Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+

Mérida, Yuc., México

MT
My Trish Advisor
  • Email address verified
11 reviews
Oct 26 - 30, 2023
Group size: 13 - 19
Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+
Mérida, Yuc., México

My Trish Advisor
  • Email address verified
11 reviews

Oct 26 - 30, 2023
Group size: 13 - 19

About this trip

Come and experience the Day of the Dead in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico!

Join others like yourself that have a love and curiosity for Mexico and its deep culture surrounding Dia De Muertos / Day of the Dead / Hanal Pixán!  Well in the Yucatan they call it Hanal Pixan and it's very similar but one thing is the FOOD is very different than other parts of Mexico.


You will spend 5 days and 4 nights in Merida in a SPECTACULAR and elegant hotel that is in an amazing location for all the activities we will be doing! 


The trip starts on Thursday, October 26th, and ends on October 30th with the option to extend to see the celebrations continue and check out on November 3rd.  Yes, in Merida they have most of the ceremonies and celebrations the weekend BEFORE the Day Of The Dead on Nov 1st and 2nd.   


So if you feel that you want to stay on the official days of the Day Of The Dead you are more than welcome to extend your stay.  The city has a whole schedule that is going on each year with activities, shows, and things to see and do! 


SOME of what we will experience:

Paseo De Las Animas: This is a procession to represent the souls of the dead crossing over to the land of the living.


Catrinas Night: For those who want their face painted like a catrina we will go our after to the Catrinas Parade.  Which is a parade of BEAUTIFUL Catrinas dressed up and dancing.  It is a beautiful event. 


At both of the events above you will see lots of food carts and different types of food to try.  On both of these nights, you are encouraged to try different types of foods and snacks.  We will give you a little info before we leave each night to give you an idea of some MUST-TRY items! 


Mayan Kitchen Experience and how they cook and get to taste some varieties of Yucatan /  Mayan food.  This includes showing how they make the homemade tortillas and cook them in the PIB.  The PIB is the area where they cook below the ground and is also a type of food that is only made for the Day of the Dead in Yucatan!  This will be one of my favorite parts of the trip.  


The entire weekend they have all kinds of activities and events set up so you will be able to immerse yourself and learn so much about this amazing tradition. 


While walking around you will see many "Ofrendas" these are altars where they leave food, drinks, and other favorites from those that have passed on.   You will see them everywhere and pay close attention to all the details.  We will of course explain while we are there.  It's beautiful! 


The parades and activities will be super fun and amazing for the weekend.  That will give you a lot of history and experience of this beautiful tradition.  We are located within about a 10 min walk of most of our activities and outings.   

About Merida & the hotel

Merida!

Merida is over 400 years old and has amazing French and Spanish architecture!  You feel like you are in Europe, NOT Mexico! This city is growing in popularity for many reasons and one is the beautiful architecture and another is because it is consistently rated one of the safest cities in all of LATIN AMERICA! The historic buildings all around are just so enchanting and you will want to take lots of photos! 


The first time I went here I could not believe I was in Mexico its so different than anywhere in the Riviera Maya!  Last week, when I took a friend all he could say was, it is a surprise behind every door! The houses & businesses are built where you walk into a door and the place goes back farther than you expect and unique space.  So really a surprise behind every door! We have a few great local bars nearby that on your free nights, I recommend you to walk to and check out! One is a great Jazz bar that I really enjoyed last time! 


We are staying at El Palacito Secreto a BEAUTIFUL boutique hotel in an amazing location.  As mentioned above this hotel has the WOW factor and is worth the trip all on its own!  Set in the French Colonial era the details, decor, and furniture are all top-notch.  This hotel was originally built and intended to be a personal home then later became a boutique hotel.  So with that in mind, the details are there for us to enjoy! The place has 11 rooms, 2 pools, a restaurant, a beautiful bar, a spa, and common spaces. 


Rooms:

Include A/C, Internet, luxurious shampoo & conditioner, bath & pool towels, small safe, hair dryer, luggage rack & drinking water.  Refillable drinking water is located in the common space. 


Room Breakdowns:

6 total: 1 King = Dan & Julie / Susan & Joe / Jill & David/ Mark & Marilyn Singles: Cesar / Barbara 

1 total: 1 King & 1 Double= Trish and Mom

1 total: 2 doubles = 2 people = Wendy & Katy Roomates

2 total:   1 King & 1 single= Nancy & Terilyn & Diego & Frank

1 room: 1 Matrimonial =Selena

19 people total MAX


In the booking, we will ask for what set up of a room you would like.  First come first serve.


Note: Once you are booked you will be added to our private Facebook group to start connecting with other group attendees! 


We are taking over the entire hotel with 2 pools, 11 rooms, and a bar! Yeah, baby!


Getting around:


Walking distance to everything!

The location of our hotel is within walking distance of about 10 minutes or less to everything! Just be careful when walking the sidewalks are not even! 


UBER/DiDi prices:

When you have time to yourself we are within walking distance of everything but maybe you want to go see a specific park?  Or Activity going on for Day Of The Dead!  Merida has Uber and it's very affordable.  You can go almost anywhere you need for less than $ 5 USD 



We are providing transportation to all activities that are more than a 15 min walk.  Everything else is about 10 min or less to walk to. 



Travel insurance & Opt-out info

For those of you that have been following me for a while, you know that I encourage people to travel to Mexico despite the negative media.  We want you to feel safe as possible and know that we can not control everything but want to do the best we can!  So first we do want to mention we will need proof of travel insurance for your stay. 


We want to take into consideration of weather issues and closures due to issues beyond our control but please remember travel doesn't always go as planned.  Please be patient if we have to make any travel changes along the way.   Many insurance policies will cover some of these issues as well.


Additionally, the tours & experiences are listed as a package, and no price adjustments will be given if someone wants to "opt out" of an included activity. 

Costs and Payments

You will secure your spot with a $850USD deposit.  The deposit is non-refundable and the remaining balance is due by October 5th.


For those who booked earlier we had this option:

We have a payment program that after the deposit you can break the balance into 8 payments to make it easier for those that may not have the money all at once!  I thought this was pretty cool because that would be me! haha  

About My Trish Advisor

If you have been following me o social media for a while you will know a lot aabout Mexico and My Trish Adivosr BUT maybe you don't know this  My Trish Advisor lady?! GASP  Well, Let me introduce myself! 


Who is this Trish gal??  Oh well, I thought you would never ask! Hola! my name is Trish and I am originally from Iowa BUT I left the cold winters of Iowa behind in 2001.  I moved to warm Huntington Beach California and lived in So Cal for over 8 years.  Then I moved to NYC got married and left that terribly abusive marriage.  Whew, got out of that one! Shortly after I left NYC to go back to Iowa I was recruited by my old boss to go back to Cali and I did just that. 


Ok Trish that's fine but how the heck did you end up in MEXICO? Funny you should ask, ok LONG story short I went to Rosarito by myself to do the JET PACK, yes to fly around over the water! After spending a few weekends there I met some people at a party that were driving to Cancun for diving jobs.  Well, I said I'd join them, and well... 3 days later I was driving my 2 dogs, Sassy and Peace Out Dog across Mexico with people we just met!  We had 6 people, 2 SUVs, and 4 dogs we drove over 3,000 miles across 18 states of Mexico which took 16 days!  I arrived on November 12th, 2015, in Puerto Morelos and after about a week people were asking me what I was gonna do, I was like oh I can't just DRIVE back! I guess I will stay a while!  Lol, It was a VERY FAR drive! haha, So I stayed!  I ended up flying back to San Diego selling everything I own officially quitting my job that I was KILLING it at then went home to Iowa to see family and friends and then arrived a 2nd time by plane on Jan 7th, 2016 officially moved to Puerto Morelos!


Ok, gotcha but how did My Trish Advisor get started??  By ACCIDENT, but now of course I believe it's all for a reason! Well….I was frustrated with some news that came out in March 2018 about how dangerous Mexico and people should not travel here. I decided to make a video sharing my frustration about how the media portrays Mexico. .  I basically said that people should not cancel their vacations because the news says that Mexico is dangerous.  That shootings happen even in schools in the USA and kids still go to school.  Of course, some people were very upset about what I said but my point was and still is that terrible things happen all over the world. We have the choice to sit on the couch and be scared or actually go out and make experiences of our own!  I had 2 videos that went viral that had over a million views each.  I never want a viral video again, it's very stressful, and people are mean! 


So after that, I had TONS of people reaching out to me asking things like: Where do you recommend to stay? What should we do while visiting? Do you know any good taco spots? I already had my tour company and that was called Adventurous Spirits Tours and NO ONE can ever spell that.  Well after a meeting with friends that were gonna help me with social media they were the ones that came up with My Trish Advisor. In our area Trip Advisor is everywhere and the new name just fit well!   Ya seeeee I had hired them to help me with Adventurous Spirits Tours and then it swiftly changed to My Trish Advisor. It just made sense.  I was a person that people could connect with and learn about Mexico and what it's like not just to visit but also to live here.  Since I had airport transfers and hosted day trips like catamaran sailing, cenotes, Mayan ruins, and MANY more for over 5 years it worked well to combine it with My Trish Advisor.  


Ok now what!?  I know many people are wanting to explore other areas of Mexico or want to meet new friends to travel with.  Also, some are nervous or scared to travel alone,  as a couple or with their family.   Then, for me I LOVE hosting people, throwing parties &  traveling sooo why not combine all that and create a community that can travel together!? 


I have helped groups from 4 to 100 travel the area, including weddings, families, MANY girls' trips, and corporate groups. I have also been making YouTube videos, FB and IG posts, and sharing all these beautiful places I visit but NOW I want to BRING YOU ALONG! This is why we are launching MTA Group trips! I hope you join us and invite your friends and family!


If you read all that thank you,  I know its long winded but I wanted to you know a little about me!  Also if you did read all of that I will buy you a drink! Just be sure to write “Trish you owe me a drink” in the booking or in an email that you send to me after booking this trip! MTAgrouptrips@gmail.com

See you soon in Mexico! 

Trish

P.S. We are only starting with Mexico, I have plans for many other locations but we will start with Mexico, there is a lot to explore here! 

Refund info:

In the event that you need to cancel your trip, these fees will be applied:  

 • Between Now - April 1st, MTA retains only the non-refundable deposit ($1150

 • Between May 2nd till June 1st, MTA retains 50% of the tour price. 

 • Between June 2nd till August 1st, MTA retains 75% of the tour price. 

 • Between August 15nd and till departure date (October 26th), MTA retains 100% of the entire tour price ($1675)   


ADD-ONS - you can choose to add these up until 60 days before the trip (Feb 13th). These are non-refundable after March 1st.  

A single room for the duration of the trip is an extra cost of $675. -- This can not be canceled or refunded closer than 60 days prior to your trip.  

What’s included

  • Hotel stay
    All hotels during the trip (4 nights)
  • Some Meals and Drinks
    Please note- this includes Bienvenido (welcome) dinnerDay 1, 4 Breakfasts, 1 lunch & farewell Dinner (Nos Vemos pronto Dinner) Maya culinary experinece
  • Ghost tour on bikes
    Yes you read that correct we are going on a ghost tour! We will ride about a total of 8 miles. You don't need to be fit (Im not!) at its an east ride but at least able to ride a bike.
  • Airport Shuttles
    Round trip transfers from the Merida airport to the hotel. Shuttles only. Shuttle times: October 26th 2pm, 4pm & 6pm October 30th 9am 11am 3pm. (Departures: Pickup is 3 hours before.)
  • Pool Party!
    We will have a pool party with some food included and other surprises!!!
  • 1 Museum Entrance
    Merida has many museums especiall off of Paseo Montejo and you can visit any that is $10 USD or less.
  • Bike Rental
    Yes you can not only watch the fun bikes go by on Paseo Montejo but you can ride by beautiful monuments and enjoy the fun thinkgs you will see!
  • Catrinas Facepaint
    YES! You can get paineted like a catrina. We will have for men and women.

What’s not included

  • Flights to Merida/Cancun
    We will need your flight details at least ONE MONTH in advace. Please keep in mind we include certain time of arrivals and departures. Off schdeule pick ups and departurs will be in "ADD-ONS' tab..
  • Certain Meals
    Meals not outlined in the itinerary are on your own. Average meal will be about $10USD, unless you go fancy. Beers average about $2-$3 USD and at cantinas in Merida they bring you food as you drink!
  • Add Ons
    This can be off time Airport Transportation, tours and activities.
  • Alcohol
    Alcoholic drinks are included in some meals. Extra drinks are purchased on your own.
  • Off-time airport shuttle
    Shuttles outside of the group arrival time will be an add on.
  • From/To Cancun
    Cheapest: Rental Car or ADO Bus. Contact Snap Car Rentals. ADO is about $30USD per person. We can arrange pick up from the bus station for a charge of $60USD each way.
  • Travel Insurance
    It is HIGHLY recommended to travel with travel insurance. If anything does happen in Mexico you have to pay CASH for services. This could be mean life or death so please travel with insurance.
  • Trip processing fee
    All payments processed have 1% Service Fee, Credit Card payments have an additional fee of about 2.99%
  • Souvenirs & Other Items
    You will purchse these when we have unschedule activites in town. We have lots of great shops!
  • Tips
    The tips for meals and tours are not included. Average tip will be about $5-10USD.

Available Packages

Shared Room Package

In this package, each person gets their own bed and will share a room with another traveler, unless you choose the single room option.  (When traveling with a friend or spouse you will let me know in the notes below)  As mentioned above we will have a questionnaire asking things like if you stay up late, wake up early, do you snore, how flexible you are with a roommate, etc.  Those kinds of questions so we can pair you up the best we can!

If you want a room for yourself there is a $675 USD room supplement option for the entire stay.  (4 Available)  You can book that in addition to this package below. 


Room Set up below:

6 Rooms: 1 King = 2 people (5 booked) (Dan & Julie/ Susan & Joe / Mark & Marilyn) (Single Room: Barbara & Cesar)

1 room: 1 King & 1 Double= (1 available = 2 or 3ppl MAX) 

1 Room: 2 doubles = 2 people (Wendy & Katy 

2 rooms:  1 King & 1 single= 2 people (1 Available 2 or 3ppl MAX )(Nancy & Terilyn)

1 room: 1 Queen = 1 person (Booked) (Selena)

13 people booked + Me, Diego, my mom & Frank (photo & video)

17 people total

 spots available

19 people MAX


We will be taking over the entire hotel!  We will have all 11 rooms and 2 pools to ourselves! BOOM! 


When booking let me know which room you want.  First come first serve. 

$1,725
Deposit: $1,250

Available options

Itinerary

Day 1: October 26th
Cocktails & Welcome dinner Dinner

Fly into Merida (MID)  Some are driving or taking a bus from  Cancun or Puerto Morelos
Heading to your hotel in Merida which is about 20-30 min away depending on traffic. 


The Latest suggested time on this day is 5:30 pm to give you time to get your shuttle, get to the hotel, and get ready for the welcome dinner.  Some are arriving the day before.
 
Airport Shuttle
We will ask prior to the trip about your flight details and put you on a shuttle either at 2, 4, & 6 pm.  If you would like to come at a different time or from a different location, we can help to arrange that for an additional cost.  


We will be having a welcome dinner at 8:15 pm.  So an idea that others had was to arrive a day early.  We can still arrange the hotel and transport for you.  We will have this beautiful night view of the pool and the bar.

7:30 pm Cocktails served

8:15 pm Dinner is served. (Food and one drink included)  Additional drinks are on you, you lush! haha

Your Organizer


MT
My Trish Advisor
11 reviews
Hello! My name is Trish and I am My Trish Advisor! Originally from Iowa but living in Puerto Morelos, Mexico for the past 7 years! I took a drive across 18 states of Mexico with a group of people I met 3 days before at a party in Rosarito. True story! I arrived in Puerto Morelos on November 12th, 2015. I decided I would call this home, for now! I have a tour and transport company that has been operating since 2017 out of Cancun. Now, I will be hosting multi-day trips! Come join me on an adventure of culture, food, history & FIESTA!

Reviews

PL
My Trish Advisor has the best group trips and day trips! Excellent service can’t wait to join on 2024 trips! Oct 2023 • Solo I have attended all 3 group trips for 2023 with My Trish Advisor. Puerto Morelos 5days 4 nights, Girls Gone Glamping in the Jungle 3 days 2 nights and Day Of The Dead Mérida 5days / 4 nights trips and loved them all. The activities are always fun and I like it because they are well planned. For the Puerto Morelos trip she included catamaran sailing to Isla Mujeres, snorkeling the reef in Puerto Morelos, Spanish Class and more! The Girls Gone Glamping included yoga, singing bowls, macrame class and optional massage in the jungle. Then on the most recent trip for day of the dead she arranged trips to the walk of souls and catrinas parade, a pool party with a delicious taco stand with really cute decor, bike rentals for a beautiful bike ride on Paseo Montejo, piñata experience and museum entrances included! All of these trips she also gave us thoughtful gift bags with lots of goodies! This last trip in Mérida we stayed in a luxury boutique hotel that was impeccable called El Palacito Secreto. This place is the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in and we even were able to meet the wonderful owners. All breakfast was included in the trip and was absolutely delicious , they also have a bar on site and the staff were all so helpful. Trisha did an amazing job choosing this as a location for us to have our group stay! It was stunning!! We had traditional Mayan food for our elaborate welcome and now vemos dinner! It was a real treat learning about the local cuisine. On the goodbye or now vemos dinner we were walked through the Mayan museum To have explained a lot about the Mayan traditions and culture. Trisha is amazing at planning these vacations for groups and everyone always gets along well. We all have free time to explore and just have that down time for ourselves but some time to be social as well. I am so glad I have been able to join her first 3 trips of 2023 and look forward to joining the next ones in 2024! The pics are only from my last trip to Mérida for Day Of The Dead at El Palacito Secreto. I would not hesitate to go on another My Trish Advisor group trip! You are guaranteed to have a great time, make new friends, learn about culture, history and cuisine! Trish is the best and I am looking forward to my 4th MTA Passport stamp for her next trip!
By Pam L for Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+ on Nov 20, 2023
WN
Finding the words to describe the details of this trip, the heart that went in to planning every single second from the cultural experience to the accomodations, food, drink etc. The whole Dia De Los Muertos experience was everything I hoped for and more. I went on this trip as a solo woman and felt 100% safe the entire time. Not only because I was with an amazing group but Mérida specifically is the safest city in Mexico. I highly recommend taking the leap and traveling with My Trish Advisor, I promise you won’t regret it
By Wendy N for Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+ on Nov 13, 2023
I recently returned from a five day/four night trip with My Trish Advisor to Merida, Mexico for Dios de los Muertos. I cannot say enough positive things about Trish of My Trish Advisor, her customer service is above top notch. Her choice of the the hotel El Palacito Secreto was amazing. The rooms, the grounds, the service and food were over the top. The staff had a ready smile any time of the day or night and were ready to assist in any way to make one's stay even more memorable than it already was. Trish thoughtfully planned every detail to maximize the cultural experience of this important holiday in Mexico. Because of Trish's attention to detail everything from the seamless airport transportation upon arrival to checking out days later went smoothly. Trish organized a welcome dinner in which we all experienced Mayan food prepared by a team Trish brought in to host this special experience. We ate while the chef shared the significance of each dish and how it is prepared. This amazing experience is how we STARTED our trip with My Trish Advisor. The following days included the building a group Ofrenda, transportation to the Parade of the Souls, a pool party at the lovely hotel pool, and the Parade of the Catrina's (including face painting for each guest arranged by Trish!). One of my favorite activities was the hour bike ride on Paseo Montejo. The City closes this gorgeous avenue to car traffic and everyone bikes past the gorgeous mansions, cool cafe's, upscale shops and street vendors. Again, this was included and all organized by Trish. There was a final farewell dinner at a restaurant with a short museum tour immediately after. While this sounds like a crammed itinerary there was plenty of free time built in. This allowed for guests to pursue individual activities or just lounge by the pool, enjoying the lobby bar and socializing with the other guests (as well as Trish and Diego!). Trish and Diego have the incredible skill to never stop servicing their clients needs while becoming friends at the same time! Breakfast was included each day and not only was it delicious, it was a nice time to socialize with the other guests on the trip. Trish was amazing. I honestly do not know how she spun so many dishes for so many people and the smile never left her face. Her husband Diego jumped in at the slightest need of any guest as well. I have used Trish to organize activities for me in the past while visiting Mexico and she never misses. However this trip took it to the next level. I was able to enjoy all the events of this busy time in Merida, without concern to the details, Trish took care of EVERYTHING! I like to say that Trish of My Trish Advisor is the "big sister you need looking out for you in Mexico"! Do not hesitate to book any trip, excursion or service with My Trish Advisor, you will be happy you did! :-)
By Barbara K for Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+ on Nov 07, 2023
I traveled with My Trish Advisor as a part of a 5 day/4 night group trip to Merida, Mexico's Día de los Muertos. Trish was so easy going & genuine. A true pleasure to be around. She thought of every detail to ensure we had an authentic experience. From the hotel and museums, to the food and local festivities. I would absolutely choose another My Trish Advisor group trip!
By katy t for Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+ on Nov 07, 2023
My wife and I went on a My Trish Advisor group trip to Merida, Yucatan Mexico for the Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) celebration. The trip was super fun and was so well organized. A perfect blend of planned events/meals and free time to explore on our own. The hotel - El Palacito Secreto was stunning. The food was tasty. The other people in the group were great to hang out with. The trip was spectacular. Highly recommend.
By Dan M for Day of the Dead - MERIDA, MEXICO 21+ on Nov 04, 2023
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My wife and I went on a My Trish Advisor group trip to Merida, Yucatan Mexico for the Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) celebration. The trip was super fun and was so well organized. A perfect blend of planned events/meals and free time to explore on our own. The hotel - El Palacito Secreto was stunning. The food was tasty. The other people in the group were great to hang out with. The trip was spectacular. Highly recommend.
By Dan M on 04 Nov, 2023