Educational tours, student tours, adult and student trips, travel to Yucatan Mexico

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1. Fly to Mexico
Board your flight to Mexico City. After clearing customs, you’ll be met by your Tour Director, who will escort you to your hotel. You’ll have the rest of the day to unpack, settle in and begin your explorations of Mexico City.

Day 2. Mexico City – Teotihuacan
Enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of Mexico’s capital city! Visit the National Palace and see Diego Rivera’s renowned murals, depicting Mexico’s history throughout the ages. Upon exiting, look for the Bell of Dolores, once rung to inspire the Mexican people to fight for their independence. Also step inside the Metropolitan Cathedral for a view of the Altar of the Kings. A short drive outside the city brings you to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which stands on the site where a peasant had a vision of the patron saint of Mexico. You’ll then travel to the pyramids of Teotihuacan, featuring the pyramids of the Moon and the Sun. Travel back to Mexico City. This evening, join an optional excursion to the Ballet Folklórico, a dazzling performance of music and dance.

Day 3. San Miguel de Allende – Guanajuato
As you make your way northwest to Guanajuato , stop in San Miguel de Allende, a quiet, quaint, cobble-lined town that attracts in the main, artists, craftspeople and foreign expatriates who have chosen to retire in Mexico. Here native son Ignacio Allende, along with Father Miguel Hidalgo, planned the original uprising that led to Mexico’s bitter and protracted War of Independence. Your visit takes place around the town center, where you’ll view a number of fine examples of great colonial architecture - including the Gothic-style Parish Church and the home (colonial mansion) of Ignacio Allende. You’ll then have some free time to browse the shops and markets at the downtown area for some regionally produced handicrafts. Arrive later in Guanajuato, regarded by many as the finest colonial city in Mexico. On a Tour Director-led walking tour, explore the maze of narrow streets and alleyways of Guanajuato, a city under a wash of constant sunlight and a spell of musical enchantment. Walk through the Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss)—at merely a yard wide, legend says that lovers used to kiss from opposing balconies! As you wind your way through the passageways in the evening, listen for the sounds of the callejoneadas, groups of local students who play traditional songs, accompanied by lively singing.

Day 4. Guanajuato
If Mexico's Colonial Cities were a crown, Guanajuato would without doubt be its prime jewel. The town has been named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This city has a genuine Spanish colonial in look, style, feel and atmosphere. Cobbled streets, churches, asymmetrical buildings, an amazing tapestry of color, vibrancy and sheer historical splendor await all who travel to this stunning colonial gem. On your guided tour of Guanajuato, follow a path through history and learn the brave tale of “El Pipila,” who fought his way through showers of gunfire to defend the city from Spanish invaders. Pass through the Jardin de la Union (Union Garden) and visit the Juarez Theater (the architecture outside and the decor inside are both well worth a look), where many activities take place in the annual Cervantino festival—a festival honoring author Miguel de Cervantes. Also visit the 17th-century baroque-style Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato. Your afternoon is free to explore Guanajuato on your own. You may try your hand at bargaining at the shops inside the Mercado de Hidalgo, or visit the Guanajuato's Mummy Museum, where glass cabinets house mummified remains of the dead. Rather macabre, but also a fascinating tour - certainly different!

Day 5. Morelia
Travel south to Morelia, capital of the state of Michoacan and one of Mexico’s most significant colonial cities. On a guided sightseeing tour, you’ll visit the Plaza de Armas (main square), also known as the Plaza of the Martyrs in honor of the rebel priests who were executed during Mexico’s War of Independence. Cross the square to the Cathedral, built in the pink stone that Morelia is famous for. Then step inside the baroque Government Palace to see its murals depicting scenes from Mexico’s often violent history. Also included is a visit to Clavijero Palace, with its main patio featuring lofty colonnades and beautiful pink stone work. Don’t miss the opportunity to buy some traditional Mexican confectionery, which is a speciality in the state of Michoacan, during your visit to the Mercado de Dulces (Candy Market). Two sweets which you should definitely try are: Chongos (made from milk, honey and cinnamon) and Ates, which are made from fruit paste.

Day 6. Patzcuaro
Set off on a full-day excursion to nearby Patzcuaro, a charming indigenous town with a mixed colonial and indigenous feel. On a guided tour, visit one of Mexico’s loveliest colonial plazas: Plaza Vasco de Quiroga, named for the first Spanish bishop of Michoacan, who introduced Christianity and various craft industries to the region’s Tarascan Indians. Also visit the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud - Patzcuaro's Patron Saint. It is here that Quiroga himself is buried, and the Virgin (Nuestra Señora de la Salud) - Our Lady of Good Health - is said to perform miracles. Finish your tour with a visit to the House of the Eleven Courtyards, host to a range of quality art and craft outlets, many of which have workshops where you can witness the art being created. You’ll then have some free time for shopping before traveling back to Morelia.

Day 7-10. Sand, Sun, and Surf Extension
Fly home on day 7 or fly to the beach resorts of Acapulco or Cancun for a three-day extension. Highlights include swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, parasailing and shopping.

Booking Terms & Conditions (pdf)