Tourism Secretariat and may be canceled or modified.) We continue to Morelia. Check into the hotel.

1 NOVEMBER       MORELIA – JANITZIO – SANTA FE DE LA LAGUNA – TZINTZUNTZAN - (98 KM 2 HRS)
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, we will take a guided tour of downtown Morelia. Morelia has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is known for the architectural beauty of its magnificent pink stone colonial buildings.
You will visit the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Clavijero Palace, the Convent of the Roses with its church, and the Plaza Mayor. You will discover the traditional sweets market, the aqueduct, the Tarascas Fountain, the Romance Alley, and the Calzada: a charming pedestrian path that leads to the Shrine of Guadalupe, a church with stunning interior decoration. We will head to Janitzio Island in Lake Pátzcuaro. We will board a boat to reach the island and visit its cemetery, admiring the tombs that families have decorated for the visit of their loved ones. Free time for lunch (not included). Departure for Santa Fe de la Laguna, a Purépecha community that pays tribute to the Day of the Dead. You will have the opportunity to enter the homes of Mexican families who await the return of their dead, you will see everything they have prepared for them. 
You will witness the candle-lighting ceremony for the Day of the Dead. We will visit the village cemetery to see the tomb decorations. Sometimes, the townspeople hold a contest to choose the most beautiful altar. You will be able to witness the installation of altars for the new dead (people who died that year). These ceremonies are unique in that they are accompanied by lively music and dances dedicated to these new deaths. 
If time permits, we will continue to the archaeological site of Tzintzuntzan to attend the Festival of the Dead. You will have the opportunity to see a performance of the famous pre-Hispanic ball game. Overnight stay.

2 NOVEMBER       MORELIA DÍA LIBRE
Breakfast at the hotel. Free day to enjoy the beautiful colonial city of Morelia.
A visit to the Crafts Museum and the Sweets Museum is recommended, where visitors can learn about the making of typical regional sweets. If you wish, you can attend a nighttime legends tour, which is sold next to the cathedral by characters dressed in colonial-era clothing. Don't forget to attend the free cathedral lighting show at 8:45 p.m. every Saturday (check with your hotel for information about this show). Overnight stay.

3  NOVEMBER        MORELIA – CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (301 KM 4:30 HRS)
Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we will depart for the Mexico City airport. Estimated arrival time at the airport: 3:00 PM.