How to Throw an Epic Surprise Birthday Trip to Another Country
- Michelle McDonald
- 12 hours ago
- 8 min read
We just got home from an incredible trip to Cuidad de Mexico, which was a surprise trip for my husband's 50th birthday. My husband did not know we were going on a trip until the day before our flight. He also didn't know the destination until we arrived at the airport. And he had no idea that family would be waiting once we landed in Mexico City!
So how did we pull off this epic birthday surprise? Let me share with you all the details, so that you can do the same for someone you love.
Guest List & Flights
First of all, my brother-in-law and I started planning this trip 9 months in advance. For a destination trip, we really wanted to make sure and give our guest list plenty of time to budget and plan, be able to save up PTO or ask for time off work, and have the ability to get the best deal on flights.
If you are doing a surprise trip more locally, you could easily pull off a trip in a shorter amount of time. You could book an Airbnb that's centrally located, where most of your guests could drive or carpool.
If you are going to plan a trip with a group of people that requires flying to a destination, it can be helpful to use Google Flights and set up alerts so that guests can book flights when prices are low. You also want to consider arrival times if possible (more on that below). If you are planning a destination trip, one thing to consider is whether you'll need to apply for a visa. Mexico provides an FMM visa upon arrival, so this was not an issue for us.
Keeping the Secret
We have a few members in our family who are not the best secret-keepers, but amazingly, they were able (with gentle reminders from other family members) to keep this trip a surprise for nine months. We made it through several major holidays and get-togethers with no one spilling the beans.
As much as it's super exciting and there's an urge to tell a bunch of people, I highly recommend that you talk about your trip with as few people as possible. I believe that was one of the reasons we were able to keep this trip a surprise. We didn't have someone outside of our circle accidentally bring it up in conversation, or slip during a zoom call. If you can name the people who know about the trip on one hand, that's probably for the best.
Communications & Planning
We used email and a WhatsApp group chat for communication. My brother-in-law and I were the trip planners, so we worked together using a shared Google Sheets spreadsheet to compile everything. We later shared this spreadsheet with everyone.
Our spreadsheet included:
Flights (departures and arrivals)
Airbnb info (more on that below)
Itinerary (w/estimated travel time & any reservations)
Food Scene (recommended food places w/Google Maps address)
General Travel Info (cultural considerations, safety)
While you don't have to be as detailed, it really helped us make the most of our time, kept our big group in the loop, and reduced questions like "what's the plan?" Everyone could easily refer to the spreadsheet.
Decoy Birthday Presents & The Surprise
To not raise any suspicions, we had a few decoy birthday plans. We asked my husband what he wanted to do for his birthday and talked about it a few times in general conversation. His parents gave him an early decoy birthday present. I also planned an early birthday lunch. During this decoy birthday, I gave him a card that explained we were going on an adventure together. The card included a list of what to pack and told him when he needed to be ready. It did not include the destination.
When we arrived at the airport, we stood in front of the departure screen. I gave Scott the flight number, and he searched the board and discovered that we were going to Mexico City!
Little did he know that other family members were also on their way or had already arrived in Mexico City!
Travel Coordination
One thing to keep in mind is travel coordination. We had a stressful moment when our flight arrived early, and we ended up at the airport at the exact same time as some of my family members. I didn't want Scott to run into my family at the airport. Thankfully, my sister and I had shared our locations on our phones. She was able to monitor our location and waited at a different location to get an Uber.
This change in timing also meant that I had to do some stalling. I told my husband that we had a later check-in time than we really had, and we went to sit down and grab food. This gave everyone else time to get situated in the Airbnb.
There was a park close to where we were staying, and I pretended to be contacting the Airbnb host. In reality, I was coordinating our whereabouts with family. As we walked across the park with our luggage, everyone jumped out from behind a statue. They all yelled, "Surprise!" and started singing Happy Birthday. My husband was completely speechless.
Group Lodging
For our trip, we booked an Airbnb for our group far in advance and chose to stay in the Historic District of Mexico City. This made sense for us because we could jump on the metro or take an Uber ride to some of the major historic sites. Location is really key. Depending on your group and itinerary, where you choose to stay really makes a difference.
We were able to book an Airbnb that included multiple apartments. We had access to some kitchen basics and were able to do a little bit of cooking. I put in a Walmart food delivery that arrived on the first morning. This worked out really well so that no one had to run to the store the second we arrived. Instead, we had everything we needed to make a group breakfast in the Airbnb. If you are planning a surprise at a more local Airbnb, you could always pack food and bring it with you.
The Itinerary
Our daily itinerary took some coordinating and planning ahead of time. We used Google Maps to make sure we made the most of our time by grouping things in similar locations.
We grouped the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Cathedral Metropolitana, Palacio Nacional, and Templo Mayor in one day. It was a lot of walking, but we also used the metro system.
My biggest recommendation with a group is to remember that as the group gets bigger, the pace gets slower. Have one person in charge to lead the group, navigate the directions, and keep people moving. Too many decision makers and you'll be pulled in a lots of different directions. Stick to the plan.
Reservations are something you will want to consider as you make your itinerary. We had to make reservations for the Frida Kahlo Museum a month in advance because the tickets sell out very quickly. Tickets are only available online and you can only buy tickets in a quantity of 4 at a time. It took us several tries online to get tickets for our group.
Also, just a note, most places we went required exact change for tickets. If you order pesos from your bank ahead of time, you can ask for small bills. Not every place had the option of using a card.
Some members in our group had a hot air balloon ride planned over Teotihuacan, so we coordinated a birthday celebration for my husband around everyone's schedule. It took us about an hour and half drive to get to Teotihuacan Pyramids from where we were staying in the Historic District.
Initially, we had planned to rent a car, but we are so glad we stuck to Uber and city transportation. Driving in Mexico City would have been very stressful, parking would have been challenging, and driving rules are different in Mexico.
We made reservations a month in advance for a table at La Gruta Resturante, which was an incredible experience. The restaurant is located inside a cave and the menu featured all prehispanic food. Our group tried sopes with grasshoppers, and a salad that featured ant larvae among several other dishes.
While we had most of the core part of the day planned, there was still time for people to relax, shop, or grab some street food. Our itinerary was very packed, and I know not everyone likes to cover as much ground as we did, but we wanted to make the most of our time in Mexico City.
As you plan, you'll want to make considerations for your group members-- dietary restrictions, special accommodations, etc. We did most of our breakfasts together in the Airbnb, ate lunch during our outings, and had dinner on our own.
One of the things my husband wanted to do was attend a futbol game. It was only fair to make sure this happened since he wasn't involved in any of the other planning. While we couldn't get tickets because it was a semi-final game with Club America, we did find a place right outside the stadium that had the game on tv, and it was a fun experience.
Cultural & Safety Considerations
Before going on this trip, we sent out some helpful information about what to pack, cultural considerations, and safety. Mexico City is a big city, but it is also a predominantly Catholic community where people dress modestly. Shorts and sandals are reserved for the beach. In the city, most people wear pants or skirts, and closed-toe shoes. Since my husband didn't know where we were going, I helped him pack appropriately.
You'll also want to make sure that you include safety considerations in your travel notes. For example, pickpocketing is common in the city, and purses are not recommended. We wanted to make sure people knew to have a passport holder, a crossbody bag, or a secure travel pack. We have this one.
Our spreadsheet also included helpful travel tips like letting your bank know that you're traveling, a breakdown of the exchange rate, checking that your phone coverage includes Mexico, and downloading the Google Translate app in advance. One of the apps that I just learned about that would have been helpful on our trip is called Flush. The app provides a list of restroom locations near you. This would have been helpful for our group as we were navigating a big city where we weren't always sure of our whereabouts.
Food Scene
While we love to eat street food and did, we also made sure to hit up some iconic food places. We ate at Taqueria El Califa de Leon, which is the only taqueria in Mexico with a Michelin star, picked up churros from El Moro, a place known for their chocolate dipping sauce, and ate at the famous La Opera. The spreadsheet we made included a list of food places and their locations. We didn't go to every place on the list, but it was a helpful guide when we were out in the city and could reference the spreadsheet for a place to sit down.
Special Details
Since we had nine months to plan this trip, we had time to consider some special details to make the trip even more memorable. We had t-shirts made, and we all showed up on one night with matching shirts. The shirts had to do with an inside family joke that no one but us would find funny. Haha!
If the people on your guest list love outdoor adventures or would rather spend an evening watching movies or playing board games, the great thing is you can tailor your surprise around your group.
If there are people who can't make it for the trip, include them in virtual activities through a Zoom call dinner, or Facetime them when you get to a location so they can experience it with you. I also have several virtual field trips that are available which provide a virtual tour. A great option for those who aren't able to join you.
Or check out my entire store for other virtual trips all around the world!
Overall, this trip came together pretty seamlessly because we had nine months to plan and budget, and had a group of guests who also love to travel and experience new places. If you are going to throw a surprise, my biggest suggestion is to start planning as early as possible and tell as few people as possible.
What surprise trip are you planning? Share in the comments.
