Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Mexico: the Monarch Butterflies, Valle de Bravo and Teotihuacan
6 days from Mexico City: Teotihuacan at opening and the Templo Mayor, then three nights by the lake in Valle de Bravo with two monarch sanctuaries at about 3,000 m on the State of Mexico side of the reserve.
6 days · Round trip from Mexico City · up to 12 guests
Sunset over the lake at Valle de Bravo Photo: MariaAngelesPhoto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pier_in_Valle_de_Bravo,_Estado_de_M%C3%A9xico.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 6 days, 5 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Mexico City
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3.5 h on day 6No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Two sanctuary walks at around 3,000 m on steep, dusty forest trails: about 3 km round trip at Piedra Herrada and a longer, steeper climb at El Capulín, with horses included for most of each. About 5 km on uneven stone at Teotihuacan; otherwise easy town walking. Anyone can ride the trails or wait at the entrance instead.
- Meals included
- 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 465 (estimated price)
- Season
- Monarch season only
Highlights
Why this trip
- Monarchs dropping from the fir branches into the sunlight at Piedra Herrada, at about 3,000 m
- A second colony on a second day at El Capulín, on foot or on horseback
- Teotihuacan's Avenue of the Dead at opening, before the coaches arrive
- The Templo Mayor and the Coyolxauhqui stone, a few steps from the Zócalo
- Sunset over the lake from La Peña, above Valle de Bravo
- Three nights in one lakeside town, with a free afternoon every day and a farewell dinner
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 465 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3.5 h, on day 6.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Mexico City
Mexico City International Airport (MEX) to your hotel in the Centro Histórico
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Mexico City
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Mexico City International Airport (MEX), where a driver meets you in arrivals for the drive of about 13 km to a central hotel in or near the Centro Histórico.
Evening
Aim to land by about 3 pm to join the evening walk. If you land in the morning, the driver still meets you and the hotel holds your bags until your room is ready; we tell you the check-in time when we confirm the hotel. Later arrivals join the group at dinner. The city sits at about 2,240 m, so take the afternoon slowly, drink water and go easy on alcohol: it is the first step in getting used to the height you will walk at later in the week. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the butterflies, the season and the two sanctuary walks. Then we walk together along the Alameda Central and down the pedestrian Calle Madero to the Zócalo, lit up at night, with the Metropolitan Cathedral on its north side. The welcome dinner is close to the square.
Included
- Pick-up at Mexico City International Airport (MEX)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk from the Alameda Central to the Zócalo
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early-evening briefing
Activity: About 1.5 km of easy, flat walking on city pavements.
Teotihuacan at opening, the Templo Mayor after lunch
Mexico City to Teotihuacan and back, then the Templo Mayor beside the Zócalo
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mexico City
- Drive about 2 h
We leave the hotel early, ahead of the traffic and the tour coaches, timed to reach Teotihuacan, about 50 km northeast of the city, as the gates open. This was one of the largest cities of the ancient Americas, at its height in the first centuries AD, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Morning
With a local site guide we walk the Avenue of the Dead from the Ciudadela and the carved Temple of the Feathered Serpent to the Pyramid of the Sun and on to the Pyramid of the Moon, in the cool of the morning before the sun bakes the open stone. Whether the pyramids can be climbed depends on the site's rules on the day.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near the site. Back in the centre by mid-afternoon, we visit the Templo Mayor, the excavated main temple of Aztec Tenochtitlan right beside the Zócalo, and its museum, home to the great carved Coyolxauhqui stone.
Evening
The evening is free to eat where you like.
Included
- Teotihuacan from opening with a local site guide: the Ciudadela, the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon
- Sit-down lunch near Teotihuacan
- The Templo Mayor archaeological site and museum
Easier option: Wait in the shade by the Pyramid of the Sun while the group walks on to the Pyramid of the Moon; the vehicle collects you at the nearest gate.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 5 km on foot, mostly flat but on uneven stone and gravel, at about 2,300 m. Bring a hat and sunscreen; there is little shade at Teotihuacan.
A Mexico City market, then west to Valle de Bravo
Mexico City to Valle de Bravo via Toluca
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Valle de Bravo
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After breakfast your guide walks you through the Mercado de San Juan, a covered market a few blocks from the Alameda, for its fruit, chillies, cheeses and stalls of staples sold by the scoop, and a coffee. At about 10 am we drive west, about 155 km and three hours with the city traffic, up over the mountains past Toluca and down through pine forest to Valle de Bravo, a lakeside town of whitewashed walls and red-tile roofs at about 1,800 m, where we stay three nights.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in town when we arrive. The afternoon is yours: walk the cobbled lanes up to the main square and its parish church, or take a slow boat out on the lake, a reservoir created in the 1940s and now known for its sailing. Valle de Bravo sits lower than Mexico City, so it is a good place to sleep well before the first sanctuary walk tomorrow.
Included
- Mercado de San Juan walk with your guide
- Drive to Valle de Bravo
- Sit-down lunch in Valle de Bravo
Optional experiences
- A boat ride on the lake at Valle de Bravo, booked with your guide and paid locally
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Valle de Bravo
Piedra Herrada and the first monarchs
Valle de Bravo to the Piedra Herrada sanctuary and back, then La Peña at sunset
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Valle de Bravo
- Drive about 1 h
Evening
Monarchs spend the night packed in clusters on the oyamel firs and only start to fly once the sun warms them, so there is no dawn start. We leave Valle de Bravo at about 9:30 am for the Piedra Herrada sanctuary, about 30 minutes away on the road towards Toluca, run by the local community. With one of its guides we climb a steep forest trail, 30 to 60 minutes up, to the colony at about 3,000 m; a horse can carry you most of the way, and the hire is in the price. On a sunny day, from late morning, butterflies drop from branches so heavy with them that they bend, and fill the air in orange drifts; in the quiet you can hear their wings. Visitors keep to the trail and keep their voices down. Lunch is back in Valle de Bravo, the afternoon is free, and near sunset we go up to La Peña, the rock lookout above town, for the last light over the lake.
Included
- Piedra Herrada monarch sanctuary with a local community guide, entry included
- Horse hire for the trail, for anyone who wants it
- Sit-down lunch in Valle de Bravo
- Sunset from La Peña
Easier option: Ride a horse most of the way up and back; the last stretch to the colony is a short walk on foot.
More active option: Walk the whole trail both ways, and walk down from La Peña to the town centre after sunset.
Free time: Afternoon free in Valle de Bravo
Activity: The first altitude walk: about 3 km round trip on a steep, dusty trail from about 2,800 m up to the colony at about 3,000 m. Walk slowly, rest often and bring a warm layer for the shade.
El Capulín, a second colony
Valle de Bravo to the El Capulín sanctuary near Donato Guerra and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Valle de Bravo
- Drive about 2 h
The second sanctuary is El Capulín, run by the local community near Donato Guerra on the State of Mexico side of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
Morning
We leave Valle de Bravo at about 9:30 am for a drive of about an hour through farm villages and pine forest, timed again for late morning, when the sun reaches the colony. The climb here is longer and steeper than at Piedra Herrada, up through oyamel fir forest to a colony at about 3,000 m or higher; walk it with a community guide, or ride a horse, included, for most of the way. A second colony on a second day means a cold, cloudy morning on day 4 does not cost you the butterflies in flight. Clustered monarchs look like grey-brown leaves until the sun touches them and the branches seem to come apart into orange wings.
Evening
We are back in Valle de Bravo for a late sit-down lunch, the afternoon is free, and the farewell dinner is in town.
Included
- El Capulín monarch sanctuary with a local community guide, entry included
- Horse hire for the trail, for anyone who wants it
- Sit-down lunch in Valle de Bravo
- Farewell dinner in Valle de Bravo
Optional experiences
- A boat ride on the lake at Valle de Bravo, booked with your guide and paid locally
Easier option: Ride a horse most of the way to the colony and back, or stay at the entrance with a hot drink while the group walks.
More active option: Walk the full trail both ways; the local guide sets the pace for the altitude.
Free time: Afternoon free in Valle de Bravo
Activity: The harder walk: a longer and steeper climb than at Piedra Herrada on day 4, to a colony at about 3,000 m or higher, on a dusty forest trail. Horses are included for most of the way. Bring a warm layer for the shade and water.
Valle de Bravo back to Mexico City
Valle de Bravo to Mexico City International Airport (MEX) via Toluca, or a hotel in the Centro Histórico
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A slow last morning by the lake. Breakfast is unhurried, with time for a last walk down to the waterfront or up to the main square and its parish church, and at about 9:30 am we drive back east, about 170 km past Toluca and over the pass at La Marquesa, close to 3,000 m, where the pine forest gives way to the first views of the valley of Mexico. With the Mexico City traffic it is about three and a half hours, with a coffee stop on the way, and we reach Mexico City International Airport (MEX) at about 1 pm. Book a flight leaving after about 5 pm; the city's traffic is hard to predict, and the extra margin is worth it. If you are staying on in Mexico City, we drop you at a hotel in the Centro Histórico instead. From there the two trips linked below continue: south to Puebla and Oaxaca, or north to San Miguel de Allende.
Included
- Drive back to Mexico City
- Drop-off at Mexico City International Airport (MEX), or at a hotel in the Centro Histórico
Free time: Free morning in Valle de Bravo until about 9:30 am
Activity: No walking beyond an optional stroll before we leave. Book a flight leaving MEX after about 5 pm.
- Mexico City2 nights
- Valle de Bravo3 nights
- Mexico Cityend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Late December to early March is the dry season: clear, sunny days and cold nights, close to freezing in the forest. Monarchs fly when the sun warms them, usually from late morning to early afternoon; on cold or cloudy days they stay clustered on the trees.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Nature lovers who want to stand inside a monarch colony, not just see a photo of one
- Travellers who want the butterflies and Mexico City's great sites in under a week
- Walkers happy with a short, steep climb at altitude, or happy to ride a horse
- Travellers who want one slow base by a lake rather than a new hotel every night
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: the sanctuary trails are steep, dusty and unpaved
- Travellers with heart or lung conditions that altitude makes worse, without a doctor's go-ahead
- Anyone travelling outside late December to early March
- Travellers set on the larger Michoacán colonies at El Rosario or Sierra Chincua, which this trip does not visit while the government advice stands
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
5 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Mexico City2 nights
- Valle de Bravo3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 5 nights in central hotels: 2 in Mexico City's Centro Histórico, 3 in Valle de Bravo
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Mexico City International Airport (MEX), or drop-off at a Centro Histórico hotel on day 6
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, with more seats than guests
- Every transfer in our vehicle: no public buses
- Horses for the sanctuary trails at Piedra Herrada and El Capulín
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with a local site guide at Teotihuacan and community guides at both butterfly sanctuaries
Activities
- Mexico City: evening walk to the Zócalo, the Templo Mayor and its museum, and the Mercado de San Juan
- Teotihuacan, from opening
- Piedra Herrada monarch sanctuary
- El Capulín monarch sanctuary, in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
- Valle de Bravo: sunset from La Peña
- All entry and sanctuary fees
Meals
- Breakfast daily (5)
- 4 sit-down lunches: Teotihuacan and Valle de Bravo (3)
- Welcome dinner in Mexico City and farewell dinner in Valle de Bravo
Not included
- International flights to and from Mexico City
- Travel insurance, which should cover walking and horse riding at about 3,000 m
- Meals not listed: dinners on days 2 to 4 and lunch on day 6
- Drinks
- Tips for the guide, driver and local guides
- Optional activities, such as a boat ride on the lake at Valle de Bravo
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 465 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Five nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, four sit-down lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, a local site guide at Teotihuacan, and community guides, entry fees and horse hire at both butterfly sanctuaries, plus every visit in the day plan, including the Templo Mayor.
When can I see the monarch butterflies in Mexico?
The butterflies winter in the fir forests from about November to March, and we run this trip from late December to early March only, when the colonies are settled and sunny middays bring them into the air. January and February are the most reliable months. Outside those weeks we do not sell it.
Will we definitely see the butterflies?
Almost always, but the show depends on the weather. On a cold or cloudy day the monarchs stay clustered on the trees, which is still a remarkable sight, and fly when the sun breaks through. Visiting two sanctuaries on two different days doubles the chance of a warm, sunny visit.
How fit do I need to be for the sanctuary walks?
Moderately fit. Both sanctuary walks climb to around 3,000 m on steep, dusty forest trails, the second longer and steeper than the first, and the thin air makes them harder than the distance suggests. Horses are included at both, so you can ride most of the way and walk only the last stretch to the colony.
Does the trip go to Michoacán?
No. Canada advises against non-essential travel to Michoacán outside Morelia and Pátzcuaro, and the US rates the state Do Not Travel, so Angangueo, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua are out. Both our sanctuaries, Piedra Herrada and El Capulín, are in the State of Mexico. We check both governments' advice before every departure and send you a summary.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, in a vehicle with more seats than guests, so the group fits on a narrow forest trail and around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the drop-off on day 6. Local site guides join at Teotihuacan, and guides from the communities that run the sanctuaries lead the walks to the colonies, as the sanctuaries require.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which is from CAD 465 more, shown up front. If you would rather share, ask when you book and we try to match you with another solo traveller of the same gender; if we cannot, you are not charged the supplement.
Do I need a visa for Mexico?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for a tourist stay; the immigration officer decides how many days you are given on arrival. Other passports should check the current rules before booking. You need a passport valid for the length of your stay.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version is the same trip for your party only, on a date you choose within the butterfly season, from CAD 5,210 per person. If you want to travel independently on your own dates without a guide, send an inquiry and we will quote it separately; it is not a style of this trip.
How does booking work?
You send a request to book with your dates and party. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 2,895 per person sharing, taxes included.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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