Colonial & Copper Canyon
1.- MEXICO ARRIVAL
Private service: Welcome at apt MEX by your local english speaking guide. Direct transfer to hotel in Mexico City (earliest possible check-in hour for room accommodation at 15:00h local MEX time). Resting time of day at leisure.
Hotel: Mexico City 2 Nights
2.- HISTORICAL CENTER, XOCHIMILCO & COYOACÁN (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: Morning visit walk in Mexico City’s historical center (UNESCO World Heritage – UWH) on Zócalo main square in front of your hotel and around. Discover the National Palace and its famous inner mural paintings by artist Diego Rivera (subject to availability- inner palace parts closed on Mondays), have a view from outside on the ruins of former Aztec capital Tenochtitlán Templo Mayor, enter baroque Metropolitan Cathedral and get along colonial streets and buildings, among others. Drive then into southern and partially rural parts of the capital, there to visit the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco (UWH), have a ride on typical Trajinera boat on the ancient canals along the prehispanic Chinampa agricultural islands. Afternoon connecting drive to nearby colonial city quarter of Coyocan, colorful and with lots of ancient tradition. Besides the panoramic walk along its ancient architecture, reach also the so-called Blue House, which hosts the Museum of Frida Kahlo (closed on Mondays), with an exhibition of art and culture around her and her husband, Mexico’s famous painter Diego Rivera. Evening return to hotel and resting time of day at leisure.
3.- MEXICO CITY – GUADALUPE – TEOTIHUACÁN – SAN JUAN DEL RÍO (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: Morning departure drive from your capital hotel towards the outskirts of Mexico City. In route, have a first visit stop at catholic sanctuary of Virgin of Guadalupe, there to see the old and new basilica, Tepeyac Hill of Apparition, as well as the original piece of shepherd cloth with the plasmated image of Mary. Around noon, reach then the arch. site of Teotihuacán (UWH), which was a great prehispanic theocratic metropolis. During the visit walk there, see so called Citadel with Quetzalcóatl Temple, Road of the Dead, Pyramids of Sun and Moon, Jaguar Mural and Palace of Quetzalpapálotl, among others. Have some resting approx. 2h30m drive in the afternoon to reach your hotel around the city of San Juan del Río. Evening free at leisure.
Hotel: Tequisquiapan 1 Night
4.- SAN JUAN – BERNAL – WINE REGION – SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: The relaxed morning starts with a short drive to nearby Magic Town of Bernal, which is a fairy tale like spot of colorful houses and churches in front of the giant monolith of the same name. Around noon, get deeper into the local countryside, which is well known in Mexico as one of the wine regions of the country. Visit one of the wineries there, have a walk over the wine yards, learn about their grapes and have a tasting from their wines. Afternoon continuing drive to reach San Miguel de Allende, a precious colonial town (UWH) of mining activity origin, where after hotel accommodation you will have a first and panoramic evening orientation walk. Resting evening at leisure.
Hotel: San Miguel de Allende 1 Night
5.- SN MIGUEL – ATOTONILCO & DOLORES HIDALGO – GUANAJUATO (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: The morning is dedicated to explore San Miguel de Allende by walk. Besides being an architecture patrimony and counting with one of the churches in seldom Mexican neogothic style, San Miguel Allende has played an important role in Mexico’s Independence history – here was born Ignacio Allende, one of the heroes in the struggle against the Spanish colonial crown. During the visit walk, you will also see the museum in the house Allende lived (Mondays closed). In later morning, depart for the city of Guanajuato – still and shortly outside San Miguel de Allende, have a visit stop at Sanctuary church of Atotonilco, which after having passed through its rather sober outer architecture, bursts by Mexican baroque inner altars and décor paintings (UWH). Today’s colonial route also includes the viewing of Dolores Hidalgo town, in which father Hidalgo was the initiator of the struggle of the colonial people against the spanish crown in 1810. Evening arrival then in Guanajuato town and hotel. Resting time of day at leisure.
Hotel: Guanajuato 1 Night
6.- GUANAJUATO – ZACATECAS (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: Guanajuato town, as well as San Miguel de Allende, has a mining past. It is nestled in a narrow valley and contrary to many Mexican cities, planned and traced on a rectangular street pattern, here the cobblestone lanes bend along with the changing topography. The morning visit walk through the center let you discover the mixture of colonial and neoclassical architecture, from the ancient Alhondiga to elegant Juárez Theater, from the underground street in the dry river bed to the charming Hidalgo Market hall. In the afternoon, cover the approx. 4 hours drive to reach your hotel in jewel colonial city of Zacatecas. Evening at leisure.
Hotel: Zacatecas 2 Nights
7.- ZACATECAS (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: Today is dedicated to Zacatecas and its historical center (UWH). Zacatecas, over many years, was, next to Taxco, the main silver mining place in Mexico – declined during the times of Mexican Revolution, and therefore with modernism passing by this place, Zacatecas could preserve a unique ensemble of colonial and neoclassical architecture. The baroque cathedral dominates the historical center, which similar to Guanajuato is nestled in a shallow valley which creates an irregular pattern in streets. The notably main building material is the pink colored limestone of the region. Besides the panoramic visit walk in the center, take also the cable car up to La Bufa hill, from which the view is great over the urban development of Zacatecas. The city, besides hosting such unique architecture, also is an important point of concentration in art, which is placed is numerous museums of different kinds. During your city visit today, you will enter Museum Rafael Coronel (closed on Wednesday), which hosts the incredible collection of thousands of different masks from all over the world and different areas in Mexico. During your free time in the evening, we recommend to take some walking steps from your hotel, for example to visit a local restaurant for dinner on base of one of the tasty regional dishes!
8.- ZACATECAS – LA QUEMADA – JERÉZ – GUADALAJARA (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: Morning departure drive from Zacatecas, to visit the arch. site of La Quemada some 45min drive south of the city. This prehispanic, former ceremonial center was built on a hill which allowed the strategic control over the great valley around. The origin of the culture of this place is not well defined, yet, but is supposed to contribute to the later high Mesoamerican cultures which settled in more central Mexican areas. Many of the constructions in La Quemada have character of fortress and were built by countless layers of rather thin stone leafs. An outstanding building is the main pyramid with its particular shape, as well as the great hall of columns, which in ancient time was roofed with wooden materials. Around noon, reach the Magic Town of Jeréz nearby, which shows a character of northern rural town, preserves a great culture in so called Talabatería, which is the art in Mexican broadery on cloth and leather. Besides the ensemble of colonial architecture in its Christian temples, government palace and the museum cemetery of Dolores, the gastronomy is rich – maybe you would like to taste from a Asado de Boda or from the rich ice-creams served in traditional El Paraiso café! (meals & beverages for lunch not incl. in package price) Over the resting afternoon, cover some approx. 4h drive to hotel in Guadalajara.
Hotel: Guadalajara 2 Nights
9.- TEQUILA & HUACHIMONTONES (B)
Breakfast in hotel. Private service: Enjoy a full day excursion into the outskirts of Guadalajara, first to visit the famous Tequila blue agave fields (UWH) and one of the most beautiful distilleries of its liquor in the Magic Town with the same name, where you learn about the processing of the plant to gain this famous Mexican beverage. Make then a driving turns around Tequila volcano peak to reach lagoon of Teuchitlán where we recommend to spend the lunch hour (food & beverage for lunch not incl in package price) in one of the waterfront restaurants. Afterwards visit the nearby arch. site of Huachimontones, in which the prehispanic culture had built the temples and organized their position on circular patterns, which is very extraordinary for the ancient Mesoamerica. Late afternoon return to hotel.
10.- GUADALAJARA & TLAQUEPAQUE – GDL/LMM – EL FUERTE (B)
Breakfast in hotel.
Private service: Visit the historical center of Guadalajara in the morning by walk. The city counts with ample spaces surrounded by neoclassical and neocolonial architecture, which is reflected in its cathedral, the theatre and overall also in Hospicio Cabañas (UWH), which is large complex of former hospital building in the city. Visit also the old town center of Tlaquepaque, which is considered to be the cradle of famous Mexican Mariachi music and where you will find most exquisite examples of talavera en other traditional Mexican handcrafts. Afternoon transfer to airport GDL.
Flight ticket GDL-LMM not included in package price / we propose: Volaris flight 672 GDL LMM 17:42 18:30
please, review supplement section for more indications.
Seat-in-Basis/shared service: Pick up at apt. LMM for transfer over approx. 2h to reach your hotel in El Fuerte.
Hotel: El Fuerte 1 Night
11.- ONLY TUE, FRI & SUN: EL FTE – POSADA BARRANCAS (B, L, D)
Breakfast in hotel.
Seat-in-Basis/shared service: After the early breakfast, have transfer from hotel to train station El Fuerte.
Chepe train / regular service: Take your reserved seat on Chepe train with departure hour 08:16am and cover the most beautiful traject of Copper Canyon ride through valleys and gorges, on bridges over rivers and along lakes and towns, slowly climb up in altitude on the railway, to finally arrive in Posada Barrancas station around 1pm.
Seat-in-Basis/shared service: PIck up at train station by your local transfer staff to be brought up to hotel nearby.
Lunch in hotel.
Seat-in-Basis/shared service: Afternoon short walk on the canyon edge near your hotel, to gather for outlook points over the majestic landscape.
Dinner in hotel.
Hotel: Posada Barrancas, Copper Canyon 1 Night
12.- POSADA BARRANCAS – CREEL (B)
Breakfast in hotel.
Private service: Morning pick up at hotel by your local english speaking guide. Drive on federal road to visit the waterfall at Cusararé, have a look on stone formations in the pleasant landscape of Valley of Mushrooms, enjoy the panorama stop at Arareko Lake and visit the small mission town of San Ignacio. Have the resting afternoon for Magic Town of Creel, which has its origin in wood production from the regional pine forests. The visit of town allows also to learn about the local Rarámuri indigenous culture.
Hotel: Creel 1 Night
13.- CREEL – BASASEACHI – MENONNITES – CHIHUAHUA (B)
Breakfast in hotel.
Private service: Morning departure drive from Norítari to reach the mighty waterfall of Basaseachi and its main outlook point on high rims on the opposite side of the deep gorge into which the water falls. Depending on season, the fall can be more or less visible. In all case, the view from the here proposed outlook point allows an incredible view. Over the resting day, drive towards Chihuahua, for in route to stop in the area of Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, where the Mennonite culture has settled. These people descent from a Frisian religious group which got spread into the world in the last centuries. They preserve a great agricultural tradition, which you can see during the visit to their museum and some ranch (closed generally on Sundays). Evening arrival in city of Chihuahua and your hotel.
Hotel: Chihuahua 1 Night
14.- CHIHUAHUA – APT. CUU (B)
Breakfast in hotel.
Private service: Discover the city of Chihuahua in the morning, in a mix of drive and walk. Chihuahua has played an important role as seat of the so-called Northern Division of Mexico’s Revolution Hero Pancho Villa. See Chihuahua’s Cathedral, the great squares, Government Palace and Angel Column and enter the Revolution Museum (closed on Mondays). Afterwards drive out to airport Chihuahua-CUU to be delivered in departure terminal building.
Not any ongoing flight ticket included in package price. Flights could be, for example, to extend in some beach destination or to continue travelling, for example in Baja California peninsula.
This program is intended also to be enriched with furtherly available and more tailormade details, like visits of indigeous families to learn about their ancient traditions, overnights in fantasticly decorated eco-wooden cabins in the mountains and more – feel free to ask the team of Mexcellence Travel!
IMPORTANT: CHEPE train through Copper Canyon has been included with the available operations itinerary at momento of this program’s creation. CHEPE train can change its operation itinerary at any moment. Therefore, for any future program creation including CHEPE, it has to be adapted to the possibly valid operations itinerary for previewed trip dates.
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