Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Tours and Tickets

Q: How much does it cost to visit Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in 2025?

There’s a small fee to enter Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, currently around 100 pesos. Shared day trips to the sanctuary from Mexico City cost around US$75, while private excursions are from US$300. Multi-day tours with a focus on monarch butterflies typically start from US$2,395.

Q: What kind of weather is best for visiting the Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary?

The best weather for visiting Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is warm and sunny with a temperature of at least 60°F (15°C), otherwise the butterflies can remain dormant in the trees. They’re less likely to fly if conditions are rainy, windy, or cold.

Q: What is the hike like to reach the butterfly viewing areas and is it suitable for all fitness levels?

From the entrance of Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, you need to hike for around one hour to reach the viewing area. The hike is easy for those of a moderate fitness level, thanks to well-paved pathways with handrails, but it may be challenging anyone with limited mobility. You can pay extra to ride a horse to the viewing platform.

Q: Are there any facilities such as restrooms or food vendors at the sanctuary?

Yes, there are restrooms and stalls selling cold drinks, snacks, and souvenirs at the entrance of Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. You need to make a small donation for toilet paper at the restrooms.

Q: Are there any other attractions or activities near Piedra Herrada to visit after the sanctuary?

Yes, there are several attractions to visit near Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. It’s a 45-minute drive from Valle de Bravo, a pueblo magico (magic town) hailed as one of the prettiest colonial towns in central Mexico. Red-terracotta roofed houses and churches sit against a striking backdrop of mist-shrouded hills and lakes.

4 results

Sort by: Featured

Member Pricing

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Private Tour from Mexico City

See the spectacular Monarch butterfly migration that takes place from November to March, when millions of butterflies arrive in central Mexico after the long flight from Canada. Visiting the Piedra Herrada Sanctuary with a private guide means you’ll spend the day exploring at your own pace and enjoy undivided attention. Plus, you'll go walking or horseback riding through evergreen forests. This stress-free tour includes pickup and drop-off at hotels in Mexico City, as well as admission to the monarch butterfly sanctuary.

...More

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Private Tour from Mexico City

Price varies by group size

Member Pricing

Monarch Butterfly Reserve: Piedra Herrada Magical Valle de Bravo

Enjoy the rare opportunity to visit Mexico’s UNESCO-listed Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve during the annual butterfly migration (November–March). Skip the hassle of renting a car and driving yourself with this full-day private tour from Mexico City, and take in other regional attractions along the way. Start with a guided tour of the Piedra Herrada Sanctuary to admire the butterflies, then visit Velo de la Novia Waterfall and the Magic Town of Valle de Bravo.

...More

Monarch Butterfly Reserve: Piedra Herrada Magical Valle de Bravo

12 hours 30 minutesFree Cancellation

Price varies by group size

Member Pricing

7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico

Member Pricing

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Day Trip from Mexico City

14 hoursFree Cancellation

What are people saying about Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Day Trip from Mexico City

Joel_M, Nov 2025

Great experience

We had a great time. This tour was a long day of driving with 3 stops. The monarch sanctuary was the highlight, and it was a fairly steep but decent trail. We also stopped briefly at the bridal veil waterfall and then had dinner and a boat ride at Valle del. bravo. The whole day was long but worth it.

7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico

SusanRenee_M, Mar 2025

The butterflies were...

The butterflies were beautiful. It was an amazing experience. Naara, our guide was great. I could not have asked for any thing more.

7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico

SusanRenee_M, Mar 2025

It was an amazing...

It was an amazing experience. The butterflies were just beautiful to watch, and so many. Naara, our guide was great. She was informative , helpful and very nice. It was a great trip. You do have to be in good physical shape for the hike up and down the mountains.

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Private Tour from Mexico City

Noreen_F, Feb 2024

Amazing Butterfly tour.

We were thrilled with our Monarch Butterfly Tour! The butterflies were stunning and weather perfect, and our guide Ivan was very attentive. It’s a big hike, but well worth the effort!

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Day Trip from Mexico City

Maria_L, Feb 2026

Monarch Adventure

We had a great time visiting the Monarch Sanctuary. Travelers should be prepared to bring some money for entrance fee, vendor stations, and to use the bathroom. The experience stated pickup was included but we were told there was no hotel pick-up. The meeting point wasn’t too far from where we were staying so we took an Uber to the meet-up location. We went the 3rd week of February and some of the monarchs were starting to migrate north. So perhaps the ideal time is the 2nd week of Feb. we were still able to see many butterflies when we got to the top. Be prepared to hike uphill for about 1.5 miles to the top. They have horses for those that don’t want to hike but you will have to pay for those. We also visited a waterfall and stopped at Valle de Brava. It was a good experience.

Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Private Tour from Mexico City

Marte_S, Jan 2025

🦋A magical experience🦋

This was truly an AMAZING experience! Our guide, Alan, was GREAT. It was a 2.5hr long drive from Mexico-City, but it was a nice drive with a lot of beautiful scenery. Alan was very knowledgeable, and told us a lot about the Mexican history and culture. He even helped us getting horses when we got there! Seeing the butterflies was a dream come true. The weather was perfect, and it was magical seeing the butterflies fluttering in the skies and draping the trees making them look orange. I highly recommend this trip, and definitely get horses!

7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico

Judith_P, Mar 2025

Trip of a lifetime!

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.

7 Day-Monarch Butterfly Ecofriendly Tour in Mexico

Elaine_S, Feb 2026

Go for it!

Butterflies are wonderful. Hike and ride to get there are very good. And we were able to wait for the cloud to dissipate and sun to come out so we were able to see them! Ethereal experience. The bus ride not so much. Aarons bus looked great with leather seats. Seat backs were not adjustable, they laid back only, painful for me and there was zero leg room for tall people. Legs splayed to left and right. Not comfortable at all. Vallee de Bravo is beautiful. Our guide Sarah gave us a free day to do whatever. That day would have been nice for all of us to do another butterfly visit that was very close. Or take us to see some of townsite closer to the lake itself. Without a lot of Spanish I found it difficult to navigate. The bus sat and did nothing. Unclear why we as a group could not have another butterfly site as that was the purpose of the trip. Hotel had a restaurant but refused dinner service for 2 nights as there was an event. So it was necessary to go out and find a place to eat. Pitch black road in front of hotel had road construction as well. Large trench and large excavator and loader equipment and dump trucks that we had to navigate around. Slippery soil and mud as well. This construction should be complete now. The hotel itself and grounds were beautiful. The assistance from the hotel staff at LotoAzulHotel was excellent. Hotel staff at Catedral hotel in Mexico City were very helpful. Transfer to hotel from airport, then back to airport were very good.