Mexico City

Welcome to Mexico! Upon arrival, we’ll provide a transfer to the hotel, after which you will have free time. Our guide will contact you late in the afternoon.

IMPORTANT: If you requested additional nights, your room will be ready upon arrival at the hotel, but your trip guide will only contact you when the included activities begin. Until then, you’ll have free time to enjoy at your leisure.

Note: The schedules provided in this itinerary are indicative. The guide may adjust them as needed to enhance the trip experience.

Mexico City.-

08.30 hrs.- Today we have a fantastic day acquaint ourselves with Mexico. We include a sightseeing tour of the city. We will visit the Plaza of Three Cultures, and the historic centre in which the Zócalo (main square) and its Metropolitan Cathedral stand out, the main Aztec temple, Chapultepec Park, the “Paseo de la Reforma” Avenue and the other main avenues of this impressive city.

At the end of the visit we travel to the BASILICA OF GUADALUPE, the most visited Catholic temple in the Americas where the Virgin of Guadalupe is found. There we will be able to explore the old basilica dating back to the 18th Century and also the modern temple.

In the afternoon we travel to the neighbourhood of XOCHIMILCO, a wonderful place with its canals and semi-floating gardens. Here we include a ride in a “trajinera”, one of the boats festooned with flowers.

18.00 Hrs.- Return to the hotel

21.00 Hrs.- We include a transfer to the Plaza de GARIBALDI, with its many bars, restaurants and bars where tacos and tequila are served and the Mariachis sing. Dinner is included in a traditional restaurant.

Mexico City - Ex-Hacienda de Chautla – Cholula - Puebla

We’ll depart from Mexico City toward the state of Puebla. On the way, admission will be included to the Ex-Hacienda de Chautla, founded in the 18th century and famous for its English-style castle situated on an artificial lake surrounded by forests. We’ll continue our journey to the charming town of Cholula, home to a lovely plaza and the picturesque Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, from where you can enjoy magnificent views of the surrounding landscape. We’ll then travel to Puebla, a vibrant urban area with 1.5 million inhabitants, where history meets modernity. Known for its rich colonial and Baroque heritage, the city boasts impressive landmarks such as the majestic Cathedral and the stunning Rosary Chapel. Overnight stay in this lively and dynamic city.

Puebla- Monte Albán- Oaxaca.-

Total distance: 340 km

08.00 hrs.- We travel to the state of Oaxaca, through mountainous regions with pleasant landscapes. 13.00hrs.- OAXACA. Arrival. We go up to the site of MONTE ALBAN, which is set deep in a 400-metre mountain above the Valley of Oaxaca – entry tickets and visit are included. This is the most magnificent of the Zapotec cities. Return to Oaxaca and visit included to this UNESCO World Heritage City of Aztec origin with its impressive monumental heritage.

In the evening we recommend a stroll through the historic centre of Oaxaca, an extremely beautiful colonial city which is full of life and music.

Oaxaca- San Pablo Villa de Mitla- Tuxtla.-

Total Distance: 505 kmCountryside: Mountains. Small towns en route.

Note: A new fast toll road is being built between Oaxaca and the Isthmus. Inauguration is expected throughout 2018. Travel time, when open, will be reduced by approxibately one and a half hours compared to that indicated in this itinerary.

07.30 hrs.- Oaxaca- Departure.-
09.30 hrs.- SAN PABLO VILLA DE MITLA. Arrival. We stop at a this magical town. We allow time for a walk together to the Church of San Pablo dating back to the Sixteenth Century and through its beautiful rustic streets.

10.15 hrs.- San Pablo. Departure. We continue our route in the sierras of Oaxaca towards the Isthmus. Lunch is included en route.

20.30 hrs.- At the end of the afternoon, we arrive in TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, the capital of the state of Chiapas.

Tuxtla- Sumidero Canyon- Chiapa del Corzo- Zinacantan- San Juan de Chamula- San Cristobal.-

Total Distance: 100 km
Landscapes: spectacular
Notes: We recommend you to take appropriate waterproof clothing for the speedboat ride.- The visit of the towns of Zinacantán and San Juan can take place on Wednesday or Thursday morning (according to opening times of the church of San Juan).

08.30 hrs.- Tuxtla - Departure.
09.00 hrs.- We will explore the SUMDERO CANYON. Travelling by boat, we will travel for more than 1 hrs up this impressive canyon which is almost 1 km deep and 14 km long.

10.45 hrs.- Sumidero Canyon.- Departure.
11.00 hrs.- Next, we will walk through CHIAPA DEL CORZO, a white traditional and cultural colonial site. Time for a stroll and a coffee.

11.45 hrs.- Chiapa del Corzo. Departure. We enter into the center of the Mexican Mayan culture. We discover 2 beautiful villages inhabited by the Tzotzil Indians.
12.45 hrs.- In ZINACANTAN we can admire the dresses worn by the women and also their small loom workshop-shops.

13.45 hrs.- Zicacantan.- Departure.
14.15 hrs.- SAN JUAN CHAMULA we will be surprised by their church that mixes Christianity with pre-Columbian traditions. Time for lunch.

15.45 hrs.- San Juan Chamula.- Departure.
16.15 hrs.- We continue to SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS. Free afternoon in this beautiful colonial city founded in 1528.

San Cristobal- Ocosingo- Agua Azul- Misol Ha- Palenque.-

Distance travelled: 225 km Landscape: Beautiful mountain landscapes of Chiapas. Villages which retain their ancient Mayan language and traditions.

Important: We suggest you bring comfortable clothes and shoes, insect repellent and sunscreen - as well as a bathing suit and a towel, to fully enjoy the natural waterfalls and spectacular blue river water.

08:00 - San Cristobal, we head to central Chiapas.
10:45 - OCOSINGO. We stop at the commercial regional capital situated on dairy-farmlands, next to the north Chiapas range, where incredible archaeological remains are found.

11:45 - Ocosingo- departure - We get back on the road and drive through mountains and jungle.
13:45 - Parque Nacional de AGUA AZUL (Agua Azul National Park). Entrance fee and lunch included after the visit, time to have a walk or bathe in the pools and more than 50 waterfalls, which range from 3 to 30 meters in height.

16:30 Agua Azul- departure.
17:45 - MISOL HA. Arrival at this impressive waterfall and its walking trails.

19:00 - Misol Ha- departure.
20:45 - Palenque- arrival. Dinner included.

Important: in some instances, roadblocks might be experienced in the region of Ocosingo due to local social unrest. In that event, we would take an alternative route visiting the City of Villahermosa and the ecological reserve of Yumka instead of the usual stops at Ocosingo, Agua Azul and Misol.

Palenque - Campeche.-

Total distance: 360 km.

Scenery: Yucatan Peninsula. Beautiful views over the coastal road of the Gulf of Mexico.

09.00 hrs.- We include entrance and guided visit to the impressive archaeological site of PALENQUE. This Mayan city, surrounded by jungle, reached its peak between 600 and 800 AD. During the visit we will see its temples, pyramids and ball game. Free time for lunch.

12.30 hrs.- Palenque -departure-. We travel to the Gulf of Mexico through the state of Tabasco.
18.30 hrs.- CAMPECHE- Arrival to this Mexican port city known for its colonial buildings and 17th century fortifications created to confront pirate attacks. Dinner included.

Campeche- Mérida.-

Total distance: 180 km.

09.00hrs- We leave Campeche for the state of Yucatan. In a bit over two hours, we arrive to Merida.

11.30 hrs- MÉRIDA- arrival. Tour of the city, the vibrant capital of the Mexican Yucatan State boasts a rich colonial and Mayan heritage. We see the fortified cathedral of Merida and the limestone church of the Third Order as well as the House of Montejo, a 16th century mansion and the emblem of Plateresque colonial architecture. Afternoon free, we suggest you to visit the Museum of the Mayan World on your own. In the evening, we include a transfer to attend the Mayan Ball Game show". Accommodation.

Mérida- Izamal- Chichen Itzá- Río Lagartos.-

Total distance: 290 km
Scenery: Nice stage to get to know the state of Yucatan.
N.B.- Remember to bring comfortable clothes and shoes, swimsuit and towel, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.

08.00 hrs- Merida- departure.
09.15 hrs- IZAMAL- arrival to one of the prettiest cities in Mexico, declared a "Magic town".

10.15 hrs- Izamal, departure.
11.30 hrs- CHICHEN ITZAN,- we include admission and a visit to the most important and renowned vestige of the Mayan civilization, a World Heritage Site where we see the mythical pyramid of Kukulcán and the warriors’ temple.

14.30 hrs - After the visit we include a Mayan cuisine lunch.

16.00 hrs- Chichen Itzan- We continue on our beautiful stage through the state of Yucatan.
18.15- RIO LAGARTOS, arrival to this small fishing village in the middle of a Biosphere Reserve.

Note: The hotel infrastructure in Rio Lagartos is very limited. Occasionally, we will have to provide accomodation in Valladolid. In that case, we will visit Valladolid on Sunday instead of Monday and spend more time in Rio Lagartos on Monday.

Río Lagartos- Valladolid- Cenote Choj Ha- Cancún.-

Distance: 265 km.

Note: Remember to bring comfortable clothes and shoes, swimwear and towel, sunscreen and mosquito cream.

08.00 hrs.- We include a boat ride of more than two hours. We enter the biosphere reserve, where we can see crocodiles among its mangroves, lots of birds, including pelicans and pink flamingos. You can also "live the mud experience" by smearing mud with high concentrations of sulfur, minerals and salts that act as exfoliants for the skin, leaving a feeling of softness throughout the body.

11.30 hrs- Rio Lagartos, departure. We head to the interior of the peninsula.
13.00 hrs- VALLADOLID- arrival in the third largest city of the Yucatan with a very nice historical city center. We recommend that you have lunch in one of the restaurants in the main square.

14.30 hrs- Valladolid, departure.
15.30 hrs- CENOTE CHOJ HA. We will explore this Cenote managed by the local Mayan community. We will walk along a short trail in the jungle to visit the dry cave and swim in the wonderful lake inside the wet cave.

17.00 hrs- Cenote, departure. Continuation to Cancun.
20.30 hrs- CANCUN, arrival.

Cancun.-

Our services end after breakfast. We suggest that any travellers who wish to extend their stay for a few days can do so resting by the beautiful beaches of Cancun or the Riviera Maya.