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Welcome to Mexico! Your adventure begins in Mexico City, the vibrant beating heart of the country. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel, where you will meet the rest of your group and the local leader for a 6 pm welcome meeting. Your hotel in Mexico City is a house in a beautiful building from the 1890s and, the location is truly one of the city’s best. The buzzing Zocalo Plaza and spectacular National Cathedral are right on your doorstep, views of which can be admired from your hotel’s rooftop restaurant and bar. After the meeting, head out for dinner with your leader and small group. Tonight you will have the chance to sample a tempting array of local dishes during a tour of local street food stalls and taquerias with your leader. From tacos and tostadas to tamales and quesadillas, the city’s fresh food scene will surprise and delight even seasoned travelers. End the evening with some sweet treats at the city’s oldest churreria. If you wish for additional excursions during your time in Mexico City, pick from the following optional activities and contact us for current excursion pricing.

Included Activities:

• Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
• Mexico City - Welcome Dinner

Today, spend time getting to know Mexico City on a tour with your knowledgeable leader. From cosmopolitan glamour to ancient and colonial history, there’s a lot to see, so rise early and head out to the National Museum of Anthropology, where your leader will walk you through the different stages of the country’s past. Continue to the Zocalo Plaza, the lively main square of the city. Visit the National Cathedral to hear stories and be marvel at its impressive Gothic architecture, then continue to the sprawling National Palace. This spot first held a palace built by an Aztec emperor in the early 16th century and now houses the offices of Mexico’s president. Enjoy an evening at leisure. There’s no doubt that the food here is best to experience like a local, so be sure to ask your leader for some excellent dinner recommendations this evening.

Included Activities:

• Mexico City - National Museum of Anthropology (entrance fee)
• Mexico City - Leader-led City Tour of Historic Center
• Mexico City - Diego Rivera Murals in the National Palace (entrance fee)

Depart Mexico City and travel to Teotihuacan. Here you'll discover the extraordinary ruins known as the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, which dominate the skyline. It is once one of the country's biggest ancient cities and the Aztec capital. Join an expert local guide and stroll down The Avenue of the Dead to see fascinating clues to what life here was like nearly 2000 years ago. After lunch, continue to Puebla. Stop off on the way to visit a local family who produces beautiful stonework carved from obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glasslike rock. Take some time to admire their striking pieces and speak to the family about their craft. Arrive in Puebla, a charming city that has retained its colonial heritage despite rapid growth and development. Set out for a walk around town and visit Calle de Los Dulces (Candy street) and the El Parian handicraft market, as well as the impressive Rosary Chapel and Town Hall Palace. Mexican food is deliciously diverse and, Puebla is no exception. Head to a marvelous restaurant for dinner this evening, where a local chef serves up creative food in an elegant setting – the mole here comes highly recommended.

Included Activities:

• Puebla - Leader-led orientation walk
• Teotihuacan - Archaeological site
• Teotihuacan - Obsidian workshop

Your travel time today is approximately 4 hours.

After breakfast, drive out to the fascinating Cholula archaeological site. Meet with an expert local guide and tour the complex, including the Great Pyramid of Cholula – if you include its basement, this is the largest pyramid in the world. Explore the excavated areas around the pyramid and the maze of tunnels beneath it while learning how the structure is built to honor the god Quetzalcoatl. For lunch today, stop at a wonderful restaurant serving organic dishes made with locally sourced produce to minimize their impact on the environment. The rest of the day is free for your explorations – you may like to join your leader for a visit to a local artisan to discover more about the Talavera pottery tradition.

Included Activities:

• Puebla - Cholula archaeological site

Make your way to Oaxaca, a colorful city rich in history and culture. Arrive in the late afternoon and settle into your hotel for the next three nights. Converted from a 19th-century mansion, the hotel exudes traditional charm, from its ivy-clad courtyard to original frescoes and a stone fountain. Stay just steps from the city’s main Zocalo, where cafés, musicians, and artisans bring the streets to life. Join your leader for an orientation walk to get a feel for the city, stopping by the local markets of Benito Juarez and 20 de Noviembre. Enjoy a free evening, and for a true taste of Oaxaca, ask your leader for local dining recommendations.

Included Activities:

• Oaxaca - Leader-led orientation walk
• Oaxaca - Mercado Benito Juarez
• Oaxaca - Mercado 20 de Noviembre

Your travel time today is approximately 5 hours.

Today, venture out of the city and take a tour of the Oaxaca region. Visit the Mitla ruins archaeological site – once the religious center for Zapotec communities – and the Tule Tree, considered the world’s widest tree at over 11 meters in diameter. The Montezuma cypress’ gnarled trunk is over 1500 years old, roughly the same as the ruins. Stop off in Tule town to try some Mexican ice cream – an important part of Mexico’s culinary history. This hand-churned ice cream is up there with the best of them. Perhaps try some Mexican vanilla, fresh fruit sorbet, or, even a scoop seasoned with chili. Continue to a beeswax candle-making workshop and learn the age-old processes that pass down for generations and the intricate designs that are created. Later, take part in a Zapotec weaving demonstration, which uses only traditional techniques, tools, patterns, and organic dyes. Watch as local families meticulously craft folk clothing and rugs, some taking months to complete. You will learn the whole process from preparing and dyeing the yarn to traditional weaving methods. Here, enjoy a mostly plant-based lunch of regional Zapotec specialties. On your way back to Oaxaca, stop by an agave mezcal factory for a tasting before returning to the city in the late afternoon.

Included Activities:

• Oaxaca - Beeswax candle workshop
• Oaxaca - Weaving demonstration
• Oaxaca - Tule Tree
• Oaxaca - Mitla archeological site
• Oaxaca - Mezcaleria visit
• Oaxaca - Zapotecan home-cooked lunch

Enjoy a free day to take the City sights, sounds, and tastes of Oaxaca. There’s something here to suit every interest – speak to your leader about arranging a visit to the Monte Alban archaeological site, a local cooking class, or a street art cycling tour. You may like to head to one of the city’s many markets to browse stalls of coffee, spices, and crafts made by local artisans. In the evening, it’s time for a send-off in style as you head just outside of the city for a special dining experience. Your venue for this evening looks like a typical Oaxacan house, but for the lucky few in the know, opening the front door will reveal an award-winning restaurant like no other. Enjoy the amazing menu of traditional Mexican dishes with a five-star twist, curated and cooked by a world-renowned chef. With the kitchen station right next to the tables, you’ll have the opportunity to chat with the chef while watching your dishes come to life. This final dinner will certainly be one to remember.

Included Activities:

• Oaxaca - Farewell Dinner

Today, you fly from Oaxaca to Cancun and then transfer to Playa del Carmen, a lovely beach town on the Yucatan Peninsula known for its beautiful turquoise waters. Once you arrive at Cancun International Airport, you are picked up and taken to your hotel. There’s a meeting at 6 PM to welcome any new travelers joining you for the next part of your trip. The Yucatan has a lot of fresh seafood, so after the meeting, you head to a local restaurant to try some. You can enjoy a traditional meal with fresh fish, mussels, shrimp, and clams.

Included activities:

• Complimentary Arrival Transfer
• Playa del Carmen - Welcome Dinner

After breakfast, depart Playa del Carmen and head to the secluded Laguna Chabela. Meet a local Maya family who has lived here for generations and gain a deeper understanding of their way of life. Walk through the low jungle filled with medicinal plants, see what they grow, and learn how they live off the land. Watch as the family matriarch demonstrates how to make tortillas in the Coba style, then sit down to a traditional lunch prepared by hand using a mortar and pestle—just as it has been for over 1,000 years. Step back in time as ancient Maya stones emerge from the jungle, with birdsong as your backdrop. In the afternoon, continue to Valladolid, known for its pastel-colored buildings. Your hotel, set on the city’s main square, is a converted 16th-century house and provides the perfect base for your explorations

Included Activities:

• Valladolid - Home-cooked lunch
• Valladolid - Tortilla making demonstration
• Valladolid - Mayan homestead visit

Your travel time today is approximately 3 hours.

After breakfast, spend your day exploring the fascinating complex of Chichen Itza. Named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is considered the most important archaeological vestige of the Maya-Toltec civilization in Yucatan by UNESCO. Meet with a local historian for a guided tour to uncover the secrets of the most famous Maya site in Mexico, dominated by the Temple of Kukulkan, or El Castillo, a Mesoamerican step-pyramid. After the visit, have a special lunch with a local family in the town of Piste. Here, enjoy a traditional Pibil feast, a Maya style of cooking that involves barbecuing underground, which the family has perfected over generations. After lunch, visit a beautiful cenote for a swim, then continue to the historic town of Merida. Founded in 1542,  the city is the Yucatan capital and retains much of its old-world charm. Your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three evenings is the magnificent La Misión de Fray Diego – a 17th-century mansion turned boutique hotel. Spacious rooms flaunt elegant decor with traditional touches, surrounding a glowing courtyard with a wonderful swimming pool. Enjoy exceptional service and a privileged location in the heart of the city.

Included Activities:

• Chichen Itza - Archaeological Site
• Chichen Itza - Cenote swim stop
• Chichen Itza - Home-cooked pibil lunch

Driving Time: Approximately 2.5 hours.

This morning, join your leader for a walking tour of downtown Mérida and explore the city's rich Maya heritage. Visit the bustling market for a glimpse of local life, then stop by the city museum, Montejo's House, and the cathedral. Step inside the Palacio del Gobierno to admire murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco, a renowned Mexican artist from Mérida. These paintings vividly depict the city's history and the interactions between the Maya and the Spanish.

The afternoon is yours to continue exploring—relax in the shaded Plaza Grande or browse the outdoor market for Maya replicas. In the evening, regroup for dinner at a local restaurant serving Yucatán specialties—be sure to try the flavorful sopa de lima (lime soup).

Included Activities:

• Merida - Leader-led Orientation Walk

After breakfast, drive to the Celestun Bird Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve. One of the first places migratory birds arrive for the winter, the reserve offers a birdwatching experience like no other. Here, meet with a local conservationist to tour the area, learn about its unique flora and fauna and hear about the conservation efforts taking place in the region. Look out for the Yucatan woodpecker, Mexican sheartail, tropical mockingbird, and depending on the season (usually November–March), witness thousands of flamingos painting a pink streak across the landscape. Return to Merida for an afternoon at leisure. For a taste of Merida's 19th-century glory, take a walk along the mansion-lined Paseo de Montejo. Be sure to ask your leader for some great local recommendations for dinner this evening.

Included Activities:

• Merida - Celestun Biosphere Reserve tour

Your travel time today is approximately 3 hours.

Depart Merida this morning and head towards Muyil, stopping off for lunch in the village of Coba. Continue to the virtually unknown Muyil Archaeologic Site – this ancient Maya trading post is one of the oldest once-inhabited sites in the country, with a history stretching back to 350 BC. Explore the ruins with your leader who will explain what life here once looked like. Next, head to the banks of the Maya River and board a small boat to explore the canals and lagoons of the Sian Ka'an biosphere. One of the largest protected areas in Mexico, this UNESCO World Heritage site covers more than 400,000 hectares of land, lagoon, and marine areas, including countless flora and fauna. You’ll be joined by guides from the local community who will help you get the most out of this experience. Admire the ruins on the riverbanks before disembarking in the waters of the ancient Mayan mangrove canals, where you’ll experience a natural ‘lazy river’ and float through the peaceful canals in a slow but steady current. After 45 minutes of floating, carry on to Tulum.

Included Activities:

• Tulum - Muyil River float
• Tulum - Muyil archaeological site

Your travel time today is approximately 4.5 hours.

Enjoy a morning at leisure in Tulum. You may like to unroll a towel and relax on the beach or take a dip in the calm and clear Caribbean waters. A stroll through the town will reveal an array of independent shops selling handicrafts and Fairtrade goods. In the afternoon, head to the Tulum archaeological site for a special after-hours visit, allowing you to appreciate the incredible history of the ruins without the crowds. One of the last cities built by the Maya, your leader will paint a picture of how life played out here as you explore the complex against a spectacular ocean backdrop. This evening you will dine at one of Tulum’s most celebrated restaurants. Set within the jungle and inspired by the freshest local produce, this final dinner with your newfound friends will certainly be one to remember.

Included Activities:

• Tulum - After hours visit to the Tulum archaeological site
• Tulum - Farewell Dinner
• Tulum – Beach Club Visit

Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning before going back home.