The Culture, Spirit, and Women Behind El Dia de Los Muertos: A Women’s TravelCircle to Oaxaca

Our itinerary last year was fantastic, and due to popular demand and a long wait list we are offering it again in 2025! This experience is organized around one of the most special times of the year, the Day of the Dead, and is centered in Oaxaca, Mexico. Unlike most of our TravelCircles that move around the country, this journey is rooted in one place we will call home for 8 nights. We will be based in a special place inhabited since 11,000 B.C., so the city itself and the Monte Alban archeological site are both designated UNESCO World Heritage sites. Nestled in a fertile valley over 5,000 feet above sea level, the terrain and climate were perfect for some of the region’s earliest civilizations to excel in agriculture. (It’s believed that this is where corn, squash and lots of other plants and vegetables were first domesticated.) But beyond its significance in history, Oaxaca is now considered the culinary and cultural capital of Mexico. Surrounded by towns and villages that each specialize in their unique handicraft (and we’re going to definitely visit some of them!) and filled with some of the region’s most famous food (mole sauce, tamales, corn varietals you’ve never seen, tacos and tostados galore, fresh herbs, squash blossom soup, chocolate, mezcal, and coffee!) — if you enjoy eating, markets, exploring, and shopping, this is your place!

And we’re going to be there for their biggest festival of the year: Dia de los Muertos. While this famous holiday is celebrated throughout Mexico, the city of Oaxaca is the epicenter. While some believe during this holiday (over Halloween for us in the U.S.) that the deceased will return to visit their family and friends, others choose to see this holiday as a chance to honor and celebrate the lives of anyone who has passed.

Our journey together will include:
-Intentional conversations and learning opportunities with locals to hear about their history, their city, and their life
-Building our own altars for those we want to honor
-A day trip to Villa de Etla
-Lots of local markets and shopping
-A ceremony with a local curandera (a local healer)​
-A visit to a local bakery to learn (and taste!) how pan de muerto is made and why it’s significant this time of year
-A late-night visit to the local cemetery
-A day trip to Teotitlán for crafts and textiles (great gifts to bring home!)
-Lots of local festivities, including exploring altars as works of art and spirituality
-A cooking class that starts in the market and ends with us eating some of the most famous dishes and local ingredients
-A visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Monte Albán—one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica​​
-Amazing food! This region is known as the food capital of Mexico. Prepare to eat well!!!

We promise this 9-day/8 night trip to Oaxaca will saturate and inspire your senses!

This TravelCircle is hosted by Dr. J’Leen Saeger, one of Shasta’s closest friends. J’Leen is leading trips to some of the most popular TravelCircle destinations, giving an extra opportunity for women to go on a trip that filled up the first time! J’Leen is intimately familiar with Shasta’s work on relationships and connection, and she brings that same intentionality to every trip she hosts.

For a full itinerary and detailed description of this journey please visit Shasta Nelson’s TravelCircles.

Tour Price
$3895 double occupancy
$1575 single supplement

$1000 deposit due upon registration

*Payment plans are available!

Trip Itinerary
View Trip Itinerary Here

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