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Mexico Small Group Tours + Yucatan Mayan Ruins: Palenque + Tulum + Chichen Itza

Mexico City + Palenque + Yucatan Peninsula Tour

12 NIGHTS FROM:

$2,987

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

XYM12M

• Mexico

• San Cristobal

• Indian Villages

• Palenque

• Yucatan Mayan Ruins

• Campeche

• Uxmal & Merida

• Chichen Itza

• Tulum

• Mexico Small Group Tours

Our Mexico small group tours focus on the history and culture of Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula, with their amazing Mayan ruins, travelling from San Cristobal in the highlands to the Caribbean beaches near Tulum. Explore colonial cities, Indian villages & spectacular Palenque & Chichen Itza. 2 departures a month, with dual language English & Spanish guide.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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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

At leisure to acclimatise and independently explore the sights of colourful Mexico City.

If you have not already visited it, the world class National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepac Park 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. Chapultepec Castle is nearby.

The Palace of Fine Arts with its magnificent dome is well worth a visit, as well as the historic Frida Kahlo Art Museum (or Blue House) dedicated to her work. 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 3

Today enjoy a full day 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 outside views of the National Palace, which is the residence of the president. 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.

After an included lunch at a local resturant, we continue 1-hour to the mysterious Teotihuacan Pyramids, ancient archaeological ruins that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This enormous city was built in 300 BC but was inexplicably abandoned centuries before the arrival of the Aztecs, who called it the 'Birthplace of the Gods'. This is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the Americas and includes the third largest pyramid in the world, constructed according to precise astronomical measurements and filled with sacrificial victims.

You can climb the magnificent Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and view the Butterflies Temple, the Avenue of the Dead and Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Admire the majestic plazas and stone temples, covered with stone statues and faded murals, before returning to Mexico City.

On our return to the city we make a brief stop at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe - one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites on the American continent. On 12 December each year, thousands of pilgrims come to this basilica to pray to the virgin.

Note: On group tours, for operational reasons it is sometimes necessary to substitute one hotel for another of a similar standard.

Your tour guide will be bilingual (English-Spanish, English-French or English-Italian).

Day 4

This morning fly from Mexico City Airport to the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Here your group will be met and travel 1.5-hours to San Cristobal de las Casas, one of Mexico's oldest colonial cities situated in the Central Highlands.

Along the way we stop at the Sumidero Canyon, one of the most spectacular natural reserves in Mexico with steep walls of calcareous rock rising above 1,000 m, caves and waterfalls. Enjoy a shared boat ride on the dam, where you may see crocodiles, monkeys and abundant birdlife.

Time permitting we also visit the small town of Chiapa de Corzo, with its 16th century Mudejar fountain known as La Pila and Spanish colonial architecture with Arabic influences.

We then continue to San Cristobal, which is also known by its local name of Jovel. Nestled in a small valley surrounded by hills, it is the cultural capital of the state of Chiapas.

Note: Outlook points at the Sumidero Canyon are closed on Tuesdays.

Day 5

This morning enjoy a shared tour of the charming colonial city of San Cristobal de la Casas, which has a local market where hundreds of indigenous people sell their textiles and handicrafts. We visit the cathedral on the northern side of the pretty main square, with its lavish gold-encrusted pulpit. We then walk a few blocks along narrow winding streets lined with red-tiled houses, to the impressive Santo Domingo Church founded in 1547 with its intricate pink façade and gilded Baroque interior.

After browsing in the handicraft market in front of the church, where Tzotzil Indians from the surrounding hills come to trade, we head to two indigenous villages in the Chiapas highlands. In San Juan Chamula we visit a beautiful white church where the blending of pre-Hispanic traditions and Catholicism is evident in its rituals and where ceremonies are held to counter the influence of paganism.

San Lorenzo Zinacantán on the other hand is very loyal to the Catholic faith and is known for its traditional textiles and indigenous population. The men wear pink/red jackets with embroidery and tassels, and the women wear vivid pale blue shawls and navy skirts. Every day at midday, the women prepare a communal meal that the men eat in shifts.

In these villages you can see backstrap weaving, taste a delicious tortilla (made by yourself and cooked on a hotplate over an open fire) and observe other aspects of village. If you are adventurous, you can try a shot of 'pox' - a very strong ancient Mayan alcoholic drink made from sugarcane flavoured with cinnamon and hibiscus flower. Lunch is for your own account.

Note: Please be aware it is regarded as very disrespectful to take photographs of indigenous people without their permission. They are particularly sensitive to inappropriate dress, so don’t wear shorts or revealing clothing. In Chamula you are not allowed to take photos inside the church.

Day 6

A full day on the road today as you transfer 8-hours from San Cristobal to Palenque, travelling via Tuxtla and Villahermosa.

Palenque is the largest Mayan city ever discovered in Mexico, with some of the countries best Mayan temples. It is situated deep in the dense jungle, far from the outside world, giving it a wonderful atmosphere.

Lunch is for your own account today.

Note: This transfer will be shared.

Day 7

This morning enjoy a shared tour of the famous Palenque Ruins enclosed by the Chiapanecan jungle, before driving 5-hours to the historic colonial port of Campeche.

Palenque is a relatively small archaeological site dating from around 226 BC to 799 AD, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings that the Mayans ever produced and much of their history has been reconstructed from reading the hieroglyphic inscriptions on these monuments. The most famous ruler of Palenque was Pakal the Great, whose tomb containing his astonishing jade green death mask has been excavated in the Temple of the Inscriptions. Less than 10% of this ancient city has been excavated so far, leaving over a thousand structures still to be discovered.

After lunch (own account) we drive through the pretty fishing village of Sabancuy to Campeche, with its captivating port filled with naval history, baroque Spanish architecture and aging beauty. On arrival we make a short stop in the historic district, fortified by walls and towers built to proctect the city from pirates. Campeche has a colonial feel, due to its lovely houses and austere churches.

Note: All transfers are shared.

Day 8

This morning we leave Campeche on a shared transfer and drive 2.5-hours to Mérida, the cultural capital of the Yucatán Peninsula since the Spanish conquest.

Along the way we stop at the Mayan ruins at Kabah, the second largest site in the Puuc region after Uxmal. Only a small portion of this site has been excavated, so there are many massive pyramids hidden in the jungle all around you. The most famous structure here is the "Palace of the Masks", which is elaborately decorated with stone masks of the long-nosed rain god, Chaac. Across the road is a large arch thought to have been the main entrance to the city.

We then continue to Uxmal (meaning 'built in three stages'), an ancient Mayan city known for its rounded architecture, intricate latticework and palaces arranged around patios and courtyards. These homes are richly sculptured and decorated with thousands of small polished stones, set in geometric mosaics. The key buildings on this archaeological site include the Fortune Teller’s Pyramid, the Governor’s Palace and the Quadrangle of the Nuns.

After lunch (own account) we continue to Mérida - known as the 'White City' - the cultural capital of the Yucatán Peninsula since the Spanish conquest. This is a town steeped in history with narrow streets, broad central plazas, thriving markets and the region’s best museums. It has colonial houses as well as houses that date back to the beginning of the last century in Arabic, French and Italian styles, thanks to wealth generated from the sisal trade. From Mérida’s Zócalo you can admire the city’s main monuments - the Cathedral, Government Palace, Municipal Palace and Francisco Montejo’s House.

Note: All transfers are shared.

Day 9

Today we leave Merida and drive 4-hours to your Playa del Carmen beach resort on the spectacular Mayan Riviera.

Along the way we visit Chichen Itza (meaning 'Entrance to the Witches Well') for a shared tour. This 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 structure is El Castillo Pyramid (or Kukulcán Temple) with its rich cosmological symbolism - it has 365 steps (number of days in a solar year), 52 rectangles (years in a Mayan century) and 18 terraces (months of their religious calendar). During the spring and autumn equinox, its ingenious structure results in the sun creating the illusion of a serpent crawling down the steps of the pyramid - making it one of the great wonders of the ancient world. Other structures include the enormous Ball Court, the Observatory, Temple of a Thousand Columns, Warrior’s Temple, Convent of the Nuns, El Mercado (market place) and the Sacred Cenote (pool) where human sacrifices were carried out.

After an included lunch at Chichen Itza, we continue to your beach resort near Playa del Carmen, stopping along the way at the Cenote Saamal for a refreshing swim. You will then be dropped off at your hotel to relax on the shores of the warm Caribbean Sea with its turquoise waters, sandy beaches and wonderful snorkelling and diving.

Note: All transfers are shared.

Days 10 To 12

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 13

Transfer 1.5-hours to Cancun Airport for your flight home.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

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