Departure for Mexico City, once called Tenochtitlan, the largest Aztec city and the largest city in the Americas.
This morning, discover the old town and its "Zocalo," the main square where you’ll admire the Metropolitan Cathedral. On the other side, you’ll see the "Palacio Nacional," the seat of the Presidency of the Republic. Inside, the famous murals by Mexican artist Diego Rivera. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Anthropology, one of the city's must-see attractions, housing a vast collection of pre-Columbian Mexican artifacts, including the famous Aztec Calendar Stone.
Departure for Teotihuacan. On the way, visit the Basilica of Guadalupe, home to the Virgin, Mexico's patron saint, and the continent's most important sanctuary. Explore the continent’s most significant archaeological site, with its massive monuments: the Pyramid of the Sun (225 meters wide and 63 meters high), the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.
Head to Guanajuato, meaning "place of frogs" in the indigenous language. Nestled in a narrow gorge of the Sierra Madre, this beautiful colonial city grew around its gold and silver mines. A UNESCO World Heritage site for its Historic Center, today you'll discover its charm.
In the morning, depart for San Miguel de Allende. Founded by a Franciscan monk and a key location in the independence war, it was named after Ignacio de Allende, a hero of the movement. The city is a Monument National, with its colorful facades inspiring works of art and even serving as film backdrops. Continue to Santiago de Queretaro, founded in 1531 amid bloody battles between the indigenous people and Spanish conquistadors. Its historic center offers four hundred years of history and colonial traditions.
Fly to Oaxaca, a charming city nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains. You'll explore the Zocalo square, the Cathedral, and the Santo Domingo Church, including its fully restored convent. One of Oaxaca’s main attractions is its ethnobotanical gardens, which showcase plants from the region. Inside the convent is the Regional Museum of Oaxaca, where you can admire the fascinating gold treasures found in a tomb at the Monte Alban site.
Depart for Monte Alban, a Mixtéc culture site, an acropolis with a central plaza surrounded by temples and pyramids. Built by the Zapotecs, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many consider Monte Alban a spiritual experience. The "dancing" figures, mysterious etched silhouettes, are among the site’s remarkable features. Visit the artisan villages of San Martin Tilcajete and San Bartolo Coyotepec, where local artisans preserve their artistic traditions.
Fly to Tuxtla Gutierrez for a boat excursion through the Sumidero Canyon, one of Central America's most fascinating natural sites. The towering cliffs, over a thousand meters high, were carved by the Grijalva River. Continue to San Cristobal de Las Casas, located at 2,300 meters above sea level.
This morning, visit the Maya Medicine Museum, which showcases traditional Maya practices and the therapeutic resources of indigenous healers from Chiapas. The museum features six exhibition spaces and a garden with medicinal plants. Next, visit San Juan Chamula, the most famous indigenous village in the region. Lunch is free, followed by a visit to the village of Zinacantan, whose name means "place of bats," reflecting the Bat God worshipped by the Zinacantecos.
Head to Palenque, showcasing the Maya's extraordinary ability to blend architecture with the environment. This royal city is one of the most impressive Maya sites, with its white stone temples and palaces providing a striking contrast against the surrounding emerald-green mountains and forests.
Travel to Campeche, a colonial port city that preserved its fortress walls and fortifications. The vibrant, colorfully painted houses and wrought-iron or sculpted plaster decorations offer beautiful views of the bay. Discover the city’s historical center, from the cathedral to its fortifications.
Visit Uxmal, a Maya city known for its unique Puuc architectural style, with frieze-decorated buildings like the Pyramid of the Diviner, the Nunnery Quadrangle, the Governor's Palace, and the House of Turtles. Continue to Kabah, a Maya city that had commercial ties with Uxmal, probably linked to the Toltec civilization of Central Mexico.
Today, explore the city of Merida, the capital of Yucatan. While rapidly developing economically, it has preserved its captivating colonial charm and strong personality, tied to its history as a former dependency of Spain until Mexican independence.
Visit Chichen Itza, the fascinating Toltec-Maya city with its imposing pyramid of 365 steps, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. Also visit its cruel ballcourt, the skull wall, and the Sacred Cenote, a 20-meter-deep natural well. You can also attend the spectacular sound and light show in the evening.
Depart for the Riviera Maya, stopping at Tulum, the ancient fortified coastal city and the only Maya port overlooking the Caribbean Sea. This is likely where the Maya first saw the Spanish caravels in 1517. Visit the fortified city, its temple, and its well-preserved frescoes representing deities of flowers, corn, and serpents, as well as handprints symbolizing gods. Stay for 7 nights in an all-inclusive hotel on the Riviera Maya.
Enjoy a final morning of relaxation before transferring to the airport for your flight back home via Mexico City, bidding farewell to Mexico and its incredible discoveries of a past civilization.
MEXICO: Four Seasons Mexico City 5*
GUANAJUATO: Casa del Rector Hotel Boutique 5*
QUERETARO: La Marquesa 5*
OAXACA: Quinta Real Oaxaca 5*
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS: Collection O Casa de Familia 5*
PALENQUE: Villa Mercedes Palenque 5*
CAMPECHE: Boutique Casa Don Gustavo 5*
MERIDA: Casa Tavera 5*
CHICHEN ITZA: Hacienda Chichen & Yaxkin Spa 4*
CANCUN: Kempinski Hotel Cancun 5*
