Mexico City and the Yucatan Peninsula

Welcome to Mexico!

Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the city centre. Then you will meet your private guide for a city tour where you will visit the historic centre that includes the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Great Temple Museum, and the Zócalo, the main square in the centre of Mexico City, among other sites of interest. Since some venues close at 5pm, the order in which you see them depends on your arrival time.

After the tour, you will have the evening at leisure to rest and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of the capital of Mexico.

Visit Teotihuacan and the Basilica of Guadalupe

This morning, after breakfast at your hotel, your guide will pick you up to visit the amazing archaeological site of Teotihuacan, the largest and most revered city in the history of the New World. The site flourished in Mesoamerica's Golden Age, and you will have time to explore the grounds and ask questions.

After a lunch stop near the site, you will head north of the city to visit the famous Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Roman Catholic church and national shrine of Mexico, which houses the mantle containing the image of Our Lady of Guadeloupe.

The evening is free to walk around the city, have dinner or go to bars in the capital (ask your guide for advice).

Cancún - Valladolid

This morning, you will be picked up and transferred to the airport for your flight to Cancún. From here, your local transfer will take you to the colonial town of Valladolid -a two-hour drive from the airport. You will then check into your hotel and can spend the rest of the day exploring the town.

Valladolid has a number of charming Spanish colonial buildings to see, including the 16th-century Convent of San Bernardino de Siena, with an ornate wooden altarpiece, as well as the Baroque-style San Gervasio Cathedral.

In addition, Valladolid is a place full of colours, crafts, and tasty local cuisine. In fact, a long list of typical Yucatecan dishes originated from here, such as lomitos, longaniza de Valladolid and oriental escabeche. Join the locals in the plaza next to Parque Francisco Cantón to gather and eat a variety of these simple dishes that are muy ricos! (so yummy)!

Chichén Itzá and Yokdzonot Cenote

After breakfast, your local guide will pick you up and take you to the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá. This pre-Hispanic city was the most prominent capital of the Mayan area and the most revered centre of worship and pilgrimage in the Yucatan Peninsula. Learn about Mexico's past through your guide's insightful commentary on this UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

After the visit, you can head to the beautiful cenote (sinkhole) of Yokdzonot, which is quite unknown and therefore not as crowded as other cenotes in Yucatan. Cenotes are magical, enigmatic, and unique in the world, and were once the only source of fresh water in the local jungle. They were sacred to the Mayans for that reason, but also because they represented the entrance to the underworld. You will have lunch on site and enjoy a pleasant swim in the area.

In the afternoon we will return to Valladolid and the rest of the day is free to spend as you wish.

Visit Ek Balam and Xcanche Cenote

After breakfast, get ready for a fun day of sightseeing starting with a visit to the archaeological site of Ek Balam, or black jaguar, which refers to the Mayan king who built it. This site reached its peak during the Late Classic Period (600-900 AD); when the Mayans abandoned it, the area was surrounded by the dense low jungle typical of the Yucatan Peninsula. The pyramids were later discovered when archaeologists and adventurers saw a group of hills with trees and bushes growing from them.

After this visit, you will take your own bicycle (or a bicycle taxi; whichever you choose) for a 1.5-mile tour of Sacbé (White Road in Mayan) to reach the cenote Xcanché. You can also choose from several lunch options to enjoy tasty regional food. Once in the cenote, there will be time to relax and take a refreshing swim.

Next, you will head to the nearby town for a walking tour of the community, in which you will visit three houses to see the daily life of the Mayan families. Learn how to make tortillas by hand, see how hammocks are woven, and join an embroidery workshop before heading back to Valladolid in the evening.

Visit Uxmal & Kabah Archaeological Sites

Today your private transfer will take you to Uxmal for a tour of its wonderful archaeological site. The name Uxmal means 'built three times' in Mayan, referring to the construction of its tallest structure, the Pyramid of the Magician, built on top of the existing pyramids.

During the excursion, you will also visit another treasure in the area: Kabah. This site houses some very interesting and unusual buildings and sculptures. One of its most prominent buildings is the Palace of the Masks, one of the most impressive examples of Mayan architecture with a facade covered with hundreds of masks of the rain god Chac.

After the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel in Uxmal for the night.

Visit Muná Viewpoint - Travel to Mérida

This morning, you will leave Uxmal and head to the Mirador Muná Chac-Nah (viewpoint) to see a beautiful project by local indigenous people that combines nature conservation and traditional Mayan culture. While you are here, the natives will invite you to participate in an engraving workshop on jícara, a fruit that is grown in the Yucatan peninsula and used to store food or water during ancient times. You will be surprised to see all the different types of crafts that can be made with natural fruits. You will also have the opportunity to visit the local craft workshop and an ecological museum.

If that's not enough eco-fun, you will head to the Mun-Ha Eco-Centre for a delicious regional lunch.

In the afternoon, you will move to the beautiful and vibrant city of Mérida, the capital of Yucatán. Rest at your hotel or go out and explore the area for dinner.

Mérida City Tour - Transfer to Tulum

Today you will start with a beautiful tour of Mérida, an increasingly modern and active city that is rich in Mayan and colonial heritage. Head to the city's focal point called Plaza de la Independencia to see the fortress-shaped Mérida Cathedral and the white limestone Iglesia de la Tercera Orden, both colonial-era churches built with relics from ancient Mayan temples. It is also worth stopping at Casa de Montejo, a 16th century mansion.

From here, you will start a 3-hour trip to Tulum; you and your driver can decide where and when to stop along the way. Once you arrive, you will have the rest of the day to enjoy the town of Tulum and its brilliant turquoise strip of the Caribbean Sea. You will find many well-preserved beaches and ruins of this ancient Mayan port city, not to mention great restaurants to sample.

Tulum

Enjoy a day off in Tulum! There are many open-air yoga studios and beaches to explore (and beach clubs that offer chairs, umbrellas, and cabanas), as well as water sports like snorkelling, diving, and kitesurfing available.

You probably want to just relax on the sand today, but if you are eager to see more of the area, your local specialist can offer suggestions or arrange a guided tour.

Depart Mexico

It is time to say goodbye to Mexico! At the designated time, you will be transferred to the Cancun airport for your departure home. Have a safe flight home.