Día de Muertos in Technicolor

Día de Muertos is a celebration of memory, artistry, and belonging. Offered daily from October 29 to November 2, the experience traces the festival’s rhythm from creation to commemoration: from flowers and food, to processions and light. You’ll begin in the market, where marigold and pan de muerto fill the air with color and scent. Paco guides your eye to texture and detail—petals in sunlight, powdered sugar on hands, vendors arranging altars of fruit and candles. Next, visit a local home to see and photograph an ofrenda being built. Families arrange photos, bread, mezcal, and candles. You’re welcomed to respectfully capture gestures of care, memory and love—and may even place a few elements yourself. After lunch, Paco arranges a short face-painting or mask-making session with a local artist. Then, you join one or two calendas (comparsas): joyful street processions of music and masks. Paco helps you move with the rhythm, framing the motion of dancers and the intimacy of onlookers.

This experience focuses on the making and meaning of Día de Muertos. Paco’s approach is personal—he guides you like a friend with a camera, not a tour guide. You see a full day of traditions: market in morning light, the concentration of altar-building, the late-day crescendo of music and color. Paco teaches you to read light, to ask permission before photographing, to sense when to shoot and when to simply be present. This tour emphasizes what Día de Muertos feels like—the scent of copal, the warmth of shared work, the joy that sits comfortably beside remembrance. You photograph people taking part in a shared act of honoring life. Note also that in this experience, there is no intrusion into family time or cemetery rituals. By the end, you leave with a richer understanding of how Oaxaca holds life and death in balance—how beauty and mourning coexist, and how memory endures as a living art. You’ll pause for food and conversation—time to reflect and talk about what you’ve witnessed.

Francisco “Paco” Cuevas is an Oaxacan photographer and videographer rooted in the cultural rhythms of his city and state. Passionate about Oaxaca’s history, art, and everyday life, he has worked alongside the Secretaría de Turismo del Estado de Oaxaca, shaping visual stories that bring place to life. Rather than a conventional tour guide, Paco acts as a visual experience curator, guiding travelers to meaningful moments and the best photographic settings across Oaxaca’s markets, homes, and festivities. Paco’s work spans professional photography and cinematic video — including weddings, cultural productions, and collaborations with local artists — and he frequently documents major events like Guelaguetza and Día de Muertos. Through his photography experiences, he helps travelers create personal and shareable images that reflect the beauty, texture, and cultural depth of Oaxaca.

Comfortable clothing and shoes, as you’ll walk and stand for long periods. Camera (DSLR, mirrorless, or phone) with low-light capability. Extra batteries and memory cards. A respectful mindset — this is a sacred day, not a spectacle.