4 days of Day of the Dead in Oaxaca

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   AfternoonA place of grief

   Panteon General

   The main cemetery of the city, where families clean and decorate the graves with marigolds, candles and food, sometimes with a band playing, and sit with their dead through the day and evening. Sand tapestries may be laid here. It is a place of grief, so stand back, stay quiet and ask before any photo. Check ahead for the day.

   Go when Afternoon of 2 November, with a few quiet hours. Check ahead.

   Local tip Stand back, stay quiet and ask before any photo. Never photograph a grieving person or an altar without permission, and never use a flash. Do not step on graves or touch the offerings.

   About 17 min walk1.4 km
2. 2
   AfternoonWorth a short stop

   Oaxaca Cathedral

   The old stone cathedral on the north side of the main square, with a carved front, tall doors and a dim, calm nave. Step in for a few minutes and keep your voice low if a service is on.

   Go when Afternoon, when the stone is cool and the nave is calm.

   Local tip Keep your voice low and dress to cover your shoulders. Ask before you take a photo inside, and step aside if a service is on.

   

3. Lunch

   Quesillo and memelas

   Oaxaca's stringy white cheese pulled into ribbons and melted on a memela, a thick griddled corn cake spread with beans and a hot sauce. A simple lunch from the stalls around the markets.

   Local tip Tell the staff about any dairy allergy first. Ask for the sauce on the side if you do not like heat.

   About 6 min walk0.5 km
4. 3
   AfternoonWorth the time

   Santo Domingo Cultural Center

   The old monastery beside the church, now a museum of the region, with the gold and jewelry found in the tombs of Monte Alban. Altars and displays are often set up in the days around the festival (usually, check ahead).

   Go when Afternoon, when the courtyards are quiet.

   Local tip Choose a few rooms and give them time. In these days there may be an altar or a display in the galleries, so ask before photographing it.

   

   About 2 min walkunder 0.1 km
5. 4
   EveningWorth the time

   Church of Santo Domingo de Guzman

   A grand stone church whose interior is covered in gold leaf, one of the great churches of Mexico. It is a place of prayer, so dress modestly, keep quiet and ask before any photo.

   Go when Evening, when the gold glows in the low light.

   Local tip It is a working church, so keep your voice low and ask before any photo. Services may be on, so stay at the back and step aside.

   

6. Dinner

   A tlayuda supper

   A very large, thin, crisp corn tortilla spread with bean paste, cheese, cabbage and grilled meat or vegetables, folded over and eaten with the hands. A Oaxacan street supper.

   Local tip It is big, so share one. Tell the staff about any allergy first, since meats are grilled together.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MiddayWorth the time

   Mercado Benito Juarez

   A market of bread, cheese, chiles, dried herbs and chocolate, a few blocks from the main square. In these days it also sells flowers, candles and small altar goods. Walk slowly and buy something small.

   Go when Midday, once the first rush has passed.

   Local tip Taste the cheese and the chocolate you are offered, and buy small things to carry home. Say thanks, and ask before you take a photo.

   About 2 min walk0.1 km
2. 2
   MiddayWorth the time

   Mercado 20 de Noviembre

   A covered market just south of the main square, with rows of food counters and a smoky alley where you choose raw meat and it is grilled over charcoal. A lunch stop with stalls of bread and sweets.

   Go when Midday, hungry, for a lunch beside the smoke.

   Local tip Choose a stall with a steady line. Tell the staff about any allergy first, since meats are grilled together.

3. Lunch

   Mole negro

   The black mole of Oaxaca, a dark sauce of chiles, chocolate, nuts, spices and charred tortilla, spooned over chicken or turkey with rice. A feast dish, often made for the festival days.

   Local tip The sauce has nuts and many spices, so tell the staff about any allergy first. A little goes a long way.

   About 3 min walk0.3 km
4. 3
   EveningCheck with your hotel

   The Zocalo

   The shaded main square of the old city, with tall trees and arcades of cafes. In the evenings of these days, comparsas, the neighborhood parades with brass bands and people in costume and face paint, often pass through the center. Routes and times change each year, so ask at your hotel.

   Go when Evening, when comparsas may pass. Ask at your hotel for routes.

   Local tip Stand to the side and let the bands pass. Ask before you photograph a person in costume, and keep your phone close in the crowd.

   About 8 min walk0.6 km
5. 4
   EveningWorth a short stop

   Basilica de la Soledad

   The baroque church of Oaxaca's patron saint, with a carved stone front and a square outside. People gather here at dusk, and altars and sand tapestries may be built in public places across the city (usually, check ahead).

   Go when Evening, as the square fills with families.

   Local tip Step in for a minute and keep your voice low. A cup of hot chocolate and a sweet bread from the stalls outside is a fine end to the day.

   

6. Dinner

   Tamales Oaxaquenos

   Tamales wrapped in banana leaf, with a filling of mole, chicken or beans, steamed until the dough is soft. A traditional food of the festival days, often given to the souls.

   Local tip Unwrap the leaf and leave it on the plate. Ask about the filling if you avoid meat or nuts.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningGo early

   Mercado de Abastos

   The big wholesale market west of the center, where families buy marigolds, cockscomb flowers, candles, copal, fruit and bread for their altars. It is crowded and loud on this day, so keep your bag in front of you and ask before you photograph a stall.

   Go when Morning, as early as you can, before the crowd peaks.

   Local tip The aisles are crowded and narrow, so keep your bag in front of you. Ask before you photograph a seller. Buy a bunch of marigolds, which you can take to your hotel.

   About 12 min by car or transit3.9 km
2. 2
   MorningWorth the time

   Monte Alban

   The ancient Zapotec city on a flattened hilltop above Oaxaca, with a great plaza, stepped platforms and a wide view over the valley. Go early, while the stone is cool and the day is quiet, and check ahead for any change in access on the festival days.

   Go when Morning, as early as you can, before the heat and the buses.

   Local tip Bring water, a hat and good shoes, because there is little shade and the steps are steep. The valley is high, so go slowly. Check ahead for access on the festival days.

   

3. Lunch

   A comedor lunch

   A plain family lunch of rice, black beans, a grilled meat or squash blossoms, hot tortillas and a cold fruit water, served at a village comedor, a small family table.

   Local tip Ask about the day's dish and tell the staff about any allergy. Drink bottled or purified water.

   About 12 min by car or transit3.9 km
4. 3
   EveningA family vigil

   Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan

   A village on the south edge of the valley whose old cemetery is one of the best known for the night vigil on 1 November, when families sit beside the graves of their dead. It is very busy, and you are a guest at a family vigil, so stand back, stay quiet and ask before any photo. Check ahead which night is busiest.

   Go when Evening of 1 November, and stay a while. Check ahead which night is busiest.

   Local tip Stand back, stay quiet and ask before any photo. Never use a flash and never photograph a grieving person. Do not step on graves, and bring a layer for the cold night.

   

5. Dinner

   Atole and a warm snack at the vigil

   Atole, a warm drink of maize and sugar, is often shared on a cold night, along with tamales and sweet breads. Families and small stalls near the cemetery may offer them. Accept with thanks.

   Local tip Accept anything offered with thanks. Keep your voice low and do not touch the offerings, which are for the dead.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Santa Cruz XoxocotlanAbout 36 min by car or transit22.1 km

   Where Day 3 ended.
2. 1
   MiddayWorth the time

   Teotitlan del Valle

   A Zapotec weaving village where wool is spun, dyed with plants and insects and woven into rugs on wooden looms. Visit a family workshop and ask how the colors are made. The village keeps its own observances in these days, so be quiet and ask before you enter a home or a cemetery.

   Go when Midday, with a taxi both ways.

   Local tip Ask how the colors are made and buy only if you want to, because there is no pressure. Ask before you photograph a person or enter a cemetery.