A customized tour makes your visit to the butterfly sanctuaries an effortless journey, enabling you and your companions to fully absorb the experience of this remarkable migration.

The butterflies arrive in November and leave in March

Our travel partner has been helping visitors to enjoy the Monarch Butterfly sanctuaries for over 15 years and their custom-made itineraries are underpinned by a depth of experience and close working relationships with local guides and travel specialists, as well as the local community leaders that run and caretake the protected butterfly sanctuaries.

The Monarch butterflies begin to arrive in Mexico during November and leave around mid-March.  Peak viewing season runs from mid-January to late February—this is when the butterflies are most active.  The oyamel forests are situated at elevation of up to 10,000 feet above sea level in the mountains west of Mexico City.  Ascent on horseback is available for those who may need assistance with the climb.

An outstanding customized tour to the butterfly sanctuaries

A customized tour arrangement can begin in Morelia (Airport: MLM) or Mexico City (Airport: MEX).  These carefully crafted tours provide a guide and transportation exclusively assigned to your party.

You will be met personally at the airport by your English-speaking guide and driver, and swiftly transported to your accommodations, so that you can settle-in and begin to get acclimatized the locality and altitude.

Every day of your tour, the guide and driver will meet you at your hotel to begin the day’s activities.  The guide will also accompany you for your overnight stay near the butterfly sanctuaries.

Custom tours are offered with varying durations from three-to-six nights’ stay, to flex with your available schedule and budget.  Tours can begin in Mexico City, or Morelia—as you prefer.  Shorter itineraries of three nights’ stay focus primarily on a visit to one butterfly sanctuary, whereas the longer 6-night+ tours enable you to visit two or three sanctuaries and take in additional tours in the locality.

Monarch butterfly tours starting in Mexico City

Monarch butterfly tours starting in Mexico City include:

• Overnight stay in the historic downtown area of Mexico City
• Visit to the fresh and vibrant forested lakeside area of Valle de Bravo
• A visit to one, two or three sanctuaries, depending on your time scale, with at least one overnight stay near one of the three sanctuaries
• Ascent to the sanctuaries on horseback is available by request, at an additional cost
• You can optionally start in Mexico City and end in Morelia, or vice-versa

Day tour options for extra days:

• Take a guided tour of the historic center of Mexico City and visit the outstanding Anthropological Museum;
• Visit the holy shrine of La Virgen de Guadalupe and take a private trip out to the spectacular Teotihuacán archeological site;
• Discover more of Mexico City with a visit to the bohemian Coyoacán art district and the floating gardens of Xochimilco

Tour prices starting in Mexico City

Prices for customized butterfly tour packages starting in Mexico City start from US$875 per person, depending on duration, and based on two people sharing a room. There are surcharges for single-occupancy rooms and solo travelers. Optional add-on day tours and tour customizations around Mexico City and Morelia can be quoted and arrange by request. Prices are subject to change. Please request a personalized quote from our travel partner by completing the request form below.

Monarch butterfly tours starting in Morelia

Monarch butterfly tours starting in Morelia include:

• Overnight stay in the historic city of Morelia
• Visit to two or three butterfly sanctuaries, depending on your time scale, with at least one overnight stay near one of the three sanctuaries
• Ascent to the sanctuaries on horseback is available by request, at an additional cost
• You can optionally start in Morelia and end in Mexico City, or vice-versa

Day tour options for extra days:

• Enjoy a tour of the fascinating and insightful folk-art villages around lake Patzcuaro;
• Visit the ancient and mysterious Purépecha archeological site of TzinTunTzan;
• Take a historic walking tour of the regal colonial city of Morelia;
• Watch as copper is formed into art and homewares and buy unique pieces of copperware in the village of Santa Clara del Cobre

Tour prices starting in Morelia

Prices for butterfly tour packages starting in Morelia start from US$1,045 per person, depending on duration, and based on two people sharing a room.

There are surcharges for single-occupancy rooms and solo travelers. Optional add-on day tours and tour customizations around Mexico City and Morelia can be quoted and arrange by request.

Prices illustrated are subject to change. Please request a personalized quote from our travel partner by completing the request form below.

What your butterfly tour includes and excludes

Regardless of your tour’s start point or duration, your package always includes:

• being met personally with transfers to and from the airport;
• lodging at hotels that have been carefully chosen by our travel partner;
• a private driver and guide to the butterfly sanctuaries;
• entrance fees to the sanctuaries; and
• your morning breakfasts and in-tour transportation.

Tour package prices exclude

• your flights (or other transportation) to the start point in Mexico City or Morelia;
• meals other than your morning breakfast at the hotel(s);
• tips for the guide, driver, hotel and restaurant staff; and
• trip insurance.

Make a Monarch Butterflies tour request

Complete the request form below and receive a quote for a customized tour to visit the phenomenal Monarch butterflies in Mexico.

Our travel partner has been taking visitors to the Copper Canyon for over 20 years and specializes in custom-made tours that take care of all the details and enable you, your family, and companions to get the most from your visit to this most remarkable region of Mexico.

Enjoy breathtaking scenery on a remarkable train journey

You can experience the Copper Canyon by hiking, biking, trekking, horseback, or four-wheeling; however, by far the most popular route is to take the Copper Canyon train line—that runs between Los Mochis and Chihuahua City.

The Copper Canyon railway is a stunning piece of engineering achievement. The railway line is over 390 miles in length, crosses 39 bridges (the longest bridge is over 1500 feet long) and 86 tunnels (the longest over a mile in length). The line crosses some of Mexico’s most rugged and wild natural terrain; hugging the edge of mountains and traversing deep ravines across its bridges. The scenery it travels through is truly breathtaking.

Choose a custom tour to get the most from your visit to the canyons

A custom tour of Copper Canyon can begin in Los Mochis (Airport: LMM), Mazatlán (Airport: MZT) (from where you will be provided with ground transportation to the beautifully picturesque town of El Fuerte where you’ll board the train); or Chihuahua City (Airport: CUU).

Expertly crafted tours. Our travel partner’s tours are underpinned by over two decades of experience, and provide guides and transportation exclusively assigned to your party. As part of your tour package, all your transportation, accommodations, food, and assistance services will be provided to ensure that your time is spent absorbing the experience and not concerning about the travel logistics.

Airport transfers. You will be met personally at the airport and swiftly transported to your comfortable accommodations in preparation for your copper canyon tour.  At the end of your tour, you’ll be transported back to the airport of your choice.

Accommodations. Hotels in the canyons are attractive colonial-style hotels, and all rooms have private baths.  They provide comfort amidst the natural scenic locations where they are situated; you can expect excellent service with friendly and attentive staff, and the water and food are safe.

Independent or fully guided. Our travel partner offers independent tours complemented by a detailed information packet that is tailored to your itinerary and that will assist you as you engage in your day-by-day activities. Optionally you can choose to have an English-speaking guide for an extra fee to accompany you on the entire trip and thus give you the most complete experience in Copper Canyon.

Flexible itineraries. Custom tours are offered with varying durations from five to eight days’ stay, to flex with your available schedule and budget.  Shorter itineraries of four nights’ stay focus primarily on the extraordinary train ride through the canyons, whereas the longer 6-night+ tours enable you to experience more of this outstanding region, interact with the tribes and communities who live locally, and take in additional day tours.

Copper Canyon tours starting in Los Mochis, Mazatlán, or Chihuahua City

We recommend you begin your tour in Los Mochis or Mazatlán, and you can end your tour where you began (complete a loop); or you can elect to begin and end your tour at one of the other start/end points.

If you begin the tour in Los Mochis or Mazatlán, you will be met at the airport and provided with comfortable ground transportation from there to El Fuerte, where you’ll be accommodated overnight at a charming colonial-style hotel, and board the train early in the morning.  Optionally, you can include side tours in and around El Fuerte.  It’s a 90-minute road trip from Los Mochis to El Fuerte, or a 6-hour road trip from Mazatlán that includes travel along a scenic oceanside highway.

If you begin the tour in Chihuahua City, you will board the train from there; optionally you can include side tours around Chihuahua before or after your canyon tour.

Copper Canyon tour itineraries

All tours are customized to your needs, schedule and budget and can include:

• Itineraries ranging from five to eight days, or longer, depending on your schedule and budget
• Overnight stay at a specially selected hotel in Los Mochis, El Fuerte, or Chihuahua City before the start of your journey into the canyon
• Train tickets with as a class of service to suit your preferences and budget. The copper canyon train offers three classes of service: First class, Executive class, and Standard class. Our travel partner will describe the features of each one so you can choose a class of service to suit your preferences and budget.
• Overnight stays at selected hotels on the ridge of the copper canyon, near Divisadero
• A choice of various activities and tours in the canyons (see below)
• Independent (self-guided) tour using a detailed information packet provided by our travel partner, or full guided tour with an English-speaking guide, as you prefer

Activities to take part in at Copper Canyon

Choose from a range of activities and experiences when you’re in the canyons. A modest additional fee per person, per activity, applies:

• Third longest cable car in the world
• Zip lines across ravines
• Aerial forest view
• Visit to the serene and remote Oteros canyon and cave
• 1-hour (easy/moderate) hike along the Tarahumara trail
• 3-hour (moderate/difficult) hike to visit the community of Wakajipare and the Tarahumara museum designed by the Rarámuri community
• Horseback ride (3.5 hours) into the canyon to discover the best view of the Urique River
• Around Creel and Cusarare: a cultural and spiritual tour that takes you to see the village of San Ignacio de Arareko, the lake of Ararek, and several picturesque valleys including the Valley of the Monks.

Additional activities and customized tour options

For travelers who can spend extra days on a highly customized itinerary, additional options include:

• Tour and enjoy the highly picturesque colonial town of El Fuerte and environs including a visit to the Mayo indigenous villages and dances; a gentle cruise on a raft down El Fuerte river; black bass fishing in the lake (seasonal); massage and hydro whirlpool therapies.
• Enjoy eco/adventure tours around Los Mochis including fishing, snorkeling, boat rides, bat caves, and taking-in the sunset on the island of Farallon;
• Visit Creel and reconnect with nature on outdoor activities in the surrounding area, including half-day or full-day hikes into the notably peaceful and serene wilderness around Creel; a day’s hike to bathe in natural hot springs; an outstanding 10-hour day hike that will take you to discover and experience the highest waterfall in Mexico at Basaseachi falls
• Visit the Cerocahui mission town and alpine village is situated in Urique Canyon (the deepest canyon in the region) in a valley dotted with fruit trees along the riverside—a destination characterized by extraordinary natural beauty and tranquility. Nearby is the Cerro del Gallego vantage point offering spectacular views of the canyons including the town of Urique, revealing the depth of the canyon and the river that winds along the valley floor.
• Complete your tour with a visit to the colonial city of Chihuahua, enjoying a guided tour of the historic quarters of this old city and a visit to local limestone caves.

Deepen your experience with a visit to Batopilas

For travelers who want to experience the Copper Canyon beyond the usual tourist sights, consider adding a custom visit to Batopilas to your itinerary.  This tour will have your feet traversing through three outstanding canyons that lead down to the beautifully picturesque rural town of Batopilas.

Your journey will take you through three different climate zones: beginning in the upper Sierra at over 7,000 feet, gradually descending to the base of Batopilas canyon, just above sea level.  This 85-mile trip will take most of the day and enables you to witness some the most magnificent natural scenery in Mexico—no other tour in the canyons matches the depth of visual stimulation offered by these places.  The optional tour includes:

• An overnight stay at a fabulously restored 15-room hacienda hotel; and
• A walk to the Lost Cathedral at Satevo and the ruins of the Batopilas Mining Career.
• Optionally, a walk to the aqueduct and Porfirio Diaz tunnel opening; and hiking in the picturesque Cerro Colorado can also be arranged by request.

Copper canyon custom tour prices

These carefully crafted tours of the Copper Canyon comprise a core offering with optional customizations to suit your schedule, preferences, and budget.

• Prices for 5-day core tour packages starting in Los Mochis or Chihuahua start from US$820 per person, and based on two people sharing a room.
• Prices for 7-day core tour packages starting in Los Mochis or Chihuahua start from US$955 per person, and based on two people sharing a room.
• Prices for 8-day core tour packages starting in Mazatlán start from US$1,060 per person, and based on two people sharing a room.

Families are welcome: Children (ages 3-11) accompanied by an adult(s) pay a discounted rate.

Train class options: Prices include the cost of a standard class train ticket; executive and first-class tickets carry a surcharge of between US$20 and US$250 each, depending on your travel choices.

There are surcharges for single-occupancy rooms and solo travelers. Optional add-on day tours and tour customizations around Los Mochis, Creel, and Chihuahua can be quoted and arranged by request. Prices are subject to change.

Prices illustrated are subject to change. Please request a personalized quote from our travel partner by completing the request form below.

What your copper canyon tour includes and excludes

Regardless of your tour’s start point or duration, your package always includes:

• being met personally with transfers to and from the airport;
• booking of your train tickets in the class you have chosen to travel in;
• lodging at hotels that have been carefully chosen by our travel partner;
• breakfast, lunch, and dinner (at Cerocahui and Divisadero only); and
• a detailed information packet to guide you on your independent tour, or a fully escorted tour with an English-speaking guide.

Tour package prices exclude:

• your flights (or other transportation) to the start point and end point;
• additional meals, drinks, and snacks, including alcoholic beverages
• costs of activities and local day tours you may choose to participate in in the canyon (prices range from US$15-$75 per person, per activity)
• tips for the guide, driver, hotel and restaurant staff; and
• trip insurance.

Make a Copper Canyon tour request

Complete the request form below and receive a quote for a customized tour to visit the magnificent Copper Canyon in Mexico.

Our travel partner offers in-depth insights to this remarkable region of Mexico, underpinned by close-knit working relationships with local community service providers. Choose from set date tours, or request a custom itinerary to suit your dates and travel preferences.

Whale watching season in Mexico

The Grey Whales journey from the icy waters off the coast of Alaska to arrive at the warmer coastal lagoons along the Baja California peninsula during the month of January. 

• The breeding season is short and advance planning is essential.
• Peak viewing begins in late January.
• The whale watching season ends in late March.

The coastal lagoons near Guerrero Negro are located on the 28th Parallel, virtually halfway between the northern and southern reaches of Mexico’s Baja region.

Mexico’s Baja peninsula is a narrow but very long tract of land, so to make the best use of time, our associate recommends that visitors fly at least one-way.

Planned tour: As part of your tour package, your tour transportation, accommodations, most meals, and all assistance services will be provided to ensure that your time is spent absorbing the experience and not concerning about the travel logistics.

Set-date itineraries take a picturesque road trip to Guerrero Negro and fly back from there on a small private aircraft to an air strip in Ensenada, with ground transportation to San Diego.  Your party may be combined with other parties on ground transport during these set-date tours.

Custom itineraries are formed according to your party’s schedules, interests, and transportation preferences. A custom tour offers full flexibility and ground transportation is exclusively assigned to your party on custom itineraries.

Accommodations. Hotels chosen for the tour are attractive local hotels and inns, and all rooms have private baths.  They provide comfort amidst the natural scenic locations where they are situated.  You can expect excellent service with friendly and attentive staff, and the water and food are safe.

A unique tour in an extraordinary location that will create lifelong memories for you and your party

These tours, carefully crafted by a highly skilled tour operator based in Baja and working hand-in-glove with local indigenous communities in the region, offer one of the most awe-inspiring travel experiences available in Mexico.

The highlight of tour is being in the company of the grey whales and their baby offspring. Many dream of meeting a whale and feeling its majestic presence nearby, and this tour opens an opportunity for you and your family and friends to realize that encounter in a way that respects nature and the whales themselves as they frolic in the natural habitat where they arrived to give birth to their progeny.

Highlights of the Tour

Your tour will be composed of a series of activities that will bring you close to the rugged and breathtaking beauty of Baja’s deserts—a place that provokes inward contemplation and provides inspiration for our senses.

You can join a set-date group tour, or request a no-obligation quote for a fully customized tour to suit your party’s schedules, interests, and travel preferences.

In all cases, knowledgeable and passionate English-speaking guides will provide detailed insights and narratives about the natural history and the local culture as you travel through and absorb this remarkable experience.

Extraordinary whale encounters

The coastal lagoon area off the coast of Guerrero Negro is one of the best places in the world to meet and encounter with gray whales. You may have the chance to see mothers with their newborns; some whales encourage their offspring to frolic with the humans and you may even touch them during carefully-managed encounters.

Birdwatching in Baja

Guerrero Negro is also known one one the world’s ornithological hotspots, as the region provides a vast natural and unspoiled habitat to host migratory birds as they meet and mate among its pristine estuary ecosystems and isolated salt flats.

Iconic garden, ancient caves and a salt mine

Hike and wonder among the whimsical granite boulders and boojum trees of Cataviña, an iconic garden of cacti and hidden cave paintings. A guided tour into the largest salt mine in the world is also possible; this a remarkable experience that leads you in to a pearl white landscape of mountains composed entirely of salt rock.

Wine tasting tour

You’ll be passing through the heart of Valle de Guadalupe, one of Mexico’s top and most renowned wine producing regions. The tour offers an option to visit one of the great vineyards of the region where you will take lunch, taste from a variety of fine wines produced on the estate, and have an opportunity to buy some wine to take home with you, directly from the producer.

Active touring on foot and water

Depending on your timescale, interest, and physical ability, local hikes can be included as well as kayaking in the local lagoons. This can include a hike along coastal volcanoes with a wonderful view of surrounding wetlands.

Visits to local points of interest

Itineraries also include visits to local cultural centers, museums, and other local community centers, reserves and local initiatives to help you gain deeper insights into the local culture and its people.

Local restaurants and eateries

The tour will include visits to hand-picked places to eat, including popular local restaurants and quaint local eateries, with fresh oysters and other seafood being one of the local delicacies due to the proximity of the ocean and the Sea of Cortés. Special dietary arrangements can be accommodated with advance notice.

Small airplane travel

Small aircraft fly lower and slower than commercial jets.  The tour operator offers an option to climb aboard a small aircraft to return to Ensenada and in doing so encounter a bygone era of air travel, when the experience was valued over speed.

The ~300-nautical mile (two-and-a-half hour) flight offers passengers a birds-eye view of the areas you explored on ground, including majestic mountains that rise-up from the vast desert landscapes to the east, and the foam and spray of the inspiring and powerful Pacific Ocean to the west.

Optional Road Cruise northward

If you would prefer not to fly back to Ensenada, you may opt for a Land Cruise back north, with a side trip to visit the Sea of Cortés.  This land cruse return option adds one or two nights to your timescale and itinerary.

Typical 6-day itinerary

Tours typically last six days and begin and end in San Diego, California; or in Tijuana, Mexico.

Baja whales and nature tour prices

These carefully designed tours to visit the whales in-season, combined with other local attractions in the Baja region, are offered on set-dates with a preset itinerary or via a customized quote to suit your own dates (season runs from January to March), activity interests, transport options, and tour timescales.

• Six-day tours are priced from US$1,920 per person.
• Make a request for dates in 2024/2025 and receive a no-obligation quote from our travel associate.

Make a Baja Whales & Nature tour request

Complete the request form below and our Baja travel associate will be in direct contact with you to share a detailed itinerary for set-date tours or provide a no-obligation quote for a customized tour.

Mexico enjoys long daylight throughout the year

Mexico’s geographical location gives the country a privileged mix of daylight and dark, regardless of the season.  This is in contrast to countries situated further away from the equator, where daylight hours can be substantially curtailed during the winter months.

One of the reasons why so many people enjoy overwintering in Mexico is because the country offers pleasantry warm or temperate climates, and also because the daylight here remains fairly constant —thus by living here during the winter you can avoid the ‘long nights’ —and enjoy plenty of sunshine, too.

How Mexico’s daylight hours vary during the year

Mexico’s privileged daylight hours can be well illustrated by way of an example.

The table below shows the hours for sunrise and sunset on the longest and shortest days of the year —and the total daylight hours on those days— for three locations in Mexico:

• Tijuana (one of Mexico’s northernmost cities, situated on the border with the US), and
• Mexico City (on a similar latitude to Mérida, in the Yucatán), and
• Tapachula (Mexico’s southernmost city on the border with Guatemala).

Times shown take into account Mexico’s abandonment of annual clock changes.

Enjoying long daylight on the shortest day of the year

The hours recorded in the table above for the ‘winter low’ are for December 21—the shortest day of the year in Mexico. These show that:

• In the northern-most areas of Mexico, even the shortest days of the year give more than 10 hours of daylight.
• In the southern-most areas (nearer to the equator) you can enjoy over eleven-and-a-quarter hours of daylight on the shortest day of the year.
• Mexico City (and Mérida) enjoy virtually eleven hours of daylight, even on the year’s shortest day.

A good balance on the longest days of the year

On June 21 —the longest day of the year in Mexico— you’ll enjoy between 13 and 14 hours of daylight in the peak of summer, regardless of where you’re situated in the country.

Mexico’s geographical location in relation to the equator offers an equitable  balance of night and day all year long, with each month and season offering plenty of daylight every day of the year—which can be supportive to one’s moods, general health, and well-being.

Mexico’s light is also extraordinary

As well as offering an equitable balance of daylight and dark, when you pause to consider the quality of the light here, you come to realize that Mexico’s light is truly extraordinary.

Its quality is especially noticeable in the mountain highlands, although it’s exceptional even at lower elevations, and along the coasts.

Mexico is said to be one of the most ‘colorful countries in the world’ and the quality of the light undoubtably contributes to the sparkling tapestry of colors that may be appreciate here.

Writers describing Mexico often remark, for example, on the sharp and crisp ‘azure blue’ skies, especially in the central highlands.  They’ve noticed how the subtleties and hues of the light in Mexico are quite special.

The exceptional light is complemented by sensational fragrances during the rainy season as the groundwater swells and the flora blossom and bloom.

When the ground becomes parched during the dry season, dust particles rise high up into the atmosphere and contribute to the composition of the most magnificent sunsets you’ll experience anywhere.

Mexico for living and leisure

Mexico is one of the most visited countries in the world, offering beautiful beach locations, picturesque colonial mountain towns, fascinating archaeology, and an abundance of wild, natural habitats to traverse and enjoy. It also offers opportunities for living and lifestyle, that you can also discover and explore here on Mexperience.

• Explore complete guides to aspects of living in Mexico
• Learn about leisure and travel opportunities in Mexico
• Read insightful articles about living and lifestyle in Mexico
• Sign-up to our free email Mexico Newsletter published monthly

Bigger than the Grand Canyon in Arizona

The ‘Copper Canyon’ is actually a series of twenty canyons, formed over the years by six rivers.  The area is about seven times the size of the Grand Canyon, and has distinct topography, flora and fauna to Arizona’s premier natural wonder.

The most popular —and best— way to travel into the canyon is by making use of the remarkable railway which traverses areas of this rugged wilderness.  Opened in 1961 following decades of construction, the line is an extraordinary feat of engineering in its own right.

Copper Canyon train line: an engineering marvel

The railway was originally devised to connect the commercial Pacific sea port at Los Mochis to the central colonial city of Chihuahua. A distinctive engineering feature of the line is that it begins at near-sea level on the Pacific coast, rises to an altitude of over 8,000 feet and then declines again to an altitude of around 2,500 feet.

The incline of a railway track cannot exceed fifteen degrees, so to accomplish the  ‘climb and descent’ the engineers needed to construct bridges, burrow many tunnels through the mountains, and use ‘switch-back’ stages in order to complete the route.

By the time the railway was finished, engineers had laid over 390 miles of track crossing thirty-nine bridges and traversing eighty-six tunnels: the longest bridge runs for a quarter mile and the longest tunnel for nearly a mile.

A remarkable train journey through the canyons

Two first-class trains begin the journey across the canyon: one starting in Chihuahua City and the other in Los Mochis.  They meet, roughly half-way, near Divisadero station, which is also a base for most of the canyon’s hotels, lodges, and tours which take visitors deeper into the canyons.

The most scenic and dramatic areas of the canyon are on the west side, so to take advantage of the daylight it’s generally accepted that the train traveling eastbound —from Los Mochis towards Chihuahua— is a better sight-seeing option than the one traveling east to west.

When to visit the Copper Canyon

Seasonally, May and June tend to be the driest months in the canyons.  July to November are months when the rains are most abundant and the canyons’ flora show-off their deepest colors.  Between December and May, the canyons’ colors pass through a transition between the wet and dry seasons.  Winter months (December to February) are the coldest and it can snow in some areas of the canyon.

El Fuerte is the most popular boarding point

Although the train journey begins in Los Mochis, many tour visitors board the train at its first main stop situated in the beautiful colonial town of El Fuerte, which is about an hour’s drive from Los Mochis—the city which most people fly into to take the train.  When you arrange your visit to the canyon using a tour service, there will be a driver and vehicle waiting to meet you at the airport.

You can take the train straight through to Chihuahua City and simply see the canyon ‘in passing’ on the train.  However, to properly experience the canyons and get the most out of a visit to the region, we recommend you explore the various tours on offer and include a stay at one of the hotels or lodges in the canyon itself (the more adventurous can hike and camp in the canyon) and, from there, participate in some of the wonderful outdoor activities on offer.

For detailed information about the Copper Canyon, including local knowledge about the area, best times to travel, the train journey, the attractions and activities on offer, connect to our comprehensive Guide to Mexico’s Copper Canyon.

As with all our guides and articles, we keep our Discover Mexico A to Z section regularly updated.

Discover Mexico A through Z

The Mexico A-to-Z Lexica contains hundreds of curated insights about lifestyle, leisure, culture, traditions, geography, and history in Mexico. It’s also fully crossed-referenced with Mexperience and other websites.

The extensive insights and knowledge in the Lexica help you to explore more of Mexico including its places, people, culture, environment, economy, and the diversity of experiences it offers visitors and foreign residents.

Each entry contains key insights with references to detailed information about the topic.

Helpful resource for you

The Mexperience Mexico Lexica is helpful as your interest in Mexico unfolds:

• When you’re planning to visit Mexico and want to get some insights into the country, its history and culture.
• When you plan to relocate to Mexico, the Lexica provides a valuable resource that helps to deepen your knowledge about Mexico as you explore opportunities and make your plans.
• If you’re already living in Mexico, this resource will help you to deepen your knowledge of the country you’ve adopted as your home.

Discover Mexico A-to-Z: Lifestyle and Leisure in Mexico

And there’s more… Mexperience is packed with resources for Lifestyles & Leisure in Mexico

Mexperience offers you a comprehensive online resource with information and local knowledge to help you discover Mexico, explore choices, find opportunities and plan a new life in Mexico.

Our resources are offered free to all, are regularly updated, and include:

• A regular Mexico Newsletter you can subscribe to for free
• Regularly updated guide about living & lifestyles in Mexico
• Regularly-updated articles about lifestyle planning  in Mexico
• Insights about day to day living with Mexico Home Life
• Helpful guides and insights to make the most of your leisure time

Greg Custer leads walking tours on Saturdays, which encompass key facets of the picturesque town of Ajijic, its history, culture, attractions, and ecology.  Greg has been visiting the Lake Chapala area for over 40 years and has been living here full-time since 2015.

Discover Ajijic intimately—on foot

The picturesque town of Ajijic is the best known of all the lakeside towns, and tends to be the one most sought-after by foreign residents considering a move to the area.  Its picturesque streets, cobbled alleyways, pleasant plazas, and agreeable treelined boardwalk along the lakeside offer an environment that is quintessentially colonial Mexico coupled with Anglicized stores and restaurants.

Greg Custer offers an insightful, informative, and entertaining walking tour of the village of Ajijic and its shoreline along Lake Chapala—Mexico’s largest natural lake.

The tours take three hours and include insights about local legends, ancient history, and a colorful constellation of characters who have impacted the Ajijic community.  This agreeable half-day outing is a moderately easy walking tour, with opportunities to rest, including a complimentary beverage from a local café as the small group explores the nooks and crannies of this charming mountain town and helps you delve into its heritage, appeal, and attractions.

The tour is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the area if you’re visiting the town for leisure.  If you’re planning a possible move to the Lake Chapala area, this small-group walking tour will provide you with helpful insights and vital local knowledge that can help you to consider your choices as you form your Mexico lifestyle plans.

Make a request for your walking tour of Ajijic

Complete the tour info request form below and Greg will contact you directly to arrange your walking tour of Ajijic.

Importing foreign-plated vehicles to Mexico

This section contains key questions and answers related to bringing a foreign-plated car or other vehicle to Mexico, with links to detailed information and helpful assistance services.

Learn more about driving in Mexico

Mexperience offers articles with insights to help you prepare for your road trip and drive confidently in Mexico.

• Importing a foreign car or other vehicle to Mexico
• Getting a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your vehicle
• Insuring your vehicle for driving in Mexico
• Your Mexico road trip checklist
• Latest articles about driving in Mexico
• Guide to auto insurance in Mexico

FAQs about Mexico visitor visas and the FMM

Do I need a visa to visit Mexico?

Whether you need to apply for a visa before you arrive in Mexico depends on what country’s passport you hold, or other criteria. This article: Do I need a visa to visit Mexico describes the details.

If I normally require a visa to visit Mexico, but I have a visa to visit or live in the USA, do I need to apply for a separate visa to visit Mexico?

If the country you are a passport holder of is on Mexico’s ‘visa required’ list, and the United States of America has granted you a visitor’s visa or a residency visa —and that visa is current (not expired)— you can visit Mexico without the need to apply for a separate visa. You can find further details on this article.

How long can I remain in Mexico with a visitor’s permit (FMM)?

If you enter Mexico as tourist or business visitor, then the immigration official at the port of entry will grant you a maximum number of days to stay in Mexico when you arrive; this number of days will be written on the visitor’s permit for your reference and will not exceed 180 days.

If the official writes a number less than 180 days then your stay in Mexico will be limited accordingly; the FMM cannot be extended.  In all cases, the visitor’s permit will always expire after the number of days written on the permit: it cannot be extended or renewed and you must leave the country before it expires. You can find further details about this permit on our article Your Mexican Tourist Permit, FMM

How long do I have to remain outside of Mexico before I can return using a new Visitor permit (FMM)?

There is no time limit on how long you must remain outside of Mexico before returning under the auspice of a new visitor permit. (You could leave and return the same day.)

However, if you continually leave and re-enter in Mexico using a visitor permit, you will have your intentions questioned by an immigration official when you re-enter.  You can find further details about this permit on our article Your Mexican Tourist Permit, FMM

How do I replace a lost/stolen visitor permit (FMM)?

You can find the answer to this question on our article Your Mexican Tourist Permit, FMM

What do I do if I overstay on my visitor permit (FMM)?

You can find the answer to this question on our article Your Mexican Tourist Permit, FMM

If I have a previous criminal record, will this prevent me entering Mexico?

Whether you arrive in Mexico and complete a FMM (visitor permit) or have  visa sticker in your passport issued by a Mexican consulate, permission to enter Mexico is always determined by the Immigration Officer at the port of entry.

There is no way for Mexico to determine whether a person has a prior criminal record unless a foreign state has shared that information with Mexico beforehand.  (Mexico’s immigration system might alert border officials about ‘wanted’ criminals and other high-risk individuals who attempt to enter Mexico.)

Mexican consulates usually advise that people with a criminal record contact their own country’s authority and ask whether any background information has been shared with other countries.  If you have any doubts, we suggest you contact your nearest Mexican consulate for advice.

What visa do I need to get married in Mexico?
Are same-sex marriages allowed in Mexico?
Will my Mexican marriage certificate be valid in my home country?

You can find answers to all these questions on our Guide to Getting Married in Mexico.

I took my tourist visa (FMM) home with me because there was no one to give it to when I drove out of Mexico. What do I do?

If you were given a paper version of the Visitor Permit, and you took this home with you, you can find the answer to this question on our article Your Mexican Tourist Permit, FMM. Note that paper versions of the permit are being phased out and substituted for a stamp in your passport, so this issue is becoming less relevant.

Can I exchange my Visitor’s Visa (FMM) for a Residency Permit?

In a small number of specific circumstances you can exchange a visitor permit for residency permit in Mexico, but most people cannot exchange a visitor permit (FMM) for a residency permit.

If you are currently in Mexico and decide that you want to apply for legal residency here, you will most likely need to leave Mexico and apply via a Mexican consulate abroad.  See our article about routes to applying for residency in Mexico for more details.

Learn more about residency in Mexico

Mexperience publishes information and resources to help you learn about how to apply for and obtain legal residency in Mexico:

• Learn about the principal routes to obtaining legal residency
• Here are the latest financial criteria required to qualify for residency in Mexico
• Compare the difference between Temporary and Permanent residency
• Find the latest residency-related fees charged by Mexico’s government
• Our free Mexico Immigration Guide encapsulates essential information about visas and residency permits for Mexico.

However, even the best maintained vehicles can experience sudden failure when you’re on the road in Mexico and you’ll need to deal with the situation, whether you’re in the middle of a town or city or on a (remote) highway.  This article shares some practical tips and advice for dealing with vehicle breakdowns.

‘Angeles Verdes’ (Green Angels) on Mexico’s highways

On Mexico’s interstate highways, Angeles Verdes (Green Angels) patrol the roads, looking for broken down vehicles, and helping with minor repairs and, surprisingly frequently, selling fuel.

• They ride green-colored trucks (thus the name); sometimes it’s a tow truck, and will provide free help, although they will charge for fuel if you need it, as well as any car parts.
• They’ll arrange to tow you to the nearest town if the situation calls for that. It’s appropriate to tip the mechanic(s).
• Angeles Verdes can help with immediate repairs and fuel, but their service does not substitute the coverages offered by an insurance based roadside assistance plan—that, in addition to mechanical support can also include rental car provision while your vehicle is being repaired, and repatriation in the event your vehicle becomes undriveable.

Dealing with roadside breakdowns

Dealing with a vehicle breakdown in Mexico will depend on where you are and what cover you have in place to help you.

• There is no better coverage in a breakdown situation than to have a team of mechanics and recovery vehicles prepared to come to your aid when your vehicle fails in Mexico.
• We recommend that when you purchase auto insurance you buy the optional breakdown coverage and roadside assistance. This is especially helpful if you are on a remote highway and/or it’s nighttime.
• If you are in a large town or city when your car fails, someone may come to your aid to help you move the car to the edge of the road while you wait for breakdown assistance to arrive.
• If your car is rented and the rental agreement includes breakdown coverage, call the rental car agency and ask them to mobilize their breakdown service.
• If you are on a major highway, especially toll-roads, a patrolling vehicle from the Angeles Verdes might find you and help you (see note above).
• If you have roadside breakdown coverage as part of your auto insurance coverage, you can instead contact the insurance helpline and have assistance sent to directly your broken down vehicle.
• Note that cell phone coverage can be scarce on remote roads across Mexico; tolled highways have wired phones posted every few miles. If you are on a non-tolled highway, and there is no cell phone coverage, you may need to walk to find a cellphone signal or walk back to the nearest town or village to summon help.

Roadside breakdown and medical coverages

Good insurance brokers offer a comprehensive range of additional support services, which are optional, but are worth considering when you are driving in Mexico.  The two most important are:

Breakdown coverage

If your car breaks down while you’re driving in Mexico, roadside recovery will provide you with the essential support you need to get your car repaired and mitigate risks of becoming stranded.

Roadside assistance may include things like delivery of emergency fuel, towing services, dealing with flat or damaged tires, locksmith support, jumpstart assistance, and provision of lodging and a rental car while you wait for your vehicle to be repaired, and repatriation to your home country in the event of a write-off.

Medical assistance

a policy that provides medical coverage will provide round-the-clock medical assistance on your road trips, including in the event of a serious accident, land and air medical evacuation and coverages to support you and your travel companions, for example with accommodations and transport while you convalesce.

Arrange breakdown coverage

Mexperience’s auto insurance associate offers a comprehensive range of additional services that provide peace of mind when you’re taking a road trip in Mexico, including roadside breakdown and travel assistance, and medical coverages that can include medical evacuation.

Learn more about driving in Mexico

Mexperience offers articles with insights to help you prepare for your road trip and drive confidently in Mexico.

• Insuring your vehicle for driving in Mexico
• Importing a foreign car or other vehicle to Mexico
• Getting a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your vehicle
• Your Mexico road trip checklist
• Latest articles about driving in Mexico
• Guide to auto insurance in Mexico

But because it’s so impossibly huge and challenging to navigate, it’s intimidating for many visitors. David Lida —whose book First Stop in the New World is considered by many the definitive text on Mexico City— can take you inside in ways it would be impossible to find on your own.

David Lida knows the capital intimately and offers small group walking tours that will give you exceptional insights and glimpses into this magnificent and historical capital city.  His knowledge and personal approach to creating tours for between one and six people offer unique perspectives and value that commonly offered public tours cannot touch.

Delve into Mexico City’s charms on a tour formed around your interests

Mexico City has many attractions to offer, and visitors are often faced with a bewildering choice of options.  To get the most of your limited time, it’s helpful to have someone who understands your interests and offers you a tour that’s formed around them.

David’s tours focus on one or two neighborhoods or areas of interest per day, and give you and your party an intimate glimpse into the capital’s history and contemporary character.

David will meet you at your accommodations (or other agreed starting point) and you will travel together using Uber or Didi cabs to arrive at the start of your walking tour. Unless you want to end the tour elsewhere, he will also accompany you back to where you’re staying. Tours typically last between five to six hours.

Mexico City Tours by area

David offers unique insights into several areas of Mexico City.  The tours described below can be arranged on their own, or can be combined.  If you want something fully-customized, David that can help with that—use the request form below to indicate your choices and share further information about your interests.

Trendy neighborhoods of La Condesa and La Roma

These are Mexico City’s hippest neighborhoods, and have been gentrifying quickly. Sometimes you hear more English (or French) spoken on the streets than Spanish. Yet there are still echoes of the traditional atmosphere if you know where to look. David can help you explore the contrasts between the trendy and the traditional on a tour that reveals how the capital’s neighborhoods move through cycles influenced by time and fashion.

Discover new surprises in the Centro Histórico

David’s walking tour of the capital’s historic downtown will introduce you to the most famous sights in Mexico City’s most energetic neighborhood including the Zócalo, Bellas Artes, and the Plaza Santo Domingo.  The tour will also take you to fascinating places often overlooked by most visitors, such as a sexually ambiguous monument to bullfighters, a stained-glass ceiling you’d swear was Parisian, and the biggest bag of cheese doodles you will ever see in your life.

Quaint colonial enclaves of Coyoacán and San Angel

Once an enchanting village on the outskirts of the capital, today San Ángel is one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in the city, known for its colonial architecture, outdoor art markets, and dining within the walls of 17th-century mansions converted into fine restaurants.

Nearby Coyoacán is the de facto bohemian quarter of the capital, underpinned by Frida & Diego’s former home and Trotsky’s residence in exile.  These colonial enclaves offer visitors a distinctive shift away from the capital’s sprawl and a glimpse back to an era of quiet cobblestoned streets, unspoiled colonial architecture, vibrant traditional markets (and an ample selection of places to enjoy a delicious meal).

Mexico City markets and street food

Since ancient times, Mexico City has been a hotbed of trade and commerce and this is reflected in its diverse and atmospheric markets which continue to thrive and surprise. The profusion of stalls selling food along the streetscape are among the most alluring and varied you’ll find anywhere.

When Anthony Bourdain visited Mexico City, his team hired David to find the best street food stalls, holes-in-the-wall, and cantinas for his television show (and even put him on camera). David will introduce you to the glorious and lively markets, and the most reliable and delicious street food in the capital.

Discover the floating gardens of Xochimilco

About 500 years ago, most of the Valley of Mexico City was a vast system of lakes, canals, and islands. This bygone era can still be experienced in Xochimilco. David will take you to this southern enclave of the capital to spend an afternoon floating along these ancient canals in a barge, amidst a tranquil and pastoral setting that will make you wonder if you’re still within the limits of one of the world’s largest cities.

Tribute tour to Luis Barragán

Considered to be Mexico’s most important architect of the 20th century, and the country’s only Pritzker prizewinner, Luis Barragán’s spaces dramatically utilize light, shadow, and color to evoke an uncanny tranquility. This tour can include a visit to his former residence, a chapel he designed for Capuchin nuns, and various houses he conceived in the capital.

Explore Mexican Muralism in Mexico City

One of Mexico’s most important contributions to twentieth-century art was the muralist movement, led by its three most famous practitioners: Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros (as well as some lesser-known artists). This tour will reveal to you their stories, their rivalries, their contradictions, and their distinct techniques as you tour some of their most important murals, many of which are now timeless and iconic art statements.

Discover the unique personalities of Mexican cantinas

Mexico City’s cantinas have as much personality as London pubs, Paris cafés, or New York bars. At lunchtime most of them serve botanas—delicious food at no extra charge, for those who keep ordering drinks. David will take you on a tour of two, three (or more) hand-picked cantinas, depending on how much you and your party would like to drink around lunchtime.

Mexico City off the beaten path

Mexico City has so much to offer visitors with world-renowned sites, neighborhoods, and historical landmarks.  But if you want to discover some lovely neighborhoods where tourists seldom set foot, David will take you to three of them, all hand-picked near the center of the capital, all of which are gentrifying (although slowly and imperfectly).

Custom-designed tour

If you’re unsure of which places to visit first, or last, or together on the same tour day, David offers custom-designed tours that will be crafted around your party size, interests, and available time. The tours ensure you get the most from your visit to the capital without cramming so that you can truly experience and absorb what each place has to offer.  You can use the form below to request a custom-designed tour.

Custom-designed tour prices

Every tour is hand-crafted based on your interests, party size, and time available.  Tours typically last five to six hours.

• Custom tour prices typically range between US$165 and US$375 per person, based on a party of two to six people touring together.
• Single traveler tours can be arranged by request; however, party size cannot exceed six people in these purposely small, highly customized tours.
• Typical expenses for food, drinks and sundries are about US$30 per person, and will vary depending on the type of food establishment you choose to eat at, and how much you drink.

Your day tour price includes

The tour price includes:

• A personal consultation with David to create a carefully crafted walking tour of the capital, designed and formed around your party’s interests, party size, and available time;
• You will be met personally by David at your accommodations, or some other mutually-agreed meeting point;
• David will take you on the fully escorted and highly customized tour that is designed around your party’s interests and will accompany you back to where you are staying five to six hours later.

Your day tour price excludes

The following things are not included in your tour price

• Local transport and transfers (Uber/Didi)
• Entry fees to sites, museums, archaeology centers, etc.
• Food purchased at street stalls, markets, fondas, restaurants, etc.
• Drinks, including any alcoholic drinks, you may consume on the tour
• Tips for the waiting staff, drivers, and guide.

Make a request for your walking tour of Mexico City

Complete the tour info request form below and David will contact you to talk about the custom requirements for your party and create a custom quote based on your interests, party size and time available.

Celebrating the continuity of life

Far from being a morbid event, Day of the Dead emphasizes remembrance of past lives and celebration of the continuity of life.

Day of the Dead is one of the most passionately celebrated events throughout Mexico, and especially so in smaller provincial towns and cities, although the places to be on Day of the Dead are the colonial town of Pátzcuaro (near Morelia) and Oaxaca City.

Plan your accommodations in advance

Hotels in Pátzcuaro tend to book-up during the summer for this event (some charismatic hotels are booked a year or more in advance), but late availability can sometimes be sought.

Hotel availability in Oaxaca is generally easier to come by (in part because there are more hotel rooms in Oaxaca), although most of the centrally-located hotels will book up early, leaving late-bookers to choose from the remaining rooms further outside of the historic center, or in nearby towns.

Alternative accommodations to hotels, offered by shared rentals in people’s homes, has added to the choice and supply of accommodations in Pátzcuaro as well as Oaxaca, which is especially useful for popular dates like Day of the Dead, although you can expect rates to be higher you might have to stay in a nearby town or village and travel in to the center of Pátzcuaro or Oaxaca for the events.

Planning your transportation

We recommend you plan your transportation options as flights and roads to Pátzcuaro get busy around dates leading up to and soon after Day of the Dead.

Getting to Pátzcuaro for Day of the Dead

The ancient highland town of Pátzcuaro is situated in the state of Michoacán, in the mountains west of Mexico City.

By air: If you’re planning to visit Pátzcuaro, the city of Morelia has an international airport with flights from Mexico City and various cities in the US.  Check FlightConnections for current routes.  The airport is about an hour’s drive by road from Pátzcuaro.

By bus: Morelia and Pátzcuaro can also be reached by luxury bus from Mexico City; the bus journey time is 5-6 hours.  Buses to Morelia depart from the capital’s eastern and northern bus terminals.

Driving: If you’re driving to Pátzcuaro, tolled highways 15D and 14D will take about 4-4.5 hours to drive from Mexico City, depending on traffic.

Getting to Oaxaca City for Day of the Dead

The capital city of Oaxaca is situated in southern Mexico, about 285 miles south of Mexico City.

By air: Oaxaca City is served by an international airport with flights from Mexico City and various cities in the US.  Check FlightConnections for current routes.  The airport is about a 30 minute drive by road from the center of Oaxaca City.

By Bus: Oaxaca City can reached by luxury bus from Mexico City; the bus journey time is 5-6 hours.  Buses to Oaxaca City depart from the capital’s western and southern bus terminals.

Driving: If you’re driving to Oaxaca City, tolled highways 150D and 135D will take about 4-4.5 hours to drive from Mexico City, depending on traffic.

Learn more about Day of the Dead in Mexico

We publish guides and articles to help you discover more about Day of the Dead in Mexico, as well as Pátzcuro and Oaxaca City.

• Articles to discover Day of the Dead in Mexico
• Celebrating life on Day of the Dead
• Meet the elegant Catrinas
• Altars and offerings for Day of the Dead
• Delicious bread and hot chocolate traditions
• The iconic flower synonymous with Day of the Dead
• Children’s Calaverita traditions
• Guides to Pátzcuaro and Oaxaca City