

	Aztec and Maya Discovery You will start your journey in Mexico City by exploring the ancient Aztec ruins of Tenochtitlan. You will then head south towards the Yucatan Peninsula and enter the Mayan route. On the way, you will also get a chance to know some of the legacy of the Olmec and Zapotec precolumbian cultures. It is also worth to mention some of the colonial cities of exceptional beauty which you will be able to appreciate during the trip. Day 1. Arrival to Mexico City, pick up from the airport and transfer to your Hotel in Mexico City’s historical Center. Overnight in Mexico City Day 2. Mexico City Visit to Mexico City’s cultural sites: Templo Mayor Museum, where the ancient ruins of the Aztec City of Tenochtitlan can still be appreciated, the Mexico City Cathedral and Mexico City’s Anthropology museum. Overnight in Mexico City Day 3. Teotihuacán and Basílica de Guadalupe On this day, you will get a chance to visit the Teotihuacán Pyramids. Teotihuacán’s history is quite mysterious, the site dates back to the year 200 B.C. and it was named by the Aztecs centuries after the city fell. Its original name is unknown, and its modern name in Nahuatl means “City of the Gods”. After the visit, you will travel back to Mexico City for a possible visit to the “Basilica de Guadalupe”, Mexico’s most visited church known particularly for the cult to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Overnight in Mexico City Day 4. Mexico City – Taxco – Cuernavaca. The town of Taxco is particularly known for its architectural beauty and its silver production. On Saturdays, the silver market opens its doors to visitors from all over the country looking to buy some of the best silverware in Mexico. Among Taxco's main architectural attractions, we can find the temple of Santa Prisca. Overnight in Cuernavaca, known as “The city of the Eternal spring”. Day 5. Cuernavaca – Cholula – Puebla Depart Cuernavaca for Cholula. Cholula is an archeological site whose main pyramid holds the Guinness world record for the biggest pyramid built in the world. The pyramid is even bigger than the Keops Pyramid in Egypt (Though the Egyptian pyramid is taller). After visiting Cholula, you will transfer in the Afternoon to Puebla, a city whose historical center has been declared a UNESCO World heritage site due to its architectural colonial designs. Overnight in Puebla Day 6. Puebla – Oaxaca After having breakfast in Puebla, you will depart towards Mexico’s southern mountain range to the city of Oaxaca. Oaxaca’s charm relies in its indigenous traditions and its colonial buildings. Oaxaca is the region in Mexico with the largest ethnic and linguistic diversity in the country, 18 of the 62 different Mexican ethic groups live in the state. Overnight in Oaxaca. Day 7. Monte Alban Visit to Montealban’s ruins. The Zapotecos left in the city of Montealban a fabulous trace if their culture. The city was constructed between the years 500 b.c. and 100 b.c. and it acquired an important status among the region. The city gradually lost its influence from the year 800 a.d. until 1325 a.d. when it was invaded by the Mixtecos. Overnight in Oaxaca Day 8. Oaxaca – Catemaco Alter breakfast, you will depart towards the Mexican State of Veracruz to visit the City of Catemaco, which lies at the shores of the Catemaco lake. Catemaco is known for his healers and sorcerers (Curanderos y brujos), who are often visited by sick people from all over Mexico. Overnight in Catemaco Day 9. Catemaco – Villahermosa During the Morning, you will have a chance to take a boat trip across the Catemaco lake, visit the Monkey island and get to know the tropical jungle at the Natural Reserve of Nanciyaga. In the Afternoon, you will head towards the city of Villahermosa. Overnight in Villahermosa. Day 10. Villahermosa - Palenque The top attraction of the city of Villahermosa is the Park-Museum of La Venta. this Museum-park holds one of the greatest collections of olmec cultural expressions, among which the visitor can find the famous "Olmec heads". 14 of these heads have been found across Mexico, and 3 of them are exhibited at this museum In the afternoon, you will travel towards Palenque, where you will get a chance to explore these Mayan ruins. Palenque’s origins date back to the 5th and 9th century. It is known that it was one of the main cities of the time, along with Toniná, Calakmul, Pomoná, Comalcalco, Tikal and Copán. Overnight in Palenque Day 11. Bonampak - Yaxchilan In the early morning, you will travel towards the Mayan City Of Bonampak. The archeological site of Bonampak is one if its kind in the Mayan world due to its frescoes in a temple of the acropolis. Besides its aesthetic value, these paintings put an end to previous notions that the pre-classic Mayans knew nothing about war or human sacrifices. A boat trip along the border river that divides Mexico from Guatemala, the Usumacinta, will take you towards Yaxchilan, a magnificent Maya settlement about 17 km away. Overnight in Palenque Day 12. Palenque – Campeche The road from Palenque to Campeche will take you across the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. You will have a chance to stop at the Mayan city of Edzná The most remarkable building at this site is its main temple, which was built on a platform of 40 meters high. Edzná was already inhabited in 400 BC, and was it abandoned around 1500 AD. You will then continue towards Campeche, During the XVIth and XVIIth century, the city was assaulted by Pirates in the region, which forced the spanish crown to built a defense system formed by large walls, forts and other ancient military equipment. Campeche's historical centre and its old neighborhoods are considered a UNESCO world heritage site. Overnight in Campeche Day 13. Campeche – Kabah – Uxmal – Mérida You will enter today the Mayan Puuc Zone by visiting the ancient ruins of Kabah and Uxmal. Kabah is known particularly for the palace of masks. The palace is 151 feet long and contains ten chambers arranged in two tiers of five each; the chambers of each pair are built one directly behind the other, with a single outside doorway for each pair. Continue your visit towards the ancient Maya City of Uxmal, where you will have a chance to appreciate the pyramid of the Magician, the largest Mayan temple in the Puuc Zone and The Nunnery Quadrangle which is the finest of Uxmal's several quadrangles of long buildings with elaborately carved façades. Overnight in Merida Day 14. Merida – Izamal - Chichén Itzá Depart Merida towards Izamal. Izamal is a jewel of a colonial city, with almost all the buildings painted in yellow. Cobblestoned streets and colonial lampposts complete the scenery of this fascinating town. There are Mayan pyramids, colonial-style buildings, parks and plazas for you to see. Afterwards, you will head towards the world-Famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, a UNESCO world heritage site. A large part of the archeological site has been excavated and restored. You will appreciate some of the most important Mayan temples like The Kukulcan Pyramid, the Chac Mool Temple, the ball game field and the temple of the thousand columns. Overnight in Chichén Itzá Day 15. Chichén Itzá – Cancun You will depart Chichén Itzá toward Cancún. On the road, you can visit the Mayan city of EK Balam. The largest structure in Ek Balam is known as The Acropolis, it has a 5m tall jaguar's mouth featuring winged Mayan warriors, as well as inscriptions in the Maya script. From the top of this structure, you can also appreciate the sites of Coba and Chichen Itza. Overnight in Cancun (You can extended your stay in Cancún, Playa del Carmen or Tulum)

Aztec and Maya Discovery

You will start your journey in Mexico City by exploring the ancient Aztec ruins of Tenochtitlan. You will then head south towards the Yucatan Peninsula and enter the Mayan route. On the way, you will also get a chance to know some of the legacy of the Olmec and Zapotec precolumbian cultures. It is also worth to mention some of the colonial cities of exceptional beauty which you will be able to appreciate during the trip.

Day 1.

Arrival to Mexico City, pick up from the airport and transfer to your Hotel in Mexico City’s historical Center.

Overnight in Mexico City

Day 2. Mexico City

Visit to Mexico City’s cultural sites: Templo Mayor Museum, where the ancient ruins of the Aztec City of Tenochtitlan can still be appreciated, the Mexico City Cathedral and Mexico City’s Anthropology museum.

Overnight in Mexico City

Day 3. Teotihuacán and Basílica de Guadalupe

On this day, you will get a chance to visit the Teotihuacán Pyramids. Teotihuacán’s history is quite mysterious, the site dates back to the year 200 B.C. and it was named by the Aztecs centuries after the city fell. Its original name is unknown, and its modern name in Nahuatl means “City of the Gods”.

After the visit, you will travel back to Mexico City for a possible visit to the “Basilica de Guadalupe”, Mexico’s most visited church known particularly for the cult to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Overnight in Mexico City

Day 4. Mexico City – Taxco – Cuernavaca.

The town of Taxco is particularly known for its architectural beauty and its silver production. On Saturdays, the silver market opens its doors to visitors from all over the country looking to buy some of the best silverware in Mexico. Among Taxco's main architectural attractions, we can find the temple of Santa Prisca.

Overnight in Cuernavaca, known as “The city of the Eternal spring”.

Day 5. Cuernavaca – Cholula – Puebla

Depart Cuernavaca for Cholula. Cholula is an archeological site whose main pyramid holds the Guinness world record for the biggest pyramid built in the world. The pyramid is even bigger than the Keops Pyramid in Egypt (Though the Egyptian pyramid is taller).

After visiting Cholula, you will transfer in the Afternoon to Puebla, a city whose historical center has been declared a UNESCO World heritage site due to its architectural colonial designs.

Overnight in Puebla

Day 6. Puebla – Oaxaca

After having breakfast in Puebla, you will depart towards Mexico’s southern mountain range to the city of Oaxaca. Oaxaca’s charm relies in its indigenous traditions and its colonial buildings. Oaxaca is the region in Mexico with the largest ethnic and linguistic diversity in the country, 18 of the 62 different Mexican ethic groups live in the state.

Overnight in Oaxaca.

Day 7. Monte Alban

Visit to Montealban’s ruins. The Zapotecos left in the city of Montealban a fabulous trace if their culture. The city was constructed between the years 500 b.c. and 100 b.c. and it acquired an important status among the region. The city gradually lost its influence from the year 800 a.d. until 1325 a.d. when it was invaded by the Mixtecos.

Overnight in Oaxaca

Day 8. Oaxaca – Catemaco

Alter breakfast, you will depart towards the Mexican State of Veracruz to visit the City of Catemaco, which lies at the shores of the Catemaco lake. Catemaco is known for his healers and sorcerers (Curanderos y brujos), who are often visited by sick people from all over Mexico.

Overnight in Catemaco

Day 9. Catemaco – Villahermosa

During the Morning, you will have a chance to take a boat trip across the Catemaco lake, visit the Monkey island and get to know the tropical jungle at the Natural Reserve of Nanciyaga. In the Afternoon, you will head towards the city of Villahermosa.

Overnight in Villahermosa.

Day 10. Villahermosa - Palenque

The top attraction of the city of Villahermosa is the Park-Museum of La Venta. this Museum-park holds one of the greatest collections of olmec cultural expressions, among which the visitor can find the famous "Olmec heads". 14 of these heads have been found across Mexico, and 3 of them are exhibited at this museum

In the afternoon, you will travel towards Palenque, where you will get a chance to explore these Mayan ruins. Palenque’s origins date back to the 5th and 9th century. It is known that it was one of the main cities of the time, along with Toniná, Calakmul, Pomoná, Comalcalco, Tikal and Copán.

Overnight in Palenque

Day 11. Bonampak - Yaxchilan

In the early morning, you will travel towards the Mayan City Of Bonampak. The archeological site of Bonampak is one if its kind in the Mayan world due to its frescoes in a temple of the acropolis. Besides its aesthetic value, these paintings put an end to previous notions that the pre-classic Mayans knew nothing about war or human sacrifices.

A boat trip along the border river that divides Mexico from Guatemala, the Usumacinta, will take you towards Yaxchilan, a magnificent Maya settlement about 17 km away.

Overnight in Palenque

Day 12. Palenque – Campeche

The road from Palenque to Campeche will take you across the southern part of the Gulf of Mexico. You will have a chance to stop at the Mayan city of Edzná The most remarkable building at this site is its main temple, which was built on a platform of 40 meters high. Edzná was already inhabited in 400 BC, and was it abandoned around 1500 AD.

You will then continue towards Campeche, During the XVIth and XVIIth century, the city was assaulted by Pirates in the region, which forced the spanish crown to built a defense system formed by large walls, forts and other ancient military equipment. Campeche's historical centre and its old neighborhoods are considered a UNESCO world heritage site.

Overnight in Campeche

Day 13. Campeche – Kabah – Uxmal – Mérida

You will enter today the Mayan Puuc Zone by visiting the ancient ruins of Kabah and Uxmal. Kabah is known particularly for the palace of masks. The palace is 151 feet long and contains ten chambers arranged in two tiers of five each; the chambers of each pair are built one directly behind the other, with a single outside doorway for each pair.

Continue your visit towards the ancient Maya City of Uxmal, where you will have a chance to appreciate the pyramid of the Magician, the largest Mayan temple in the Puuc Zone and The Nunnery Quadrangle which is the finest of Uxmal's several quadrangles of long buildings with elaborately carved façades.

Overnight in Merida

Day 14. Merida – Izamal - Chichén Itzá

Depart Merida towards Izamal. Izamal is a jewel of a colonial city, with almost all the buildings painted in yellow. Cobblestoned streets and colonial lampposts complete the scenery of this fascinating town. There are Mayan pyramids, colonial-style buildings, parks and plazas for you to see.

Afterwards, you will head towards the world-Famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, a UNESCO world heritage site. A large part of the archeological site has been excavated and restored. You will appreciate some of the most important Mayan temples like The Kukulcan Pyramid, the Chac Mool Temple, the ball game field and the temple of the thousand columns.

Overnight in Chichén Itzá

Day 15. Chichén Itzá – Cancun

You will depart Chichén Itzá toward Cancún. On the road, you can visit the Mayan city of EK Balam. The largest structure in Ek Balam is known as The Acropolis, it has a 5m tall jaguar's mouth featuring winged Mayan warriors, as well as inscriptions in the Maya script. From the top of this structure, you can also appreciate the sites of Coba and Chichen Itza.

Overnight in Cancun

(You can extended your stay in Cancún, Playa del Carmen or Tulum)