Highlights
- Visit Mexico City's most historic and colorful neighborhoods
- Take a bike ride around the pyramid ruins at Teotihuacán
- Hike up to Spanish-colonial churches in Cholula
- Go on a walking tour of historic Oaxaca and enjoy its cuisine
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Mexico City | Mexico City |
| Day 2 | Day Trip to Xochimilco, Coyoacán & San Angel | Mexico City |
| Day 3 | Bike Tour of Teotihuacán | Mexico City |
| Day 4 | Mexico City to Cholula, Optional Activities | Cholula |
| Day 5 | Free Day in Cholula, Transfer to Oaxaca | Oaxaca |
| Day 6 | Walking Tour of Oaxaca City | Oaxaca |
| Day 7 | Day Trip to Mitla & Mezcal Tasting | Oaxaca |
| Day 8 | Depart Oaxaca |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Mexico City
Day 2: Day Trip to Xochimilco, Coyoacán & San Angel
Today you'll embark on a full-day tour of Mexico City's most colorful neighborhoods. First, travel to the south of the city and Xochimilco. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been settled since pre-colonial times and is known for its tranquil canals—remnants of the rivers that crossed the valley floor of Mexico and were used by the Aztecs for transport. The visit includes riding down these canals on a trajinera (a brightly painted, gondola-like boat). As you float down these waterways, you'll nibble on antojitos (Mexican snacks) while boats filled with mariachis float past and serenade you.
After Xochimilco, head north to the historic (and colorful) neighborhood of Coyoacán. Visit its most famous landmarks on a guided tour of this bohemian enclave with its leafy plazas and brightly painted homes. Walk along the Callejón del Aguacate, a narrow street lined with colonial houses famous for their myths and legends. Also, here is La Casa Azul, the house-turned-museum where Frida Kahlo spent much of her life.
Finally, you'll visit San Angel, a historic enclave with cobbled streets and stately colonial mansions. Today it's a hub for art and artists, as there are plenty of galleries and weekend art markets here. On the walking tour, you'll visit craft stores, see art exhibitions, and visit a 17th-century former monastery. One of the many highlights is a building consisting of the side-by-side homes and art studios of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, who lived there in 1934 and is now a museum. After San Angel, you'll return to your hotel closer to the city center and have the remainder of the day free.
Day 3: Bike Tour of Teotihuacán
In the morning, your guide will pick you up at your hotel for the drive outside the city to one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Mexico: Teotihuacán. Known as the "City of the Gods," this 8-sq-mile (20-sq-km) site was founded as early as 400 BCE, meaning it long pre-dates the Aztecs. During its heyday (around 500 CE), it was home to 200,000 people and over 2,000 buildings, making it the largest city in the western hemisphere. Rather than taking a walking tour of its wide pathways, you'll experience Teotihuacán a bit differently—on a bicycle.
Upon arrival, you'll hop on a bike and cycle around the archaeological site, first passing the many murals that decorate the structures and depict cultural and religious motifs and natural landscapes. Then travel down the Avenue of the Dead, Teotihuacán's main path that runs for a mile (2 km). You'll also visit the Pyramid of the Sun, the most prominent structure at 215 feet (66 m), and the Pyramid of the Moon, which towers 140 feet (43 m). Then stop at the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (Temple of the Feathered Serpent), which has bas-reliefs of the feathered serpent deity carved into its sides.
Day 4: Mexico City to Cholula, Optional Activities
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
In the morning, you'll take a bus ride 2.5 hours south from Mexico City to Cholula, a district located a couple of miles outside Puebla. This area was first settled around 200 BCE, making Cholula one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities. Upon arrival, you'll check in to your hotel and then head out and explore on your own.
Take a stroll down Cholula's colorful streets, where you'll find history, culture, myths, and legends on every corner. You should head up to the Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios, Cholula's gilded neoclassical church that dates to 1574. It was famously built atop a 177-foot-high (54 m) pyramid that is part of a large pre-Hispanic archeological site. You'll have an impressive view of the city from the church and, on a clear day, can even see the towering volcanoes of the Valley of Mexico.
Day 5: Transfer to Oaxaca, Optional Activities
In the morning, hop on a bus for the four-hour ride south from Cholula/Puebla to Oaxaca City. This is the capital and largest city in the Mexican state of the same name. Despite being founded by the Spanish in 1532, it has many pre-Columbian archeological sites. It is home to the Zapotec and Mixtec indigenous peoples, which define the region's culture. Upon arrival, you'll transfer to your hotel and check in.
After getting settled, feel free to head out and stretch your legs. This city is home to fascinating museums like the Textile Museum of Oaxaca, which celebrates tradition and craftsmanship while giving urban and rural artisans a venue to display their artistic creations. You could also stop by the Ethnobotanical Garden (entrance only with a local guide), home to diverse flora, including many cacti. If you have a sweet tooth, sample traditional Oaxacan spiced hot chocolate. Then grab a cup of esquite banquetero (Mexican street corn) on your walk back to the hotel.
Day 6: Walking Tour of Oaxaca
In the morning, you'll head out for a 3.5-hour guided tour to discover this incredible city's cultural and historical legacy. You'll visit the 18th-century stone Aqueduct, the historic (and colorful) Garcia Vigil street, and the Seminary of the Holy Cross. The latter is where Benito Juárez studied as a teenager. Juárez was a member of the Zapotec Nation and Mexico's first indigenous president. He's considered the father of modern Mexico, as he guided the country through revolutions and invasions. Further on, you'll find El Templo del Carmen Bajo, a charming 16th-century church.
At the corner of the botanical garden sits Santo Domingo de Guzmán, an impressive Baroque church dating to the 16th century. Inside, the monastery's area has been converted into a museum and cultural center. Here you'll find pre-Columbian artifacts, including the contents of a tomb from the nearby archeological site of Monte Albán. You'll also stroll the cobbled, pedestrian walkway of Alcalá Street and visit the 16th-century Metropolitan Cathedral, which overlooks the Zócalo, the busy main square filled with vendors and surrounded by cafés and restaurants.
Day 7: Day Trip to Mitla & Mezcal Tasting
In the morning, you'll embark on a full-day tour outside Oaxaca City. It's a one-hour drive east to the archeological site of Mitla, once a prominent pre-Hispanic city. However, you'll stop along the way at Santa María del Tule to see this little town's major attraction: the Árbol del Tule (Tree of Tule). This ancient Montezuma cypress tree is between 1,200 and 3,000 years old and boasts the largest trunk of any tree in the world (about 137 ft/42 m in circumference). Afterward, you'll stop at a mezcalería to learn what goes into making this traditional, agave-based Oaxacan spirit.
Then continue to Mitla. During pre-Hispanic times, this Zapotec city was the most important religious center and burial site in the Oaxaca Valley (the name Mitla means "Place of the Dead"). It was inhabited as far back as 900 BCE, and the earliest remaining structures here date to around 450. When the Spanish arrived in 1521, they set their sights on dismantling Mitla and built Catholic churches over Zapotec temples. You'll tour the site's five main structures, including Zapotec/Mixtec ruins and ancient churches like the Iglesia de San Pablo, a Catholic church founded in 1590.
Your day will end with a visit to the small colonial village of Teotitlán del Valle. Here you'll head to the workshop of a local artisanal weaver specializing in wool rugs. Upon arrival, your host will share the techniques used in making these traditional items, including the process of dyeing wool with natural inks.
Day 8: Depart Oaxaca
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