Mexico
Mexico’s Monarch Migration: Butterflies, Local Heritage & More
Program No. 24845RJ
Come to the mountains southwest of Mexico City for the Monarch butterflies, stay for the opportunities to learn about art, natural wonders and local life!
Participant Reviews
Based on 11 Reviews
SHOWING
Wonderful "adventure" trekking into the sanctuaries to see the monarchs. The horseback rides up made it a more "adveturous" experience! Words cannot express the awe of seeing all these monarchs.
— Review left February 26, 2026
The glorious sight of millions of butterflies made the arduous trip to get there worthwhile. I wish everyone would have the chance to experience the euphoria of this sight!
— Review left February 25, 2026
Thus trip was a bucket list item for my wife and I and Road Scholar made that dream come true! The sight of millions of monarch butterflies filling the air is something I will always remember.
— Review left February 24, 2026
Excellent program as we were lucky to have perfect weather. Parts of the hike were extremely challenging - varying slope with some small segments probably reaching 40%. Add flexibility to your "before program" training (in addition to cardio) if you plan to ride the horse!
— Review left February 24, 2026
This is a terrific program! Our guides and driver were amazing and the butterflies did not disappoint! Recommend coming in a few days early to acclimatize to the altitude, particularly if you have not spent much time at elevation. Expect to ride the horses so you have more time with the butterflies. Highly recommended!
— Review left February 17, 2026
This is a well designed program - the activity levels are as described, the long drives are broken up with interesting stops, and there is some free time. We found all the hotels to be very comfortable and we had a nice variety of flavorful Mexican foods. Fabio was a great & enthusiastic guide for our group and we were lucky to have warm weather to bring out the butterflies at all three locations.
— Review left February 10, 2026
Great trip with great people! We were so lucky to have 3 sunny days with warm temperatures so that the butterflies were flying all around us. The butterfly sanctuaries are owned and run by indigenous Mexican groups.
Our tour leader was absolutely lovely and showed us a lot of Mexico's history along the way with excellent explanations to help us learn. The food was excellent and ethnically true to the Mexican people. The Mexican people could not have been more lovely - kind, helpful at all times, and wanted to share their heritage with us.
****I normally do not choose to go on Outdoor Challenging trips and stick to Outdoor Spirited without problems. Excellent trip for people who are in tip-top physical condition. I worked really hard to be in the best shape possibly for hiking up to see the butterflies but the altitude is a factor that I don't know how to train for. I took the horses up and back down everytime but there were hikes to get up to the butterflies beyond where the horses can go and the altitude made me short of breath with frequent rest stops as needed. The guides keep a close eye on everyone and stop whenever asked. Please be honest with yourself about your abiltiy to do difficult hikes.
— Review left February 7, 2026
I loved this program. The outdoors experience and being with other like-minded people was special, and I learned more about Mexico than I ever have just going on my own with friends. The food was abundant and delicious and the trip leader was A+++. This was a one of the best trips I have ever been on. I look forward to more Road Scholar trips.
— Review left January 29, 2026
Mexico is so very interesting and varied. Mexico City was vibrant. Our hotel was very conveniently located downtown and I felt surprisingly comfortable visiting the Zocalo at night on my own to see the costumed dancers and Christmas lights.
The forests in the mountains of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt are beautiful.
I would take this trip again, especially if one could be guaranteed nice weather and a large showing of butterflies. Unfortunately my trip had neither. Nonetheless it was still a good trip.
The accommodations and meals were excellent for the most part and our guides Christina and Irene were outstanding; knowledgeable, organized, and helpful. Fellow travelers were all friendly and kind. Many were younger than I and very fit for hikes up to 11,000 feet elevation but for me the elevation was a bit more challenging. Horses are available for most of the way on the trails.
— Review left January 17, 2025
Love, love, love Mexico. It's a fantastic place to visit - lots of culture and history, friendly people, great food, good vibes all around. 10/10 in this department. For this program, as it is written as of this review, you get three chances to see Monarchs at three different sanctuaries. For our trip in January, all three attempts were far less than ideal, with the weather cold, misty, windy, and rainy. Yes, we saw Monarchs, but most were huddled together, not moving, and too far away for pictures with anything less than a long zoom lens or a good pair of binoculars. For our tour, owing to the weather mainly, we chose horses to get to the spots where the monarchs were (it was muddy and slippery and a long climb). Because we did this, the program fell well short of being spirited, or very active. You could walk if desired up the mountain, and yes, you would get a good workout, but you'd also get very muddy. Overall, it was a great trip with great guides! I would recommend the program with the caution it truly is a dice roll on whether you have a great monarch experience.
— Review left January 13, 2025
My wife and i loved this first trip, first of its kind and done very well.
— Review left January 13, 2025