Hanal Pixan
Food For The Souls
Hanal Pixan
Food For The Souls
Once a year,
Yucatan cooks
for its dead.
Ten people will be in those kitchens. At those altars. Eating what the city cooks for Hanal Pixan - The food that belongs to the family, the tradition, and the moment.
Price
$5500 - No Single Supplement
Dates
October 29 - November 3, 2026
Location
Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Group Size
10 Guests Maximum
Deposit
$1500 Holds Your Seat
Prefer to speak with Shannon first?
A brief 15-minute conversation to ensure the journey is the right fit for you.
For Travelers Who Are Done Being Tourists
You've done the other version.
You already know what's wrong with it.
The guided tour that performs culture without accessing it. The cooking class that teaches you to make something you could find on YouTube. The group that moves too fast through the places that deserve more than a photograph.
You can feel the difference between a place that's feeding you and a place that's selling you something. You've been sold to enough.
This is the other thing.
who is taking you there
*Staged At Arzak - San Sebastian
*James Beard House
*Food Network Champion
*15+ Years In Professional Kitchens - Across 4 Continents
I staged at Arzak in San Sebastian. At the time, I was the only American cooking in that Kitchen. I cooked at the James Beard House. Won on Food Network. Spent over a decade building relationships in places that don't have websites and don't need them.
I didn't build Flavors And Frontiers to run tours. I built it because I kept finding the version of every place that exists underneath the tourist version and couldn't find a way to bring the right people there.
The access on this journey isn't purchased. It's earned. There's a difference. You'll feel it the moment we walk in.
"The knowledge lives in the hands. When those stop. It is gone"
what this journey is built on
Three things you cannot get
anywhere else.
01
Inside Hanal Pixan
During the five days that Yucatan cooks for its dead, we are in those kitchens. Not watching from the outside. Working alongside the people who carry these traditions. Preparing food that belongs to the family, the altar, and the moment. This is what Hanal Pixan actually is, before it becomes spectacle.
02
Hands In The Work
You will grind spices by hand, work with fresh masa over open flame, and cook in a jungle kitchen built around an underground pib. These are techniques passed between people, not demonstrated for audiences. You leave knowing how to make something real and understanding why it matters.
03
Merida Before It Opens
We enter the markets the way the city does. Before the tourists section sets up. you source ingredients for a meal you'll cook that afternoon, making the same choices the city makes every day. The market is not a stop on the itinerary. It is how the day begins.
The Route Through Yucatan
Arrival - Merida, Behind The Doors
Merida, Santiago District
The Kitchen & The Water
Hacienda Kitchen & Cenote
Fire In The Jungle
Uxmal & Jungle Kitchen
The Market Before It Opens
Mercado
Hanal Pixan
Izamal & Family Kitchen
This is not a day of the dead tour. There is no such thing.
Hanal Pixan is not a festival. It is not a parade. It is the moment when Maya families open their kitchens and cook the food their dead ate when they were alive. The altars go up. The recipes come out - the ones that don't get written down because they don't need to be. The ones that live in the hands of the people who make them every year.
Tourists watch from behind a rope. That's the version that get's posted.
We're in the kitchens.
The Merida that cooks for Hanal Pixan is not the Merida that appears in travel guides. You cannot book this experience anywhere else. You cannot find it on a tour website.
Six days, Ten people. The kitchens, the altars, the markets early before the tourists arrive.
This exact version does not happen twice.
Where ancient fire meets modern soul.
Cook, taste, and travel through the Yucatán. A place where every flavor tells a story.
For Those Who Want To Travel Differently
This journey is for travelers who would rather spend an afternoon in a kitchen than waiting in a line outside a landmark.
For those who understand that food is not just an experience - it is the experience.
where you'll stay
The Diplomat Boutique Hotel
MERIDA, MEXICO
Your Private Base In Merida
A restored colonial residence in Merida's Santiago district, selected for its intimacy, design, and quiet elegance.
With a limited number of rooms and a private courtyard setting, it offers the kind of retreat that allows the experience of the day to settle in.
Reserve Your seat
If this journey feels aligned, now is the time to act.
Seats are being reserved. Rooms are assigned in the order deposits are received.
March 24 - 29, 2026
Merida, Mexico
Limited to 10 guests.
A $1500 deposit secures your place at the table.
Remaining balance due February 23, 2026
This is not a tour. It is curated, small-group experience designed to remain intimate.
Only 10 seats available. Once filled, registration closes.
Prefer to speak with Shannon first?
A brief 15-minute conversation to ensure the journey is the right fit for you.
DAY 1 - The First Taste
ARRIVAL & OPENING TABLE
You arrive in Merida and settle into our private boutique hotel in the Santiago district.
That evening, we gather for cocktails and later a welcome dinner designed to introduce the ingredients, techniques, and spirit that will define the week.
This is where strangers become stablemates and the tone is set.
DAY 2 - Lineage
Access & living technique
We begin in a local market choosing ingredients the way families do. Close to the movement, close to the source.
From there, we continue to a historic, abandoned hacienda kitchen not open to tourist for a cooking demonstration and private lunch on the terrace.
Later, we slip into a cenote and gather for a small picnic on its shore before returning for a fire-driven dinner designed by an award winning chef just for us.
DAY 3 - From Observation To Practice
RUINS, FIRE & MAYAN IMMERSION
We depart early for Uxmal, entering one of the region's most significant Maya ceremonial centers with a private guide. This is not sightseeing, it is context. Corn, fire, and time as structure.
From there, we move into a jungle kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience rooted in ancient Mayan technique. Open flame. Underground pib. You Cook. You tend the fire. Lunch is the result of your own attention.
That evening, we gather for a private dinner at one of the region's most respected fire-driven kitchens, seated on a patio reserved just for us.
DAY 4 - Where Confidence Is Built
Markets, Choice & cooking
That morning, you choose the recipe you'll prepare for lunch. Not to watch. To make. Something simple but you will take the knowledge home.
We enter Mercado Lucas de Galvez, where the city feeds itself. You shop with intention. Chiles, herbs, produce, selected by hand. These are the same decisions made here every day.
Back at the hotel, the market becomes the meal. You prepare your dish from what you sourced that morning, shaping lunch with your own choices.
The afternoon is open. Later, those who wish join Shannon at her favorite cantina for conversation. Dinner is yours to choose.
DAY 5 - Where Strangers Become Something More
Homes, craft & A shared table
You travel to Izamal, the golden city where colonial streets rest on ancient Maya foundations. You explore on foot, then by horse-drawn carriage, moving at the pace the city has always known. Between the monastery and the plaza, you visit working artisan workshops.
You're welcomed int a nearby home where hammock weaving happens daily and lunch is prepared. You;'re not served, you're invited to help. Hands work. Stories are exchanged, The meal is shared at the table.
That evening, you return for a final celebration feast prepared by an award-winning local chef. Candles are lit, the table set under the stars. Midway through dinner, mariachi arrives. The week closes not with a goodbye, but with a shared table under the Yucatan sky.
You didn't just visit. You belonged.
DAY 6 - What Comes With You
Departure
Breakfast is unhurried. Goodbyes are quiet. The courtyard feels familiar now.
For six days, you shared tablets, markets, Fire and decisions. That doesn't disappear when the car pulls away. You leave knowing the chiles, the scent of achiote, and the rhythm of this place.
You don't take home a souvenir. You take home a way of cooking and a way of seeing.
That's not the end of the journey. It's proof it worked.
Questions?
WHAT DOES THE JOURNEY PRICE INCLUDE?
Your journey has been designed as a fully immersive culinary experience — where every detail, flavor, and moment has been thoughtfully curated to reflect the soul of Yucatán.
• Five nights at a luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Mérida
• Private airport transfers to and from Mérida International Airport (MID)
• Private transportation for all scheduled day trips and excursions
• Hands-on cooking classes with Shannon and local chefs who open their kitchens and share regional traditions
• Private tours with local guides, artisans, and cultural experts
• Exclusive tastings and curated dining experiences that highlight the region’s ingredients, from market to table
• All entrance fees for included cultural and culinary experiences
• Daily breakfasts, along with most lunches and dinners, featuring multi-course menus, wine pairings, and authentic local beverages
Every day is built around the table — cooking, tasting, and connecting through the flavors that define Yucatán.
PRICE BREAKDOWN
Journey Price
5500 per guest
No Additional Single Occupancy
Charge
Optional Additional Night
Price varies based on selected experiences
Deposit Required
1500 to reserve your space
Final Payment
Remaining balance due 31 days before arrival.
Pricing reflects luxury accommodations, chef led culinary experiences, private excursions, and full service support throughout your time in Yucatán.
WHERE DOES THE JOURNEY START AND END?
The journey begins and ends in Mérida, Mexico. Guests can arrive via Mérida International Airport or travel from Cancún with our concierge support. All experiences start at the private villa and conclude after a farewell breakfast on the final morning.
DO I NEED TO PAY A SOLO TRAVELER SUPPLEMENT?
NO — The price is per person. Because Shannon is a solo traveler herself, she has eliminated the solo traveler fee on the first few journeys.
DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?
While it’s not required, we strongly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance. It offers peace of mind — protecting your investment if unexpected circumstances arise, and covering essentials like medical care, emergency transport, or the loss, theft, or damage of personal items while abroad.
For the best protection, insure the full cost of your journey within two weeks of your initial deposit, and note that most Cancel For Any Reason policies must be purchased on the same day your deposit is made.
Travel insurance ensures that even if plans shift, your adventure — and your peace of mind — remain protected.
WHAT DOES THE PRICE NOT INCLUDE?
The journey price covers nearly everything once you arrive, but a few personal expenses are not included. These are:
•International round-trip airfare to and from Mexico
•Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
•Optional activities or experiences not listed in the itinerary
•Transportation or costs incurred during personal free time away from the hotel
•Hotel incidentals, such as room service, laundry, or bar tabs
•Meals and beverages not specified in the itinerary
•Gratuities for local guides.
Everything else — from curated dining experiences to local transportation and immersive excursions — is included to ensure your focus stays on savoring the adventure.
WHO LEADS THE JOURNEY?
Each Flavors & Frontiers journey is personally designed and led by Chef Shannon Bard, a Michelin-trained chef, Food Network Champion, and founder of Flavors & Frontiers.
Shannon guides each experience from a chef’s perspective — exploring markets, kitchens, and historic sites alongside local chefs, artisans, and guides who share their craft and culture firsthand. Together, they lead guests through immersive, behind-the-scenes moments that reveal the true flavors and spirit of each destination.
Every journey is rooted in authenticity — curated, hands-on, and led by those who know the place best.
WHAT TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ARE NEEDED?
For U.S. citizens, no visa is required to enter Mexico for stays of up to 180 days — only a valid passport is needed. We recommend ensuring your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date from Mexico.
Upon arrival, you’ll receive a visitor’s permit (Forma Migratoria Múltiple, or FMM) at the airport.
If you are not a U.S. citizen, please check with the Mexican Embassy or Consulate for specific entry requirements based on your country of residence.
WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION POLICY?
Life happens — and while we hope you’ll be joining us, we understand that plans can change.
Cancellations made 31 days or more before departure are eligible for a full refund, minus a $750 per person service fee.
Cancellations made within 30 days of departure are non-refundable, as all accommodations, experiences, and local partnerships will have been confirmed and paid in full.
We appreciate your understanding and support in helping us honor our partners and the integrity of every journey.
The stories. The kitchen. The world. The market.
