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Overview

The 'Day of the Dead' (Dia de los Muertos) in Mexico is a celebration of the memory of family and loved ones who have passed. The ritual aims to celebrate the memory of those who have been rather than committing them to oblivion. The pre-Hispanic ancestral tradition has become popularised in modern…

Highlights

  • Celebrate the Day of the Dead in San Miguel de Allende
  • Paint yourself and your horse as Catrinas
  • Ride a horseback trail through the Villages of Mystery
  • Join a themed dinner and attend an outdoor theatre
  • Sample local cocktails and tequilas

Essential Facts

  • 1 itinerary available
  • £3635 $4750 €4125 per person
  • Max 14 riders per group
  • Average of 23 kilometres riding per day
  • Weight limit: 110kg / 17 stone 4 lbs / 242 lbs

Description

The 'Day of the Dead' (Dia de los Muertos) in Mexico is a celebration of the memory of family and loved ones who have passed. The ritual aims to celebrate the memory of those who have been rather than committing them to oblivion. The pre-Hispanic ancestral tradition has become popularised in modern culture worldwide by the Mexican illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada.

In this celebration of the Day of the Dead, death does not represent an absence but a living presence; death is a symbol of life that materialises on the altar offered. Families will organise parties to celebrate their relatives and in order to guide them on their way to their new life in the underworld.

UNESCO has declared the feast of the Day of the Dead as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity, due to its importance and significance as a traditional expression and representation of the community. The traditional celebration is truly considered a treasure of Mexican culture, with elements both from the new Catholic and historic indigenous beliefs of the country. Every year families place offerings and altars decorated with flowers, ornaments (traditionally made of paper), sugar skulls and food that their relatives liked in life. The offerings have great significance to the families because they are believed to help guide the souls on a good path after their death.

During the riding programme, you will be immersed in one of the most spectacular and vibrant Mexican traditions of all time. You will discover it in a unique way, on horseback, participating in the daytime processions and nighttime celebrations. You will also discover the value of this ancestral tradition and the warm hospitality that distinguishes the Mexican people. You will taste a variety of dishes that are central to the gastronomy of Mexico; enjoy the best tequilas; listen to mariachi music; ride through sites of great historical value; heritage cities; magical towns and villas full of legends. Accommodations are promised to be exceptional and well matched to the characteristics of this magnificent travel plan.

This is undoubtedly a "unique" horseback ride, to the very heart of Mexican culture, which will allow you to experience some of the most important treasures of their culture and traditions.

Horses & Riding

Tack

The tack used is mostly traditional Mexican-western style Charro saddles, but some American western saddles are also used. Bridles are usually simple western headstalls with shank bits or bosals.

Horses

The horses used for this ride are mostly Azteca, Quarter Horses and Mexican Creole, ranging in height between 15hh-16hh. They are responsive, forward going and well trained, as well as being fit and able to cover the long hours required on this route.

Riding

There is 1 itinerary:

  • Day of the Dead Trail is a trail ride

Ages

Riders aged 14 and over can be accepted for this ride. Minors aged 14-18 should be accompanied by an adult, or have written permission from a parent or guardian.

Health

Fit and Healthy

Weight

110kg / 17 stone 4 lbs / 242 lbs

Food & Accommodation

Food

During the ride, all of your meals will be included from dinner on the day of arrival until breakfast on your day of departure. Only lunch on day two is not included.

You will enjoy a veritable feast of traditional Mexican dishes; often simple spreads, but packed with plenty of flavour and fresh ingredients. Vegetarian diets may be accommodated with advance notice.

Accommodation

Each night except 1 is spent in comfortable and authentic local haciendas and hotels along the trail route, in double/twin rooms. For one of the nights you will stay in a multi-shared room. Single rooms may be available on request and at an extra cost, but cannot be guaranteed.

Itineraries

Day of the Dead Trail Standard accommodation.

Other Activities

The first three days are dedicated to experiencing the tradition of the Day of the Dead in two of the most beautiful cities in Mexico. During these days you join in the festivities and there is no riding. You will visit museums , explore the towns, join the parades and attend outdoor theatres.

Once you start riding, this is predominantly a riding programme, although you do stop and visit the sites you pass.

Non-riders can be accommodated.

Travel

The nearest airport for this ride is Leon (BJX) in the state of Guanajuato. There are limited direct flights to Leon from Europe and so you may need to take a connecting flight via Mexico City.

The meeting point for the trail is in the city of San Miguel de Allende, strictly at 16:00 hours on day 1.

The transfers from this meeting point in the city to the start point of the trail are included in the ride price. However, transfers from the airport are NOT included. Local taxis are cheap and easy to book, with costs for a one-way trip from the airport to the city costing around the equivalent of c.GB£20,

Itinerary & Pricing

Day 1 - October 26th

Riding: No riding.

You will be met in the city of San Miguel de Allende (time and place to be confirmed). This city is characterised by its rich traditions, in which popular events and festivals play an important role throughout the year. San Miguel is a town full of magic and preserved traditions occurring nowhere else in the world. It's a place of culture and art, recognised by UNESCO under the title of Fortified City of San Miguel and Sanctuary of Jesus Nazareno de Atotonilco for its contribution to the Mexican Baroque. It's worth spending an extra night here before the ride to explore.

You will be met and transferred to the ranch where you are welcomed by your hosts and guide. You'll meet the horses and enjoy a welcome cocktail and presentation of the programme before dinner.

**Please note that the actual day-by-day itinerary may vary slightly, but will still include the riding and Day of the Dead celebrations, but perhaps in a different order**

Day 2 - October 27th

Riding: 29 kilometres

What better way to start a magnificent trip than at the Sanctuary of Jesus of Nazarene. The Sanctuario de Jesus Nazareno de Atotonilco is a church complex and part of a World Heritate Site. It was built in the 18th century by Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro who, according to tradition, was called upon by a vision of Jesus with a crown of thorns on his head, blood on his face and carrying a cross. The main feature of the complex is the rich Mexican Baroque mural work that adorns the main nave and chapels - chiefly the work of Antonio Martinez de Pocasangre over a period of 30 years.

Today you travel back in time on horseback , riding the historic road to freedom used by the liberators in the war of independence in 1816. This old royal road known as Camino Real de Tierra Adentro is a historically significant route spanning more than 2500 kms and passing through ancient communities with important historical aspects such as Indigenous Chichimec, Independence war and Indian chapels. The Royal Road was crucial during the colonial era (16th - 1t9h centuries) for trade, migration and cultural expansion between the northern territories of New Spain and the centre of the viceroyalty. Additionally, this route facilitated cultural exchange and the blending of indigenous and European traditions, leaving a profound legacy in the regions it traversed. In 2010 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During this day ride you'll have a chance to see these historical aspects and have a picnic lunch in a property that played an important role during the Independence war in 1810.

Day 3 - October 28th

Riding: 23 kilometres

Your journey on horseback takes you to discover Dolores Hidalgo, a destination with great cultural and historical content and one of the most important towns in Mexico. A small but beautiful colonial city of historical heritage because it was the cradle of the most emblematic patriotic feature of Mexico - Independence.

Continue riding through a valley of cacti and small communities in the valley and stop for lunch in the middle of this exotic valley surrounded by cactus, acacias and semi-desert landscapes. After lunch you ride to a safe spot for the horses to overnight, in a location reminiscent of a western movie! You are then transferred back to Dolores Hidalgo to overnight in a hotel and can discover how they celebrate the Day of the Dead in this magical city.

Day 4 - October 29th

Riding: 31 kilometres

After breakfast, you're transferred back to the horses ready to continue your journey. You'll ride through one of the greatest biodiversity areas in the region, through oak forests, pine trees and small communities full of history and nestled in the midst of high mountains and majestic natural landscapes. Stop for lunch in a forest surrounded by impressive nature. Eventually you reach your destination of Santa Rosa, a small village in the middle of the Sierra Central mountains.

Day 5 - October 30th

Riding: 31 kilometres

Continue your journey on horseback through a collection of settlements known as the Mystery Villages. Riding through the mystery villages you'll experience the magic and splendour of the various communities in which the Chichimec culture, mining and Cristero region converge. The Mystery Villages are a thematic concept based on mystery and nourished by the legends and traditions of the region, so what better time to discover them than prior to the celebrations for the Day of the Dead!

Your destination for the nights is a small typical Mexican Ranch where you spend the night in a Glamping camp. An open bar is on offer this evening.

Day 6 - October 31st

Riding: 2 kilometres

After a late breakfast you take time to find the proper Alebrije form for your horse and then characterise them in the form of catrinas. "Alebrige" are whimsical carvings depicting animals, people, objects and imaginary creatures with intense colours and intricate patterns. These distinctive cultural artefacts are often assumed to represent a long established tradition of Mexican folk art. "Catrinas" are the icons of the Day of the Dead in Mexico.

You are able to characterise yourselves and your horses before parading through the ranch dressed as Catrinas and posing for a photo and video session. You then attend a themed dinner with an open bar.

Day 7 - November 1st

Riding: No riding.

You are transferred by car to the city of Guanajuato where you can enjoy the intensity of the tradition of the Day of the Dead in a town full of magic and mysticism. You take a walking tour and are guided through the route of "offerings" to the Day of the Dead and visit the historic centre which will be alive with tradition. After a break you are free to walk around and discover the magic of this celebration as decorations through every corner of the city. You can take lunch and dinner at one of the many restaurants in the historic centre (payable locally) and attend theatrical performances which are held in the main square and organised by the House of Culture and Arts. Lunch/Dinner are not included today so that you are free to make your own choice from the wide variety of culinary options on offer. Overnight in Guanajuato.

Day 8 - November 2nd

Riding: No riding.

After breakfast you visit the Museum of Mummies. Here you discover the mummified remains of Mexican ancestors, some of which date back to 1870. It is considered the largest collection of natural mummies in the world and the cultural heritage of the Municipality of Guanajuato. You then continue to discover the colonial city of Guanajuato with beautiful buildings that contain elements of the two main cultures that created them - indigenous and Hispanic. The buildings retain their architectural and environmental characteristics and the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage City in 1988 along with its adjacent mines. Visit the historic centre, walk through its narrow alleys and discover the magic of the Day of the Dead celebrations in houses, squares and gardens. Also visit the "monumental offering" of Guanajuato and "El Tapete de la Muerte" (the death carpet) as well as "La Catrina Vive Festival" and enjoy live music with the locals.

Again, lunch and dinner are not included so you can make your own choices from the rich gastronomy and vibrant local dining experiences.

Day 9 - November 3rd

Riding: No riding.

Enjoy your final breakfast at your hotel before checking out.

Accommodation

Each night except 1 is spent in comfortable and authentic local haciendas and hotels along the trail route, in double/twin rooms. For one of the nights you stay in a multi-shared room. Single rooms may be available on request and at an extra cost, but cannot be guaranteed.
Experience Intermediate / Experienced

Riders should be at least of an intermediate riding level, confident at all paces, spending long hours in the saddle and riding in a large group. You should also be able to mount/dismount and lead your horse over some tricky sections.
Minimum group size 6
Maximum group size 14
Departure windows

Oct. 26, 2026 - Nov. 3, 2026

Pricing

2026
Rider, Sharing		 £3635 $4750 €4125
Single rooms cannot be guaranteed, so you should be willing to share.
Included 8 nights shared accommodation, most meals from dinner on day one to breakfast on day nine, riding, tours as described in itinerary, some drinks.
Not included Flights, airport transfers, lunch and dinner on two days, additional museum entrance fees, drinks (except those mentioned), insurance, personal expenses, tips

Extras

2026 - Private Transfer (Guanajuato City - start point of trail) $185 per person
Paid locally
Guide Price. Cost payable for additional transfers should you not be able to get to the meeting point at the arranged time (due to flight delays, etc).
2026 - Small Group Supplement £585 $765 €665 per person
Paid to Far and Ride
Guide Price - please enquire when booking. Payable to guarantee the ride for 2-5 riders. Supplement is removed once 6 riders are confirmed.
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.