Monarch Butterfly Tour from Mexico City
Description
Monarch butterflies have one of the most important migrations in the world, from southern Canada to the oyamel forests in the States of Mexico and Michoacan, you will be surprised by their fragility but at the same time their strength. You can hear its flapping! You will learn about their biology, migration routes, their journey from Canada, the dangers, their predators and their life cycle. We will have a walk of approximately 40 minutes to reach the butterfly colony, if you prefer you can go on horseback (extra cost). After admiring this beautiful natural phenomenon, we will enjoy a delicious meal with ingredients from the region. We will return to Mexico City at approximately 6:30 pm.
Tour Options
Itinerary
A walk enjoying the song of the birds, the colors of the flowers, the smell of the forest until you reach the colony of the Monarch Butterfly. An amazing experience where you will enjoy thousands of butterflies flying around you. After the walk, a pre-Hispanic gastronomy workshop where you will learn about ritual drinks, insects, quelites and instruments of Mexican cuisine. You will make your own tortilla!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- A minimum of 2 travelers is required to operate
- Minimum 2 people to operate
Reviews(15)
This was an amazing experience. My girlfriend describes it as being in a magical fairytale- we had so many butterflies flying around us and in the forest. Please keep in mind- what you see is entirely random in terms of butterfly activity. The guides explain that they do not fly with it is cloud/overcast and stay clumped in the trees. Luckily we had a beautiful sunny day and we came in the peak season (Feb). We walked the first half and decided to ride the horses on the return hike which was really fun and worth the pesos. The meal you get for lunch was AMAZING as well. Probably one of the best meals of the trip to Mexico City. The atole and carne asada meal was so good and the fig bread appetizer was amazing. Im not sure white Americans would appreciate the meal, but coming from a Mexican American - It was bomb. Highly recommend this tour (come during peak season and cross your fingers it's a sunny day).
The guides were very knowledgeable and kind. It was a great experience and the nature was truly beautiful!
This was unbelievable experience We were lucky enough to visit on a warm Monday so literally we had the Mountain to ourselves 💙 Well worth the 3 hour car drive our driver and guide Marta Turísticos were wonderful and very safe driver. I didn’t realize how safe he was until we had a driver from hell when we went on a hot air balloon ride 2 days later. All in all I would highly recommend this trip it is something I will never forget💙
Jeffrey We are glad to know that you really enjoy this amaizing experience! Yes, our drivers are trained to drive on that busy highway.
We had a great time,long walk in altitude, my wife took a horse 400$ mxc for Both ways.Restaurant was good.Try to go There on sunny Day.Only probem the bus was small for a 8 hours ride.
Stephane Thank you for your visit. Your feedback help us create better experiences
It’s a wonderful adventure. Our guide was very knowledgeable, engaging and spoke English well. The hike is not for the faint of heart, but horses are available at extra cost if the hike is too much. Once at the summit, the son came out and the butterflies began to fly. It was absolutely magical. After our descent, we were served a delicious, authentic lunch. It was a long, but memorable day.
We are glad to know that you enjoy this trip. This experience is a great opportunity to enjoy the landscape, to know local people and dave this magical moment in your memory. Thank you
Unfortunately our Uber driver dropped us at the wrong address (despite copying and pasting the address of the meeting point in the app). We promptly communicated with the company, and as soon as we realized the Uber driver’s mistake and that we were a 5 min drive away, we raced to the meeting point. We ended up being 19 minutes late, arriving just as they left without us and refused a refund or exchange. This tells you a lot about Paseos Touristicos, the company running this tour. Their communication was smug, and they were entirely unsympathetic about tourists trying to get to a destination in an unknown city at 6:30 in the morning. I would highly suggest going with another tour company!!! Avoid our mistake!!!
We are sorry that you were not able to live this experience, but everything was ready to serve you and you did not show up. The company contacted you to tell you that they were already waiting for you in the meeting point, until that moment you realized that you were in the wrong place. When your Uber driver dropped you off at that location, you didn't take the precaution of confirming that you were in the right place, you didn't even look for the subway station entrance that your ticket indicates. The instructions are very clear on your ticket, it indicates the address, the intersection of the streets, it gives the reference that it is outside the Polanco metro station and there is also a map that indicates the exact pick-up location. Every week we receive tourists who have no problem getting to the meeting point, elderly people who are not so familiar with technology and applications and arrive on time to the meeting point. ALL OF THEM arrive at 6:30 am The guides waited for you 15 minutes, even though our tolerance time is 10 minutes. A refund is made when the company does not provide the service, but on this occasion the guides and driver were waiting for you and the expenses generated by your reservation were paid. We work with rural communities that prepare exclusively to receive the number of people who book: food, access and local guide were paid for, as well as the guide and driver's salary. Out of respect for the people who did arrive on time, we cannot wait more than 10 minutes. We suggest that the next time you book a tour you read and understand the instructions. Also make sure that your Uber driver drops you off at the right place, because that was your mistake, not the company's.
The tour guides were very helpful and knowledgeable! They were also supportive with my medical condition. Highly recommend!
Miriam, Thank you for your comment, we are glad you and your friends enjoy this experience.
After we got picked up we took the drive to the mountain. The guide was very informative during the drive and helped us understand the culture surrounding the butterflies and sanctuary. On the hike up it felt like we were approaching a magical location as the butterflies slowly increased in numbers. The local guide at the location was excellent, although didn't speak English but made the effort to point out interesting things we saw. We went with our 3 year old so I carried him most of the way and was getting severely winded about 80% of the way up. The guides pushed us to continue and even carried our son a portion of the way to help us up because they wanted to make sure we saw this awesome experience and it was well worth it. The butterflies covered the trees and local guides shared their binoculars to allow us closer looks. The hike down was much easier and we were treated to lunch which was delicious. This was a great trip
The Butterfly Sanctuary is a magical place in March. The sun and warm temperatures allowed for the full display of joyful and playful butterfly flight. It is a uniq experience that fulfills many senses. Marta and Alonzo (guide and driver) were wonderful, friendly, caring, knowledgeable and attentive individuals. Brava to all.
We highly recommend this tour with Alfonso and Martha as we spent an amazing day with them. The pickup at the hotel is very smooth and the drive, though quite long, comprises a stop in a petrol station for coffee/toilet. Arriving at the reserve, the breakfast is local and tasty, and if you wish you can ask for a horse ride up/down for an extra fee. We were lucky enough to do this tour end of February as it was the best time to see tons of lively butterflies. Be aware that this is a tour in nature, meaning you cannot control everything such as the weather or the location, quantities, and behaviors of butterflies. But the fact that this tour comprises a "tortilla workshop" part (baking your own tortilla and making your salsa), which can happen under any weather, makes this tour less "all or nothing" than others in case of bad weather. We really got good contact with Alfonso and Martha who even stopped on the way down so that we could go look up for some axolotl before heading back to Mexico City after this magical nature day. In short, if you are a nature lover respectful of the fact that nature is unpredictable, and willing to have a sneak peek into Mexican gastronomy with really nice people, this tour is for you :)
Hi Joanna Thank you so much for your comments. We are glad to know you enjoyed this amazing experience. We love receiving travelers who love and enjoy nature like you!!
