Private Tour “The Traces Of Ancient Civilizations”
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free cancellation
9 days
fromUS$9,971.00
9 days
Free Cancellation
Easy
Overview
Please note: price varies by group size
Highlights
Mexico City – Puebla – Oaxaca – Monte Alban – Tehuantepec – Sumidero Canyon – San Cristobal de las Casas – San Juan Chamula – Misol-ha – Palenque – Campeche – Merida – Uxmal – Chichen-Itza – cenote Ik-Kil – Valladolid – Cancun/Riviera Maya.
Experience
Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival to Mexico City.
- Our driver meet you in the airport of Mexico City and bring you to the hotel.
- Day 2: Mexico City – Teotihuacan – Anthropology Museum.
- Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to an overview of Mexico City. We begin a day with the overview of the city center: walk in the main square, the Zocalo, from where began the construction of a modern Mexico city, visit the Presidential Palace, where the frescoes of the famous artist Diego Rivera were immortalized , look at the ruins of the ancient city of the Aztecs – Tenochtitlan. Then we leave the city, and along a picturesque mountain road we move to the archaeological site of Teotihuacan, the sacred city of the Aztecs, where according to their legend, people become Gods. We will hear the story of this mysterious place, walk through the Paths of the Dead and conquer the highest pyramid of the complex, the Pyramid of the Sun. After returning to Mexico City, we will go to visit to the National Museum of Anthropology, which is the pride of the country, where the world’s largest exposition of original items of pre-Columbian America is collected and presented in 22 pavilions.
- Day 3: Mexico City – Puebla – Reserve of Cactus – Oaxaca.
- Breakfast. Meeting with the guide at the hotel lobby, and we say goodbye to Mexico City. Our route lies in the city of Oaxaca, but on the way we will visit one of the five most beautiful and significant colonial cities of Mexico, Puebla. Already at the entrance of the city, you will surely impress with its architecture. Because UNESCO included this city in the world Heritage list for its unique architecture and historical value. Puebla was the first city built by the Spanish colonizers on the ruins of an Indian settlement. Like many colonial cities, Puebla has many churches and temples, more than 70. Of course, you will visit the most important. Moreover, you walk in the streets with colored houses, look at the shop with Talavera ( the world famous finishing tiles, originally from Puebla, but used in many countries), visit the local market and get the opportunity to enjoy delicious national dish – chicken in chocolate sauce (mole poblano). After enjoying the beauty of a fairytale town, we will continue our journey through the scenic mountainous area covered with the famous giant cactus, we will make a stop to take photos on the background of this typical Mexican landscape. In the evening, arriving to Oaxaca, we walk through the quiet colonial city, where you can see the main Cathedral of our lady of Solitude built in the XV century and a small Church, typical for cities of that era; we’ll see craft shops, where craftsmen sell handcrafted products from textiles, ceramics, wood and metal.
- Accommodation at the hotel.
- Day 4: Oaxaca - Monte Alban – Tree "El Tule" - Tasting drink "mezcal" Tehuantepec.
- After Breakfast we depart to the top of the Mount of Jaguar, where lie the ancient Indian city of Monte Alban – one of the first cities built by the Indians in Central America. The archaeologists gave him this title, as the original names assigned to the city of its indigenous people – the Zapotec tribe – have not survived. During excavations of this archaeological site were found countless treasures, some five hundred copies were transmitted in different museums of the world, but the most mysterious discovery considered is a crystal human skull, inexplicably cut from a single piece of crystal. After leaving the ruins, we will visit the small town of Santa Maria del Tule to see the legendary Tree of Life – the Tule tree whose diameter is 14 m, age over 2,000 years, the roots go into the ground for 80 m, and the shadow of the crown covers 500 m2. As the traditional drink of Oaxaca is mezcal, we must visit the factory for the production of this Mexican drink, and the guests will be able to taste the caterpillar that lives inside the stem of a plant called “maguey,” which, according to tradition, it is customary to put in the tequila. Then on the mountain roads, passing fields, thickly planted with agave, we will head to the city of Tehuantepec, settled down on the isthmus between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. On arrival take a walk through the small town and accommodation in the hotel.
- Day 5: Tehuantepec - the Coast of the Pacific Ocean – Sumidero Canyon – San Cristobal de Las Casas.
- In the morning after breakfast, we continue our way to the South-West, to the mountains of the state of Chiapas, after having made a stop on the Pacific coast, where everyone will be able to swim and to feel clean and light sea breeze. Once we cross state line, we’ll head to one of the world’s most famous canyon of Sumidero, where we catch the boat and take a trip on the river Grijalva, surrounded by majestic mountain cliffs, covered with mysteries and legends, which height reaches of thousand meters. Enjoy breathtaking scenery, and hear ancient legends, we will go to the state capital, a colonial city of exceptional beauty – San Cristobal de Las Casas, situated in a valley surrounded by mountains and pine forests. On the walk we will get acquainted with the local sights and national creativity of the Mayan Indians. After that, we accommodate in the hotel. And in the evening you will have free time to wander through the ancient streets with the smell of fresh coffee and visit the shops with wares from local jade and amber.
- Day 6: San Cristobal de Las Casas - San Juan Chamula– Misol-Ha waterfalls – Palenque.
- After breakfast, we will start this day with a meeting with the village of Indians Tzotzil, the village of San Juan Chamula, the heart of which is an unusual Church, it intertwined, seemingly incompatible traditions of Catholicism and pre-Hispanic paganism. After, watching how rapidly environment changes, how the coniferous forests are replaced by tropical jungle, we will go to the 30-meter waterfall “Misol-Ha”, where we will swim and, if the weather conditions permit, visit the grotto. Arriving in Palenque, check in to hotel and rest.
- Day 7: Palenque – Gulf of Mexico – Campeche.
- Breakfast and departure to visit the archaeological complex of Palenque, which at the end of the last century were included on the UNESCO list of protected national parks. This is one of the most interesting and the great cities of the epoch of the Mayan Empire reign, whose ruins are surrounded by jungle. Still our days in the territory are proceeding the archaeological excavations. You will observe temples, palaces and the tomb of the great king Pakal, found in the cave of the Temple of the Inscriptions only in the fourth year of studies. It’s interesting that the innumerable hieroglyphs on the Temple walls are not decoded to the end and to this day. After seeing this great city, we leave the mainland of Mexico and head to the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Campeche, on the way stopping to admire the beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico. In the evening, we will walk along Campeche and acquaintance with fortifications, built to protect the city of pirates of the Caribbean, which, by the way, served as scenery for many historical films and series.
- Accommodation at the hotel. Rest.
- Day 8: Campeche – Cocoa - Uxmal – Merida.
- After the breakfast, we leave Campeche and head towards Uxmal – Mayan settlement of the late Classic period that is different from the other cities, because it’s the unique ancient city, which had an artificial water sources. As only here we can see rare architectural Puuc style. A 35-meter high pyramid of the Magician with the rounded edges crowns Uxmal, which was not typical Mayan buildings. If our forces and time permit, we will visit a cocoa plantation where you will learn the process of making this drink, which in ancient times was considered an exclusively imperial and had a special ritual of cooking and serving. Then we move to Merida, the capital of the Yucatan Peninsula, founded by Spanish conquistadors on the ruins of a large Indian settlement. There we will drive through the main Avenue Paseo del Montejo, the edges of which for several centuries adorn the mansions, built by rich Spaniards after the conquest of these lands, visit the Central Square and we’ll see ancient cathedrals. Accommodation at the hotel. Evening free time for walk and rest.
- Day 9: Merida - Yaxcopoil - Chichen Itza – Cenote IK Kil – Cancun/Riviera Maya.
- On the last day of an eventful sightseeing tour, we leave Merida and visit long abandoned but well-preserved mysterious manor Yaxcopoil, we will see how the Spanish governors lived and listen to the history of slavery. Then we’re going to the most famous archaeological site of Chichen Itza. You will see the famous pyramid of KUKULCAN, is deservedly included in the list of new wonders of the world and which is the original Mayan calendar; the temple of the Warriors, also known as the Temple of the Thousand Columns; the sacred cenote a well-used by the shamans for rituals of sacrifices; the camp of the Indian ball game “pok-TA-pok”; the Observatory, where in ancient times local residents were watching the stars, and more. Next, we move to one of the most famous freshwater karst lakes – cenote IK Kil, where we can relax and swim in the crystal clear waters of this beautiful natural wonder, and the most daring can even jump in the water from the ledges.
- In addition, we finish the nine-day tour with accommodation at the booked hotels in Cancun or Riviera Maya.
Inclusions
- Comfortable transport with air conditioning, screen and video library.
- Entrance fees to all archaeological zone and nature reserves mentioned in the program.
- Accommodation in hotels of category 4*. (Included Breakfast buffet or American Breakfast)
- Services of English speaking professional guide.
- Lunch on the last day of the tour
- Transfer from hotel in Cancun/Riviera Maya to the airport on the day of departure.
Exclusions
- Tips for guide and driver (optional)
- Lunches (except of last day) and dinner
- Accommodation before and after the end of the route
Additional Information
- What to Bring
Camera
Cash
Extras Available
If the displayed extras are not bookable via our website, you can book and pay locally within the destination
SNGL room occupancy extra charge / per person
SNGL room occupancy extra charge / per person
Private tour in Russian, German, French, Italian or Portuguese
Private tour in Russian, German, French, Italian or Portuguese / Extra charge for a private guide in Russian, German, French, Italian or Portuguese.
Cancellation Policy
A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 3 months before the activity start time.
A 75% refund will apply if you cancel more than a month before the activity start time.
A 50% refund will apply if you cancel more than 14 days before the activity start time.
No refund is possible if you cancel less than 14 days before the activity start time.
fromUS$9,971.00