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Xochimilco Boat Trip
Tourists climb the Pyramid of the Sun at the Teotihuacan pyramids, near Mexico City, Mexico on a sunny day, with the Pyramid of the Moon in the background.

AUTHENTIC CENTRAL MEXICO

Discover the heart of Mexico, from its famous capital to Unesco-listed old towns, baroque masterpieces and even the cities of Mesoamerica.

Destination
Starts at

Mexico City

Destination
Ends at

Mexico City

Destination
Duration

8 days

Destination
Group Size

Maximum 16

Destination
Physical Rating

light Information

Destination
Style

discovery Information

About your trip

This city-hopping adventure through the heartlands of Mexico is a love letter to a nation of ancient history, artistic sensibility and independent spirit. We’ll start in Mexico City, where epic skyscrapers live alongside ancient canal systems, while charming old neighbourhoods and bustling food markets are as vibrant as ever. We’ll turn back time at the ancient sites of Teotihuacán and Tula, before embarking on a magical tour of gorgeous colonial-era cities that became the forge in which Mexican independence was fired. Unique art galleries, rural vineyards, beautiful churches and charming old cobbled streets await – not to mention a whole host of amazing foodie experiences.

Trip Highlights

  • Float down the canals of Xochimilco by boat
  • Dine at the iconic Cafe de Tacuba, a CDMX institution
  • Visit the former home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
  • Transport yourself to ancient Mesoamerica at Teotihuacán and Tula
  • Master the art of Mexican cooking in San Miguel de Allende
  • Sip wine at a quaint vineyard in rural Guanajuato
  • Visit the most important destinations from the early throws of Mexican independence
  • Discover beautiful colonial-era architecture in five different cities

Your Itinerary

Welcome to Mexico City! Upon arrival at Mexico City International Airport (MEX) you can make your way to our first hotel of the trip. Depending on when you get here, you should have plenty of time to relax and refresh before we gather in the lobby for a welcome meeting with the group and our Local Insider. You’ll then be whisked over to the iconic Cafe de Tacuba for dinner. This place is over a hundred years old, and its hearty cuisine and cosy atmosphere is the perfect introduction to Mexican dining. We recommend capping off the meal with an indulgent cup of Mexican hot chocolate.

Accommodation

NH Centro Historico

Activities Included
  • Welcome meeting
  • Welcome dinner at Cafe de Tacuba

Mexico City is one of the most vibrant, exciting cities on the planet, as well as one of the largest. Fill up on breakfast at the hotel ahead of a walking tour of the city’s most significant sites, including the epic Zócalo square and Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. You’ll get fascinating cultural and historical insights along the way before heading to Chapultepec Park, home to well-pruned gardens, impressive monuments and a 150 year-old castle. Grab yourself lunch as we explore Mercado San Juan, teeming with fresh produce, classic Mexican street food and a few alternative delicacies… Our tour of CDMX ends with a trip to the top of Torre Latinoamericana, an icon of the city’s skyline, standing at around 166 m (545ft) tall. Suddenly the huge city sights you saw this morning will look tiny amid this sprawling metropolis, home to around 25m people, and surrounded by epic volcanoes.

Accommodation

NH Centro Historico

Activities Included
  • Mexico City walk
  • Visit to Chapultepec Park
  • Visit to Mercado San Juan
  • Visit to Torre Latinoamericana

Our deep dive into Mexico City continues this morning as we head to the charming cobblestone streets of Coyoacan. This historic neighbourhood is most famous for our first stop, the Bauhaus former-home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. You’ll get to see incredible paintings, photographs and personal objects that illuminate the lives of Mexico’s most famous artists, before a further guided wander through the area’s atmospheric streets. Next up is a visit to the Unesco-listed Xochimilco, an ancient Aztec lake originally created to supply water. Today it’s a popular spot for locals and tourists to explore the floating gardens via colourful trajineras boats, which is exactly what we’ll do. After some free time this afternoon, we’ll reconvene for dinner at Azulisimo restaurant. It’s one of the finest in the entire city thanks to the mastery of Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, who has crafted a menu imbued with Mexican tradition and local ingredients.

Accommodation

NH Centro Historico

Activities Included
  • Visit to Frida Kahlo's home
  • Walk around the Coyoacan district
  • Boat tour on Xochimilco
  • Dinner at Azulisimo

This morning we leave Mexico City behind for the gorgeous colonial city of Queretaro. Before that, however, we have quite the historical detour to embark on. We’ll start with a visit to the remarkable pyramid complex of Teotihuacán. This Unesco World Heritage site is an ancient Mesoamerican city, around 2,000 years-old, having once been home to around 250,000 people, making it the largest metropolis in the Americas at the time. Its scale, and age, is quite something to behold, especially when walking along the Avenue of the Dead. Our next stop is Tula, the ancient Toltec capital, which dates back to 856 AD. You’ll get to explore the Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli and the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, which is topped by a series of striking Toltec warrior-shaped columns. We should finally arrive in Queretaro late in the afternoon. You’ve covered a lot of ground today, and digested a lot of history, so spend the evening as you wish – we do recommend a good stroll around the Unesco-listed city centre, though.

Accommodation

Madero

Activities Included
  • Visit to Teotihuacan site
  • Visit to Tula site

We’ll start today with a guided walking tour of Querétaro, a city characterised by its utterly gorgeous Spanish colonial architecture, but also by its crucial place in Mexican history, having been a starting point for the independence movement and the place where Mexico’s current constitution was passed. Then we’ll take a short transfer to the nearby city of San Miguel de Allende, another colonial gem with a Unesco-listed Baroque old town. Here you’ll start with a culinary masterclass at Sazón cooking school, gobbling down your delicious creations for lunch. After that we’ll visit Fabrica Aurora Art to learn about the thriving local art scene, followed by a stroll around Mercado de Artesanías, where you can buy some hand-embroidered shawls or a piece of decorative pottery. Finally, we’ll have a late afternoon walking tour of the city, before an evening spent at your own leisure in San Miguel de Allende.

Accommodation

Imperio de Angeles

Activities Included
  • City tour of Queretaro
  • Sazon cooking class and lunch
  • Fabrica Aurora visit
  • Mercado Artesanias visit
  • San Miguel de Allende city tour

The next destination on our city-hopping adventure is Guanajuato, but first a stop at Mexico’s answer to the Sistine Chapel, the Sanctuary of Atotonilco. After that we’ll drive to Dolores Hidalgo, the cradle of Mexican independence. You’ll learn all about the Cry of Dolores in 1810 at the Museo de la Independencia Nacional, before heading to Cuna de Tierra winery. You’ll stroll through picturesque vineyards and learn about the region’s winemaking prowess, before sitting down for a sumptuous tasting session. After that it’s time to finally head to Guanajuato, taking a brief moment to stop at a scenic viewpoint before reaching the city, checking-in to the hotel and heading out for dinner at an authentic local restaurant.

Accommodation

Meson de los Poetas

Activities Included
  • Visit to Atotonilco
  • Visit to Dolores Hidalgo and Museo de la Independencia Nacional
  • Visit to Cuna de Tierra vineyard (tasting included)
  • Dinner at a local restaurant

This morning you’ll be treated to a guided tour of Guanajuato, another gorgeous city in Central Mexico, marked by its Spanish colonial architecture and Unesco-listed old town. Bask in the beauty of Plaza Allende, the Basilica and the famous University of Guanajuato, as well as the pretty facades and old town houses of Plaza de la Paz. Having had a thorough exploration of the city, it’s time to head back to where we started, Mexico City. The drive isn’t short, but there is a wonderful farewell dinner awaiting us back in the capital. Don’t worry if you don’t doze off dreaming of delicious Mexican delights, the road home is very scenic. We should arrive late in the afternoon, so there’ll be some more time to enjoy the many wonders of CDMX before and after dinner – perhaps our last night should be marked with a few rounds of mezcal and tequila?

Accommodation

NH Centro Historico

Activities Included
  • Guanajuato city tour
  • Farewell dinner

It’s time to say adiós and muchas gracias to Mexico! You’ll get to tuck into one last tasty breakfast before our trip officially ends and you make your way back to the airport, reflecting on a week of history, culture, art, architecture, revolution, great food, great wine and great company – this country really does have it all.

What's Included

  • 7 nights accommodation
  • 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 4 dinners
  • Local Insider
  • Welcome meeting
  • Welcome dinner at Cafe de Tacuba
  • Mexico City walk
  • Visit to Chapultepec Park
  • Visit to Mercado San Juan
  • Visit to Torre Latinoamericana
  • Visit to Frida Kahlo's home
  • Walk around the Coyoacan district
  • Boat tour on Xochimilco
  • Visit to Teotihuacan site
  • Visit to Tula site
  • City tour of Queretaro
  • Sazon cooking class (inc. as lunch)
  • Fabrica Aurora visit
  • Mercado Artesanias visit
  • San Miguel de Allende city tour
  • Visit to Atotonilco
  • Visit to Dolores Hidalgo and Museo de la Independencia Nacional
  • Visit to Cuna de Tierra vineyard (tasting included)
  • Guanajuato city tour

What's Not Included

  • Visas
  • Travel insurance
  • Hotel transfers (unless otherwise stated in the Included Activities section above)

Customer Reviews

Accommodation

NH Centro Historico

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Location-wise, it doesn’t get better than this – the NH Centro Historico is bang in the centre of everything, steps from Zocalo square, Metropolitan Cathedral, City Museum and archaeological zone. Rooms are modern, comfortable and clean and you'll find an on-site gym, an alfresco terrace and a sumptuous breakfast buffet.

Madero

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History and comfort combine at Hotel Madero, a stylish boutique in the heart of Querétaro. Original features have been kept throughout this mid-18th-century building, while the rooms are more modern in style. Tired from all that exploring? Hit up the spa for a massage or facial treatment.

Imperio de Angeles

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The quaint, cosy surrounds of this colonial-style hotel perfectly captures the charm of its city, San Miguel de Allende. Start the day with a refreshing dip in the outdoor pool, or wind the evening down around the pretty garden courtyards that surround it. You can also enjoy hearty Mexican classics – and a tequila or two – at Cassia Restaurant and bar.

El Meson de los Poetas

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Housed in an 18th-century mansion, El Mesón de los Poetas has 41 rooms within walking distance of the most important stops in the city, including the Diego Rivera museum and the Alhóndiga de Granaditas. There’s an onsite art gallery for more cultural diversions and a restaurant for a hearty breakfast, while rooms are traditional and comfortable. 

COVID Safety

Your safety and wellbeing are our top priority, so we’ve put the following measures in place on all our TRIPS:

  • Our average group size is 10 people (max 18), which gives you all the security of being in a group whilst avoiding a crowd.
  • Where possible, we use small/ boutique accommodation – this means fewer guests and reduced exposure to other travellers.
  • We require all accommodation providers to share protocols around the extra health and hygiene measures they are taking.
  • Included activities are exclusive to our group wherever possible, to minimise contact with others.
  • Covid-19 negative test results or vaccine certificates may be required. Please check the entry requirements for the destination you are travelling to. Our travel experts can assist you in finding this information.
  • We recommend you confirm all guidance on official government sites and check that you are able to travel with your travel insurance issuer. Your travel insurance may be invalidated if you travel against government advice. Our travel experts can assist you in finding this information.

Important Info

  • You must be aged 25 years or over to join this trip.
  • Please be sure to check whether or not you need a visa to enter the country you're travelling to. Please refer to our Booking Terms & Conditions for further information.
  • If you have any pre-existing medical conditions or accessibility requirements, please notify our Customer Support team as soon as possible.
  • We won't charge you extra if you travel alone – you'll be allocated a twin room with another traveller of the same gender.
  • To upgrade to a private room, share a room with a friend, or book pre- and post-trip accommodation and/or airport transfers, please contact our Customer Support team.
  • Please be aware that travel insurance is compulsory for all travellers.
  • Please be aware that the itinerary, activities and hotels are subject to change. While unlikely, these changes can happen due to circumstances beyond our control. We will always do our best to ensure minimal impact on your experience.
  • Please be aware images on this page are for illustrative purposes and may not reflect your itinerary exactly.

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

The world of travel is changing – and that's why we’re offering flexible booking conditions, to take the stress out of booking in times of uncertainty.

You can get a full refund should you need to postpone or cancel your trip up to 56 days prior to departure. 

Read our Booking Guarantee to find out more about how our Support Team can help you. 

For the full details and cancellation charges, see our Booking Terms & Conditions.

Terms & Conditions

Please refer to our Booking Terms & Conditions.

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Hassle-Free Booking

When booking with us, you’ll benefit from a low deposit payment option, flexible cancellation options and personal customer support. T&Cs apply.

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