MEXICO HIGHLIGHTS
- Three days in Mexico City, one of the world's great capitals – time to get beneath the surface
- The Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul) in Coyoacan, her home and studio left just as she kept it
- A boat journey through the ancient floating gardens of Xochimilco
- The National Museum of Anthropology – widely considered one of the finest museums in the world
- Oaxaca 3 night stay; celebrated for its food, its markets and its extraordinary indigenous creative culture
- Monte Alban, the UNESCO hilltop city overlooking the Oaxaca Valley
- Meeting a Zapotec weaving family in Teotitlan del Valle, with a hand-loom tradition still very much alive
- A mezcal distillery visit and tasting with the people who make it
- Cholula's Great Pyramid with a Spanish colonial church built on its very summit
- Hands-on Mole Poblano cooking with a local family in Puebla, then sitting down to eat what you've made together
- The Rosary Chapel at Santo Domingo, Puebla – among the finest Baroque interiors in the Americas
- Teotihuacan – Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon and the Avenue of the Dead
- Visit at Chichen Itza with an expert guide and the site to yourselves
- Uxmal ruins and the working Hacienda Sotuta de Peon – a traditional henequen hacienda experience with lunch
- Izamal, the entirely yellow Pueblo Magico
- Wild sea turtle snorkelling in the shallow bay at Akumal
- Ek Balam ruins – intimate, far less visited, with some of the most beautifully preserved stucco carvings in the Maya world
- A private boat through the Rio Lagartos biosphere – flamingos, crocodiles and the pink lagoons of Las Coloradas
- Three relaxed final nights in Puerto Morelos, an authentic fishing village with a UNESCO coral reef just offshore
PRE OR POST TOUR STAY
Consider arriving a day before the tour starts or staying on after the tour ends. The cost of the additional night/s of stay applies. Ask our travel team about this option, and the additional costs.
DAY 1
Mexico City
We arrive in Mexico City at any time today, with the rest of the day at leisure. Our tour leader will give a group welcome briefing, followed by welcome drinks with the group.
Encounter Moment
Welcome drinks, our first chance to meet the people we will be travelling with.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Arrival at any time, rest of day at leisure
- Group welcome briefing
- Welcome drinks with our tour leader and group
Special Notes: Airport transfers are arranged individually, as flights arrive at different times. They are not part of the tour price.
DAY 2
Mexico City
We begin with a guided tour of the historic centre, taking in the Palace of Fine Arts, the Zocalo, the Cathedral, Templo Mayor and the Palacio Nacional (or the Diego Rivera Mural Museum if it is closed). After a break for lunch, we visit the National Museum of Anthropology and History, considered one of the world’s finest museums. In the evening, we gather for a welcome dinner in a historic restaurant set in a former convent, with mariachi entertainment and a traditional corn-based menu.
Encounter Moment
Our welcome dinner, with mariachi music and a table full of new faces.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided tour of the historic centre
- National Museum of Anthropology and History
- Welcome dinner with mariachi entertainment
Meals: Dinner
DAY 3
Mexico City
We start at the Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul), where her personal collections and bohemian setting tell the story. In Coyoacan, we wander pebbled streets, colonial churches and a local market, with tastings of churros, tostadas and elotes. In the afternoon, we float through the Xochimilco canals on a traditional trajinera boat, past floating gardens and floating food kitchens. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)
- Coyoacan neighbourhood and food tastings
- Trajinera boat ride through Xochimilco
Meals: Coyoacan food tastings
DAY 4
Oaxaca
After a morning transfer to the airport, we fly to Oaxaca (about one hour). Lunch is at leisure. In the afternoon, our tour leader takes us on an orientation walk through the Zocalo, the Cathedral, Santo Domingo church and the pedestrian street. Dinner is at leisure, with recommendations from our leader.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Flight from Mexico City to Oaxaca
- Transfers to and from the airport
- Leader-led orientation walk
DAY 5
Oaxaca
We drive about 30 km to Teotitlan del Valle, a Zapotec weaving community, for a family demonstration on hand-operated looms. Next is a mezcal distillery, with a guided look at how it is made and a tasting. We also stop at the Tule Tree, a 1,500-year-old Montezuma cypress and one of the widest trees in the world. The afternoon is free to explore Oaxaca at your own pace.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Zapotec weaving family demonstration
- Mezcal distillery tour and tasting
- Tule Tree visit
- Afternoon free in Oaxaca
DAY 6
Oaxaca
We make an early start for Monte Alban, before the heat builds. This UNESCO-listed pre-Columbian site was occupied for 1,500 years by the Olmec, Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. We return to Oaxaca for lunch at leisure, and the rest of the day is free.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided visit to Monte Alban
- Afternoon free in Oaxaca
DAY 7
Oaxaca to Puebla
We leave Oaxaca after breakfast for the coach journey to Puebla (330 km, about 5.5 hours), with a lunch stop along the way. On arrival, we check in and take an orientation walk past the Zocalo, Talavera-tiled facades and colonial architecture. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Coach transfer to Puebla
- Lunch stop en route
- Orientation walk in Puebla
DAY 8
Puebla
We visit Cholula and its Great Pyramid, the largest in the world by volume, with a Spanish colonial church on the summit and views of Popocatepetl. Back in Puebla, we see the Rosary Chapel at Santo Domingo, one of the finest Baroque interiors in the Americas, then browse Candy Street and the El Parian handicraft market. The afternoon is free. In the late afternoon, we cook mole poblano with a local family, toasting chillies and grinding spices before sitting down to share the meal.
Encounter Moment
Cooking and eating mole in a local family’s home.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Great Pyramid of Cholula
- Rosary Chapel at Santo Domingo
- Candy Street and El Parian market
- Mole poblano cooking with a local family
Meals: Mole meal with a local family
DAY 9
Teotihuacan and Merida
We drive about 1.5 hours from Puebla to Teotihuacan, arriving early when it is cooler and quieter. A guided visit takes in the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Avenue of the Dead. We then drive to Mexico City airport, with a break for lunch before or at the airport. In the afternoon, we fly to Merida (about two hours), check in and take an orientation walk. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided visit to Teotihuacan
- Transfer to Mexico City airport
- Flight from Mexico City to Merida
- Merida orientation walk
DAY 10
Merida
We drive about an hour to Uxmal for a guided visit, including the Pyramid of the Magician. Lunch is at a working henequen hacienda, where we also see the cenote on site. After returning to Merida, the afternoon is at leisure. In the evening, we share a highlight dinner in downtown Merida, exploring the history of Yucatecan food and its Maya and Spanish roots, with a mariachi band.
Encounter Moment
A highlight dinner in downtown Merida, with mariachi music to match.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided visit to Uxmal
- Visit to a working henequen hacienda
- Traditional lunch at the hacienda
- Highlight dinner in Merida
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11
Merida to Chichen Itza
Our tour leader guides us around Merida, taking in the Zocalo, the Cathedral, Government House with its Fernando Castro Pacheco murals, Montejo House and Paseo de Montejo. We then drive to Izamal, a town painted entirely yellow, with a 16th-century Franciscan monastery built on a Maya pyramid base. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue to the Chichen Itza area, where we check in for an early night ahead of tomorrow’s pre-dawn start.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Leader-led Merida city tour
- Visit to Izamal
- Lunch in Izamal
- Hotel at the Chichen Itza site
DAY 12
Chichen Itza to Valladolid
At dawn, we enter Chichen Itza with an expert archaeological guide, before the site opens to the public. We see the Temple of Kukulkan, the Great Ball Court and the Temple of the Warriors. After breakfast and a rest at the hotel, we visit Ik Kil, an open-sky cenote with a waterfall and vines reaching the water, where we can swim. We then drive to Valladolid, with lunch at leisure and a free afternoon among its pastel colonial buildings and the Zocalo. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Early access to Chichen Itza with archaeological guide
- Ik Kil cenote swim
- Transfer to Valladolid
- Free afternoon in Valladolid
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 13
Valladolid
We head first to Ek Balam, where well-preserved stucco carvings and a winged figure frieze decorate the acropolis. It is quieter than Chichen Itza. Next is Rio Lagartos, where we take a private guided boat tour of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to American flamingos, crocodiles, herons and mangrove channels. After lunch in the village, we visit Las Coloradas and its vivid pink and red lagoons. We return to Valladolid in the afternoon. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided visit to Ek Balam
- Private boat tour of Rio Lagartos
- Lunch in Rio Lagartos village
- Las Coloradas pink lagoons
Meals: Lunch
DAY 14
Valladolid to Puerto Morelos
After an early breakfast, we drive about two hours to Akumal Bay. Around 9:30am, we snorkel with wild green sea turtles in the shallow protected bay, where they feed on the seagrass beds year-round. Life jackets are provided, and the session lasts about 55 minutes. Lunch is at a beachside restaurant overlooking the reef. We then drive to Puerto Morelos, check in and explore the central plaza and seafront malecon at leisure. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided snorkel with wild green sea turtles, Akumal Bay
- Lunch at Akumal with reef views
- Transfer to Puerto Morelos
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 15
Puerto Morelos
In the morning, we snorkel the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, 500 metres offshore, with an expert guide and equipment provided. The afternoon is free to explore the central plaza, the artisan market and local craft shops, including a boutique of handmade products by local women artists. In the evening, we gather for a farewell dinner at a waterfront restaurant.
Encounter Moment
Our farewell dinner by the water, to share the stories from the past two weeks.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Guided snorkel on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef
- Afternoon free in Puerto Morelos
- Farewell dinner on the waterfront
Meals: Dinner
Special Notes: For those who like, a short taxi ride takes you to La Colonia, the residential neighbourhood across the highway, with a local market and family restaurants.
DAY 16
Puerto Morelos
A free day to spend as we like: the beach, swimming, snorkelling or exploring the town. Our tour leader can share recommendations for local excursions. Dinner is at leisure.
Snapshot - What’s Included
- Free day in Puerto Morelos
- Leader recommendations for local excursions
DAY 17
Puerto Morelos
After a final breakfast and hotel check-out, transfer (about 35 to 40 minutes) to Cancun International Airport.
Snapshot - What’s Included
Meals: Breakfast
Itineraries may be subject to change, due to circumstances outside of our control. If there is any itinerary change prior to departure of significance, we aim to inform you prior to travel. Itinerary changes while on tour will be informed by your tour leader/guide while on tour.
