There are trips you take, and then there are trips that change you. Day of the Dead in Tepoztlán is the second kind.
Every year our two Day of the Dead weeks fill completely — and every year, the people who join us tell us it was unlike anything they have ever experienced. Not because of what they saw, but because of what they felt. Because for one week, they weren’t tourists. They were family.
WHAT AWAITS YOU
Tepoztlán is a small, ancient mountain village an hour and a half from Mexico City — a place that has fiercely guarded its traditions for generations. During Day of the Dead, it comes alive in a way that is deeply moving and completely authentic. This is not a show put on for visitors. This is a community welcoming its ancestors home, exactly as it has done for centuries.
You will be part of it.
You will bring a photo of someone you love and place it on the altar at La Villa Bonita, surrounded by marigolds and candlelight. You will walk the cobblestone streets at night as families gather at doorways and the church bells ring. You will visit the cemetery and see the gravesites blanketed in flowers, lit by the glow of hundreds of candles. You will hear the music. You will feel the warmth of a town that knows exactly who it is.
And through it all, you will cook.
In Chef Ana’s open-air kitchen, perched above the valley with the mountains all around you, you will learn the dishes that belong to this time of year — Mole Negro, tamales, chiles rellenos, candied squash, and more. You will go to the daily market with Ana, selecting ingredients from the same local providers she has known for years. You will grind your own masa from ancestral corn and make tortillas by hand on the comal.
And then there is Hueyapan.
One of the most unforgettable days of the week takes you up into the mountains to this traditional village where Ana has deep roots and old friendships. Here you will meet a cooperative of indigenous women who have kept alive the art of weaving extraordinary wool garments by hand — intricate, heirloom-quality pieces you can bring home as something truly irreplaceable. You will share almuerzo with them. You will look into their faces and understand something about continuity and pride that no guidebook can teach you.
And then you will bake bread.
Not just any bread — the Pan de Muertos of Hueyapan, a style made nowhere else in Mexico. In a rustic, wood-fired brick oven, alongside traditional bakers who have been making this bread their whole lives, you will shape and bake a loaf that carries centuries of meaning. The smell alone will stay with you forever.
This is what Ana does that no one else can. She opens doors that are closed to tourists. She takes you to the people she loves, in the town she calls home, and lets you experience Mexico from the inside.
The Arrival week (Oct 29–Nov 5) captures the height of the celebration — the calavera procession, children going door to door dressed as catrinas and skeletons, the great gathering at the cemetery, the altars lit up across town. The Departure week, La Octava (Nov 5–12), honors the moment the spirits take their leave — a tradition celebrated by Tepoztecos themselves and rarely witnessed by outsiders. Each week offers its own experience, and the celebration reveals something new every time you come. It is no surprise that so many of our guests return year after year.
A SPECIAL OFFER FOR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Our 2026 weeks are completely booked. As a thank-you to our newsletter community, we are giving subscribers exclusive access to 2026 pricing on the 2027 weeks — plus an additional 7% discount for payment in full. This offer is not available to the general public and expires May 31, 2026. Here’s what that means:
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DOUBLE OCC. SINGLE OCC.
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2027 Pricing $2,399 + tax $2,799 + tax
2026 Pricing $2,199 + tax $2,699 + tax
Your Price* $2,045 + tax $2,510 + tax
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You Save $354 per person $289 per person
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* Exclusive subscriber offer: 2026 pricing with 7% discount
for payment in full. Must reserve by May 31, 2026.
The Arrival: October 29 – November 5, 2027
The Departure (La Octava): November 5–12, 2027
These weeks fill every year without exception. If this has been on your bucket list, this is your moment.
+1 (631) 994-3436
www.lavillabonita.com
With love from Tepoztlán,
Chef Ana García, Chef Ale Quiroz & the La Villa Bonita Family
