Deal

Your tour starts today in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico and the bustling heart and soul of the country. CDMX, as the city is also known, gives ‘metropolis’ a whole new meaning with a new landmark, museum or gallery at every turn, not to mention the countless colourful markets, cosmopolitan eateries and leafy parks.

You will head out to explore the city like a local this morning, on foot and by public transport. The Zocalo is the vibrant heart of the city; the main square that has been a cornerstone in public gatherings since ancient times.

Your destination today is Teotihuacan, a mysterious complex of pyramid ruins, abandoned 13 centuries ago. En route, make a stop at the Basilica de Guadalupe, an important pilgrimage site for Mexicans which has a miraculous story to tell (our tour leader will fill us in).

Leaving the capital behind, today you’ll drive south through cactus country to Oaxaca, one of the most charming colonial cities in Mexico.

As with many of Mexico’s colonial cities, Oaxaca was built in the 16th century using stones from ancient civilisations in the surrounding areas. Today, you’ll visit Monte Alban which was built by the Zapotec people who flourished here over 1,500 years ago.

With a long journey ahead, you will begin to head towards San Cristobal. The drive will lead us up through the winding roads of the Sierra Madre Mountain range, making several stops along the way. With the first port of call is a 2,000-year-old swamp cypress tree in Santa Maria del Tule, close to Oaxaca.

Leaving early this morning, you’ll have a five-hour drive to Cahuare, the starting point for your visit to the spectacular Sumidero Canyon. The canyon is a unique rift measuring 41 kilometres long and up to 1000 metres deep, cut by the Rio Grijalva.

San Cristobal has a unique atmosphere, located high in the scenic Chiapas Mountain range. The indigenous groups from the surrounding hills fill the town and marketplace with their colourful dress including the distinctive Tzotzil community who still retain much of their Mayan customs and language.

Leaving the highlands behind us, today you have a long driving day ahead of us (approximately eight hours, plus stops). The road is slow and winding, but there are scenic views as we descend to the jungles of Palenque.

Today’s guided visit to the ruins of Palenque is one of the highlights of your tour of Mexico. Palenque is both a fascinating and important site and you’ll explore it in depth with a guide. Once the choking forest was cleared, the ruins revealed the tomb of the high priest Pakal, his body adorned with a marvellous jade death mask – one of the most prized relics of the Maya culture, discovered only in 1952. The entire site, shrouded by the steamy rainforest, has an aura of deep mystery.

You’ll leave Palenque early in the morning and travel for around 3 hours to the El Ceibo Border. After crossing into Guatemala, you’ll continue for another 3 hours to the picturesque town of Flores.

Spend the day exploring the charming old town of Flores, with its pastel-painted houses and cobbled streets. Cross the bridge to the quaint island of Isla de Flores and wander through its backstreets.

Today you’ll visit Tikal, the great Maya metropolis set amid the rainforest, which can justly be compared with the celebrated ancient cities of Egypt and Greece. Initially settled in about 600 BC, Tikal was abandoned by its rulers around 890 AD and totally deserted a hundred years later.

Today you’ll say goodbye to Guatemala and drive over the border to San Ignacio in Belize. En route, you’ll visit the little-known site of Xunantunich, with its fantastic array of pyramids and temples.

Today, you’ll drive to Belize City and catch our first glimpse of the Caribbean. In the city, you’ll board the water taxi for the one-hour journey to the tropical island of Caye Caulker.

The island of Caye Caulker remains uncrowded and authentic – the local fishermen catch lobster, conch, fish and crab to supply domestic and foreign markets. It’s a popular place with backpackers, so there’s a good number of reasonably priced restaurants.

This morning, you’ll leave Caye Caulker by boat, sailing back to the mainland and driving north to the Belizean border before crossing into Mexico at the border crossing ‘Subteniente López’.

You’ll head northeast from Bacalar this morning, towards the ruins of Tulum – situated on a clifftop perch overlooking the turquoise water and golden sands below. The ruins date back to the late period of Mayan civilisation.

This morning, you’ll visit the ruins of Chichen Itza. Founded in AD432, re-founded in 987 and conquered by the Toltecs in the 10th century, the culture of the Maya and the Toltec gradually fused.

You’ll have your final site visit this morning; to those in the know, Uxmal is one of the Yucatan’s most underrated ancient cities.