Day of the Dead: A Mexico City Culinary Adventure

Day 1

Welcome to Mexico City

Arrive in Mexico City and check into our group’s hotel, which is located in the Centro Histórico, the monument-studded neighborhood where all of Mexico City’s incredible layers come together, making it the perfect setting for the start of our trip. Take some time to settle in and wander the neighborhood before we meet this evening for our welcome dinner at Limosneros. Chefs Marcos Fulcheri and Carlo Méndez will work with pre-Hispanic ingredients, colonial techniques, and modern creative twists to create an unforgettable meal. In a private room, we’ll share our first of many meals, and get a glimpse into what the week will hold.

Day 2

The Many Layers of Mexico City

After breakfast at our hotel, we will be spending the day feasting in downtown’s Centro Histórico, exploring our trip’s themes through food, history, and culture – all of which become even more pronounced during the exuberant Day of the Dead period, when the area is filled with colorful decorations and parades of revelers dressed up as skeletons run through the streets. Today will be a crash course in the history of Mexico City, peeling back the layers of pre-Hispanic, Colonial and modern Mexican heritage with visits to the major monuments and historic remnants hidden from view, including Aztec temples, a mural by Diego Rivera, and former sacrificial sites. To finish, we’ll have lunch at a family-run Oaxacan spot that does double duty as a grocery and restaurant.

In the evening, we’ll set out on a taco tour, hitting a number of nighttime taco stands, including an al pastor spot housed in an auto repair shop. Along with classic tacos, we’ll also have the chance to taste ones made with brains, bull’s eyes, and intestines. Afterwards, turn in for some well-earned rest, or explore some of the local nightlife on your own.

Day 3

Ancient farms & traditions

We’ll set out on an action-packed exploration of Xochimilco, a highlight of the region and treasure of Aztec-era living culture. Unlike many pre-Hispanic-era monuments that are entombed in museums, Xochimilco is a living place with working farms – many of the marigolds used for Day of the Dead decorations and altars are still grown here –  and much to see, eat, and drink, all linked to pre-Hispanic Mexico.

We’ll hop aboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat as we float along Aztec-era canals that have been in use for more than 2,000 years. Lunch will be prepared by locals using products from the chinampas, the area’s famous “floating farms,” one of which we’ll have the chance to visit. Back on land, we’ll check out a local market and get a taste of pre-Hispanic Mexico (think: tlacoyos). During our time here, we’ll also visit a local cemetery to see how Xochimilco residents honor their departed ancestors with colorful graveside altars.

Day 4

Shop, Cook, Feast & Lucha Libre

We will spend the day with well-known chef Graciela Montano, who will take us on a guided shopping trip through a colorful market in the hip Roma Norte neighborhood, during this period filled with Day of the Dead specialty foods, and return to her nearby atelier for a cooking lesson. Step by step, she will lead us through the recipes and techniques of classic Mexican cooking, focusing on the materials we’ve picked up in the market, with a particular emphasis on salsas. After the lesson, we’ll feast on what we’ve prepared, celebrating the native ingredients we’ve tracked from farm to market to table.

In the evening, we’ll head out to grab some birria tacos before making our way to the main arena of Lucha Libre, the famous Mexican professional wrestling. Here we will meet an insider to the sport, who will give us exclusive access to the arena before it opens. Explaining the backstory of this uniquely Mexican past-time, he will also introduce us to some wrestlers themselves, giving the brave among us a chance to grapple with them before we take our ring-side seats at the match.

Day 5

Day of the Dead Celebrations in Milpa Alta

In the morning we will head out to Milpa Alta, an agrarian town on the outskirts of Mexico City, where our day begins at the home of a local farmer to learn about the artisanal production of pulque, a pre-Hispanic drink made from the sap of the agave-like maguey plant. 

Later, as guests of a local family, we will visit a cemetery and attend an esperada: a Day of the Dead celebration. In the family’s home, we will be shown the colorful altar they have made to honor their departed relatives and also be taught how to make pan de muerto, a sweet bread only made during this special period.

For dinner, we’ll enjoy a paired mezcal tasting led by a bottler who travels the Mexican countryside in search of small-batch producers of the spirit. The mezcales will be paired with classic Mexican dishes with a creative spin, served in a private home for our final meal together.

Day 6

Farewell and Departure

After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll say adios. If you are staying on in Mexico City or the region, we will be happy to give recommendations for further exploration. Until our next adventure!