When and Where to See the Monarch Butterflies in Mexico
Experience
Written by:
Dave Pratt
Partner
Key takeaways
Season: the sanctuaries usually open in mid to late November and close on March 31. January and February are the most dependable months.
Where: five sanctuaries take visitors. El Rosario, Sierra Chincua, and Senguio are in Michoacán; Piedra Herrada and Cerro Pelón are in the State of Mexico.
The climb: the colonies roost at around 3,000 m (about 10,000 ft), and every visit involves a hike or a horseback ride up the mountain.
Population: in the 2025-26 winter the colonies covered 2.93 hectares of forest, up 64% on the year before.
Safety: the US State Department rates Michoacán Level 4, Do Not Travel. The two State of Mexico sanctuaries sit outside that state.
Where the monarch butterflies spend the winter in Mexico
Every fall, the monarch butterflies of eastern North America fly south to a small group of mountains on the border of Michoacán and the State of Mexico. They spend the winter packed onto the trunks and branches of oyamel firs, a tree that grows only between about 2,400 and 3,600 m above sea level. The forests are protected as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, whose sanctuaries Mexico first protected by decree in 1986 and which UNESCO inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2008.
A visit takes more planning than most day trips in central Mexico. The sanctuaries are three to four hours' drive from Mexico City, the colonies sit at high altitude, and three of the five open sanctuaries are in a state that the US government advises its citizens not to visit. Piedra Herrada, in the State of Mexico, is the closest of the five and sits outside Michoacán.
When to see the monarchs
The butterflies reach central Mexico around the start of November. In some Mazahua and Purépecha communities their arrival has long been tied to the harvest and to the return of ancestors' souls, which links them to Day of the Dead.
The sanctuaries open once the colonies have settled. In 2024 they opened on November 15, and in 2025 the Michoacán sites opened in late November. Both seasons closed on March 31. Dates for the 2026-27 season hadn't been announced at the start of November 2026.
January and February are the safest months to plan around, because the colonies are settled and large. Monarchs need warmth to fly, so the most movement comes in the middle of sunny days, when thousands leave the branches at once. Our guide to Mexico's seasons covers what else the dry winter months are good for.
The five sanctuaries open to visitors
Five sanctuaries inside the reserve take visitors. They differ mainly in access and crowds.
Sanctuary | State | Access town | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|
El Rosario | Michoacán | Angangueo (Ocampo) | The most visited; held the largest colony of 2025-26, at 1.62 ha |
Sierra Chincua | Michoacán | Angangueo | Fewer visitors than El Rosario |
Senguio | Michoacán | Senguio | A smaller sanctuary near the town of the same name |
Piedra Herrada | State of Mexico | Valle de Bravo (about 25 km) | Closest to Mexico City, about 2 to 2.5 hours by road |
Cerro Pelón | State of Mexico | Macheros (Donato Guerra) | Steep, rocky trail on foot or horseback; scientists first documented an overwintering colony here in 1975 |
El Rosario and Sierra Chincua are about three to four hours from Mexico City. Zitácuaro, in Michoacán, is the usual base for the Michoacán sites and is 2.5 to 3.5 hours from the capital.
Safety advice for Michoacán
The US State Department travel advisory for Mexico places Michoacán at Level 4, Do Not Travel, citing crime and terrorism. In August 2026 the US Embassy suspended US government activity in the state after a threat against American interests. El Rosario, Sierra Chincua, and Senguio are all in Michoacán.
Piedra Herrada and Cerro Pelón are in the State of Mexico, which has its own entry in the advisory. Travelers who want to avoid Michoacán entirely can see the monarchs at either one, and Piedra Herrada works as a long day trip from Mexico City.
What the visit involves
At around 3,000 m, the walk up is harder than its distance suggests. At El Rosario the climb is about 5 km (3 miles), and it gets longer or shorter as the colonies shift during the season. Horses can be hired at the trailheads for part of the way up, and the last stretch to the colony is on foot. If altitude affects you, it's worth spending a night or two in Mexico City first.
Nights in the high forest can drop to near freezing, so early mornings are cold even when the afternoon is bright. Reported opening hours are roughly 8 or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., varying by sanctuary. In 2025-26, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua charged MXN 150 per adult and MXN 100 per child, paid at the entrance.
Rules at the colonies
The sanctuaries are run with local ejidos and communities, and local guides lead visitors to the colonies. The rules exist because the butterflies are resting through the cold months, and disturbance costs them energy they need for the flight north.
Visitors are expected to stay quiet near the colonies.
Visitors aren't allowed to touch the butterflies or the branches they rest on.
Flash photography isn't allowed.
Visitors stay on the marked trail and with their guide, and don't enter the forest alone.
Hand sanitizer shouldn't be used near the colonies, and all litter goes back down the mountain.
How the monarch population is counted
Each winter, WWF Mexico and Mexico's protected-areas agency, CONANP, measure the area of forest the colonies cover, which is the standard yardstick for the size of the eastern population. The butterflies that make it to Mexico belong to a "super generation" that lives around eight months, against a few weeks for summer monarchs, and some fly as far as 4,800 km (3,000 miles) to get there.
The 2025-26 count found nine colonies covering 2.93 hectares, up 64% from 1.79 hectares the year before and the largest area since 2018. That's still far below the 18.19 hectares recorded in 1996-97. The low point was 0.67 hectares in 2013-14.
In the United States, the Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the monarch as threatened in December 2024. A court-approved settlement in 2026 set June 2030 as the deadline for a final decision.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see monarch butterflies in Mexico?
January and February. The sanctuaries are usually open from mid to late November until March 31, but the colonies are most settled in the middle of winter, and the butterflies are most active around midday on sunny days.
Which monarch sanctuary is closest to Mexico City?
Piedra Herrada, in the State of Mexico, is about 2 to 2.5 hours by road, near Valle de Bravo. The Michoacán sanctuaries are about three to four hours away.
Can you visit the monarch butterflies on a day trip from Mexico City?
Piedra Herrada is a realistic day trip. El Rosario and Sierra Chincua mean six to eight hours on the road for the round trip, so most visitors stay overnight nearby.
How hard is the hike to the monarch colonies?
It's a steady climb at around 3,000 m. At El Rosario the walk is about 5 km, depending on where the colonies are that season. Horses can be hired for part of the way.
How much does it cost to visit a monarch sanctuary?
In the 2025-26 season, El Rosario and Sierra Chincua charged MXN 150 per adult and MXN 100 per child. Horses and guides are paid for separately.
