BEST OF
Mexico
Season 2023
10 nights program
Beach Extension available in Cancun or Playa del Carmen
Daily schedule
D1- Mexico City
D2- Mexico City / Teotihuacan / Puebla – 3.30-hour road trip
D3- Puebla / Oaxaca – 5-hour road trip
D4- Oaxaca
D5- Oaxaca / Chiapa de Corzo – 8 hour road trip
D6- Chiapa de Corzo / San Cristobal de las Casas – 1.30 hour road trip
D7- San Cristobal de las Casas
D8- San Cristobal de las Casas / Agua Azul / Palenque – 5 hour road trip
D9- Palenque / Uxmal / Merida – 8-hour road trip
D10- Merida / Chichen Itza – 2.30-hour road trip
D11- Chichen Itza / Cancun’s airport – 2.30-hour road trip
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
- Flights – Please book international flights arriving late afternoon in Ciudad Mexico. The return flight must be booked from Cancun to the United States leaving in the afternoon.
- Health – No mandatory vaccines needed. Anti-malaria treatment recommended but not mandatory for the region of Palenque.
- Weather – the dry season runs from November to May. There is tropical weather all year in the Yucatan region and beaches.
HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR TRIP TO MEXICO
- Assistance throughout the trip offered by our team at destination – all English speaking professionals.
- Service of English speaking guide-driver available for individual passengers (1-12 passengers). For 13 passengers and more, there is a guide and driver throughout the tour.
- Visit the National Museum of Anthropology, which houses the largest collection of pre-Columbian art in the world and serves as an introduction to the large ethnic diversity of the country.
- Visit the site of Teotihuacan, the “City of Gods”, to admire the Sun and Moon pyramids.
- Explore ceramic decorated houses in the city of Puebla, home of the beautiful “Talavera” pottery technique.
- Walk inside the Indian market of Oaxaca and taste exotic and colorful products.
- Tour Chiapa de Corzo in a traditional ¨combi¨ (small urban bus) and walk across this small charming village.
- Enjoy a boat ride in the Sumidero Canyon.
- Visit the indigenous village of San Juan Chamula with its ancient mystical traditions and its religious syncretism.
- Marvel with the famous Agua Azul waterfalls nestled amongst lush vegetation. Swimming is allowed.
- Trek the archaeological sites of Uxmal and Chichen Itza, the most famous Mayan cities in the country.
- Possibility to extend your stay on the beaches of Cancun or Playa del Carmen.
HOTELS
Mexico
HOTEL METROPOL*** SUP
Located in central Mexico City, one block from the Alameda Central and Palacio de Bellas Artes. 150 air conditioned comfortable rooms. Wi-Fi. Restaurant.
Web Site: www.hotelmetropol.com.mx
Puebla
HOTEL COLONIAL***
Located near the Zocalo in the heart of historic downtown. 67 rooms. Restaurant.
Web Site: www.colonial.com.mx
Oaxaca
HOTEL MISION SAN FELIPE ***
The hotel has extensive green areas and is located in the residential area of San Felipe, just minutes from downtown Oaxaca.192 comfortable rooms with air-conditioned, swimming pool, Wi-Fi.
Web Site: www.hotelesmision.com.mx
Chiapa De Corzo
HOTEL LA CEIBA***
Located 15 minutes from the historic center. 84 comfortable rooms. Restaurant, pool.
Web Site: www.laceibahotel.com
San Cristobal De Las Casas
PLAZA MAGNOLIAS****
Beautiful property dating from the sixteenth century. 50 rooms. Restaurant, Wi-Fi.
Web Site: www.plazamagnolias.com
Palenque
HOTEL NUTUTUN***
A Friendly hotel surrounded by a magnificent natural environment, with 74 comfortable rooms. Restaurant, pool, private access to the river.
Web Site: www.nututun.com
Merida
HOTEL RESIDENCIAL***
Located a few steps from the most important places and tourist services. 64 comfortable rooms. Restaurant, pool.
Web Site: www.hotelresidencial.com.mx
Chichen Itza
HOTEL CHICHEN ITZA***
Located 2 minutes from the archaeological site of Chichen Itza, restaurant and pool.
Web Site: www.chichen-itza.me
Cancun
HOTEL OASIS PALM****
The Oasis Palm has 471 rooms. It is located at the entrance of Cancun’s hotel area, just minutes from dozens of shops, bars, discos and restaurants. This beautiful resort is located 25 minutes away from the airport and 10 minutes away from downtown Cancun. The Oasis Palm is a hotel with an all-inclusive plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks included.
Web Site: www.oasispalmbeach.com
HÔTEL BEACHSCAPE CANCUN****
With a prime location in the heart of the hotel zone, facing the sea of blue Caribbean Beachscape Kin Ha Villas and Suites features an outdoor pool, children’s pool, convenience store and salon with massage services.
Web Site: www.beachscape.com.mx
HOTEL WESTIN RESORT & SPA CANCUN*****
The Westin Resort & Spa Cancun is a beautiful resort located in Cancun’s hotel area. The resort has a beachfront property situated on a white sand beach.
Web Site: www.westincancun.com
Playacar
HOTEL VIVA WYNDHAM AZTECA**** – All inclusive
Located in the middle of nature, Viva Wyndham Azteca in Playa del Carmen, is an all-inclusive hotel on the beaches of the Mayan Riviera, near a golf course of 18 holes.
This holiday resort is located in the resort of Playacar, offering a full range of services and facilities, perfect for a family vacation or a getaway to a romantic couple, surrounded by the natural splendor that characterizes this tourist destination. It features a spa, several centers of consumption and a series of activities and entertainment for the whole family, and 254 comfortable rooms.
Web Site: www.wyndham.com
HOTEL IBEROSTAR QUETZAL or TUCAN*****
This 5-star All-Inclusive hotel combines traditional culture with luxury, creating an ideal place for a family vacation. The extensive Mayan heritage of the area of Playa del Carmen, on the Riviera Maya, provides guests an enjoyable vacation while being immersed in a unique world unknown to most.
Web Site: www.iberostar.com
Day 1 – Arrival in Mexico
Arrival and welcome at Mexico City’s airport by our German speaking guide.
Transfer to your hotel in the center of the city.
Dinner not included.
Accommodation in the hotel METROPOL**** or SIMILAR
Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 2 – Mexico / Teotihuacan / Puebla
Continental Breakfast in the hotel – In the morning, we will tour the main show rooms of the National Museum of Anthropology, which house the treasures of the indigenous civilizations that have shaped Mexican culture.
Visit of the historical center – Visit the Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo, lined with arches, one of the world’s biggest urban plazas. Enter the Metropolitan Cathedral to admire the architecture and decoration composites: a mix of Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Contemplate the majestic National Palace, with its facade decorated with beautiful iron balconies. Continue through Calle Madero, where you will discover beautiful examples of 18th century architecture, such as the head office of the Banco Nacional of Mexico, the Palace of Iturbide and even the magnificent house of Azulejos that keeps the memories of Emiliano Zapata and the Mexican Revolution. Road trip to Teotihuacan.
Lunch in a local restaurant near the site. Taste Nopal «cactus», widely used in Mexican cuisine. Traditional musical entertainment on site.
Visit Teotihuacan Archeological site, the most ancient city of the American continent. During the visit you will discover: The Citadel, a vast compound (400 m long on each side) on which the Temple of Quetzalcoatl rose; the sun pyramid, the biggest construction of that kind in the American continent (225 m long on each side); the moon pyramid, surrounded by small pyramidal constructions; the Jaguars Palace and the Quetzal-Butterfly Palace.
Before leaving Teotihuacan, taste pulque, a local beverage made from cactus and visit an obsidian sculpting workshop, a black volcanic stone widely used by pre-Columbian civilizations. Today, obsidian rock is the basis for most of the sculptures of the region’s craftsmen. Road trip to the beautiful Puebla, one of the largest cities in the country, which holds a remarkable colonial history.
Check-in at the hotel COLONIAL PUEBLA*** or SIMILAR, Located in the heart of the city Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 3 – Puebla / Oaxaca
American breakfast in the hotel.
Walk through the streets and squares of Puebla to admire the remarkable colonial center, including several building facades decorated with “Talavera”, the famous local ceramic.
After the visit of the Cathedral, stroll down 5 de Mayo Street to discover one of the jewels of baroque sacred art of Mexico: the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, located in the church of Santo Domingo.
The chapel has a beautiful decoration of painted and gilded wood, marble and onyx.
Enjoy the lively streets of Puebla.
THE EXCLUSIVE OF QUIMBAYA LATIN AMERICA !
Visit a Talavera pottery factory.
Talavera pottery is produced only in Puebla, Mexico, with a long history.
It is a glazed pottery produced continuously in Puebla since the seventeenth century.
The Spanish introduced the use of the wheel and tin; mid-seventeenth century Puebla had a guild and laws regulating the ceramics industry.
Lunch not included.
Departure to Oaxaca across a highway surrounded by mountains where the candelabra cactus grows freely. Stop for photos.
On arrival transfer to hotel MISION SAN FELIPE OAXACA*** or SIMILAR
Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 4 – Oaxaca
American breakfast in the hotel.
In the morning, departure to Monte Alban to discover the Zapotec/Mixtec ceremonial center, which rises on a vast esplanade.
This is probably one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in Mexico by its altitude (2000 meters) and sacred monuments.
Lunch specialties of regional cuisine in a small restaurant in the village of San Bartolo Coyotepec.
The afternoon will be dedicated to a walking tour of the charming Oaxaca, known as the “city of jade”, inhabited by a mestizo population, proud of its indigenous origins.
Visit the church of Santo Domingo, considered a baroque jewel from Mexico and its magnificent museum dedicated to pre Colombian civilizations that inhabited the area.
Visit the Regional Museum of Oaxaca, the city’s most important museum, which houses historical objects and exhibits of Monte Alban, the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and ancient Oaxaca.
Through the streets, adorned with colorful houses, you arrive at the city market. Exotic, with its stalls of fruits, vegetables and meats in quantity, you can enjoy chocolate in one of the many factories that surround the market.
Very close to the market, tourists have the opportunity to get in contact with the locals in the Zocalo of the city, lively place for gathering during day and night
Finally, visit the Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, impressive for its many statues and baroque sculptures.
THE EXCLUSIVE OF QUIMBAYA LATIN AMERICA !
In the evening visit of the district of la Soledad, near the main square of Oaxaca where there is the image of the Virgin of Solitude, famous for its many festivals and celebrations.
Before dinner at the hotel, taste “mezcal in a small restaurant in front of the Zocalo,”, the local alcoholic drink, made from agave plants.
Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel
Day 5 – Oaxaca / Chiapa de Corzo
American breakfast in the hotel.
Cross the Mexican countryside dotted with small villages and agave plantations. Stop in Santa Maria El Tule where a botanical curiosity never seizes to amaze: a giant tree of the ahuehuete species, 40 meters high, that literally covers the village square with its foliage.
Lunch at Tehuantepec, festive city where the Zapotec culture remains alive.
Departure to Chiapa de Corzo.
Late arrival but before arriving at the hotel, walk in the center of this charming village.
Accommodation at the hotel LA CEIBA*** or SIMILAR
Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 6 – Tuxtla Gutierrez / San Cristobal de las Casas
American breakfast in the hotel.
In the morning, boat ride in the Sumidero Canyon, a natural site with high gorges, covered with vegetation, down to the calm waters of a winding river, which forms a fabulous parade of unforgettable landscapes. Before lunch, passengers will travel in a “combi” with the townspeople (a small urban bus).
Lunch at a local restaurant in Chiapa de Corzo to taste cochito (regional dish with pork with spices, garlic and chili sauce).
Departure to visit the small village of San Juan Chamula, where ancient mystical traditions come alive. You are in the heart of the Indian region of Chiapas, which keeps the celebration of shaman rites and prayers intact.
Road trip to San Cristobal de las Casas.
Arrival and Installation at the hotel PLAZA MAGNOLIAS**** or SIMILAR.
Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 7 – San Cristobal de las Casas
American breakfast in the hotel.
In the morning explore the Indian market in San Cristobal, where crowds of people dress in traditional costumes of the different indigenous communities found in the region. Part of the market is devoted to medicinal and “magical” plants. Around the Zócalo, visit the Cathedral (XVI century) and the Temple of Santo Domingo, beautiful examples of colonial and Baroque architecture.
Lunch in a small restaurant. Free afternoon to enjoy this city full of traditions and culture.
THE EXCLUSIVE OF QUIMBAYA LATIN AMERICA !
According to the schedule of Masses, participants can attend the Santo Domingo Church to watch the fervor of the people of San Cristobal, especially the natives, in one of the most beautiful temples in Mexico.
Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel.
Day 8 – San Cristobal de las Casas / Cascadas de Agua Azul
Early departure to the Agua Azul waterfalls. American Breakfast on route. Discover the famous Agua Azul waterfalls nestled amongst lush vegetation. Swimming is allowed.
Lunch in a local restaurant, on the banks of the waterfalls.
Road trip to Palenque in the heart of the rainforest. Visit Palenque, one of the most famous Mayan cities in Mexico. Most monuments are hidden in the thick vegetation, which gives a mysterious aspect to the visit of the ruins. The city had its heyday during the seventh century under the reign of the emperor Pakal.
THE EXCLUSIVE OF QUIMBAYA LATIN AMERICA !
Walk through the jungle to visit the waterfall “Bath of the Queen”, which says that this fall has been used exclusively by the Queen of Palenque. It concerns the Red Queen, who has his temple beside the tomb of King Pakal.
Check-in at the Hotel NUTUTUN*** or SIMILAR, located near the site. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel. During dinner we will offer a Piñata game (hitting a giant paper mache figure, filled with sweets and fruits, with a stick).
Day 9 – Palenque / Uxmal / Merida
American breakfast in the hotel. Cross Yucatan State, located on the Gulf of Mexico
Lunch will be served at a restaurant of the Old Hacienda Ochil
Explore the archaeological city of Uxmal, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The architectural style found here, known as Puuc, is of great finesse and elegance. Breathtaking horizontal buildings with rounded shapes are decorated with various mosaics, such as the Governor’s Palace and the Magician’s Palace. Continue to Merida, capital of Yucatan. Arrival to the hotel RESIDENCIAL*** or SIMILAR.
Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel.
THE EXCLUSIVE OF QUIMBAYA LATIN AMERICA !
In Mérida, every evening, the city offers free cultural and artistic activities. With our route, the day of arrival to Merida, participants will attend a performance of the Mayan ball game in front of the cathedral.
The ball game is a ritual sport that has been practiced for over 3,000 years by pre-Columbian peoples of Mesoamerica, which is also known ballcourt names and ulama (name derived from the Nahuatl), and called “pits” in classic Maya
Day 10 – Merida / Chichen Itza
American breakfast in the hotel.
Walk through the historic center of Merida, where you will see colonial and republican buildings that are the hallmark of this city, which used to be very rich thanks to the exploitation of sisal or henequen. Promenade on the Independence Square, animated by various musical groups, especially during the weekends.
Continue to Chichen Itza, one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
Lunch in a local restaurant with a jarana dance show at the main restaurant of the hotel Mayaland.
Visit the archaeological sites of Chichen Itza, the emblematic city of the Mayan people. Monuments placed near a huge cenote (natural well) give a perfect idea of the life and culture of the Mayans. You can watch the ballgame, the pyramid of Kukulcan, dozens of temples and an astronomical observatory where the Mayans calculated the rainy seasons, fundamental for corn plantations.
Check-in in the hotel CHICHEN *** or SIMILAR
Dinner not included. Overnight stay in hotel.
Day 11 – Chichen Itza / Cancun
American breakfast served in the hotel.
Route to Cancun.
Transfer to Cancun’s airport according to departure time.
END OF OUR SERVICES