Wonders of Mexico

Passengers who purchase flights will depart the same day as the tour starts and return on the same day as the tour ends.

For flight details, see Before You Depart.

Welcome to Mexico City! Proceed to our hotel where we can explore the resort before meeting our guide for orientation and check-in. This evening, we'll visit Garibaldi Plaza, the go-to spot for live local music in Mexico City. To get the full experience, we'll have dinner at one of the iconic restaurants in the area, where we'll enjoy typical Mexican dishes like tacos, guacamole, pozole, and more. During dinner, we'll see a folkloric show with mariachi bands playing traditional tunes.

Today we'll begin at la Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Three Cultures Plaza) where we can find buildings that reflect the pre-Columbian, Spanish colonial, and modern eras. Afterward, we'll drive to Teotihuacán and admire the Religious Center, also known as the City of the Gods, which dates back to between 600 and 200 years BCE. We'll explore the Temple of Quetzalcóatl in the Citadel and the Temple of the Butterflies before we walk along the Calzada de los Muertos and ascend the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon (if conditions allow). After some free time for lunch, we'll return to Mexico City where we'll spend time walking around the Zocalo and exploring the city's highlights at the main plaza like the cathedral, National Palace, and more!

After breakfast, we'll travel south to the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. The Aztecs built their artificial Chinampa Islands in the shallow waters of the lake to gain land for agriculture. We'll step on a typical Trajinera boat and enjoy a fascinating ride on the ancient canals. Next, we'll visit the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the Blue House. Once Frida Kahlo's home, Frida's husband Diego Rivera donated the house and its contents after her death so that it may be turned into a museum in Frida's honor. Today, we can enjoy a collection of artwork by Kahlo, Rivera, and other artists along with the couple's Mexican folk art, pre-Hispanic artifacts, and more. This evening, consider an optional Tacos and Mezcal foodie tour of Mexico City.

Today we leave Mexico City for Oaxaca. On the way, we'll stop in Puebla. In this colonial city, we'll see buildings decorated with tiles and beautifully sculpted freestones. We'll see the majestic cathedral at the main square where Rosario Chapel, considered the eighth wonder of the art world, is located. We'll have some free time to enjoy Puebla's famous cuisine from their mole to their Cemitas plus some time for shopping! We can continue to the first craft market in the city which has more than one hundred stores offering handicrafts produced in different regions of the state. Later, we'll continue to Oaxaca.

Today, we'll travel to Santa María el Tule to admire the Tule Tree a 2,000-year-old Montezuma cypress tree. Next, we'll visit Yagul, where we can admire the striking views over the Tlacolula Valley from these elevated ruins, and explore the elaborate stone palace and courtyards. We'll continue to a Mezcal factory to learn about the distillation process and try the different types of mezcal before we return to Oaxaca for a fantastic food tour of a local market. We can try different kinds of mole, cacao, and more while the braver foodies among us, can try grasshoppers and other insects. At the end of our tour, we'll sit down at one of the food stands and sample some delicious tacos, chiles en nogada, tasajo, chocolate, and some more mezcal!

After breakfast, we'll visit the archeological site of Monte Alban, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This site is what's left of the former ceremonial center, and the main city of the Zapotec culture. Built with temples, a ball game court, and an observatory on a hill with an artificial plateau, the area also provides nice views over the city of Oaxaca and the central valley. Later, we'll visit Oaxaca's Main Square with a beautiful pavilion in its center, the Governor's Palace with the arcades around Hidalgo Square, the Cathedral, the Alcala Pedestrian Walk Avenue, and the theatre building. Take in the breathtaking architecture of Santo Domingo Church, which is also the regional Museum of Anthropology.

After breakfast, we'll fly to Cancún International Airport where we'll meet our expert guide of the Yucatán outside the arrival hall. From here, we'll travel to Valladolid where we'll check in at our resort and enjoy free time to rest and relax.

This morning we'll enjoy a quick tour of beautiful Valladolid. We'll see the San Bernardino Convent and the church, or we can enjoy some gold and silver shopping. We'll continue to the incredible Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, a Wonder of the World and the most famous and best-preserved archaeological site in Mexico. Highlights of this archaeological site include the imposing Kukulkan Pyramid, the huge ball court, and the observatory "El Caracol." Enjoy a quintessential Yucatecan lunch. As a perfect end to this spectacular visit, refresh in one of the most famous cenotes in the area named Ik'kil before we return to Valladolid.

This morning, we'll visit Xcopek Bee park to learn about the Mayan Melipona bee, a unique stingless species. This afternoon, we'll travel to Playa del Carmen where we'll enjoy a special Mayan night and take part in a sacred Mayan ritual. We'll learn how a small Mayan community lives with a glimpse into their lifestyle and traditions. This evening, we'll join a purification ceremony, the Temazcal, which includes a volcanic stone steam bath to cleanse and renew the mind and body. We'll enjoy a refreshing swim in the crystalline waters of the community cenote and delight ourselves with a gastronomic experience of a simple but delicious dish and hibiscus drink.

Enjoy a day at leisure in Playa del Carmen, home to beautiful beach clubs and picture-perfect places! Explore the area independently or simply relax at the beach. Consider an optional Cozumel catamaran tour. This evening, we'll partake in a farewell dinner at one of the area's most popular restaurants on the well-known 5th Avenue.

Our tour comes to an end today after breakfast.