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Mexico City Tours: Colonial Highlands + Beach Holiday, Playa del Carmen (Yucatan)

Mexico City + Colonial Highlands Tour + Mayan Riviera
Mexico City Tours Colonial Highlands Beach Holiday Playa del Carmen Yucatan
12 NIGHTS FROM:
$2,791
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
XYE12M
• Mexico City Tours
• Teotihuacan Pyramids
• Colonial Highlands
• San Miguel de Allende
• Dolores Hidalgo
• Guanajuato & Zacatecas
• Guadalajara & Tequila
• Patzcuaro & Morelia
• Playa del Carmen, Yucatan
• Beach Holiday

Our escorted Mexico City tours start by exploring the ancient pyramids & Anthropology Museum, with its treasure trove of Olmec, Atzec and Mayan artefacts. We then head to the charming Colonial Highlands to discover their history, culture, landscapes & cuisine, ending with a beach holiday near Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan. Two departures per month, with dual language English & Spanish guides.

Day 1
Arrive at Mexico City Airport where you will be met and transferred to this high altitude city, that is the oldest capital in the Americas and one of the largest cities in the world.
 
Check into your hotel and embrace this colourful and vibrant city, originally established by the Aztec Indians (the 'Mexica').
Day 2
This morning enjoy a shared tour of the highlights of Mexico City.
 
At the heart of the city is the Zócalo (or Plaza de la Constitución), a huge central square built by the conquering Spanish over the ceremonial centre of the vanquished Aztec city of Tenochtitlán. Ruins of their 13th century Templo Mayor can be seen here, as well as the baroque Metropolitan Cathedral built by the Spanish and the National Palace, the headquarters of the presidency which houses historic murals by the famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera. There is a dense concentration of museums and art galleries in this area.
 
West of the Zócalo, the historic centre stretches through the main commercial district and past the National Art Museum to the Tower of Latin America skyscraper and the Opera House / Palace of Fine Arts, with its magnificent Art Deco interior. Both overlook Alameda Central Park, which is the oldest public park in Mexico.
 
Afterwards you will be dropped off at the world class National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepac Park. This museum is not to be missed, with its many ancient Olmec, Aztec, Mayan and other pre-Colombian artefacts - including the Stone of the Sun (the Aztec calendar stone) and the statue of Xochipilli.
 
At the end of the day make your own way back to your hotel.
 
Note: Tours run from Tuesday to Saturday.
Day 3
At leisure to independently explore the sights of colourful Mexico City, before joining your tour.
 
If you have not already visited themt, the world Teotihuacan Pyramids and the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepac Park with its many ancient Olmec, Aztec, Mayan and other pre-Colombian artefacts are not to be missed. These include the Stone of the Sun (the Aztec calendar stone) and the statue of Xochipilli. Chapultepec Castle is nearby.
 
The Palace of Fine Arts with its magnificent dome is also well worth a visit, as well as the historic Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Art Museums. With its numerous world class museums, dramatic art murals, thriving music scene and exploding culinary scene, in Mexico City you will be spoilt for choice.
 
You can also enjoy a boat ride on a colourful 'trajinera' through the canals and floating gardens of Xochimilco (meaning ‘Place of the Flowers’), a small village south of the city. These fertile riverbeds called 'chinampas' are all that is left of the lake on which the Aztecs first built their capital city, but are now used for growing flowers rather than food crops and will give you an interesting cultural glimpse into modern urban life.
 
Note: Try and avoid visiting museums on a Sunday, as they are free for locals so very crowded.
Day 4
Today we leave Mexico City and travel 4.5-hours to the art and cultural centre of San Miguel de Allende in the Colonial Highlands.
 
We stop along the way at Santiago de Queretaro, a beautiful colonial city that played an important role during the Mexican War of Independence and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This city was founded in 1531 by Franciscan monks at an important crossroads, and four of the most significant events in Mexican history have taken place here. Plans for Mexican independence from Spain were devised here in 1810; the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was ratified here in 1848, ending the Mexican-American War and surrendering 55% of Mexico’s territory to the United States; in 1867 the Austrian Archduke Maximilian was executed on a hill overlooking the city; and the Mexican Constitution was signed here in 1917.
 
The city has a wealth of outstanding 17th and 18th century buildings, including the ochre San Francisco Church and the baroque Church of Santa Rosa de Viterbo. The historic centre has charming stone streets with fountains, lovely colonial mansions, pedestrian walkways (andadores) and quaint plazas that are little changed since colonial days.
 
We continue to the art and cultural centre of San Miguel de Allende, a town known for its rich traditions in which events and festivals play an important role. It is a town of magic and mysticism, which has preserved its ancient culture.
 
Note: Your tour guide will be bilingual (English-Spanish, English-French or English-Italian). On escorted group tours please note that for operational reasons it is sometimes necessary to substitute one hotel with another of similar quality.
Day 5
We leave San Miguel de Allende today and travel 2-hours to the charming colonial city of Guanajuato.
 
We drive via the town of Dolores Hidalgo, the cradle of Mexican independence. It was here, at daybreak on 16 September 1810, that the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla famously initiated the call to take up arms against the colonial Spanish. We take a brief tour of this historic centre and visit some of the most significant buildings used during the Mexican War of Independence.
 
On arrival in Guanajuato enjoy a tour of this former silver mining city that is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Mexico, with its narrow cobbled alleyways and shaded plazas dotted with sidewalk cafes. Admire the picturesque historic centre with its basílica, university and underground streets (former riverbeds); view the famous Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss) and enjoy panoramic views from the El Pipila monument.
Day 6
This morning we travel 3.5-hours from Guanajuato to colonial Patzcuaro, the former capital of the kingdom of Purépecha.
 
Here we visit the House of the Eleven Patios, the Basilica of Our Lady of Health and the Gertrudis Bocanegra Library, with its murals painted by Juan O'Gorman. We also visit a typical market in Don Vasco de Quiroga Plaza.  
 
In the afternoon we travel by bus to Morelia, the gorgeous capital of the State of Michoacán - a UNESCO World Heritage Site with wonderful architecture, elegant streets and delicious regional cuisine. This city is home to the University of Saint Nicolas of Hidalgo, as well as the Morelia International Film Festival held each October. As an important cultural centre, the city offers a wide range of museums and art galleries, as well as many theatres.
Day 7
This morning enjoy a tour of historic Morelia, known as the city of 'cantera rosa' (pink stone).
 
With its narrow streets lined with well-preserved 17th and 18th century buildings, the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. View the imposing baroque-style cathedral, with its soaring twin towers that preside over the main square - the Plaza de Armas. Also see the Government Palace, the Clavijero Palace and aqueduct, and the Church of the Gualupita.
 
Afterwards we drive 4.5-hours back to Mexico City, with drop off at your hotel.
Day 8
Transfer to Mexico City Airport for your onward flight.

You will be met at Cancun Airport and transferred 1.5-hours to your beach resort at Playa del Carmen on the spectacular Mayan Riviera.
 
Check into your hotel and relax on the shores of the warm Caribbean Sea with its turquoise waters, sandy beaches and wonderful snorkelling and diving.
 
Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.
Days 9 To 11
At leisure to relax at your tropical resort on the spectacular Mayan Riviera, lapped by the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.
 
The Great Mayan Reef (Mesoamerican Barrier Reef) stretches from the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula to the islands off the coast of Honduras and is the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere. Hundreds of species of fish and many endangered and protected marine animals are found here – including loggerhead, leatherback, green, hawksbill and Olive Ridley sea turtles, and West Indian manatees – making this a paradise for snorkelling and diving. It is possible to swim with whale sharks from June to September.
 
There are many optional activities in this holiday town, including day visits to snorkel at Xel-Ha waterpark (the largest natural aquarium in the world); zip-lining at Xplor adventure park; visits to the famous archaeological sites at Chichen Itza or Tulum; the Mayan caves in Aktun Chen; Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve and the Xcaret cultural theme park.
 
Try a Mayan spa treatment or simply stroll along the beach and absorb the holiday atmosphere of this town with its wide variety of bars, restaurants and shops.
Day 12
Today we recommend a full day tour travelling 2-hours to Chichen Itza (meaning 'Entrance to the Witches Well').
 
Chichen Itza is the most visited Mayan ruins in all of Mexico. It was the focal point of the Northern Mayan empire from AD 600 until AD 1200 and had an extremely diverse population, as a result of which you can see a wide variety of architectural styles at this site.
 
The most spectacular pyramid is El Castillo with its rich cosmological symbolism - all four sides have 365 steps (number of days in a solar year), 52 rectangles (years in a Mayan century) and 18 terraces (months of their religious calendar). Other structures include the enormous Ballcourt, the Observatory, Temple of a Thousand Columns, Kukulcán Temple, Warrior’s Temple, Convent of the Nuns, El Mercado (market place) and the Sacred Cenote (pool) where human sacrifices were carried out.
Day 13
Transfer 1.5-hours to Cancun Airport for your flight home.
 
Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.