Mexico UNESCO Heritage Challenge

Mexico UNESCO Heritage Challenge

ABOUT THE TOUR

Join our 8-day tour around Central Mexico to visit 12 objects inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and fully immerse in Mexican culture, traditions & cuisine. Explore the natural & cultural gems during the day while hanging out & having fun in the evening!

HIGHLIGHTS

Get to know diverse Mexico City - the largest and one of the oldest cities in Latin America.

Visit impressive colonial cities of Queretero, Puebla, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.

Get charmed by beautiful Janitzio - the main island of Lake Pátzcuaro known for the butterfly fishermen that can also be located on the 50 peso Mexican banknote.

Walk through a 45-km long Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System constructed in the 16th century.

Visit breathtaking pyramids of Teotihuacan & Xochicalco.

Itinerary

Day 1: Mexico City

Stop At: Zocalo, Calle Plaza de La Constitucion S/N Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Mexico City 06000 Mexico
Bienvenidos a la Ciudad de Mexico - the largest city in Latin America where ancient and modern coexist in harmony. Arrive at any time before meeting your group and Tour Leader in the evening: welcome meeting, an optional welcome & get-together with the rest of the group in one of local restaurants/bars.

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Mexico City

Activities Included: welcome meeting
Duration: 1 day

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Mexico City.

Day 2: Mexico City

Stop At: Historic Center (Centro Historico), Avenida Juarez 66, Mexico City 06000 Mexico
Join your group to explore UNESCO-listed architectural gems of Mexico City: Historic Centre of Mexico City (walking tour), Luis Barragán House and Studio (guided visit), Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (guided tour), Xochimilco (boat tour). Optional dinner & get-together with the group in the evening.

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Mexico City

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Activities Included: walking tour in the Historic Centre of Mexico City & Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; guided visit to Luis Barragán House and Studio; boat tour in Xochimilco.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Casa Estudio Luis Barragán, Gral. Francisco Ramírez 12-14, Ampliación Daniel Garza, Amp Daniel Garza, Miguel Hidalgo, 11840 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Guided visit.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: National Autonomous University of Mexico, University City, Coyoacán, 04510 Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico
Walking tour.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, Southern neighborhood of Xochimilco, Mexico City Mexico
Boat tour.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Mexico City.

Day 3: Mexico City - Xochicalco - Cuernavaca - Tepoztlan

Stop At: Archaeological Zone of Xochicalco, Carretera Federal Xochicalco Tetlama, sin numero Xochicalco, Municipio de Miacatlan, Morelos, Cuernavaca 62605 Mexico
In the morning, go to Xochicalco - ruins of the ancient Mesoamerican city whose apogee came after the fall of Teotihuacan and that, allegedly, may have played a part in the fall of the Teotihuacan empire. After exploring the archeological zone, we will continue to Cuernavaca. Known as "the city of eternal spring", this capital of the state is flanked by imposing hills and is festive all year round. After a walking tour around the historic center, optional lunch, a visit to UNESCO-listed Cuernavaca Cathedral & nearby 40-meter high San Anton Waterfall we will go to Tepotztlán. Located at the foot of Tepozteco Mountain, this "Magic Town" is the result of the combination of the unique ancient traditions and wisdom that enrich its many cultural expressions, such as esotericism, pre-Hispanic and vice-regal treasures, the counterculture, ecotourism or the simplicity of its everyday life. Check-in, walking tour around the historic center, optional dinner & get-together with the group in one of local restaurants/bars.

Transportation: private vehicle/mini-couch

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel/B&B/guest house in Tepotztlán

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Activities Included: guided visit to Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco; walking tours in Cuernavaca & Tepotztlán

Objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List (3x): Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco; Cuernavaca Cathedral; Convento de la Natividad o de la Anunciación in Tepoztlán.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Salto de San anton, Av Del Salto, Cuernavaca Mexico
Guided visit.
Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Plaza de la Constitucion, Poder Legislativo Rio Balsas, Cuernavaca 62400 Mexico
Walking tour.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Tepoztlan Zocalo, 5 de Mayo 3-1, San Miguel, 62520 Tepoztlán, Mor., Mexico
Walking tour.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Tepotztlán.

Day 4: Tepoztlan - Tlayacapan - Oaxtepec - Puebla

Stop At: Pyramids of Tepoztlan, Lomas de Atzingo,Cuernavaca,Morelos, 62156 Mexico
After a visit to Tepozteco Mountain with an impressive Prehispanic temple, we will go to a "Magic Town" of Tlayacapan. Being there is like stopping time and enjoying a break in your life, while observing the majesty of perfectly carved murals in the UNESCO-listed Former Convent of San Juan Bautista, with walls that seem to form a celestial vault to guard the recently discovered mummies. After a walking tour around the historic center of the town, we will move to a nearby town of Oaxtepec to visit local UNESCO protected Ex-Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. We will finish our day in Puebla - a vibrant capital of the same-named state that retains a fantastically well-preserved center, a stunning cathedral and a wealth of beautiful churches. After check-in and some rest at our accommodation, we will go out for an evening walking tour around the historic center and optional dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Transportation: private vehicle/mini-couch

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel/B&B/guest house in Puebla

Activities Included: guided visit to El Tepozteco archaeological site (entrance & explanation); walking tours in Tlayacapan, Oaxtepec & Puebla.

Objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List (3x): Ex-Convent of San Juan Bautista in Tlayacapan; Ex-Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in Oaxtepec; Historic Centre of Puebla
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Museo ex-convento San Juan Bautista, Tlayacapan, Tlayacapan 62540 Mexico
Guided visit to the monastery, walking tour around the historic center & optional lunch.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Emperador 1, Centro, 62738 Oaxtepec, Mor., Mexico
Guided visit & orientation walk around the historic center of the town.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Zocalo, Puebla Mexico
Evening walking tour around the historic center and optional dinner in one of the local restaurants.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Puebla.

Day 5: Puebla - Cholula - Teotihuacan - Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque - Queretaro

Stop At: Great Pyramid of Cholula, Av. Morelos esq. 8 Norte, San Pedro Cholula 72760 Mexico
In the morning we will visit Cholula - the oldest city in America inhabited without interruption since its origins. There we will see The Great Pyramid of Cholula, the world's largest pyramid topped by the Virgen de Los Remedios church. After a walking tour around the historic center of the town, we will go to Teotihuacan - a complex of awesome pyramids, set amid what was once Mesoamerica’s greatest city. After a guided visit to the archeological zone, we will go to visit an impressive Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System built by the Jesuits in the 18th century and surrounded by beautiful landscapes. In the evening we will arrive in Querétaro - one of the most representative examples of Spanish Colonial cities with buildings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. After check-in and some rest at our accommodation, we will go out for an evening walking tour around the historic center and optional dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Transportation: private vehicle/mini-couch

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel/B&B/guest house in Querétaro

Activities Included: guided visit to Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacán & Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System; walking tours in Cholula & Querétaro

Objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List (3x): Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacán; Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System; Historic Monuments Zone of Querétaro
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Zona Arqueologica Teotihuacan, El Santuario, San Juan Teotihuacan 55800 Mexico
Guided visit.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque, Pluma Hidalgo Mexico
Guided visit.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Historic Center of Santiago de Queretaro, Queretaro City 76000 Mexico
Evening walking tour around the historic center and optional dinner in one of the local restaurants.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Queretaro.

Day 6: Queretaro - San Miguel de Allende - Guanajuato

Stop At: Zocalo, San Miguel de Allende Mexico
In the morning go to San Miguel de Allende - a small city with a huge cultural heritage and a cosmopolitan population that preserves its true colonial feeling. After a walking tour around the historic center and optional lunch, we will go to Guanajuato, passing by UNESCO-listed Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco - a church complex built in the 18th century that features mural work of Antonio Martínez de Pocasangre that is often dubbed the "Sistine Chapel of Mexico." Evening arrival to Guanajuato - an opulent colonial city, located among gold and silver deposits, with its greatest peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. After check-in and some rest at our accommodation, we will go out for an evening walking tour around the historic center and optional dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Transportation: private vehicle/mini-couch

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel/B&B/guest house in Guanajuato

Activities Included: walking tours in San Miguel de Allende & Guanajuato; guided visit to the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco; cable car to Monumento Al Pipila in Guanajuato

Objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List (2x): Protective town of San Miguel de Allende and the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco; Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Sanctuary of Atotonilco, Calle Principal, Atotonilco 37700 Mexico
Guided visit.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Guanajuato Centro, Unnamed Road, Zona Centro, 36000 Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico
Evening walking tour around the historic center and optional dinner in one of the local restaurants.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: El Pipila Monumento, El Pipila, 36570 Irapuato, Gto., Mexico
Visit of the view point by cable car.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Guanajuato.

Day 7: Guanajuato - Isla de Janitzio- Patzcuaro - Morelia

Stop At: Isla Janitzio, Patzcuaro Mexico
In the morning go Isla de Janitzio - the main island of Lake Pátzcuaro whose town is known for the butterfly fishermen that can also be located on the back of the 50 peso Mexican banknote. Later we will be back to Pátzcuaro - a picturesque colonial town founded in the 1320s as the capital of the Tarascan state and later its ceremonial center. After a walking tour around the historic center of a town and an optional lunch, we will go to the last destination of our trip - Morelia. Known as the "City of the Pink Stone", it is home to numerous Baroque and Neoclassical monuments. After check-in and some rest at our accommodation, we will go out for an evening walking tour around the historic center of the city and optional farewell dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Transportation: private vehicle/mini-couch

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel/B&B/guest house in Morelia

Activities Included: walking tours in Morelia & Pátzcuaro; boat tour to Isla de Janitzio

Objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1x): Historic Centre of Morelia
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Patzcuaro, Centro, 61600 Pátzcuaro, Mich., Mexico
Walking tour around the historic center.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Centro Historico de Morelia, Morelia Mexico
Evening walking tour around the historic center of the city and optional farewell dinner in one of the local restaurants.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B in Morelia.

Day 8: Morelia - Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve - Mexico City

Stop At: Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Cerro Prieto Mexico
Morning departure to Mexico City. In winter, on our way to we will also visit Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve - a breathtaking over-wintering site of the eastern population of the monarch butterfly. If you decide to extend your vacations, we can always book you extra nights, or even take you on our next adventure.

Transportation: private vehicle/mini-couch

Meals & Drinks Included: breakfast

Objects on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1x): Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (in winter only)
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.