Jocan was great — he is very passionate about grafitti and street art and it shows. Getting to spray paint some art ourselves at the end was especially fun.
MEXICO CITY - DOWNTOWN STREET ART & GRAFFITI TOUR
Tired of yet another museum? Or oh too perfect private gallery?
Enter the world of street art.
You won't accidently stumble upon Mexico City's boldest freshest murals because it is not Disneyland here. (And Google maps wont help you either! )
Take this 2.5 hour private walking tour, with an articulate, informed, local graffiti artist.
This is a highly original, alternative way to discover Mexico City. Don't take risks let us show you the way.
Both Jocan and Emlo were fantastic, taking us to tons of amazing pieces and explaining the stories behind them. It was one of the highlights of our weekend, I highly recommend it to all!
WHAT TO EXPECT - STREET ART IN MEXICO CITY
Street Art is a great way to get inside Mexico’s collective psyche.
Politically. Socially. Design-wise.
Strong prehispanic iconography by Mexican artist Smithe.
Its people, history, politics & current events, through the eyes of a local.
Just like a TED talk...
Pure inspiration, local insight, happening right here on the street
Local, intelligent & political: theTlaculolokos Collective
See BIG bold urban walls, cynical stickers, & beautiful wheat-paste posters.
Spray and play!
You get to choose.
For non-touristy tourists, these walls are the best places to experience Mexico City!
You will tour off-the-radar areas that many locals have never seen or had access to. Deep in history, authenticity & visuals!
Facebook's LatAm Executives had just ONE afternoon off in Mexico City, and they spent it with us !
Our guide, was fantastic. His enthusiasm, his English, and his passion for art made for the highlight of our trip.
MEET YOUR STREET ART GUIDES
Jocan, Alex & Ofier are local graffiti artists who know the street scene as insiders.
Your Mexcio City street art guides are articulate insiders who can explain not only the technical aspects of the works you see, but also the history of the artists themselves and the socio-political context of the street art scene in Mexico. They are bilingual and speak English and Spanish.
Importantly, they also know how to make you feel at home, so you can relax and hang out, just as a local would.
Jocan Deka has the lowdown on MX street artists who move to the gallery scene.
Jocan Deka is a tattoo artist and illustrator, who was the Curatorial Assistant for the prestigious Fifty-24 MX gallery for three years.
Fifty-24 (a.k.a. Maia) was the ex-HQ of Juxtapoze Magazine in Mexico City and is famous for its representation of street artists, which gives Jocan a wealth of interesting insider stories. Jocan was also on board for the politically powerful 'Manifesto Street Art Festival', which Fifty-24 held in collaboration with Vice Magazine Latin America.
This unusual CV means Jocan comes with some heavy intel on the transition from illegal to legal works in the Mexican Street Art scene.
Ask as many not-kosher or not-cool questions as you want.
Your guide is there to inform and educate.
Alex is an awesome asset to our street art team. As a massive fan of art, music, and counterculture - he comes to us with a powerpacked alternative culture CV.
Currently he’s the marketing manager for Adidas Skateboarding, which means he regularly curates & showcases local talent at art events & skate festivals, including collaborations with Montana Spray.
For a mammoth four years Alex was the bilingual editor and Lat Am content creator for the legendary international arts & culture magazine, Juxtapoz. A pioneer editorial in the definition of urban alternative and underground contemporary arts, Juxtapoz established itself over a period of decades as the key informant for global counterculture cool.
Alex hails from Mexico City, studied in Dallas, grew up doing graff, and now lives & breathes the task of spotlighting subculture. Despite all this, he doesn’t have a huge ego about who he is or what he does. He’s a well-loved guide because he has an educated viewpoint, but that is not the driver of the tour. Like all good writers, he’s super tuned-in to other people and his surroundings.
Ofier is our MX Street Art Wikipedia. He has seen the movement grow since the late 80's.
Though HE would NEVER tell you, because he is way too humble, OFIER is a legendary heavyweight graffiti writer, who is famous for his lettering and 'can control'. Why do we say legendary? There are very, very few street writers who have been active in the graffiti scene (and survived) since its beginnings.
Ofier has been deeply involved in the street art and writer scenes of LA and Mexico since the 1980s and remains so to this day. He has incredible insider knowledge of both the legal AND illegal scenes that have emerged over those times: How they differ, how they cross over, where different looks and messages have come from and when they changed. He has seen many crews come and go, and others (incl his own crews UTI & SSK) grow and evolve.
It is a strong privilege to have him on the team.
Here he is in-vivo painting: http://streetal.mx/site/ofier-graffiti-playground/http://streetal.mx/site/ofier-graffiti-playground/
A crew of 20 San Fran kids came on tour as a part of a birthday bash. Emlo & Jocan hosted this session..
Our superb guide began by showing us how to read a tag (tough for the best artists!), what a "bomb" is and the etiquette of painting over another artist's work.
PRICES
Your Street Art & Graffiti Tour in downtown Centro Histórico is private. This means you don't share your tour with anyone else. There's time to have for a real conversation with your guide, walk at your pace, & stop for photos!
Total for 1 person group - US$148
Total for 2 person group - US$158
Total for 3 person group - US$168
Total for 4 person group - US$178
Total for 5 person group - US$188
Total for 6 person group - US$198
*Got a group of 7+ people? Contact us for a quote!
*Prices are in US dollars & don't include tax.
**We recommend contacting your bank BEFORE trying to book, because overseas banks frequently have a block or high alert for any payments linked to Mexico.
This tour is highly recommended if you want to wonder off the beaten track and learn the background on streetart. Our guide was really interesting and enthusiastic. Also company very well organized with meeting point etc even sending a map and photo of street corner to meet. Highly recommended!
Kerry, New Zealand
TOUR TIMETABLE
Check the latest availability using our real-time booking calendar!! Click on the booking button and you'll get a preview of the dates we are already booked out.
We tour all year round.
10:00 & 13:00 & 15:00
Tuesday - Sunday
Tours on MONDAYS are available on by special request.
They do not include a spray tutorial.
"My family of 2 adults and 2 children (ages 7 & 15) had an amazing tour. Given we were touring with a 7 year old, our tour guide paced our movements well; so that she had time to rest, play in the park as we talked about the surrounding graffiti and art pieces etc. My 15 year old's attention was kept; as well as the adults in our group. As we visited during an election season, we were able to discuss some politics too and in the context of the art seen on the tour. Definitely suggested; even and especially, if you have children.
KIDS ARE WELCOME
Our secret spray painting tutorial at tour's end is great for kids and teenagers. If you are an adult & get a thrill out of it too, we'll be just as smitten!
Families with kids ALWAYS tell us this tour was the highlight of their trip.
BIG GROUPS, CAN DO!
When there is a group of 7+ people, we ensure you have a minimum of TWO guides accompany you to maximise quality, safety, and personal attention.
Let us know how many guests are in your group.
We will give you a quote asap!
We have a great track record of adjusting the tour program for Bachelors & Bridesmaids.
"This was one of my favorite days in Mexico City and one of the best graffiti tours I've ever done. What really sets it apart from tours I've done in other cities is the quality of the guide and that it is JUST YOU on the tour. No being herded around with a large group - you can be (relatively) unobtrusive and spend time on the pieces you like rather than having to keep pace with the tour."
MEXICO CITY STREET ART: TOUR OVERVIEW
We include a range of graffiti & street art formats because they are not the same thing!
Get off the beaten path! You'll explore a NON touristy zone.
Learn to 'read ' graffiti tags and bombs.
An easy walking route - fitness not needed
See a concentrated, wide-variety of legal& illegal street art
Graffiti vs street art: your guide teaches you the difference
Great instagramming! See murals the size of buildings!
Learn to read 'tags' & 'bombs'
Hunt for political messages hidden in urban stencils
Have a go yourself !! Learn to spray paint in a secret location
100% professional guide - a real-graffiti artist, fluent, friendly
Wheat-paste posters. Learn why graffiti artists love this format.
An insider snapshot into modern MX culture
Pause whenever you want to - be it to have a drink, rest, or take photos!
*We don't include food or drink in your tour price so you are not locked into anything prior. Some people like to pause, others like to keep going!
WHAT'S THE SECRET TOUR ITEM?
Whenever we are able to, we love to provide a special bonus for our Mexico City tour guests.
You might have read some guest reviews that mention our added bonus: the private spray paint tutorial!! This is a special seasonal bonus that we endeavour to include all year round. It is not an official part of the tour because we ONLY offer this tour bonus when our private guarded space is available. We would make it part of the main menu, but as the space is very occasionally closed, we prefer to err on the side of safety! No one paints unless we can guarantee they can paint in safety and in private! The street is not the right place to practice! So, when the spray tutorial is NOT on offer, we complete the tour with new and extended bombs and artworks, so no one loses!
If you have you heart set on this activity, you are welcome to check with us in advance to find out what the program is for the date that you want to book.
Totally recommend this tour. It was really enlightening getting to learn about the background of the graffiti culture and the ties to the local politics and urban development. One of the best parts of my trip to Mexico City!
ALL AGES WELCOME!
Take a look at the wide range of people who loved touring Mexican Street Art with us! We are family-friendly, age-friendly and fitness-friendly!
Bob & friends came to Mexico City to celebrate his 70th birthday. Great style, great attitude!
We don't worry about age & neither should you!
Earn big points for the family by offering time outside of museums & standard galleries.
I really recommend this tour, especially for solo travellers!!
HOW DO I BOOK MY GRAFFITI TOUR?
Your Street Art & Graffiti Tour booking is reserved via our secure online booking platform. Here's what to expect...
- Click on the orange booking button.
- Identify which tour slots are available in our live bookings calendar. Remember these are private tours. Once you book a time slot, the tour is yours and yours alone.
- Reserve your preferred time/day with our secure online payment gateway.
- Receive an instant booking confirmation!
- You'll receive a personal email with detailed info about tour meeting point, and your street art guide's mobile number.
- The day of your tour, your guide is waiting for you at the meeting point. Set to go!
If you need to change the day or time of your tour after booking, just let us know!
Having known little about street art or graffiti, this tour provided an incredible insight into the immense artistic culture of Mexico that exists outside the galleries.
OUR TRIPADVISOR REVIEWS
Our professional guides take their jobs seriously. There are 270 glowing Tripadvisor shout-outs that confirm it.
OUR POSITIVE PRESS
Here's what bloggers from the global community have to say about us.
Go-BackPacking Review
Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @rtwdave for more.
https://gobackpacking.com/street-art-graffiti-tour-mexico-city/
My name is Jason and I'm the guy behind An Epic Education and the Epic Education Radio podcast. I've been living abroad in one way or another since 1997, and love traveling with my wife and kids. You can find my work on Media. Read more about me
https://www.anepiceducation.com/mexican-street-art-mexico-city-street-art/
INTERVIEW WITH STREET STAR: SANER
Saner remains one of Mexico's most famous and prolific street art muralists.
Jocan, was the perfect guide; he is an artist himself, is very good at explaining the history of the work, and has very well thought out ideas about what separates the original from the ordinary.
CORPORATE & TEAM BONDING
We have provided team bonding tours for Facebook Latin America, as well as Condé Nast Luxury Traveller Award winners, Carrier and Kuoni .
Staff from Kuoni & Carrier UK, get down with Stylewalk in CDMX!
This is Mexican life from a completely different angle. Its people, and their messages.
We highly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about this increasingly respected and vibrant form of urban art and individual expression!
GUEST REVIEWS
Submit your review | |
This tour is highly recommended if you want to wonder off the beaten track and learn the background on streetart. Jocan was really interesting and enthusiastic. Also company very well organized with meeting point etc even sending a map and photo of street courner to meet. Highly recommended
My husband and I had a great time learning about Mexico City street art and graffiti with Emlo. I loved learning about the meanings of the murals and graffiti, there’s so much more to it that I would never understand without having it explained. All ages would enjoy this tour as long as they could walk a few hours. Emlo was a great guide and This tour should be high on your list of things to do in Mexico City.
Mexico City is filled with amazing graffiti and street art, and this tour takes you to some of the most impressive spots. Our guide, Jocan, was fun and knowledgeable. The tour ends with creating your own street art! Highly recommend.
We had the pleasure of walking the streets of CDMX with Emlo. We definitely saw a ton of amazing art. But Emlo made it special by sharing so much history with us. We walked on streets, we would not have walked on otherwise. On one of those streets my siste managed to score, free, freshly rolled tortillas, that were better than the ones we had at Pujol, that we ate and shared with someone down on their luck. We were also asked to join a group that was knitting stuffed toys to welcome the children in the caravan of Central Americans that would arrive soon. We visited the market were we saw a bluefin tuna...yeah...it’s endangered...but the last time we saw one was in Paris, more tha 20 years ago...and even then it was always so beautiful. CDMX is a special city and spending time in it, with Emlo was wonderful. He is just so nice and so full of stories. Would walk with him again in a heartbeat! As we saw, fresh art is being created every day and there are always fresh experiences to be had on those streets. The toys that where being knitted by grandmas and neighbors were beyond beautiful. Someone had knitted a one of a kind lucha libre action hero. The walk guaranteed art, we were not expecting the added bonus of jus life! Loved! thanks so much Emlo!
Y had great time with Emlo, he opened my eyes to see and understand a lot about street art and graffiti and the difference between them. I realized how much I didn’t notice before when I was walking on the streets. Very interesting and highly recommended.
Nuestro recorrido fue muy interesante, Jocan, nuestro guía, muy ameno y apreciamos su trato y sus explicaciones.Nos sentimos orgullosos de la labor que hacen, porque eso es lo que mexicanos y extranjeros tenemos que conocer de nuestro México.Esperemos tener la oportunidad de volver a contactarlos pronto.
Great tour of street art in Mexico City. Very easy going, guide went at the pace we wanted. Very knowledgeable of the local Street art scene. Cool, relaxed and customized...just my type of tour. Thanks Guys!
Jocan was great — he is very passionate about grafitti and street art and it shows. Getting to spray paint some art ourselves at the end was especially fun.
Emlo provided an insightful tour of the street murals and graffiti in a neighborhood of Mexico City that we probably would never found on our own. Getting the backstory on the art styles as well as the politics behind some of the work was great!