Mexico’s Mayan Trail

Day 1 - UK - Mexico City

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Mexico City. On arrival, our coach will transfer us to our hotel, for our three-night stay.

Day 2 - Mexico City

Cosmopolitan and cultured, Mexico City is a true melting pot of all cultures and classes. The city proudly showcases both ancient civilisation and modern city life. We’ll waste no time in getting to know this city sprawl on our tour, which takes us to the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Palace with its famous collection of murals illustrating the history of Mexico. (National Palace has limited opening times, if closed an alternative visit will be arranged). Later, there’ll be plenty of time to soak up the treasures of the National Museum of Anthropology - one of the top attractions the city has to offer and an introduction to the sights that await us later in the holiday. Please note: The National Palace is often closed for visits to the public at late notice. If you're unable to visit during the city tour, then your guide will visit an alternative location. This evening, enjoy a special welcome dinner - a great opportunity to meet the rest of your group and sample some authentic Mexican cuisine.

Day 3 - Guadalupe - Teotihuacan

Today we visit the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe en route to view the image of the miraculous Virgin Maria. We then uncover Teotihuacan, one of the most important Aztec sites in Mexico and also one of the most impressive. The ruins of Teotihuacan are vast and spread over a large distance. You’ll have time to wander, walk the ‘Avenue of the Dead’ (the walkway running between the pyramids) and view the magnificent 70-metre-high Sun Pyramid.

Day 4 - Puebla

Today we travel to Puebla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s best-preserved Spanish colonial treasures. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 5 - Puebla - Oaxaca

This morning we head just outside the city to visit the vast Cholula archaeological complex, home to the Great Pyramid of Cholula. The city of Puebla retains a fantastically well-preserved centre, boasting a beautiful cathedral and a wealth of pretty churches. We’ll soak it all up on a city tour before making our way to Oaxaca.

Day 6 - Monte Alban - Oaxaca

We begin the day at Monte Alban, the most important archaeological site in Oaxaca and arguably one of the most outstanding with a fabulous mountaintop location. We view the ruins of buildings dating between AD 250-800; however, the origins can be traced as far back as 500 BC when Monte Alban was first settled. Over 180 tombs have been discovered here so far. Following our arrival back into Oaxaca we’ll take a brief walking tour of the central district. Steeped in history, Oaxaca was pronounced a city by King Carlos V of Spain in 1532. Bursting with colonial charm, it’s easy to fall in love with this intensely attractive city. Handsome, tranquil streets pulsate with regional flavour and lead to a puzzle of plazas and squares - perfect for getting lost in.

Day 7 - Tehuantepec

Our day starts at Santa Maria del Tule to view the famous Tule Tree, located in the atrium of the Santa Maria de la Asuncion temple and thought to be over 2,000 years old, with a circumference of over 50m. We continue to Mitla, where the Zapotecas believed the dead came to find their last resting place. Many of the buildings here are festooned with beautiful fretwork. We travel on to Teotitlan del Valle, a village famous for its locally made rugs and blankets. Later we drive to Tehuantepec for an overnight stay.

Day 8 - San Cristobal

This morning we travel by road to Tuxtla Gutierrez where for a boat tour along the Grijalva River and through the impressive Sumidero Canyon. Then, we’ll continue to San Cristobal de las Casas for a two-night stay.

Day 9 - San Juan Chamula - Zinacantan

This morning we’ll discover the Indian villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan, where we gain an insight into the lives of the local communities. The people of both these communities are Tzotzil. In San Juan, you’ll see the locals dressed in the traditional homespun white wool tunics. In Zinacantan, the dress is more vivid with pink and purple shawls and embroidered blouses - perhaps to reflect the art of flower growing, which the people here are particularly good at. This afternoon we’ll enjoy a walking tour of well-preserved colonial San Cristobal, where we’ll be staying for the night.

Day 10 - Palenque

This morning we leave San Cristobal behind as we journey for the city of Palenque. Our scenic route takes us past stunning vistas of forested valleys before arriving at Palenque.

Day 11 - Palenque

Prepare for a real day of discovery. We’ll be exploring one of the best examples of Mayan architecture in all of Mexico today, at the Palenque ruins. In their jungle setting, swathed in jungle mist and echoing the howler monkeys and parrots, these ruins have a certain excitement and mystery about them. At its height, the area was ruled by kings and queens in AD 600-700. When belief in the system was lost, the city crumbled, only to be rediscovered in 1785. While the site itself is large, the majority of the city is still unexcavated, buried in the surrounding jungle. Following plenty of time to explore, we return to our hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Day 12 - Campeche

We travel to the coastal city of Campeche, which was founded in the 1540s and was the main port for the Spanish in the Yucatan. They built the huge fortifications here, designed to protect their goods from piracy. This afternoon we’ll enjoy an orientation tour of the city and visit the Fuerte de San Miguel Museum.

Day 13 - Kabah - Uxmal - Merida

Our first stop today is at the semi-restored site of Kabah, to view the huge array of sculptures illustrating the rain god Chac, with its characteristic long nose. A short drive then takes us to the Mayan archaeological site of Uxmal where we visit many temples, the Pyramid of the Wizard and the Quadrangle of the Nunnery and take time to view the intricate bas-relief stonework. Our day finishes at the white city of Merida on the northwest coast of the Yucatan peninsula.

Day 14 - Izamal - Valladolid - Chichen Itza

This morning, we’ll visit the 16th-century Convent of San Antonio de Padua in Izamal. Before we transfer to our hotel in Valladolid, we make a visit to Chichen Itza, a site that showcases some of the best Mayan architecture including the 24m-high Pyramid of Kukulcan, the Temple of the Warriors and the largest ball court found to date.

Day 15 - Cenote Dzitnup - Cancun - In flight

We’ll check out of our hotel this morning and visit Cenote Dzitnup - stunning underground freshwater cave-like cenotes located in the Yucatan peninsula. We’ll transfer to the airport this afternoon for your return flight to the UK.

Day 16 - UK

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.