Day 1
Upon arrival in Mexico City, transfer to your hotel. Afternoon of leisure or choose from optional excursions.
Day 2
In the morning we depart the city, heading to the breathtaking archeological site of Teotihuacán. By the afternoon, following a tour of the ruins, we return to Mexico City to visit the first quarter—el Zocalo. Mexico City is known as the Ciudad de los Palacios (City of Palaces) for good reason. The tour continues in the main square, where we will visit some colonial palaces like the Palacio Nacional, the Metropolitan Cathedral and other beautiful architectural jewels, and walk through the main streets. On we continue to Paseo de la Reforma to admire its buildings and monuments, such as the famous Angel of Independence.
Day 3
The Villa of Coyoacán is located in the south part of the city. Enjoy a private tour where we will visit the “blue house,” as it is also known, where Frida Kahlo used to live. This extraordinary painter was born and raised here. Now it is a museum, where some of her artworks and personal belongings are displayed. The tour continues in Coyoacán’s main plaza—one of the first quarters built during Hernán Cortes’ government. Beautiful architecture can be seen in many colonial buildings and houses throughout this residential area. The Leon Trotsky Museum is located close to Frida Kahlo’s Museum. It is an old house, where Trotsky lived after being expelled from Russia and where he found refuge in Mexico City
Day 4
You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to one of the most traditional states in the country: Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. We will be waiting for you there to take you to your hotel. You will have an opportunity to explore the center of this beautiful colonial city.
Day 5
Enjoy a full-day excursion to the impressive archeological sites of Monte Alban and Mitla. Today, Mitla is a popular destination for tourists to Oaxaca. It has a small museum and hosts a large outdoor market. Many of the townspeople speak a form of the Zapotec language.
Day 6
Enjoy a full-day city tour of Oaxaca. Optional Oaxacan cuisine cooking course available; not included in price.
Day 7
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Tuxtla Gutierrez. Once we arrive we will get on the road to San Cristobal de las Casas with a private guide. On the way there is a visit to the enormous Sumidero Canyon where we will enjoy a boat ride. Have an unforgettable experience sailing down the Grijalva River, across a geological fault formed millions of years ago with dramatic cliffs up to one kilometer high and the river’s depth of 100 meters. Sumidero Canyon is located near San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas. Monkeys and iguanas inhabit the area, among other wild animals.
Day 8
Today you will enjoy a half-day tour of the Indian villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. Each village has its own distinctive highland dress as well as a weekly market and numerous festivals honoring patron saints and other special religious days. Afterwards walk through the colonial streets of San Cristobal de las Casas, a jewel right in the heart of the Chiapas highlands. The indigenous soul of the town coexists harmoniously with its colonial charm, making it an enchanting place to visit.
Day 9
We will get back on the road, winding along mountain lanes to the small town of Palenque. On the way, we will visit the Agua Azul (“Blue Water”) waterfalls.
Day 10
Enjoy a visit to the archeological site of Palenque. Walk through the same paths as the great Mayan Lords, and feel the charm and mystery of this culture. The Mayan site of Palenque is located northwest of the Mayan lowlands in Chiapas, Mexico. Surrounded by the jungle, it is considered one of the most important archeological sites of Mesoamerica, a ceremonial center and home to a number of Mayan Lords. There are religious temples, plazas, open courts and a ball court, but most of the structures are palaces. Artifacts discovered at this site tell us about the Mayan Lords and in particular of Lord Pacal, one of the best-known Lords of the Mayan civilization. Continue to Villahermosa for the night.
Day 11
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Mérida, the “white city,” transfer to your hotel.
Day 12
You will enjoy today’s excursion to the wonderful archeological sites of Uxmal and Kabah. Uxmal was probably built around 700 A.D. The rich, green, fertile land provides a perfect setting for some of the most magnificent pyramids, buildings and temples of the ancient Mayan world. You can sense history here as you walk around and gaze at the stunning architecture and layout of this old city. The Piramide del Adivino (the Oracle’s Pyramid) stands majestically above other buildings, and a climb to its summit will reward you with spectacular views of the entire half-square-mile ancient city. Kabah is located south of Uxmal, and both archaeological sites are connected by a grand 18-kilometer-long pedestrian causeway with monumental arches at each end. Kabah is the second largest ruin of the Puuc region, after Uxmal. The most famous structure at the Kabah ruins is the Palacio de las Mascaras (the Palace of the Masks), its facade decorated with hundreds of stone masks of the long-nosed rain god Chaac. The site also has a number of other palaces, low stone buildings, and step-pyramid temples you can discover and enjoy.
Day 13
After breakfast, leave Mérida on your way to the ancient archeological site of Chichen-Itza. The famous Mayan pyramids of Chichen-Itza are more than 1,500 years old. The site is divided into three sections. The north grouping of structures is distinctly Toltec in style. The central group appears to be from the early period. The southern group is known as “The Old Chichen.” You will find a large ball court where Mayan men played a game called pok ta pok, full of symbolism and drama. Continue to Cancun for the night.
Day 14
Transfer to the Cancun airport for your flight to the colonial city of Chihuahua, in the northern part of Mexico. Once there, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Day 15
After an early call in the morning, you will be transferred to the railway station to begin your journey. You will board the Chihuahua-Pacifico train, better known as “Chepe,” which offers beautiful landscapes to visitors from Creel on. Your first destination will be Divisadero, overlooking magnificent Copper Canyon. Upon your arrival at Creel train station, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, you will have free time to explore the area.
Day 16
You will have the opportunity during the morning to take short optional excursions (for example, Arareko Lake, Tarahumara Caves and San Ignacio Mission). You will be transferred to Creel station and ride to Posada Barrancas station. A driver will meet you and take you to your hotel.
Day 17
This morning will be free for discovering the area or taking one of the optional excursions to a nearby site (such as Balancing Rock). Then we will transfer you to the train station to ride to Bahuichivo, another station of the “Chepe.” There you will be picked up and taken to the hotel in the old mission community of Cerocahui.
Day 18
During the morning you will have free time to take one of the optional excursions around the area, such as the Urique Canyon excursion, overlooking the deepest point of the Canyon (1,879 meters deep). Then, back at the train station, you will continue your ride to El Fuerte, an important mining center in the 19th century and now turned into a preferred region for boutique hotels.
Day 19
After breakfast, transfer from the hotel to the Los Mochis airport for flight to Mexico City and connect with flight home.
Mexico
Teotihuacán
Mexico City
Santo Domingo de Guzman Church
