Mexico with Cancun Add-on

Day 1: UK/Mexico City
Depart on your scheduled flight to Mexico City. On arrival you will transfer to your hotel for a three-night stay.

Day 2: Mexico City
Mexico City is the oldest and one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas. It was established over 1,000 years ago in a mountain setting 7,000ft above sea level. You will embark on an included city sightseeing tour, visiting the vast Zocalo, the city’s main square and the spectacular National Palace. From there you will enjoy a drive down the Paseo de la Reforma to Chapultepec Park, site of the ill-fated Emperor Maximilian’s castle. In the afternoon you will visit the world-famous National Anthropological Museum.

Day 3: Mexico City
Depart for your drive north to Teotihuacan to see the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, the Street of the Dead and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl – all magnificent examples of pre-Aztec architecture. You will enjoy an included guided walk around the site as well as free time to explore the area at your leisure and make your own discoveries. You will also explore the Temple of Butterflies before returning to your hotel.

Day 4: Oaxaca
After breakfast you will depart for the colonial city of Oaxaca for a two-night stay. En route you will stop for a tour of the colonial city of Puebla.

Day 5: Oaxaca
Oaxaca is a diverse city that was founded in 1521. It is home to ancient ruins, noble churches, colonial architecture and a vibrant mix of cultures. This morning you will visit the amazing archaeological ruins at Monte Alban, the ancient capital of the Zapotec people. This incredible site stands on a flattened hilltop, 400 metres above the surrounding valley and offers a fascinating insight into the culture of the Mesoamerican people. This afternoon there is a walking tour of Oaxaca’s main sights, including the Baroque Santo Domingo Church. Then you will visit the famous Benito Juarez Market, packed with delights such as clothes, flowers, fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese and other enticing treats. Then you will travel on to the historic centre of the city, with its selection of colonial buildings, cathedral and central squares. You will return to your Oaxaca hotel at the end of the day.

Day 6: Tehuantepec
You leave Oaxaca this morning to experience a fascinating journey to Tehuantepec where you are to stay overnight. You will visit the Tule Tree, one of the world’s most extraordinary natural sites. This unique and gigantic tree is 130ft high, over 170ft in diameter, weighs 509 tons and is approximately 2,000 years old. Your next stop is the archaeological site at Mitla, a former Zapotec ceremonial centre whose name translates as ‘Place of the Dead’. Here, the buildings are decorated with incredible stone mosaics. You will also see the ruins of four magnificent palaces from the Mixtec and Zapotec civilisations.

Day 7: San Cristobal
You will leave Tehuantepec after breakfast for the journey to San Cristobal, where you will stay for the next two nights, enjoying a spectacular boat journey through the Sumidero Canyon en route. With cliffs towering up to 2,500ft above you, this canyon was created by the Rio Grijalva and boasts dramatic scenery and magnificent wildlife.

Day 8: San Cristobal
The former capital of the state of Chiapas, San Cristobal is a delightful market town. As you wander around the colonial streets and whitewashed alleyways you will see local Mayan people dressed in their traditional colourful outfits. On our included tour this morning you will visit Indian communities at San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. Later today there will be free time when you can enjoy a little shopping or browsing in the many artisan shops.

Day 9: Palenque
Today you visit the stunning Agua Azul waterfalls. The turquoise waters thunder into pools 100ft below. You will continue to Palenque for an overnight stay.

Day 10: Palenque
One of the most beautiful Mayan ceremonial complexes is your destination today. Set in a rainforest clearance, the ancient site of Palenque guards many secrets still unearthed by archaeologists. You will see the 20ft high Temple of the Inscriptions, home to one of the only crypts inside a pyramid in Mexico. After leaving Palenque, you will continue to Campeche for an overnight stay.

Day 11: Mérida
This morning you travel to the ancient city of Mérida, home to the cultural centre of the Mayan people, for an overnight stay. En route, you will pay a visit to the historical Mayan ruins at Uxmal, considered to be one of the most beautiful pre-Hispanic sites on the American continent. Here you will enjoy spectacular views over the Nunnery, the Governor’s Palace, the Grand Pyramid and the Pyramid of the Wizard. Later today admire the colonial and historic highlights of Mérida on your guided tour.

Day 12: Cancun
Today, you will join an included sightseeing tour of the archaeological wonders of Chichén Itzá, one of the most visited sites in Mexico. In 2007 Chichén Itzá was crowned as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a global online vote. Across the site, many fine stone buildings remain including the Pyramid of Kukulkan with its 365 steps – one for every day of the year, the Temple of the Warriors and the Ball Court. You will spend tonight at the caribbean coastal resort of Cancun on the Riviera Maya.

Days 13 – 15: Cancun add-on
Spend three nights in Cancun enjoying the sun-kissed tropical paradise which boasts white-sand beaches lapped by the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Sea. You’ll stay in the 4-star Krystal Cancun, where you can spend your days relaxing by the pool or on the beach soaking up the sun. You can also choose to join our range of optional excursions.

Day 16: Cancun/UK
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Mexico City and then on to the UK.

Day 17: UK
Arrival in the UK.

Please note
This holiday includes walking in areas of rough ground, gradients and steps.

The Cancun add-on is not accompanied by a Tour Manager.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

4-star NH Hotel in Mexico City
4-star Victoria Hotel in Oaxaca
3-star Hotel Calli in Tehuanepec
4-star Diego De Mazariegos in San Cristobal
4-star Mision Palenque in Palenque
4-star Plaza Campeche in Campeche
4-star El Castellano in Mérida
4-star Presidente Intercontinental in Cancun
There is a restaurant and bar in each hotel. All rooms have en suite facilities, TV and telephone.

All hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Mexico City tour (full day)
Teotihuacan tour (full day)
The colonial towns of Oaxaca and Puebla
Monte Alban tour (half day)
The archaeological site at Mitla and the Tule Tree
Boat journey through the Sumidero Canyon
Cristobal tour (half day)
Visit to Palenque site (half day)
Uxmal sightseeing (half day)
UNESCO site of Chichén Itzá (half day)

Optional excursions

Tulum & Xel Ha
Isla Mujeres
Carnival cruise

Your holiday includes

Scheduled flights and internal flights
Overseas transfers and other transportation
12 nights’ accommodation with breakfast
3 nights’ accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager and Local Guides (main tour)
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
“Travelsphere are one of the biggest names in the Escorted Tour market. Finely tuned over the last 50 years their tours have been tried, tested and refined by thousands of customers.”