Enchanting Mexico City and Colonial Wonders

Welcome to Mexico City – we’ll arrange your transfer to the hotel, after which you have free time. Our guide will contact you in the late afternoon.
Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

We set out this morning to explore Mexico City. We head to Xochimilco to glide along its canals on a colourful trajinera – a traditional, flower-decked boat – before continuing with a panoramic tour of the city. We take in the Plaza of the Three Cultures, the historic centre with the Zócalo, Metropolitan Cathedral and the Aztec Templo Mayor, as well as Chapultepec Park, Paseo de la Reforma and the city’s main avenues.You have free time for lunch around the Zócalo. Afterward, we visit the Basilica of Guadalupe – the most visited Catholic shrine in the Americas and home to the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe – seeing both the 18th‑century basilica and the modern temple. In the evening, we head to Plaza Garibaldi, known for its cantinas, restaurants and bars where tacos and tequila are served and Mariachi bands perform. Dinner is included at a typical Mexican restaurant.

We leave Mexico City for the mountain and forest region where monarch butterflies spend the winter, then visit La Mina de las Dos Estrellas – a former mine turned museum that presents the area’s mining heritage. We continue to Tlalpujahua, a Pueblo Mágico in Michoacán known for its Baroque sanctuary and handcrafted Christmas ornaments. You have free time to wander its cobbled streets and enjoy lunch – you’ll find Santa Claus figures in many of the shops. Later, we travel on to Pátzcuaro for a panoramic tour of this historic city, noted for its pre-Hispanic roots, colonial architecture and lively craft markets.

We depart Pátzcuaro for Morelia – the capital of Michoacán and a UNESCO World Heritage city renowned for its elegant pink stone architecture and handsome historic centre. You can explore at your own pace – key sights include the Cathedral, Plaza de Armas and the University of Morelia, founded in 1540 – and choose a spot for lunch. Continuing our journey, we stop in Tlaquepaque, a Pueblo Mágico alive with mariachi music, live performances, artisan shops and tempting local food. We then travel on to Guadalajara, capital of Jalisco and celebrated as the birthplace of mariachi and tequila, arriving in the late afternoon.

In the morning, we explore Guadalajara – a modern metropolis with a colonial historic centre. We take in the Cathedral, the market and Plaza Tapatía, and we visit Hospicio Cabañas – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the city visit, we continue to the town of Tequila to tour the Mundo Cuervo distillery and see how tequila is made – entrance and tasting included. You then have free time to stroll and have lunch in Tequila before we return to Guadalajara.

After breakfast in Guadalajara, we transfer to the bus station for our journey back to Mexico City by regular bus in the luxury category. The ride takes just over six and a half hours – we arrive at around 4 pm. On arrival, we transfer to the hotel for accommodation.

Breakfast at the hotel, then our services conclude – airport transfers are not included, so you will need to make your own way to the airport.