THE COMPLETE MEXICO EXPERIENCE

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.

Our first full day is dedicated to the capital, one of the largest and most energetic cities on the planet. After breakfast we’ll head out on a walking tour of the city centre, passing through the epic Zócalo square and visiting the Metropolitan Cathedral. We’ll wind our way to the Coyoacan neighbourhood and the Casa Rivera Museum, a striking Bauhaus building once home to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. We’ll continue in the neighbouring district of San Angel, where cobbled streets and colonial-style homes paint a pretty picture of middle-class Mexico. Our afternoon ends with a real highlight as we go to the floating gardens of Xochimilco, originally built by the Aztecs as a water supply system. Today the canals are lined with colourful trajineras boats, one of which we’ll hop on for a serene boat ride. We’ll round off our day in CDMX with an incredible meal at Azulisimo Restaurant, where Chef Zurita has crafted a menu imbued with Mexican tradition and tasty local ingredients.

After breakfast we’ll leave the capital behind, with our (just over an hourlong) transfer acting as a kind of time machine, which will take us back to Mesoamerica at the pyramid-complex of Teotihuacan. This ancient city was once home to around 250,000 people, making it the largest metropolis in the Americas at the time. Our local guide will give you a tour of the site, including a spectacular walk down the Avenue of the Dead. Next is one of the most beloved cities in Mexico, Puebla, famed for its rich history in ceramics. The best introduction to the City of Tiles is invariably at a local factory, where we’ll learn all about the production process by watching master craftspeople at work. By late afternoon we’ll be strolling around the city’s Unesco-listed centre – covered in great ceramic architecture, naturally – on a guided walking tour, while the rest of the evening is to be spent at your own leisure – just make sure dinner involves mole poblano, a rich sticky sauce made with chilli and chocolate, which Puebla is famous for.

After breakfast we’ll head to the nearby town of Zapotitlan Salinas, where you’ll get to visit its unique botanical gardens. This place feels more like a nature park, with a remarkable collection of cacti spread across its arid plains and unique rock formations. After a hike through the gardens we’ll stop for lunch at Itandehui restaurant, where Chef Antonio Diaz C. takes the ingredients found among cacti forests to create striking variations of classic Mexican dishes. Our afternoon will be spent on a long but scenic drive to the city of Oaxaca, where a tortilla-making masterclass awaits at a local factory – a warm tortilla fresh out of the oven, in this part of the world, is something else.

The foodie theme continues in Oaxaca, regarded by many as the culinary capital of Mexico. Don’t over-indulge at breakfast, since a late morning cooking class awaits. Learn about the traditional foundations of Mexican cuisine – the key flavours, ingredients and dishes – as you rustle up your own delicious lunch. It’s the perfect fuel for our walking tour of Oaxaca, one of the most beautiful colonial towns in all of Mexico, full of cobbled streets, bustling markets and magnificent old churches. City strolling is thirsty work, so we’ll stop off for a little mezcal tasting session – this agave spirit has started to earn tequila-levels of fame, and 90% of it is made in the state of Oaxaca. We’ve rather wisely left the rest of your day open, so you can let your mezcal-influenced mind lead the way.

Our morning starts with a visit to Monte Albán, the capital of the Zapotec empire and one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica. The ruins are remarkably well preserved, with pyramids, temples, houses and tombs across the site. After a guided tour we’ll head back on the road to Puerto Escondido. Having traversed the heartlands of the Mexican Plateau and the vast landscapes of Oaxaca, we’ll finally reach the ocean! This gorgeous Pacific resort is full of palm-tree beaches and lively coastal towns. We’ll arrive late in the afternoon, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore our hotel’s giant stretch of private beach.

You’ve explored three of Mexico’s most vibrant cities. You’ve travelled back in time at ancient Mesoamerican sites. You’ve even become an expert on regional dishes and agave spirits. Now it’s time to relax! Today is all about kicking back and enjoying the laid-back surf vibes of Puerto Escondido. Grab a board and ride some waves, chill on the beach or simply enjoy our hotel’s many facilities, including multiple outdoor pools, a private beach, a tennis court and putting green. This evening we’ll gather for a farewell dinner with the group at one of the hotel’s excellent restaurants – perfect for an evening of reflection, and maybe some tequila too.

Sadly, our all-encompassing Mexican adventure has come to an end. After a tasty breakfast at the hotel we’ll all go our separate ways. You could head to Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM), but we won’t blame you for booking yourself an extra few days by the sea.