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Dance in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe.

Mexico

Tonantzin to New Fire

From the pilgrimage to the Virgin of Guadalupe to the winter solstice on the Cerro de la Estrella

Departure
Dec 8–22, 2027
Length
15 days
Price per person
To be confirmed
Places
Coming soon
Tell me when it opens

Trip

December in central Mexico brings two calendars together. On 12 December millions of pilgrims reach the Basilica of Guadalupe, on Tepeyac hill, where Tonantzin was once venerated. Days later, on the Cerro de la Estrella —where the Mexica lit the New Fire— the winter solstice is welcomed. In between: the pilgrims who cross the Paso de Cortés between the volcanoes, Cholula, Cacaxtla, the monarch butterfly sanctuaries, Xochimilco and the Mezquital Valley.

Format
Based in Mexico City, with outings to Puebla, Tlaxcala, Michoacán and Hidalgo.

Route 12 places

  1. Mexico City Days 1, 4, 5, 6, 10, 15
  2. Huejotzingo Day 2
  3. Cholula Day 2
  4. Paso de Cortes Day 3
  5. Vulcanos Day 3
  6. Cacaxtla Day 7
  7. Xochitecatl Day 7
  8. Angangeo Day 8
  9. Michoacan Days 8, 9
  10. Xochimilco Day 11
  11. Mezquital Valley Day 12
  12. Teocalli Mount of the Star Days 13, 14

Dates and places

Itinerary

15 days · Dates according to departure Dec 8–22, 2027.

  1. Day 1: Mexico City

    December 8, 2027

  2. Day 2: Huejotzingo / Cholula

    December 9, 2027

  3. Day 3: Pilgrims between volcanoes

    December 10, 2027 Paso de Cortes / Vulcanos

    At dawn, groups of pilgrims cross the Paso de Cortés carrying images of the Virgin on their way to Mexico City, with Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl on either side.

    Photographic focus
    High-mountain landscape with human figures; raking light and cold.
    Pilgrims carry images of the Virgin of Guadalupe across the Paso de Cortés, with Popocatépetl in the background
    Pilgrims at the Paso de Cortés, between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.

  4. Day 4: Mexico City

    December 11, 2027

  5. Day 5: 12 December at Tepeyac

    December 12, 2027 Mexico City

    The great day of the pilgrimage: dancers, banners and millions of people around the Basilica of Guadalupe.

    Photographic focus
    Crowds, portraits in motion and details of the costumes.
    A crowd of pilgrims at night on the causeway leading to the Basilica of Guadalupe
    The night of 11 December, on the way to the Basilica.
    A dancer with a feather headdress and a rattle in front of the Basilica
    Dance in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe.

  6. Day 6: Mexico City

    December 13, 2027

  7. Day 7: Cacaxtla / Xochitecatl

    December 14, 2027

  8. Day 8: Monarch butterfly sanctuaries

    December 15, 2027 Angangeo / Michoacan

    Climb into the oyamel fir forests of Michoacán, where the monarch butterfly spends the winter.

    Photographic focus
    Nature and macro in the forest.

  9. Day 9: Michoacan

    December 16, 2027

  10. Day 10: Mexico City

    December 17, 2027

  11. Day 11: Xochimilco

    December 18, 2027

  12. Day 12: Mezquital Valley

    December 19, 2027

  13. Day 13: Teocalli Mount of the Star

    December 20, 2027

  14. Day 14: Solstice on the Cerro de la Estrella

    December 21, 2027 Teocalli Mount of the Star

    Before dawn, fire and copal are lit to welcome the shortest sun of the year on the hill where the Mexica celebrated the New Fire.

    Photographic focus
    Night photography with fire, backlight and the city in the background.
    A ceremonial fire at night on top of a hill, with the city lights in the background
    The fire is lit at night, on top of the hill.
    Ceremony participants amid copal smoke, backlit by the rising sun
    Copal smoke against the light.

  15. Day 15: Mexico City

    December 22, 2027

What you will photograph

It is a trip to photograph devotion, ritual and the landscape of central Mexico on its most intense days. The photographs on this page, by Narciso Contreras, show what these days are like.

Recommended level
Photographers of any level; some days include early starts and altitudes above 3,500 metres.

Photographic focus of each day

  1. Day 3 Paso de Cortes / Vulcanos

    High-mountain landscape with human figures; raking light and cold.

  2. Day 5 Mexico City

    Crowds, portraits in motion and details of the costumes.

  3. Day 8 Angangeo / Michoacan

    Nature and macro in the forest.

  4. Day 14 Teocalli Mount of the Star

    Night photography with fire, backlight and the city in the background.

See the trip’s photographs

Traveller’s guide

Recommended gear

What to bring to photograph this trip.

Camera and lenses

  • Camera body, and a spare one if you have it
  • A wide-angle zoom and a moderate telephoto
  • Enough memory cards for the whole trip

Power and backup

  • Spare batteries and chargers
  • External drive or cloud storage for the daily backup
  • Power adapter for the destination country

Protection

  • Waterproof bag or rain cover
  • Cloth and blower to clean the sensor and lenses
  • Comfortable shoes for walking many hours

Trip gallery

9 photographs

Pilgrims carry images of the Virgin of Guadalupe across the Paso de Cortés, with Popocatépetl in the background
Pilgrims at the Paso de Cortés, between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.
A crowd of pilgrims at night on the causeway leading to the Basilica of Guadalupe
The night of 11 December, on the way to the Basilica.
Dancers with feather headdresses and embroidered costumes in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe
Dancers in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe.
A dancer with a colourful feather headdress playing a string instrument
A dancer plays in front of the atrium.
Pilgrims and dancers with banners amid copal smoke
Banners and copal as a group of pilgrims arrives.
A ceremonial fire at night on top of a hill, with the city lights in the background
The fire is lit at night, on top of the hill.
People gathered before dawn around an offering of flowers and a fire, with the city lights in the background
Offering and fire before the solstice dawn.
Ceremony participants amid copal smoke, backlit by the rising sun
Copal smoke against the light.
A woman wrapped in a rebozo watches the sunrise over the valley
First light over the valley.

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To read before the trip

Chronicle

Twelfth of December: millions of steps towards Tepeyac

The pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe is one of the largest in the world. This is what the longest night of Mexico's religious year is like.

WorldViews editorial team 2 min read