Dia de Los Muertos Oaxaca, Mexico

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive by Private transport to the small pueblo of Soledad Etla. Here you will be welcomed by the family that lives on the property. They offer cooking classes where they make delicious local food in their beautiful open air kitchen, but for this evening we will just enjoy a home-cooked meal, and of course plenty of mezcal. Get comfy before heading out to enjoy pre-day of the dead festivities, or just soak in the jacuzzi (located at the front cabin)

Day 2

This day marks the beginning of the Day of the Dead festivities. We start the day with a light breakfast of fresh bread and coffee before taking a moment to place an offering on the ofrenda/altar if you desire and set an intention for the week in Oaxaca- you can bring a photo or personal item to memorialize a loved one who has passed for the ofrenda. We will head to the cemetery or pantheon to honor the deceased who return during Day of the Dead to celebrate life.

Families gather to clean and decorate the graves, they visit with friends and relatives, mariachi bands are playing and the color and joy of the anticipated arrival of the spirits is palpable.   We will return for lunch and paint our faces if desired before heading to the pueblo for the festivities and parades.

Stay as long or as little as you like, you are able to walk back and rest as you desire. There will be many options for casual dining while we are out and we will make certain there is fruit and snacks at the property.

Day 3

Day of the Deal has finally arrived! The party goes all day and night, so if you went to sleep, then you will wake up to a hearty breakfast. More festivities and parades are happening and again you can enjoy as much or as little as you like. We will learn to make a traditional food and in the evening we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner and relax in the jacuzzi before a good night’s sleep. Grab snacks or lunch out or we’ll have something available at our accommodations.

Day 4

Today we will sleep in and enjoy a light breakfast before starting a mini cooking class. The classes taught by the Lazaro family are legendary and super hands-on. We will learn to make moles and salsa as well as traditional memelas or tamales. Enjoy the fruits (and moles) of your labor before heading to Oaxaca City for three nights to stay in the Michelin Key awarded boutique hotel, Grana BB. We’ll enjoy a group dinner in Oaxaca City in the evening.

Day 5

FREE DAY!

After a delicious breakfast and coffee at the hotel head out to explore the markets, take a day trip to the ruins or Hierve el Agua – whatever you want, I can help make it happen. We’ll convene in the evening for a private food tour with local company Oaxaca Eats, a women owned food tour company.

Day 6

Our final full day in Oaxaca will be spent exploring the incredible alebrijes – wooden painted folk art from the area of Ocotlan, Oaxaca. We will visit the famous studio of Marie and Jacobo (The inspiration for the movie Coco!) and learn all about the history and traditions of this incredible art form. After learning all about the alebrijes and a chance to shop, we’ll enjoy lunch at an INCREDIBLE restaurant that serves traditional foods cooked on fire in a beautifully designed outdoor restaurant. On our way back to Oaxaca we’ll make a special stop for ice cream made by the brother of one of the guides. You’ll be treated like family! Once we’re back in Oaxaca, we’ll have a little time to rest and pack or shop before going to enjoy a beautiful rooftop for light dinner and drinks on our last night.

Day 7

Departure Day: After a delicious breakfast, we’ll head to the airport and back home, refreshed, rejuvenated and with the beauty and memories of Oaxaca in our hearts forever.

COST: Starting at $2875/pp. All prices USD. See pricing details below.

Included:

• All transportation for included experiences, airport transfers
• 6 days breakfast
• 6 dinners
• 5 lunches
• All experiences and meals as outlined in itinerary

Not included:

• Airfare to Oaxaca City
• Drinks and food beyond what’s included in the itinerary
• Any additional alcoholic beverages
• Required travel insurance (As a travel agent I can purchase this on your behalf or you can get your own)
• Your transportation around Oaxaca for personal activities
• Alcoholic beverages and food above and beyond what is included
• Free day activity bookings
• Gratuities (suggested about $15-20/day )

Detailed airport arrival information and instructions will be provided and I will be there to greet you!

Pricing

Room Options (Private King Bed Cabin in Soledad Etla and Jr King Suite at Grana B&B)

Refunds and adjustments: There will be no refunds or adjustments for unused portion of the tour.

$500 non-refundable deposit to hold your spot

For any solo occupancy in Oaxaca, a fee of $900 will be added to the cost.

**Minimum of 4 guests to run the tour

***This tour can accommodate up to 6 guests but they have to be comfortable sharing a room – ie a king bed and pull out sofa, or rollaway bed in Etla. Please contact me for booking a group of 3 – 6 people.

Tour Policies and Procedures incl. Covid updates

Covid Protocol and Safety Measures:

We will adhere to local mask mandates and safety protocol.

If you test positive and must quarantine, you will be fully responsible for any fees associated with your stay including but not limited to health care costs and lodging. By joining the tour each participant voluntarily agrees to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury (including, but not limited to personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability or expense of any kind that they may experience or incur in connection with their Madison Eats Food Tours trip and its activities.

Cancellation and Refund: If Otehlia Travels cancels the tour, all fees paid MINUS your $500 deposit (service fee) and any accrued expenses at the discretion of Otehlia Travels, LLC will  be refunded. We strongly encourage trip insurance in case of unforeseen events that result in the cancellation of your trip. Final payment is due 90 days before the trip. Cancellations prior to 60 days before the trip are 50% refundable. (minus the $500 initial deposit). Cancellations made on or after 60 days prior to the trip are non refundable and non transferrable.

Travel Insurance: Otehlia Travels requires travel insurance for all travelers with at least basic coverage for trip cancellation, delay or interruption. Two companies that offer insurance that I recommend are AIG or Allianz. You can get a quote from AIG and also Allianz offers it. You definitely need to read the fine print regarding Covid-related coverage. You would purchase your own coverage. There are various levels, but at a baseline, you want trip cancellation or delay, and medical emergency – Once you reach out to a provider, you can see the basic coverage and additions. For travel to Cuba, Cuba requires medical insurance and that is usually included in your ticket purchase (flight). We travel to Cuba under “support for the Cuban people”.

Final Payment: Final payment is due no later than 90 days before the tour start date. 5% processing fee applies for credit card transactions.

A) Minimum Group Size:

Otehlia Travels’ trips are priced based on a minimum group size that varies by trip, making our trips financially viable to operate. Otehlia Travels reserves the right to cancel any trip if the trip does not attract the minimum number of clients required to make the trip financially viable. Otehlia Travels will not, however, cancel a trip due to minimum group size any later than 21 days prior to the commencement of the trip. In the event of cancellation, Otehlia Travels shall not, in any case, be responsible for nonrefundable expenses incurred by the client, including, but not limited to airline cancellation fees or insurance purchases.

Alternatively, clients may choose to pay a small group surcharge that would be assessed to each guest in groups that fall below the minimum group size, which avoids us having to cancel the trip.

B) Force Majeure:

Otehlia Travels reserves the right to cancel a trip at any stage prior to the scheduled departure due to terrorism, natural disasters, political instability or other external events which make it unviable for Otehlia Travels to operate our planned schedule. In such a case, Otehlia Travels will, at its own discretion, refund a portion of the trip price (less incurred costs and the non-refundable deposit), reschedule the tour, or offer an alternative tour. Should the client choose to purchase “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) insurance coverage, and the tour becomes unviable for Otehlia Travels to operate or reschedule, Otehlia Travels will cover the client’s CFAR deductible up to 25% of the price of the tour.

BOOKING AMENDMENTS

If you wish to change your booking in any way, you must contact us as soon as possible and we will accommodate your request to the best of our ability. Surcharges may apply.

SUBSTITUTION OF A CLIENT

If any member of the party is prevented from traveling because of the death, injury or serious illness of the passenger, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person (acceptable to Otehlia Travels) provided that written notice is given at least 30 days prior to departure. An administration fee of up to $150 may be imposed by the company to cover non-refundable costs. Airlines may impose 100% cancellation charges and the cost of a new ticket.

Photography release: The tour participants permits Otehlia Travels, LLC to photographs, films, images, text, testimonials of participants for its own commercial use without compensation to participants.

Any dispute related to these terms and conditions or the program itself, directly or indirectly shall be settled solely in the courts of Madison, WI. In such litigation, Wisconsin law will apply.

*Does not include round trip airfare to Oaxaca City, airport taxes, personal expenses, housekeeping and instructor/guide tips, Medical fees, travel insurance. Includes meals, alcoholic beverages and excursions as specified in itinerary as well as all tips to staff and guides for included excursions. 

By registering, you agree to our Policies & Procedures including our Waiver & Liability Release policy.