MEXICAN MAGIC AND NATURE🌵

Reception at the airport by your guide, transfer to the hotel. Free afternoon. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. We'll begin the day with a tour of the Historic Center to visit the Zócalo, one of the largest squares in the world. We'll visit the Cathedral, the largest religious building on the continent since 1537, and the National Palace. Enjoy a panoramic view of the Central Post Office and the Palace of Fine Arts. We'll continue to the National Museum of Anthropology (closed Mondays). Spanning 40,000 m², it offers the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of all pre-Columbian civilizations, from the Olmecs to the Mayans and Aztecs, who occupied Tenochtitlán until the arrival of the Spanish. The remainder of the afternoon is free. Overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel. We begin with a visit to the Basilica of Guadalupe and the Teotihuacan Pyramids, a Catholic shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Teotihuacan, which in Nahuatl means "City of the Gods" or "the place where the Gods are born," is the place where the spiritual and material knowledge of the Mesoamerican peoples is concentrated. It represents the richest architectural, urban, and artistic expression of the continent. You will visit the Pyramids of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl. We will cross the Avenue of the Dead, which was the most important avenue in this city. At the Temple of Quetzalpapalotl, we will observe murals from the period. Lunch will be served at a restaurant near the pyramids. The rest of the afternoon is free. Accommodation is available.

Breakfast at the hotel. At a convenient time, transfer to Mexico City International Airport for your flight to Oaxaca. Upon arrival in Oaxaca City, transfer to your hotel. Time to check in and get comfortable. At 3:00 PM, meet in the lobby to begin our visit to this beautiful Green Quarry City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A City Walk allows you to explore downtown Oaxaca on foot, accompanied at all times by a guide. Begin by visiting the two most famous markets, 20 de Noviembre and Benito Juárez, where you'll find a wide variety of typical foods and regional products that you won't be able to resist trying. We'll continue the tour by visiting the Zócalo and the Cathedral, and then reach the Temple of Soledad, Patron Saint of the City. Next to the Plaza de los Danzantes, we'll enjoy a delicious regional ice cream to refresh ourselves. We'll visit a chocolate factory to learn about the chocolate grinding process and the different ways it's prepared. We'll finish the tour by walking along the tourist walkway, where you'll see several shops, restaurants, museums, and galleries, until we reach the Santo Domingo Church, a showcase of Mexican Baroque architecture built by the Dominican Order. Return to the hotel. Accommodation includes regional snow.

Meet at 7:30 a.m. in the hotel lobby to set out on our way to visit Monte Albán, the most important archaeological site in Oaxaca, located 30 minutes away. This architectural complex, where you can see the Central Plaza, constitutes the heart of Monte Albán. Surrounding it are the main buildings, such as the ball court, the southern platform, the Dancers' Plaza, the observatory, and others. We recommend wearing a hat, scarf, and sneakers. We will continue our journey to Arrazola, where you will be captivated by the wonderful figures carved and hand-painted by Oaxacan artisans. The alebrijes are a blend of color and strength in their figures. We take some time to rest and enjoy a delicious buffet lunch featuring various regional dishes (food not included). We continue our tour with a stop at a place steeped in legend and literally alive with its architecture: the former convent of Cuilapam de Guerrero, the site where the leader Vicente Guerrero was executed in 1831. It also holds countless stories to tell. Finally, we visit San Bartolo Coyotepec, where the famous "black clay" pottery is produced. The pieces are molded and decorated using burnishing and casting techniques, and then fired in an underground kiln. We return at approximately 5:00 PM. We return to our accommodations.

Meet at 9:00 a.m. in the hotel lobby to begin our tour with a 25-minute drive to our first stop, the legendary Tule Tree, a marvelous example of Oaxaca's vast natural wonder. Our next stop, after a 1-hour drive, will be the Mitla Caves, a natural wonder that tells the story of the state's civilization. Among the treasures found during years of research are a series of burnt-red rock pictograms depicting humans, animals, hands, arrows, and what are believed to be maps of the night sky. To reach this incredible site, we will walk along the banks of a stream until we reach the beginning of the caves.

Just 20 minutes away is the town of Mitla. We will visit the archaeological site better known as the City of the Dead, characterized by its walls filled with fretwork placed under pressure without any type of glue. The town also blends religious conquest with Aztec traditions and the handicraft market. On our way back, we will stop for lunch at a restaurant with a buffet menu to sample regional dishes (food not included).

We will continue our tour to visit our first artisan, where she will explain how to make candles used for important events such as engagements, weddings, and wakes. We will have the opportunity to make our own wax concha. We will continue on to a mezcal distillery, a unique beverage in the state steeped in tradition in its production and consumption. You will learn about the extraction and fermentation processes, and you will be able to immerse yourself in the unparalleled work of the artisans of this drink.

Finally, we will visit Teotitlán del Valle, a town renowned for its wool rug making. We will see the wool carding, dyeing, and loom work, as well as how a rug of this quality can take anywhere from six months to a year to make. We will return to the hotel.

We depart from Oaxaca early in the morning. During our journey to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, we will stop for a delicious breakfast. Upon arrival in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, we will head to the pier for an exciting boat adventure through the impressive Sumidero Canyon. We will continue our journey to San Cristóbal de Las Casas, where we will stay and take a well-deserved rest.

Breakfast. In the morning, we begin our journey to the indigenous communities of the Tzotzil ethnic group, immersing ourselves in a world of traditions and unique culture in San Juan Chamula. Here, we appreciate the fusion of contemporary traditions and ancestral characteristics. Later, we head to the community of Zinacantán, where we visit its church and a family cooperative to observe how women work the backstrap loom, an ancient art from pre-Columbian times. We admire the beauty of the looms and then have the opportunity to visit the kitchen, where we enjoy a typical regional drink and, if we're lucky, some delicious handmade tortillas. At the end of our experience in the indigenous communities, we return to San Cristóbal de Las Casas and explore this beautiful city on a walking city tour. We also have free time to enjoy its streets full of history and culture.

Accommodation.

Breakfast. In the morning, we depart for Palenque, stopping at Agua Azul, a group of incredible waterfalls created by the currents of the Otulún, Shumuljá, and Tulijá rivers, forming canyons with vertical cliffs. We then continue to the Misol-Ha waterfalls, which rise majestically 30 meters high, surrounded by lush tropical rainforest that creates a beautiful and refreshing environment. After the visit, we head to the Palenque archaeological site. This Mayan city stands out for its rich architecture and sculptures that surprise and amaze us. We can admire impressive structures such as "The Palace," "The Temple of the Foliated Cross," "The Temple of the Sun," and many other archaeological gems. At the end of our exploration of Palenque, we transfer to our hotel in Palenque. Overnight stay.

Breakfast. On this beautiful morning, we depart for the city of Villahermosa, thrilled to visit the "La Venta" museum, a place steeped in history and beauty that awakens our curiosity and wonder. Its halls house majestic works from the Olmec culture, an ancient civilization that leaves us a surprising legacy. We contemplate the four categories of pieces: altars, stelae, freestanding sculptures, and impressive colossal heads. Each one immerses us in the grandeur of pre-Columbian culture and connects us with our ancestral past. Finally, we head to the Villahermosa airport to catch a flight to your home city and/or with a connecting flight in Mexico City.