How to plan a Dia de Los Muertos Trip in Guadalajara in 2020

If you want to experience Dia de los Muertos in 2020 (or “Day of the Dead), Guadalajara, Mexico is definitely the place to do it! I’ve been trying to make it to Mexico for three years to participate in the festivities, and after finally getting to this year, I’d highly recommend it!

In this post I’ll go over everything you could possibly need to plan your bucketlist trip, and participate in all of the incredible activities! You’ll also get some important background information about the holiday and the culture that I personally find fascinating!

What Exactly Is Dia de los Muertos?

As I mentioned above, the English translation is “Day of the Dead”. But contrary to how spooky that sounds, it’s anything but a scary holiday! It’s also 100% NOT a “Mexican Halloween”! And you should also NOT dress up as a “Catrina” for American Halloween. But feel free to do so in Mexico!

Anyway! Dia de los Muertos is meant for you to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed away. Altars or “ofrendas” are set up with a couple essential items that make it “possible” for the relatives to “pass into the living world” for the night.

The alters must have marigolds (orange flowers), a photo of the deceased, and some of their favorite things! For example, mine would probably have my passport, my camera, and a bottle of white wine!

Many festivities take place around the city for Dia de los Muertos to celebrate, which I’ll get into later in this post!

Why Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos in Guadalajara?

Did you know that Guadalajara is considered the cultural hub of Mexico? It’s also the second largest city, and where most Mexican millennials are migrating to for its trendiness.

Guadalajara is charming all on its own, and also has quick access to some other amazing parts of Mexico too! For example Tequila (yes, it’s an actual town!) is only a thirty minute drive, or two hour train ride if you take the Jose Cuervo Express! Complete with tequila tastings of course.

If you wanted to include a beach getaway, Puerto Vallarta is also very close to Guadalajara! And speaking of transiting around, an important thing to highlight is that Guadalajara is DRASTICALLY less congested than Mexico City!

What, When, and Where are the Dia de Los Muertos Festivities?

There are scheduled festivities in Guadalajara for Dia de los Muertos, and I’ll update this closer to October 2020 in case they change! There’s also things going on in popular smaller nearby cities which I’ll include as well!

Calaverandia

Location: Avila Camacho Park, Guadalajara

Dates: October 25 – November 18

Cost: General ~$25 USD, VIP ~$50 USD

Calaverandia was probably my favorite of the Dia de los Muertos festivities that I participated in and therefore HIGHLY recommended! Described to me as a “new dramatically designed theme park reminiscent or the award-winning movie Coco”. And I’d have to say that’s pretty on point!

You can get your face painted like a traditional Catrina or Catrine, and there’s also the option to get some neon face paint! Then explore over twenty family friendly attractions and experiences! It was honestly SO COOL, and that’s coming fro a 31 year old who sees A LOT of cool stuff all the time!

Some of my favorite attractions were: the interactive Underworld Forest, the slightly terrifying interactive cemetery, the trajinera boat rides on the lake, and the light and sound show that explains the meaning of Dia de los Muerotos.

I’d recommend doing Calaverandia before or after the actual Day of the Dead, which is November 2!

Tlaquepaque

Location: Click for Map

Dates: November 2 or 3

Cost: Free to walk around!

Tlaquepaque is basically the vibrant little neighborhood where alllll the Dia de los Muertos celebrations go down! It starts in the afternoon, and carries on late into the night!

The cobblestone streets adorned with marigolds and colorful paper flags above are packed with people celebrating. And all around the neighborhood there’s quite a few things to see and do!

First you’ll probably want to get your face painted, right? Look for one of the many booths doing that or simply ask someone with a staff shirt on. The trick is to look at the people getting their faces painted to decide which artist you like best! It’s usually only around $5 USD to do it, and absolutely a must!

Pro Tip: Be sure to bring some fun accessories like a flower crown or top hat to add to your catrina/catrine look!

Join the crowd of mostly locals with your painted face! Pop into the various trendy shops, savory smelling food booths, or stop by one of the many restaurants for a tequila cocktail!

You also DO NOT want to miss the “Catrina Bridal Parade”! It’s equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing! It’s basically set up like a full on fashion show…except the participants dress up in their best bridal wear…and skull faces!

How and Where to Get Your “Skull” Face Painted

I mentioned this mixed in with a couple sections above, but since it was one of my number one questions, I’ll give it it’s own section!

Initially I thought that you needed to do your own skull face paint…but silly me. OF COURSE there are tons of people who do the face paint for you! You can find them at any of the festivities, usually at a tented booth with a photo of the skull makeup in front. If you need any help finding them at all, just point to your face and say “Catrina?”

If you want something more intense (think rhinestones, flower appliques, etc.), I’d recommend asking your hotel concierge if they know someone you can hire. I saw a few people getting their faces made up at hotels, and the results were stunning!

Where to Stay in Guadalajara

We stayed at an absolutely ADORABLE boutique hotel called Demetria Bungalows that I’d highly recommend. Each room is decorated differently, with thoughtful little added touches.

For example, we had a bouquet of Marigolds since it was Dia de los Muertos! Which might I add, contrasted beautifully with the dark purple walls, chandeliers, and zebra throw pillows! This hotel is also pretty central to everything I’ve been mentioning!

If you’re looking to do this trip on more of a budget, use the map widget below to find hotels with the best prices!

Best Foods to Try and Restaurant Recommendations

Naturally if you’re going to Mexico, you’re probably wanting to try allllll the delicious Mexican food right? We had a solid mixture of authentic Mexican food and international cuisine, so I’ll list my recommendations for both!

Breakfast

Foods to try: Chilaquiles (tortilla strips simmered in a spiced tomato sauce topped with an egg and crumbled cheese), Pan de Muertos (sweet bun typically only made and served during Dia de los Muertos).

Restaurant Recommendation: Postreria – an extremely popular breakfast spot whose owner, Fernanda Covarrubias is like the Top Chef of Guadalajara! Most famous for her decadent and highly decorated desserts, but the savory dishes are just as great!

Lunch/Dinner

Foods to try: tacos, quesadilla, fajitas, ceviche, tamales, tortas, pasole, tostadas, mole,

Restaurant Recommendation: Casa de Bariache – A deliciously tacky joint that combines a bar with mariache performances (hence the name, get it?). Enjoy live performances while eating traditional Mexican food and drinks!

I’d also highly recommend trying a street taco stand at least once! We found a couple great ones in the main historical city center in Guadelajara!

If you have any questions or additional information about Dia de los Muertos or Guadalajara, please leave a comment below!

Be sure to check out the Mexico Instagram Story Highlight for the behind the scenes videos of Dia de Los Muertos!

Also, if you have time, I’d highly recommend taking the Jose Cuervo Express tequila train to Tequila, Mexico from Guadalajara! Read about it below!

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Guadalajara Tourism and also contains some affiliate links, however all experiences, opinions, writing, and photos are my own!

Please CLICK HERE to see my Amazon list of everything I used and would highly recommend bringing! Also includes which cameras I used for the images above!