The 12 Best Monarch Butterfly Tours from Mexico City

1.Butterfly Monarch Tour from Mexico City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $250Our pick

Leave Mexico City at 6:30 a.m. with guides such as Martha and Alonso for the long drive to Sierra Chincua. Hike through pine forest to the monarchs at high altitude, or pay for a horse ride, then enjoy a traditional Michoacán lunch. Small groups, private transport, and English service are included.

“Really good experience. Guides picked us up on time at our hotel and brought us to Sierra Chincua reserve. The driver/guide provided by the company was not that knowledgeable but the guide that we met at the butterfly reserve was very knowledgeable.”

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2.Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 33 reviews · 12 hours · from $262

Travel from Mexico City to Sierra Chincua with a private or small group, English or Spanish guide. Hike through the monarchs’ winter forest, learn about migration and conservation, then enjoy Michoacán food and crafts. Guides including Alexei, Antonio, and Diego have helped visitors make the most of the long day.

“A very long and adventuresome day. Our guide Eduardo was fantastic--engaged, tuned in to our needs and an excellent communicator. Will also say that the monarchs were great but we honestly didn't realize how far away we would be from their nesting site (the government limits how close you can get). Still, we saw a lively part of Mexico outside of CDMX that was worth the visit. Final comment...be prepared for some very bumpy and challenging road conditions along the way. Drive takes so long because average car speed is 5-10 MPH through much of the trip!”

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4.Monarch Butterflies, Sierra Chincua & Angangueo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 20 reviews · from $169

Travel from Mexico City to Sierra Chincua with a local guide, hike or ride partway by horse to the monarch colony, then explore Angangueo. The 12-hour trip runs November to March, with guides available in five languages and private or small-group options.

“Our trip with Andrés was great. He was smart enough to redirect us to another monarch sanctuary due to the much better conditions this specific year, which made all the difference. He was friendly and easy to communicate with (in both Spanish and English) and he had a wealth of information about the monarchs and their migration, as well as information about the ecosysytem and the local conservation efforts and the challenges they're facing.”

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5.Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Tour from Mexico City

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 19 reviews · 15.5 hours · from $79Best value

Travel from Mexico City to Piedra Herrada Sanctuary, walk through pine forest to see wintering monarch butterflies, then visit Bridal Veil Waterfall and Valle de Bravo. Guides such as Eduardo and Humberto have earned praise for their patience and care, but the mountain walk is demanding and butterfly numbers vary by season.

“It was really disappointed that the butterfly was not there yet. They were a few only and hard to see. Lots of people were not happy. On top, we have to pay to get in. Transportation and guide were fantastic. Specially Humberto, he was really good! But, as they said in January- march is the best time. We came from so far to see nothing!”

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6.7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · 7 days (approx.) · from $2,695

Spend seven days tracing monarch migration from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo. Visit Piedra Herrada and Capulin sanctuaries, ride horses into the mountains, explore the Anthropology Museum, and enjoy a free day by the lake. Small groups, English guidance, hotels, breakfast, transport, and entrance fees are included.

“This trip was exactly what I had hoped for and more. You see as many butterflies as you see in books or on TV. It is truly amazing. It is a little rough getting up there if you have breathing or Mobility issues but they let you stop or take your time if you need to. Naara our tour director and Rennan our driver were so knowledgeable about the area and the culture. They also translated for us and let us know areas to avoid for safety. I would highly recommend this trip if you're considering it.”

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7.Monarch Butterfly Tour from Mexico City

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 13 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $220

Leave Mexico City at 6:30 am for Sierra Chincua with an English-speaking guide such as Marta. Walk through pine forest to the monarch colony, enjoy lunch, then make tortillas and learn about native foods. Expect a long drive, high-altitude hiking, and a small group of up to 10.

“On the evening prior to the tour we called our tour guide Marta to arrange pickup at our hotel. Marta was very nice and and agreed immediately to pick us up at at 6:30AM at our hotel, which was about 1 mile away from the official pickup location. We are were also surprised that we were the only tour guests. The ride to the actual butterfly preserve took about 3 hours each way. Marta, who speaks very good English and the driver, Alfonso, were excellent throughout the entire day. The butterfly preserve was an amazing experience. We had picked the right time of the year to go, since the butterflies…”

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8.Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Day Trip from Mexico City

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 12 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $79

Travel from Mexico City with a bilingual guide to Piedra Herrada during the monarch season, then visit Velo de Novia Waterfall and Valle de Bravo. Expect a steep forest walk, extra cash for sanctuary entry and food, and a return that may take 14 to 16 hours.

“Excelente experiencia! Wonderful tour! Gaby our guide and Jorge our driver exceeded our expectations! We really recommend it! Lo recomendamos ampliamente!”

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9.Monarch Butterfly Tour Mexico: Sierra Chuincua and Magic Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $179

Leave Mexico City at 7 a.m. for Sierra Chincua, where monarchs gather from November to March. A bilingual guide such as Alberto, Ari, or Miguel leads the day, with a sanctuary visit, easy hike, snacks, and time in Angangueo. Expect a 12-hour outing and up to four hours each way in traffic.

“Seeing the butterflies was great. We loved that experience! I wouldn't go with this provider again, though. Our guide was not particularly enthusiastic or informative. He was okay, just not great. His English was good enough. He'd answer questions if we asked but didn't volunteer a lot of information. Our long drive there also got extended by about 45 minutes when our driver got diverted to have to pay an existing ticket for a red-light violation, or something like that.”

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10.Monarch Butterfly Reserve: Piedra Herrada Magical Valle de Bravo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $195

Leave Mexico City early with a multilingual guide for Piedra Herrada’s seasonal monarch migration. Expect a steep, high-altitude hike, optional horseback help, butterfly viewing, Velo de la Novia Waterfall, Valle de Bravo, local food, snacks, and round-trip transport.

“I am and was very impressed with Ady. She arrived early, with a big smile on her face and immediately I was at ease. She picked us up at our hotel entrance and Guillermo was our driver for the day. Ady made the 3ish hour driving to the butterfly sanctuary go by in a breeze! The experience of seeing the monarch’s was incredible and very moving for me. I’m so so glad this trip was available to take away the stress of driving, renting a car, figuring out traffic and directions. We got to just sit back and relax! The Piedra Herrada sanctuary is wonderful, but be prepared for a…”

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11.7-Day Monarch Butterfly Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4 reviews · 7 days · from $2,295

Spend seven days with a bilingual naturalist guide and a group of up to 14, visiting Mexico City, Valle de Bravo, Piedra Herrada, and Capulin. Expect hotel stays, transport, breakfasts, entrance fees, and horse travel to one butterfly sanctuary. Meals and drinks are extra.

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12.Monarch Butterflies El Rosario Preserve from Mexico City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 10 hours (approx.)

Join Carlos San Roman for a private, English-language trip from Mexico City to El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Preserve. You’ll ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, visit the mountain forest for about two hours, and see monarchs during their winter gathering, weather permitting.

“Carlos was a great guide! So kind and knowledgeable! His English is great!! The monarchs were sooooo incredible to see! Well worth the trip! Also fun to see mountain towns and views and get out of the city!”

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