Quick answer
Day of the Dead in Oaxaca (Día de Muertos) runs from October 31 to November 2, and those dates never change: in 2027 they fall Sunday to Tuesday. The 2027 program isn't out yet; in 2026 it ran from October 26 to November 3, with the Gran Comparsa, the big costume parade, on Saturday the 31st at 18:00. At night, people go to the cemetery: in 2025, the Panteón General stayed open until midnight. Book your lodging first. A KORU rental starts in Puerto Escondido, about 2.5 hours away by highway.
When is Day of the Dead in Oaxaca in 2027?
The three big nights never move; what changes every year is the program. In 2027, October 31 is a Sunday; Todos Santos (All Saints' Day), November 1, falls on a Monday, and Fieles Difuntos (All Souls' Day), the 2nd, on a Tuesday. According to INAH, Mexico's national institute of anthropology and history, tradition splits the arrival of the souls over two days, children first and then adults, and in some communities it starts in late October and runs to November 3. Oaxaca's state government presents the program in early October: on the 8th in 2025 and on the 6th in 2026.
Cemeteries: which ones open at night and how to visit
At night in the city, head to the Panteón General, also known as San Miguel: in 2025 it stayed open until midnight, from 7:00 to 24:00, from October 31 to November 2, according to the Oaxaca de Juárez city government. Panteón Jardín closed at 19:00, and Marquesado and Xochimilco at 18:00. In 2008, UNESCO inscribed Mexico's indigenous festivities dedicated to the dead as intangible cultural heritage. In Santa María Atzompa, according to INAH, the alumbrada on the 31st means thousands of candles and families keeping vigil until dawn without eating or talking: there, you stay quiet and ask before taking a photo.
Comparsas and muerteadas: where they start and when
More than 20,000 people watched the 2025 Gran Comparsa, with 11 delegations and nine floats, according to Oaxaca's tourism ministry. It sets off on the 31st at 18:00 from the Fuente de las Ocho Regiones toward the center; that's how it was scheduled in 2025 and 2026. The neighborhood party is the muerteadas: in 2025 the ministry listed those of Soledad Etla (Barrio de Abajo, Barrio de Arriba and Los Reyes Matadamas), Guadalupe Etla's on November 1 and 2, and the Cinco Señores comparsa, in the city, on the 1st from 19:00. Our take: the big parade one evening, a muerteada another night and the cemeteries on their own.
From Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca: when to drive up and back
The hard part isn't the road, it's the room: in 2025 the city averaged 88.36% hotel occupancy on October 31 and November 1, according to Oaxaca's tourism ministry. On the Barranca Larga–Ventanilla highway, open since 2024, the drive takes about 2.5 hours; on the old road, close to 6.5. Tolls and stops are covered in our highway guide. We'd drive up on Saturday the 30th in daylight and come back down on Tuesday the 2nd or Wednesday the 3rd, also by day: the nights are for the cemeteries, not for the mountains.
Your Day of the Dead vehicle starts in Puerto Escondido
For this trip, a car or an SUV; we wouldn't go up on an ATV. Taking it to Oaxaca depends on the vehicle and the provider; confirm it with the team before paying. Since KORU has no vehicles in the state capital, you search for Puerto Escondido on korurent.com with your late-October dates: only what's free shows up, and the total with VAT and the deposit appear before you pay. When you book, you pay the full amount by card or Apple Pay after confirming your email with a 6-digit code; then you verify your driver's license (front, back and a selfie) and sign the contract.
Heads up
In 2025, the state traffic police ran breathalyzer checkpoints on highways and on the roads into the capital during these dates. If there was mezcal at the muerteada, the car stays parked where you're sleeping. Fines, tolls and any charges on the trip are yours to pay.
“Day of the Dead in Oaxaca gets planned backwards: first the room, then the nights and the car last. Once you're up there, leave it parked: you can walk to the Panteón General from the center, and take a taxi to Etla.”
— KORU RENT
Rent your car in Puerto Escondido
Pick your Day of the Dead dates: only available vehicles show up.
Oaxaca de Juárez
The state capital, plus KORU's guides for exploring the Central Valleys.
New Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido highway
How long it takes, the toll and what to check before you head up.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the vehicle and the provider; confirm it with the team before paying. Renting in Puerto is the only option with KORU, because there are no vehicles listed in Oaxaca City. If they confirm, think of a car or an SUV.
Rentals are counted by the day: each day is 24 hours from your pickup time, from 1 to 30 days. If you pick up on Saturday, October 30, 2027, and return it on Wednesday the 3rd at the same time, that's four days.
Just your valid driver's license, from Mexico or another country. After paying, you verify it online with a photo of the front and back and a selfie, in about 2 minutes. For cars and SUVs, the minimum age is usually 21.
No. Right now the vehicles listed on KORU are only in Puerto Escondido, and each provider sets the handover point there. For a heads-up in case they ever reach Oaxaca, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com.
It isn't a charge: it's a hold on your card, which can differ from the one you paid with, and you authorize it from your account on handover day. The amount depends on the vehicle and shows before you pay; with no damage or charges, it's released after the return is checked.
Yes, from My rentals, with the Change booking option. Canceling, on the other hand, always has a fee that depends on how far ahead you do it. Since the nights of the 31st to the 2nd don't move, you can book those dates without waiting for the program.
A night at the cemetery, one at a muerteada and none on the road: that's how we like Day of the Dead. Once your lodging in Oaxaca is set, go to korurent.com, choose Puerto Escondido with your late-October dates and book there. Anything still unclear, ask us on WhatsApp.