Celebrate life in
beautiful corners of Mexico
Night of the dead
Celebrate life in beautiful Mexico
Night of the dead
4 – 8 days
From $3200
October – November 2024
Only 2 departures in 2024
Next dates in 2025
Great for:
Solo travelers
Couples
Travel budget per person
Join us for a weekend or an entire week
Discover a different world, where history and traditions are alive and thriving.
Visit a unique place, a little-known empire that resisted the Aztecs and conquistadors,
that became the first utopia project 500 years ago,
which still lives and inspires thousands of people.

Join Geographic on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the magic town of Patzcuaro, Mexico,
during their famous celebration of the Night of the Dead.
A Special Occasion
The Night of the Dead
Most people know it as the Day of the Dead, but in Patzcuaro, this celebration has its own, spectacular traditions.
Day of the Dead: colorful celebration of life and family
Explore 20+ timeless places and experiences
Plus, our hand-picked collection of experiences
Build your own altar, and bring ofrendas
Get to know the soul food of Michoacán
See a vanishing lake from the top of a dormant volcano
Meet legendary guitar makers that inspired Coco
Visit the town of copper craft masters
See the church buried by lava of the youngest volcano
Learn about the first real-world utopia and how it still lives
Walk around the capital of the Purepecha empire
Not many people are dreaming of visiting Michoacan. It is not very well portrayed by the media, but there's a place that every cultural explorer and off-the-beaten-path traveler should visit: Patzcuaro and its surroundings.

Hi, this is Alex, and today I'd like to invite you to visit the remnants of the empire that very few people ever heard of.

Purepecha Empire.

This is the place where history and traditions are still very much alive and thriving. There is no need to hear history lectures, just come and experience!

  • The amazing heritage of Purepecha,
  • First in the world utopia (that's still alive),
  • The youngest volcano in the world (and the church buried in lava),
  • Traditional food that's famous across entire Mexico,
  • And indeed, it's homeland of the Day (or, the Night) of the Dead.

This is a very powerful place that even inspired "Coco" by Disney. Few people know, but Mama Coco in the cartoon is Purepecha, and the character is based on a real person who lived in a village near Patzcuaro.

So, the place is great, but most visitors usually come to Patzcuaro just for the Night of the Dead. This ceremony is big here, and the city is super busy with visitors. But coming for a day or two isn't a good way to experience Patzcuaro, that's why we do things differently:

  1. We will spend a week in Patzcuaro, getting to know the place, its amazing surroundings, people and traditions.
  2. We will celebrate like locals, and with locals, by building our own altar, bringing ofrendas, and understanding the meaning of the Night of the Dead.

This way, you'll be able to truly experience Patzcuaro and the Purepecha heritage.

I hope this expedition will make you feel how big life is.
Join us in Michoacan!
From the Trip designer
Alex Farlander
Chief Experience Officer // Geographic
@alexfarlander
Travel plan
Day 1.
Arrive at Mexico City airport in the morning, where a Geographic guide will be waiting to take you to Patzcuaro (370 km / 6 hours drive).

After the drive, you'll have time to rest after the long road, meet other expedition participants, and then join an introductory walk around the historic center of town.

Later, we will get together at the restaurant with a view, for a welcome dinner.



  1. Meeting in Mexico City airport
  2. Transfer to Patzcuaro
  3. Walk around the historic center
Accommodation: a historic hotel in the heart of Patzcuaro
Arrival to Patzcuaro
Some pictures of what's waiting for you
Day 2.
Time to explore! Today we will go to the picturesque island of Janitzio near Patzcuaro, with a giant monument of Jose Morelos with an observation point to the lake. We will also see traditional fishermen, who pretend to fish for tourist tips, and learn the real story of what happening with the lake.
After the visit to Janitzio, we will come back to Patzcuaro, to dive into its history, and the utopia that don Vasco wanted to create here 500 years ago.
  1. Ride a boat to Janitzio Island
  2. Walk to the top of Morelos monument
  3. Watch traditional fishermen craft
  4. Visit the historic areas of Patzcuaro
  5. Enjoy a rooftop dinner with local artists
Get to know Janitzio and Patzcuaro
We work with less-known places, and we want to keep them less known.

That's why we don't publish full travel plans in open access.

If you'd like to get more details, join our travelers club.
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