From Aztecs to Maya - Tour in Mexico

Welcome! Upon arrival you will be received and transferred to your hotel. After the check-in, your afternoon will be available at leisure. 

Overnight at hotel in Mexico City.

Get to know one of the world´s biggest and most exciting cities! Enjoy a guided visit in the historical centre, listed by UNESCO as World Heritage. This interesting tour will include “The Zocalo”, the heart of the city, where you will visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the oldest and largest of the Americas, and the National Palace, home of the famous murals of Diego Rivera. You will also see the ruins of the Templo Mayor, one of the most important temples of the Aztecs in their ancient capital city of Tenochtitlan. The Templo Mayor is thought to be located on the exact spot where the Aztecs saw the eagle perching on a cactus with a snake in its beak. This symbolized for the Aztecs that they had reached their promised land.

Next, we drive down the beautiful Paseo de la Reforma Avenue to arrive at Chapultepec Park. In pre-Hispanic times a summer residence for the noble class of the Aztecs, now it is Mexico City’s largest park and one of the largest city parks in the world. We will visit the Museum of Anthropology (closed on Mondays). This museum is considered to be among the world’s finest of its kind. Here you will admire the famous Aztec calendar stone, models of Tenochtitlán, a fascinating market place diorama, giant stone Olmec heads from the jungles of Tabasco and Veracruz, among many other interesting treasures.

Teotihuacán, ‘the place where gods were created’, is one of the most impressive archaeological sites of the country.

The history of Teotihuacan is quite mysterious. The earliest buildings were constructed around 200 BC. It is assumed that the city may have counted 200,000 inhabitants during its period of prosperity. In those years, Teotihuacán was the biggest city of the American continent and one of the biggest of the world. Until its inhabitants abandoned the city around the 8^th century, Teotihuacan was probably the most significant and civilized cultural centre of ancient Mexico.

During this guided excursion you will encounter the magic and mystery of Teotihuacan. Admire (and climb?) the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. Walk down the Avenue of the Dead, visit the Temple of Quetzalcoatl with its unique stone sculptures of plumed serpents, the Temple of the Butterflies, and the Fortresses.

Before arriving at your hotel, we make a stop at the Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a pilgrimage place for millions of Mexicans and people from all around the world.

Get to know the colorful southern part of the city!

First stop in Coyoacán, "place of those who have coyotes". The history of this beautiful district dates back to pre-Hispanic times. It was here where Cortés prepared his war strategy for the conquest of the Aztecs, so Coyoacán became one of the first colonial settlements. It still preserves its style as well as its village-like atmosphere. For all of this and more, Coyoacán has been the location and inspiration for various artists who have had here their place of residence. It remains one of the most prolific neighborhoods for the cultural and intellectual development of Mexico.

One of the most important institutions in Coyoacán is the Ciudad Universitaria, the campus of the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), listed as World Heritage. UNAM will be one of the stops on our tour. Admire its famous murals and sculptures, made by artists such as Diego de Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Juan O´Gorman. The Campus of the University, built between 1950 and 1954, embodies one of the most emblematic developments of modern Mexican architecture.

You will also see the Olympic Stadium of 1968, with a mural by Diego Rivera.

Afterwards, we'll enjoy a tour on foot of the center of Coyoacan while the guide tells us about the history. The last place to visit in Coyoacán is the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as the "La Casa Azul” (The Blue House). Free time to visit the museum.

The tour and travel continues southwards to Xochimilco. "The place of flowers" is one of the most suggestive and gaudy areas of Mexico City, and one of the last remaining vestiges of the old Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. This amazing place is characterized by its canals, floating gardens with lovely flowers, and brightly decorated "trajineras", which could be considered the traditional Mexican equivalent of a gondola.

Transfer to the airport for a flight to Merida.  Upon arrival, meet and greet with a representative and transfer to the hotel.

Mérida gets its nickname, "La Ciudad Blanca" (The White City), from the predominance of white limestone that was used as a building material. However, locals might tell you that its nickname comes from the cleanliness of the city’s streets and public areas.

In the afternoon we take you on a guided tour, to see the most iconic places of this beautiful city. Mérida was founded in 1542, by the Spaniard Francisco de Montejo. Nowadays, Merida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatan and the cultural and financial center of the region, with still a strong influence of Mayan cultural heritage. It features a fascinating combination of art, history and culture, with cobbled streets, stunning architecture, lovely parks, and delicious gastronomy. Get to know colonial Mérida with its mansions and buildings from XVI century, with its historical monuments such as Paseo Montejo, Governor Palace, the House of Montejo, Monument to the Flag, and Las Americas Park.
 

Today is devoted to the visit of Uxmal, one of the greatest ceremonial centers of the ancient Maya civilization and it can still be considered one of the most beautiful pre-Hispanic archaeological sites on the American continent, thanks to the proportion of its majestic constructions. Uxmal is the most important and famous archaeological site of the Puuc Route, a series of ancient Mayan cities that share the same architectural patterns.

The tour takes you to visit the Pyramid of the Magician, the Quadrangle of the Nuns, and the Governor’s Palace. Tehn, we’ll move southwards to explore Kabah. Here, we will see the renowned Arch that connects the city with Uxmal, the Great Pyramid, and the stunning Temple of the Masks.

Its extraordinary beauty and convenient geographic location makes Chichen Itza one of the most visited archaeological sites on the Yucatan Peninsula.

At the end of the Early Classic Period, around the year 600 AD, Chichen Itza was one of the largest and most prominent Maya cities. Nowadays, Chichen Itza is undoubtedly the best-preserved Maya site in the region. It is not only recognized as UNESCO World Heritage, it was also recently declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It's definitely one of the most iconic places of the country, a site that cannot be missed on a trip to Mexico.

Most famous landmarks are the Temple of Kukulkan (“El Castillo”), the Ballgame Court, the Platform of the Skulls, the Temple of the Jaguar, the Observatory, the One Thousand Columns, and the Sacred Cenote. After this guided visit, continue to Cancun.