It was our first time to Mexico City, just in time for Dia de Los Muertos. We signed up for the Dia de los Muertos food tour at Jamaica Market – We wanted to learn as much as possible about the holiday and get a sense of local food traditions. It was such a great way to immerse ourselves for a few hours and to see a market that we probably wouldn’t have visited, otherwise.
Day Of The Dead At Mercado Jamaica
Seasonal (Last Days of October Only)
Day of the Dead Flowers & Crafts
Holiday Foods & Candies
On this tour, offered during the last week of October only, we’ll take you inside the Mexico City’s Jamaica Market — the top local destination for anyone seeking Day of the Dead flowers, food, and crafts. It also happens to have some of the best antojitos (corn-based snacks) in the city. Join us in learning about this unique cultural holiday and the foods that go with it!
Highlights
Visit some of top market stalls to taste some of the best street food
Explore the inner workings of Mexico City’s only 24-hour flower market
Learn about all of the elements in a typical Day of the Dead altar
Click the tabs to find out more
Trip Details
Price
Adults: $109USD ($1,960MXN)
Private per adult: $128USD ($2,299MXN)
Availability & departure time
SEASONAL TOUR
- October 20th through November 1st, 2024 at 10 am and 10:30 am
Meeting point
Avenida Insurgentes Sur 455, Hipódromo Condesa
Duration
3-3.5 hours
Group size
Minimum 2 people, maximum 8 people
Included
- All the food you can eat (enough for a big breakfast and lunch)
- Fresh baked pan de muerto and candied pumpkin
- Pulque tasting (ancestral Mexican beverage that contains alcohol)
- Filtered water throughout the tour
- Generous tips for vendors
Not included
- Transport to/from the meeting and end points of the tour
- Souvenirs
- Tip for your guide
- Additional personal beverages, outside what’s included on the tour itinerary
What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes
- An appetite
- Water to stay hydrated
- Tip for your guide if desired
- An umbrella, as this tour runs during the end of the rainy season
- Tote bag for purchases, if desired
Participation requirements
Participants should be able to walk for three hours, with some stops to rest.
Staff on tour
You’ll be accompanied by one of our local, bilingual culinary guides. Each has a degree in gastronomy and/or has worked in local kitchens. They’ll enrich your experience by sharing their knowledge of Mexico City’s food scene, their own personal traditions, and the vendors’ stories. Read more about our guides here.
Mexico City Day of the Dead Celebration: Jamaica Market Tour
If you’re in Mexico City during Day of the Dead, the Jamaica Market is a must-visit. As the city’s only 24-hour flower market, its wide aisles overflow in late October with bright orange marigolds and velvety red terciopelos, all destined for altars around the city.
We’ll meet at the metro stop in Condesa before hopping on the subway to the market. Once there, we’ll stroll the aisles abundant with food, flowers and folk art — picture sugar skulls, papel picado, and tiny skeleton figurines all designed especially for Day of the Dead. We’ll explain the significance of Day of the Dead altars and you’ll find everything you need for your own altar should you decide to make one. Of course, we’ll eat too: tacos, tlacoyos, tamales, and atole, to name a few, plus Jamaica’s famous huaraches that were invented nearby.
Some of the items you’ll try include:
Pan de Muerto
This fresh baked, dome-shaped bread comes dusted with sugar and tastes lightly floral (it’s the orange blossom water used in the dough). It’s the quintessential Day of the Dead treat across Mexico. We’ll try the best bread at the Jamaica Market and explain different regional variations across Mexico.
Green Chorizo Tacos
Made by a family that’s been in business for more than 35 years, these tacos are famous within the market walls. We love this sizzling, seasoned pork sausage, colored green due to the use of fresh chiles, parsley, and spinach.
Calabaza En Tacha
Picture pumpkin soaked in warm, cinnamony piloncillo syrup until it’s almost the texture of pudding. Calabaza en tacha, often served as a wedge of pumpkin with a spoon, is the most traditional Day of the Dead holiday dessert. Try it and you’ll start to see pumpkin in a whole new way.
Plus several more items!
- The tour is conducted rain or shine.
- We like to blend in with the locals. Dress in comfortable clothing, and leave any flashy or expensive clothes and jewelry at home. Note: Mexico City can be chilly in the mornings and warmer in the afternoon, so it’s best to dress in layers.
- This tour includes a lot of food. We recommend arriving hungry and not eating breakfast beforehand.
- Vegetarians can be accommodated on this tour, but meat and vegetables will be cooked on the same surface.
- Feel free to bring your own water bottle. We’ll stop to refill it with purified water.
- Mexico City sits at nearly 7,300 feet high. This means you’ll feel more tired than normal if you’re not used to the altitude. Don’t do this tour if you haven’t gotten any sleep the night before, or if you’re arriving to the airport on the same morning.
- If you’d like to make any purchases (see our FAQ on souvenirs), bring cash and a small tote bag. Credit cards are not accepted here.
3-3.5 hours.
No. The tour meets at the front entrance of Panadería La Espiga on Avenida Insurgentes Sur 455, Colonia Hipódromo Condesa. It will end at Pulquería La Bella Carolina on Calle Nicolás Bravo 29, Colonia Magdalena Mixihuca. If you need help getting back to your hotel at the end of the tour, your guide will help you find the nearest subway station or an Uber.
Yes! You can eat as much as you want in each of the stops. Our guide will let you know how many stops remain so you can pace yourself. No one knows your appetite better than you!
If you plan to tip your guide, you should bring enough cash to cover that—about 10 to 15 percent is standard. You may also choose to bring a bit extra for any market goods. All the food you can eat, plus at least two drinks and purified water, are covered by us.
No, please bring cash if you plan on buying anything outside of what’s included on the tour.
Yes, if you’re looking for Day of the Dead crafts. The market carries traditional Day of the Dead items such as folk art, sugar skulls, papel picado, and tiny skeleton figurines colorful ceramics.
Of course! Our guides are culinary experts and speak perfect English.
We usually require a two-person minimum on our tours. If you’re a solo traveler, you’re welcome to book the date of your choosing—if it has other guests, you’re good to go. If three days prior to the tour date, the tour does not have any other guests, we will reach out to you about choosing a different date or refund your ticket.
We have offered this tour since 2015 and never had an issue with violence or theft. That said, Mexico City is an enormous place and pickpocketing can happen. If you wear plain clothing, leave your jewelry at home, and keep your wallet and cellphone tucked away, there should be no problem.
Have more questions? Check out our FAQ page!
See what previous guests have to say
Our guide was knowledgeable and clearly had a passion for the food she was sharing with us. We tried 10 dishes in the space of a few hours, each one with a story tied to Mexican tradition. Interacting with the people making the food was a real treat, and our guide was clearly well-loved…
