Mexico Southern Highlights - 12 Day Tour

Day 1: Arrival Mexico City

After we meet and greet you at the airport we will transfer you to your hotel. Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, and it is also the oldest urban centre in the Western Hemisphere. In ancient times Mexico City was known as Aztec Tenochtitlan. The Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his band were amazed by the sight of the imposing temples of the Aztecs. There is a wide range of hotel accomodation in the central historic area of the city, for example the NH Hotel or the Plaza Florencia. Just let us know which standard of lodging you would like and we can provide suggestions for you to choose from.

Your next three nights will be spent in Mexico City. Enjoy the experience!

Day 2: Mexico City

Today you will have chance to wander the crazy streets of this mind boggling city and also visit the world famous Anthropological museum. Mexico City is the political, financial and cultural nerve center of Mexico, and to understand the country one should spend some time here. Perhaps more than any city on earth, it is at the intersection of the first and third worlds, with all the thrills, spills and surprises that this suggests. 

Day 3: Mexico City

Today you will enjoy a full day city tour with a visit to the breathtaking pyramids of Teotihuacan. When Cortes reported back to King Carlos V in Spain he found it difficult to convey the scale of what he was seeing. Imagine the kings surprise at learning that “one of the plazas was twice the size of that of Salamanca”, and “the principal pyramid is taller than the tower of the cathedral at Seville”, or that the stone and wood craftsmanship that adorned these monuments “could nowhere be bettered”. You will be shown some of these sights by your local guide before being dropped off at your hotel.

Day 4: Mexico City – Oaxaca

After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your short flight to the lovely old colonial city of Oaxaca in the South of Mexico. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel in the old atmospheric center of the city. You will then be free to wander the center, shopping, eating, drinking and just take in the air of the place. This really is lovely old place to sit around in one of the leafy plazas and people watch,before going out for dinner and a few drinks.

We recommend the beautiful Casa Catrina or the Hostal de la Noria in Oaxaca.

Day 5: Oaxaca

Take a deep breath and prepare yourself for a mind blowing day of sightseeing to the impressive archaeological sites of Monte Alban, which sits on a mountain that rises from the middle of the valley floor -- or, rather, divides two valleys. From here you can see all that lies between you and the distant mountains.

Day 6: Oaxaca – Tuxtla  Gutierrez – San Cristobal de las Casas

We are taking you to the airport for your flight to Tuxtla Gutierrez. Once we arrive we will get on the road to San Cristobal de las Casas. On the way, visit of the enormous Sumidero Canyon where we will take a boat ride. Don't forget your camera!

We will spend the next two nights in San Cristobal de las Casas in one of our recommended hotels such as the Parador San Juan boutlique hotel or the Hotel Cuidad Real in the town center.

Day 7: San Cristobal de las Casas

Today we will visit the Tzotzil-Maya villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacatán, where indian culture and tradition is very evident. Religion is a mixture of Catholicism and native Tzotzil. They believe that the world is a cube supported by 4 columns and surrounded by water. Gods are considered as inhabitants of the moon, heaven, and mother sun.  This will be followed with a walk through the colonial streets of San Cristobal de las Casas.

Day 8: San Cristobal de las Casas – Palenque

Today we will continue to the ancient Maya site of Palenque, in the foothills of the Tumbalá mountains, sitting on a ledge overlooking the swampy plains that stretch northward all the way to the Gulf coast. Palenque was at its height between 500 and 700 AD, when its influence extended throughout the basin of the Usumacinta river. The elegance and craftsmanship of the buildings, as well as the lightness of the sculpted reliefs with their Mayan mythological themes, attest to the creative genius of this civilization. On the way, we will visit “Agua Azul” waterfalls.

Depending on your preferences maybe you will stay in the Mision Palenque or the Hotel Cuidad Real in Palenque.

Day 9: Palenque – Villahermosa – Merida

It is a new day and nothing like a morning visit of the astonishing archaeological site of Palenque.  Afterwards, we drive to Villahermosa, founded in 1596 by the Spaniards on the banks of the River Grijalva.  From here we take a flight to Mérida, built more than 450 years ago on the site of T'ho, an ancient Mayan city. This will be our base for the next three nights from where we will explore the most important archaeological sites of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Merida is a lovely city with plenty of hotels to choose from, we recommend the lovely Hotel Casa Lucia and the Casa de Balam.

Day 10: Merida

Today we will visit Uxmal, which means "'built three times" in the Mayan language, and though its name is a mystery, its beauty is not.  As a World Heritage site, it is one of the best restored and maintained ruins on the Yucatán Peninsula , and certainly one of the most magnificent. Its architecture is characterized by low horizontal palaces set around courtyards, decorated with rich sculptural elements and details.

Day 11: Merida – Chichen-Itza – Departure Cancun

It is time to get on our way to one of the most amazing, and definitely, one of most famous places worldwide for its beauty and, recently named, one of the new 7 wonders of the world: the mysterious and ancient archaeological site of Chichen-Itza.

The name Chichén Itzá is a Mayan word: CHI (mouth) CHEN (well) and ITZA (of the witch water). Some say this is because people were often thrown into the nearby cenote as sacrifices, and those who survived were believed to be seers. After lunch, we will continue to Cancun. Your last night will be spent here, we recommend the Hilton for our 5 star clients or the Maya Caribe for more budget oriented travelers.

Day 12: Cancun - Mexico City - Departure

You will spend your final morning relaxing in Cancun.  Cancún is a coastal city in Mexico's easternmost state, on the Yucatán Peninsula. Cancún is located on the Yucatan Channel that separates Mexico from the island of Cuba and the region is sometimes known as the Mexican Caribbean or the Mayan Riviera.

From Cancún you will be provided with transport to the airport where there will be connecting flights to Mexico City for your journey home.

If you wish to spend more days at the beach in Cancun or any other part of the coast just let us know and we will arrange that for you, giving you all the options. A combining tour to Brazil, Peru for Machu Picchu or Ecuador for the Galapagos is easily combined with this Mexico tour. Just let us know and we can give you a fantastic itinerary to maximise your time here in Peru.