Breakfast generally consists of fruits, cereals, beans and eggs.

Meals vary in price from around 275-365 Mexican pesos (US$15-US$20) for lunch and 275-550 pesos (US$15-US$30) for dinner. A beer costs on average 55-90 pesos (US$3-US$5).

We have the opportunity to discover the richness of Mexican cuisine on this trip. In Oaxaca, we attend a cooking class, the exact dishes we learn to cook can vary but generally include tortillas, salsas, mole (chocolate-based savoury dishes) and guacamole. We also learn about Mexican drinks, visiting a mezcal distillery.

Note, drinking water will be provided on the bus in large containers to minimise the amount of single-use plastic bottles; please bring a refillable bottle with you.

Stroll San Cristóbal de las Casas, a highland city of tiled roofs, arcaded streets and atmospheric cafés. Visit artisan markets where Tzotzil textiles display complex weaves and natural dyes.

Church facades and leafy plazas reflect centuries of Indigenous and colonial interplay. Your guide highlights everyday customs, seasonal festivities and how mountain communities sustain craft traditions in modern Chiapas.

Walk the pastel-painted streets of Campeche, a Gulf port protected by ramparts and bastions built against pirate raids. Sea breezes and restored facades give the historic centre a graceful, maritime charm.

Hear how trade, fortification and faith shaped daily life within the walls. The circuit introduces key plazas, defensive viewpoints and museums to revisit during your evening in town.

Explore Mérida’s Plaza Grande, flanked by the Cathedral and Palacio de Gobierno, and admire mansions that chart wealth from the henequen boom. Evening brings a festive mood to shaded arcades.

Your guide traces Maya foundations beneath Spanish stone and points out museums, music venues and regional snack stands to sample later. The city’s cultural calendar and walkable grid make it ideal for independent discovery after the tour.

Swim in the cenote at Yokdzonot, descending to a blue pool encircled by limestone walls draped with roots and ferns. Cool, crystalline water offers a refreshing break in nature.

Community stewardship keeps platforms and safety lines in good order, while bird calls echo from the rim. It’s an atmospheric immersion in the peninsula’s unique geology and freshwater lifelines.

Walk the heart of the capital from the Zócalo to the Metropolitan Cathedral, where layers of Aztec and Spanish history meet beside the ruins of Templo Mayor. Continue to the iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes, a triumph of early 20th-century design.

Dive into culinary culture with a guided tasting at Mercado de San Juan, then browse artisanship at La Ciudadela. Bold flavors, seasonal produce and hand-woven textiles reveal living traditions behind Mexico’s celebrated cuisine and crafts.

Cruise the Xochimilco canals aboard a colorful trajinera and watch the city give way to tranquil waterways. Floating vendors glide past as mariachis strike up songs and snacks are served on deck.

Learn about the Aztec legacy of chinampas (floating gardens), ingenious plots that still produce vegetables and flowers. Reeds, birdlife and reflections on the water create a timeless atmosphere on one of Mexico City’s last living agricultural landscapes.

Join a guided exploration of Teotihuacán, the grand metropolis of Classic Mesoamerica. Walk the Avenue of the Dead between ceremonial platforms and plazas, dwarfed by the vast Pyramid of the Sun and its lunar counterpart.

Hear perspectives on urban planning, ritual power and artistic style, from apartment compounds to carved serpent motifs. The site’s scale and geometry convey a city built to mirror the cosmos and impress every visitor who entered its sacred heart.

Stroll Puebla’s elegant grid of streets, famed for baroque churches and facades decorated with Talavera tiles. Grand civic buildings enclose handsome squares where the city’s colonial story unfolds.

Enter the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, one of the oldest public libraries in the Americas, lined with carved wooden shelves and antique globes. Centuries-old volumes and a serene reading hall evoke Puebla’s role as a learned crossroads between the capital and the Gulf.

Visit the desert landscapes around Zapotitlán to encounter forests of towering columnar cacti and spherical biznagas. Guided trails through the semi-arid biosphere reserve spotlight hardy plants adapted to sun, wind and stone.

Learn how local communities have long harvested and protected these ecosystems. The reserve’s ochre hills, sculptural silhouettes and birdlife offer a striking counterpoint to the tropical jungles and highland valleys elsewhere on your route.

Explore Monte Albán, the mountaintop capital of the Zapotecs, where broad plazas, ball courts and observatories crown a leveled ridge above the Oaxaca Valley. Panoramic views frame temples aligned with the sun.

Carved Danzantes, early glyphs and tomb treasures attest to sophisticated writing and ritual life. Your guide traces how this city influenced cultures across southern Mexico for centuries before its decline.

Walk Oaxaca’s cobbled streets to leafy squares and artisan workshops, absorbing a city where Indigenous heritage enriches colonial architecture. The scent of chocolate, mole and mezcal drifts from cafés and markets.

Enter the Museum of Cultures of Santo Domingo, set in a former Dominican convent beside the gilded church. Exceptional Zapotec and Mixtec artifacts, including goldwork from Tomb 7 at Monte Albán, illuminate the valley’s deep cultural roots.

Join a hands-on cooking class celebrating Oaxaca’s culinary heritage. Select chilies, herbs and seasonal produce before grinding, toasting and simmering under expert guidance to craft tortillas, salsas and rich moles.

Gather around the table to taste the results, paired with local insights into ingredients and tradition. This intimate kitchen session highlights techniques passed down through generations and the flavors that define southern Mexico.

Visit the town of Santa María del Tule to admire its legendary ahuehuete (Montezuma cypress), whose colossal, gnarled trunk brims with whimsical shapes. Gardens and a whitewashed chapel frame the tree’s living monumentality.

Learn how this species anchors riparian ecosystems and local folklore. The encounter offers a quiet, contemplative pause amid the cultural and archaeological highlights of the valley.

Examine the intricate stone mosaics of Mitla, a ceremonial Zapotec centre renowned for patterns that fit together without mortar. Palaces and columned halls showcase geometric friezes unique in Mesoamerica.

Hear how Mitla’s sacred function endured into the colonial era, when churches rose beside ancient structures. The site’s precision workmanship and desert palette contrast beautifully with the jungle-clad cities farther east.

Taste artisanal mezcal in Santiago Matatlán, often called the world capital of this agave spirit. Follow the process from earthen pit roasting and stone-wheel crushing to slow fermentation and copper distillation.

Sample varietals that reflect terroir and technique, learning to recognize smoky notes, floral aromas and the craft behind small-batch production. Responsible sipping underscores mezcal’s role in Oaxacan identity and celebration.

Cruise the Grijalva River through Sumidero Canyon, where sheer limestone walls tower above emerald water and herons, cormorants and iguanas frequent the banks. The scale is cinematic from a low vantage on the river.

Natural formations and waterfalls punctuate the journey as your captain shares the canyon’s geology and conservation story. Keep your camera ready for cliffside textures, reflections and wildlife activity along the bends.

Explore Palenque, a Maya city famed for elegant architecture and masterful reliefs. Temples emerge from rainforest where howler monkeys call and mist hangs in the trees.

Stand before the Temple of the Inscriptions, associated with ruler Pakal, and admire roof combs and stucco panels that reveal courtly life and cosmology. The site’s artistry and lush setting make it a highlight of the Classic Maya world.

Discover Uxmal, a jewel of the Puuc hills. The Pyramid of the Magician rises above palaces whose facades are carpeted with geometric stonework and rain-god masks.

Wander the Nunnery Quadrangle and ball court as your guide decodes mythic imagery and elite life during the Late Classic era. The site’s open vistas and refined carving contrast with jungle-shrouded Palenque, revealing regional diversity in Maya design.

Savor a home-style meal at a family-run kitchen near Uxmal, featuring cochinita and pollo pibil—marinated in achiote and citrus, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted.

Stories of backyard citrus, backyard herbs and ancestral preparation methods connect each bite to Maya tradition. This flavorful pause celebrates Yucatán’s terroir and the patient craft of pit-cooked cuisine.

Wander Izamal, the “Yellow City,” where ochre facades glow in the Yucatán sun. Arcades and cobbles lead to the Convento de San Antonio de Padua, built atop a pre-Hispanic platform.

Hear how sacred geographies layered over time—from Maya pyramids to Franciscan evangelization—shaped this pilgrimage town. Markets, horse-drawn carriages and quiet courtyards add to its contemplative charm.

Explore Chichén Itzá before the day-trippers arrive, when plazas are quiet and shadows sharpen the carvings. Stand before El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcán), the precise pyramid aligned to equinox light.

Visit the Great Ball Court and colonnaded temples as your guide reveals astronomy, acoustics and political might in the city’s plan. Early entry amplifies the site’s atmosphere and clarity for photography and reflection.

Gather for a welcome dinner at Azulísimo, where a curated menu highlights classic capital flavors with contemporary finesse. Seasonal ingredients and regional recipes set the tone for your culinary journey.

Expect dishes that honor tradition—moles, fresh salsas, market produce—paired with stories that frame Mexico City’s dynamic food scene. It’s a warm introduction to the tastes and textures of the country.

Enjoy an evening orientation walk through Mérida’s illuminated squares and arcades. As the heat softens, locals gather for music and conversation, and facades reveal their stonework in warm light.

Your Tour Leader points out eateries, heladerías and venues for live Yucatecan music to revisit later. This gentle introduction helps you navigate the city’s grid and soak up its convivial pace.

Walk sections of Campeche’s walls for sea views and a sense of the city’s defensive past. Bastions and gatehouses frame pastel quarters planned within a fortified grid.

Interpretive stops explain the era of corsairs and the trade routes that brought wealth—and risk—to this Gulf port. It’s a compact, vivid look at urban planning shaped by maritime realities.

Browse La Ciudadela market, a one-stop showcase for Mexican folk art from across the republic. Stalls brim with embroidered blouses, clay ceramics, tinwork and carved wood.

Your visit supports artisans who preserve regional techniques, from backstrap weaving to lacquerware. It’s a chance to compare styles by state and pick up meaningful mementos at fair prices.

Sample specialty bites at Mercado de San Juan, the city’s renowned gourmet market. Seasonal fruits, cheeses, cured meats and salsas introduce bold flavors and culinary craftsmanship.

Vendors share sourcing stories and preparation tips, offering context for Mexico’s pantry—from chilies and cacao to tropical produce. Tastings are curated to balance spice, texture and surprise.

Visit San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán to witness living Tzotzil traditions in the highlands. Inside Chamula’s church, candles, copal incense and pine needles create a striking syncretic ritual space.

In Zinacantán, meet a family of weavers and see backstrap looms in action as floral motifs bloom in wool. This cultural visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore the Roberto Barrios cascades, a series of turquoise pools set in subtropical forest. Gentle trails link tiers where you can pause for photos, listen to birdsong and, conditions permitting, take a refreshing dip.

Local eateries near the falls serve simple regional dishes, rounding out a nature-rich interlude in Chiapas. This excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit a carving studio in San Antonio Arrazola, birthplace of Oaxaca’s brightly painted alebrijes. See how copal wood is shaped, sanded and brought to life with meticulous brushwork and symbolism.

Artisans explain motifs drawn from flora, fauna and imagination, and small pieces are often available for purchase direct from makers. This craft experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore leafy Coyoacán, where cobbled lanes, shaded plazas and colonial churches reveal a slower rhythm of Mexico City. Street vendors and cafés spill into squares, echoing the area’s deep artistic spirit.

Subject to availability, step inside Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo’s cobalt-blue home. Studio spaces, folk art and personal objects illuminate her life with Diego Rivera and the currents of modern Mexican art, set around a tranquil courtyard of cacti and volcanic stone.

Discover Mexico’s past at the Museo Nacional de Historia in Chapultepec Castle, perched above the city with landscaped terraces and sweeping views. Wander salons lined with imperial memorabilia and murals that chart the nation’s turbulent 19th century.

Continue to the National Museum of Anthropology, home to masterpieces such as the Aztec Sun Stone and exquisite Maya sculpture. Displays place Olmec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec and Maya cultures in vivid context, enriching every archaeological stop you’ll visit later in the journey.