What you can expect
Mexico's Colonial Cities
Piramides del Sol y de la Luna in Teotihuacan
Famous Mexican Cuisine
Join our amazing trip of a lifetime and immerse yourself in a genuine Mexperience where the history of the indigenous peoples and the Spanish Conquistadors has over time melded together to create a rich and diverse culture and climate that can be found nowhere else. Starting and finishing in one of the world’s greatest metropolises, the Mexico City, we will tour around some of the most well preserved colonial cities San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Puebla, Taxco and Morelia each a treasure trove of European inspired architecture, monuments and art. We will also leave the main highways behind to visit smaller and more intimate towns and villages such Pátzcuaro, Capula and Janitzio. Places where indigenous people keep traditions alive and handy crafts passed from generation to generation. Along the way we will admire Aztec’s ruins and the largest man made pyramid ever constructed echoes of the mighty pre-Columbian empires that flourished before the arrival of the Spanish. And at each place we visit there will be fantastic local foods and delicacies aplenty we can try and savour. Mexico is waiting so you shouldn’t!
Viva Mexico! Welcome to Mexico! Upon arrival at Mexico City Airport, we’ll proceed through immigration, collect our luggage and meet our local guide. We then transfer to our hotel. After check in we will have some free time to rest after our flight.
In the evening we will enjoy a welcome drink and dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Today we will explore magnificent Mexico City, built by the Spanish conquistadors in the ‘Valley of Mexico’, at a height of over 2200 metres, on the high Mexican central plateau on top of the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the ancient Aztec capital.
Our tour will start in the ‘Plaza de la Constitución’ (known by locals simply as ‘El Zocalo’) the mighty, paved public square that is the historical heart of the city. The entire east side is taken up by the ‘National Palace’, the façade of which is over 200 metres long, and which is the seat of federal government and the official residence of the President. The north side of the Zocalo is occupied by the colossal Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest church in all of Latin America which we will visit and braver souls may take an optional tour of the roof top which allows fantastic views of the plaza.
After breakfast we will drive to the southern suburbs of the City to Xochimilco where we will meet with locals and have our first traditional culinary experience. We will stroll through the local market for to buy fresh ingredients and will then cook together in a local owned private kitchen. For lunch will get to enjoy the gastronomic dishes we have created all based on regional recipes which will consist of at least 2 courses (an entry and a main) along with a non-alcoholic beverage.
Then we will take a trip on one of brightly coloured, gondola type traditional Trajinera boats along the local canal system which stretches for over a hundred miles. This waterway network, along with the numerous artificial islets (called chinampas), is what remains of an extensive lake and canal system that connected the many settlements in the Valley of Mexico before the Spanish conquest. The unique ecology of the canal and chinampa along with the importance of its precolonial past led to Xochimilco being declared a World Heritage Site in 1987
After breakfast we will head towards the valley of Cuernavaca for a short tour of the ‘City of the Eternal Spring’. Afterwards we will continue to the pre-Columbian archaeological site of Xochicalco which is located in the state of Morelos. This was an important cultural centre which reached its pinnacle after the fall of Teotihuacán and some theories have speculated it may have played a part in the decline of that empire. The main ceremonial center is atop an artificially levelled hill, with the remains of residential structures, mostly unexcavated, on long terraces covering the slopes.
After the visit we will head to the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa (1 hr). This series of vast caves each with amazing and spectacular rocks formations is one of the largest ‘live’ cavern systems in the world.
Today we depart from Taxco towards Puebla via Cholula where we will visit one of the biggest archaeological sites in the Americas. The Great Pyramid of Cholula located just outside of Puebla is thought by many to be the remnants of the largest ever man made pyramid in the world, being twice as tall from its base as Cheops in Egypt. A church was first built atop the remains of the pyramid back in the 17th century, and a rebuilt church stands there today.
We will continue onto Puebla, known as “The City of Angels”, where we will have time for lunch. We recommend trying one of the many delicious dishes on offer the famous “Mole Poblano” (a thick and savoury chilli and chocolate sauce).
Today we will visit the ‘must-see’ archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan – the site of the massive Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon which dominate the skyline of the complex.
Located 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, this was once the capital of the Aztec, who ruled over the largest empire on the continent in the pre-Hispanic era. Situated in the heart of a valley and guarded by mountains, this magnificent city is thought to have been founded early in the 1st century AD and reached its peak around 500 AD at which time its influence extended down all the way to Guatemala and as far north as present-day Texas.
In the morning after breakfast at our hotel we will continue on to the beautiful and vibrant city of San Miguel de Allende. A haunt of painters and artists and a large expatriate community, it is also, rightfully, a UNESCO world heritage listed site, a fact made even more remarkable if you considered that it almost became a ghost town following an influenza epidemic at the start of the last century.
When we arrive we will start a walking tour of what many think of as one of the birthplaces of the country’s independence movement which will pass some of fine colonial buildings and interesting monuments in the city centre which includes the Parish of San Miguel Arcangel (with its incredible history of Zeferino Gutierrez), the house of Captain Ignacio Allende, the Temple of the Immaculate Conception with its old cloister which today is a Fine Arts school and the Angela Peralta Theatre.
After breakfast at our hotel we will start our city tour visiting the Museum of Guanajuato which is famous for its Mummies, the UNESCO listed Valenciana mine and the iconic bright yellow ‘Basílica colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato’ which inside it has with a magnificent 23.5 carat gold-framed altarpieces.
We will then submerge to explore the maze-like network of stone tunnels, that resembles the artwork of Escher, criss-cross invisibly under the heart of the city.
After breakfast in our hotel we will travel a short distance to the town of Capula, a place known throughout the country for the ceramics and pottery pieces it produces
It is the recognised birthplace of the clay Skeletal, ‘Catrina; figurine which can be seen everywhere in the country on the Day of the dead and hundreds of these figures are created every day each with unique and exquisite characteristics and personalities.
From there we will go to the town of Tzintzuntzan (which means ‘Place of the Hummingbirds’) that has pre-Columbian ruins with its many large stone platforms that resemble round based pyramids known as ‘Las Yácatas’. This was one of the most important Purepecha capitals during pre Hispanic times.
We will also visit the Franciscan ex-convent before returning to our hotel.
We will begin our day with breakfast at out hotel before we make the short trip the small town of Quiroga located near the banks of Lake Patzcuaro. The town is small and beautiful centre of arts in the state of Michoacán with entire streets and avenues full of artwork and handicrafts. It is reputed to make the best ‘carnitas’ in the state. It is strongly recommended we try at least some of these tacos of different variety of meats (the name literally means ‘little meat’)
Then we will go to the travel by boat take tour around the lake we might see the local fishermen in their canoes and raising their catch in nets.
After breakfast, we will get ready to head to the Mexico City airport for our flight back to the UK.
We stay in comfortable hotels throughout as detailed below (or similar);
Frequently Asked Questions
A reasonable level of fitness/mobility is required as we include plenty of sightseeing/travelling, sometimes with early starts and long coach journeys.
Please refer to Medical Conditions in Important Information.
Itinerary is subject to change according to traffic, weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances beyond control.
Luggage allowance per person is based on 1 piece per person + 1 carry on.
Mexican Peso (MXN; symbol M$) = 100 centavos
Your passport should have at least one day’s validity from the date you are leaving Mexico. If you hold a passport other than a British Citizen passport, different regulations may apply. For the most up-to-date passport and visa info, visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico/entry-requirements.
The transfer time for the main tour between Mexico International Airport and the Royal Reforma hotel is approximately 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
The transfer time for the main tour between from Hotel in Morelia and the Mexico International Airport is approximately 4hr.
Dressing in layers is recommended. Casual evening wear is recommended and comfortable shoes for sightseeing. It is not recommended that visitors wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or short clothes when visiting religious temples or official buildings. Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay.
We suggest a Group Collection to cover guides, transfer drivers, and hotel staff. We recommend $ 7.00 per person per day for the guide and $ 3.00 per person per day for driver.
Your Tour Leader will collect this on your behalf and distribute it accordingly, thus relieving you of the burden of who, when and how much to tip. The tipping of housekeeping will be left to your individual discretion (a small amount left in your room on departure should cover this and would be much appreciated). As is customary, ‘the hat’ will be passed around for the driver and guide on all optional excursions. For any meals that are not included in your itinerary, or taxi fares, your Tour Leader can advise of an appropriate % to add on.
Average Temperatures
| Month(s) | Highest temperature | Lowest temperature |
|---|---|---|
| May | 25 °C | 12 °C |
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