At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season The first weekend of November 2026 is the dearest of the year: the city parade on 31 October, the Grand Prix race and Día de Muertos on 1 November. From about the 4th prices fall away and the city is quiet.
Mexico City in November — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Mexico City in November offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for culture seekers & photographers. Expect temperatures of 10–23°C, around 4 days of rain, and peak crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around $55–185 for mid-range travellers. Book accommodation four to six weeks ahead for the best balance of price and availability.
Contents14 sections
#Weather in Mexico City in November
Mexico City in November averages 10–23°C (50–73°F) with around 4 days of rain, and crowds are peak.
| Measure | November in Mexico City |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 23°C / 73°F |
| Overnight low | About 10°C / 50°F |
| Wet days | About 4, with 17mm of rain |
| Sunset | 6:03pm on the 1st, 5:57pm on the 30th |
| Big dates | Día de Muertos, Sunday 1 and Monday 2 November 2026; Revolution Day holiday, Monday 16 November |
| Air | Clean, and among the best of the year |
Figures are Servicio Meteorológico Nacional 1991–2020 normals for Tacubaya, Mexico City; sunset times are calculated for the Centro.
What that actually means for your trip:
- The dry season has arrived. Four wet days in the month, mild sunny afternoons and cool, clear nights.
- The nights are cold at altitude. Ten degrees before dawn at 2,240 metres feels colder, and most small hotels and restaurants have no heating.
- The ozone is low. The spring ozone season is months away, though cold, still mornings can hold a haze of fine particles until the sun burns it off.
- It is the start of the dry season's light: clear skies, low sun and long shadows in the afternoons.
Should you come in November? It is two months in one.
The first days belong to Día de Muertos, the city's most famous occasion, and in 2026 the Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix lands on the same weekend, with the race on Sunday 1 November, so hotels are full and dear.
From about the 4th, the crowds leave, prices fall and the city is mild, dry, clean-aired and quiet, one of the best stretches of the year, which hardly anyone plans for.
#What to Do in Mexico City in November
Día de Muertos, 1 and 2 November
The dates do not move: 1 November is for children who have died, 2 November for adults. Families clean and decorate the graves of their dead with cempasúchil marigolds and candles, bring food and music, and keep vigil, often through the night.
Near the city, the cemetery at San Andrés Mixquic, in the far south-east, and the cemeteries of Xochimilco hold the best-known vigils. See our Día de Muertos guide.
The city's parade, Saturday 31 October
The Gran Desfile de Día de Muertos, the parade of giant skeletons, floats and dancers, is a modern addition, first held in 2016, and its date is set by the city each year.
The city has set the 2026 parade for Saturday 31 October, from 2pm, the day before the month begins; crowds line Reforma and the Centro hours ahead.
The Mexico City Grand Prix, 30 October to 1 November
Formula 1's Mexico City Grand Prix runs at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, in the east of the city, with the race on the Sunday afternoon. In 2026 it shared the 30 October to 1 November weekend with the parade and the first day of Día de Muertos, which is why that weekend was the dearest of the year for hotels; in 2027 it runs from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 October. If you are not going to the race, keep clear of the east of the city on the Sunday.
Revolution Day
The anniversary of the 1910 Revolution is marked by a public holiday on the third Monday of November, 16 November in 2026, making a long weekend.
The traditional parade has been held on 20 November itself.
Mexico's big annual sale, El Buen Fin, runs across it, from Friday 13 to Tuesday 17 November 2026, with discounts in the department stores and malls.
The quiet second half
From the 4th, the city is at its most comfortable and least crowded.
Teotihuacán on a clear, cool morning, Xochimilco on a weekday, Coyoacán and the Centro on foot are all at their best, and none of them is busy.
A day out to Puebla
Puebla, two hours away by bus, is the home of Talavera tiles and mole poblano, with a cathedral grander than the capital's. November's dry, mild weather makes it an easy long day.
#Getting Around
The Metro and Metrobús run as normal and are the fastest way around the Centro in the first days of the month, when the streets around the Zócalo and the parade route close. Ride-hailing apps are cheap and safer than hailing a taxi in the street, but prices surge over the holiday weekend and around the Grand Prix.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | US$55–90 | Hostel or simple hotel, street food and fondas, the Metro |
| Mid-range | US$120–185 | Boutique hotel in Roma or Condesa, restaurants, museums |
| Luxury | US$320+ | Polanco hotels and tasting menus |
Where the money actually goes:
- The first weekend is the dearest of the year. The parade, the Grand Prix and Día de Muertos fall together, and hotels in the Centro, Roma and Condesa book out months ahead.
- From the 4th, prices fall away sharply, and the rest of the month is among the best value of the dry season.
- Hotels carry a lodging tax and VAT on top of the room rate; compare totals.
- Tipping is 10 to 15% in restaurants and is not usually included.
November rewards anyone who can choose their dates. Come for the first three days and you pay a premium for the most extraordinary days of the year; come a week later and you have the best weather of the dry season at a fraction of the price.
#Food & Dining
Pan de muerto, the sweet bread topped with dough bones and sugar, runs until the first days of the month and then disappears for the year; eat it while it lasts.
Around Día de Muertos the markets sell calaveritas, sugar and amaranth skulls, often with names on them, and the vigils come with tamales and atole.
After the first week, the city returns to its everyday excellence, and November's mild evenings suit the walk home from the tasting restaurants of Roma and Polanco.
For something local, a comida corrida at a fonda is the best-value meal in the city. Tap water is not drunk; bottled and filtered water is everywhere.
#Nightlife
The first days of the month are unlike any other time of year: the streets of the Centro are full of people in face paint at night, and the bars of Roma and Condesa fill with Grand Prix crowds too. After that, November is the best terrace month of the dry season, dry and mild, cool enough to want a jacket. At 2,240 metres alcohol hits harder; pace yourself.
#Shopping
Mercado de Jamaica is at its marigold peak in the last days of October and the first of November, worth the trip for the colour alone.
Afterwards the markets return to normal: La Ciudadela for crafts at fixed prices, La Lagunilla on Sundays, and Roma and Condesa for design. November is a good month to buy crafts before the December rush.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Día de Muertos is not Halloween. Families are honouring named dead; the altars are for them.
- Face paint is widely worn, and visitors joining in is welcome.
- Go to Mixquic as a guest, quietly, and leave space for the families.
- Greet before you ask, and use usted with anyone older or serving you.
- Tipping: 10 to 15% is normal, and the bill arrives only when you ask.
#Essential Local Phrases
| Spanish | What it means |
|---|---|
| Día de Muertos | The Day of the Dead, 1 and 2 November |
| Ofrenda | An altar to named dead people |
| Cempasúchil | The marigold of the dead |
| Calaverita | A sugar or amaranth skull, or a satirical verse |
| ¿Puedo tomar una foto? | May I take a photo? |
| Pan de muerto | The bread of the dead |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
#Packing List
- A fleece or jumper for cold evenings and the cemeteries at night
- Comfortable shoes for long days and a long night
- Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses
- Lip balm and moisturiser for the dry air
- Something respectful for a cemetery visit
- A small torch for the vigils after dark
- Cash in small notes; the stalls by the cemeteries take nothing else
#Backup Plans
If the Zócalo altar is impassable: the altars at the UNAM campus, the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Xochimilco and the city's museums are large, free or cheap, and far calmer.
If Mixquic is too much: the cemeteries of Xochimilco are closer and easier to return from.
If the Grand Prix weekend prices you out: arrive on the 3rd or 4th. The altars are still up for a few days, and hotel rates have already fallen.
If the parade date does not suit you: the observance on the 1st and 2nd is the older and deeper thing anyway.
#Safety & Health
Crowds are the November risk, concentrated in the first days: the Zócalo, the parade route, the Grand Prix and the cemeteries all hold huge numbers. Keep valuables out of sight and agree a meeting point.
Arrange your return from Mixquic before you go. The air is clean, but the nights are cold, and the first day at 2,240 metres should be slow. Use ride-hailing apps rather than street taxis, avoid tap water, and dial 911 in an emergency.
#What's New for November 2026
- Día de Muertos falls on Sunday 1 and Monday 2 November 2026
- The city's parade is set for Saturday 31 October, from 2pm
- The Mexico City Grand Prix race is on Sunday 1 November, the same weekend
- Revolution Day is a holiday on Monday 16 November, inside El Buen Fin, 13 to 17 November
- Mexico City no longer changes its clocks, so there is no shift at the start of the month
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), first written in September 2026 and rewritten in October 2026 for November 2026. Climate figures are Servicio Meteorológico Nacional 1991–2020 normals for Tacubaya. Facts verified against:
- Servicio Meteorológico Nacional for the November normals
- Formula 1 for the Grand Prix schedule
- Mexico City Tourism for the Día de Muertos programme
- Gobierno de México for the Revolution Day holiday
- Museo Dolores Olmedo for its altar and collection
For the season as a whole, see Mexico City's dry season, and for the month that follows, Mexico City in December.
You might also like
Destinations picked for travellers with similar taste or climate.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Día de Muertos in Mexico City in 2026?
On Sunday 1 and Monday 2 November 2026: the 1st for children who have died, the 2nd for adults. Families decorate graves with marigolds and candles and keep vigil, often through the night; Mixquic and Xochimilco hold the best-known vigils near the city.
When is the Día de Muertos parade in 2026?
The city has set the 2026 Gran Desfile for Saturday 31 October, from 2pm. The parade is a modern addition, first held in 2016, and separate from the traditional observance; its date is set by the city each year. The Mexico City Grand Prix runs the same weekend, with the race on Sunday 1 November.
Is Día de Muertos the same as Halloween?
No. Families are honouring their own dead, and the altars are made for named people. Face paint is widely worn and visitors joining in is welcome, but the cemetery vigils are private acts in a public place: photograph the parade and the public altars, and ask before photographing a family at a grave.
Is November a good time to visit Mexico City?
Yes, twice over. The first days are Día de Muertos, the occasion most visitors come for; from about the 4th the crowds and prices fall, and the rest of the month is dry, mild and clean-aired, among the best weather of the year. Revolution Day makes a long weekend on 14 to 16 November 2026.
What’s the weather like in Mexico City in November?
Mexico City in November typically sees temperatures of 10–23°C with around 4 days of rain across the period. Pack lightweight layers that suit both cooler mornings and warmer afternoons.
How much does it cost to visit Mexico City in November?
Budget-conscious travellers can expect daily costs of $55–185, covering accommodation, food, and local transport. Flexible dates can save up to 20% compared with peak-week rates.