Premium Mexico Yucatan Highlights
Mexico
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When it comes to vibrant culture and varied cuisine, there’s nowhere quite like Mexico. Get a taste of the country’s best on an eight-day Premium adventure through Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca. Join expert local guides to uncover the ancient secrets of Teotihuacan, Cholula and the Mitla ruins and see the world’s widest tree, over 1500 years old! Take your taste buds on a trip, from the beckoning street food stalls of the capital to a home cooked Zapotecan lunch and a creative dining experience in Oaxaca and attend some local artisan workshops, working with obsidian and beeswax. Your experienced local leader will show you the heart of a country that is sure to leave you captivated.
Availability
From 08/02/2025 to 26/12/2026
Departure dates & prices
Dates
Availability
Price
What's included
Visit the spectacular ruins of Chichen Itza (one of the new Seven Wonders of the World), Muyil and Tulum where your local leader and expert guides will bring thousands of years of Maya history to life.
Gain a deeper understanding of local life during a Exclusive Experience to the secluded Laguna Chabela Maya community, where you’ll learn how modern Maya people preserve the traditions of their ancestors and try your hand and making a tortilla before a delicious feast in the jungle.
Experience the old-world charm of your Feature Stay accommodation in Merida – a historic 17th century mansion turned boutique hotel with elegant decor and traditional touches.
Enjoy an Exclusive Experience at the Celestun Bird Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve – a bird-lover’s dream.
Learn about conservation efforts while looking out for colourful flora and fauna on a boat ride and see the natural springs before stopping by the Gulf of Mexico for a swim.
Swim in a cenote, float down the crystal-clear Muyil canals created by the Maya over 1000 years ago and visit a laid-back beach club in Tulum to make the best of the Yucatan peninsula.
Breakfasts Included: 7.
Lunches Included: 3.
Dinners Included: 3.
Comfortable Hotel (4 nights),Feature Stay (3 nights).
Private vehicle,Boat.
Age: min 15.
Group Size: 1 - 12.
Complimentary Arrival Transfer.
Playa del Carmen - Welcome Dinner.
Valladolid - Home-cooked lunch.
Valladolid - Tortilla making demonstration.
Valladolid - Mayan homestead visit.
Chichen Itza - Cenote swim stop.
Chichen Itza - Home-cooked pibil lunch.
Chichen Itza - Archaeological site with local guide.
Merida - Leader-led orientation walk.
Merida - Celestun Biosphere Reserve tour.
Tulum - Muyil river float.
Tulum - Muyil archaeological site with local guide.
Tulum - Archaeological site visit.
Tulum - Farewell Dinner.
Tulum – Beach Club Visit.
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Itinerary
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1 - Playa Del Carmen Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico. Your adventure begins in Playa del Carmen - a coastal resort town on the Yucatan Peninsula, known for its turquoise waters and nightlife. You'll be met at Cancun International Airport and transferred to your hotel. Here, you'll meet your local leader and fellow group members at your welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, you might like to stroll along pedestrian avenue while perusing handmade hammocks, jewellery and crafts. The Yucatan's bountiful Caribbean coastline means it's home to some of the freshest seafood in the country, and after your meeting, you'll head to a local restaurant and sit down for a traditional feast of fresh fish, mussels, shrimp and clams.
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2 - Valladolid After breakfast, depart Playa del Carmen and head to the secluded Laguna Chabela. Here, you'll meet a local Maya family who have lived here for generations. Gain a deeper understanding of their way of life as you walk through the low jungle full of medicinal plants, see what they grow and learn how they live off the land. Watch a demonstration on how to make delicious tortillas in the Coba style with the family matriarch then sit down to a traditional lunch prepared by hand using a mortar and pestle found in the nearby ruins, still used after 1000 years. You'll feel like you've travelled back in time, with stones from ancient Maya structures emerging from the jungle and the sounds of birds as your backdrop. In the afternoon, continue to the city of Valladolid, known for its pastel-coloured buildings. Set on the city's main square, your hotel was converted from a 16th century house and offers a perfect base for your explorations.
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3 - Merida - Chichen Itza This morning will be spent exploring the complex of Chichen Itza. Named as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is considered the most important archaeological vestige of the Maya-Toltec civilisation in Yucatan by UNESCO. Meet with a local guide for a tour to uncover the secrets of what is perhaps the most famous Maya site, dominated by the Temple of Kukulkan, or El Castillo - a Mesoamerican step-pyramid. After, you'll have a home-cooked lunch with a local family in the town of Piste. Tuck into a traditional Pibil feast - a Maya style of cooking that involves barbecuing underground, which the family have perfected over generations. After lunch, visit a local cenote for a swim. These limestone sinkholes were viewed by the Maya as doorways to the underworld. Continue to Merida - founded in 1542, this city is the Yucatan capital and retains much of its old-world charm. Your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three evenings is in the historic Hotel Casa Lucia. Spacious rooms feature traditional touches, surrounding a courtyard hat features a swimming pool.
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4 - Merida This morning, you'll join your leader on a walking tour of downtown Merida to learn more about the Maya heritage of the town. Visit the market for a look at local life and stop by the city museum, Montejo's House and the cathedral. Step inside the Palacio del Gobierno to admire the murals by Fernando Castro Pacheco - a famous Mexican artist from Merida. The paintings depict the history of the city and interactions between the Maya and the Spanish. The afternoon is free for further discoveries - you might like to relax in the green and shady Plaza Grande or browse the outdoor market selling Maya replicas. Regroup for dinner at a local restaurant serving up Yucatan specialties - the sopa da lima (lime soup) is especially delicious here.
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5 - Merida After breakfast, you'll head out for another Exclusive Experience at the Celestun Bird Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve. One of the first places migratory birds arrive for the winter, the reserve offers a birdwatching experience like no other. Tour the area by small boat while you learn about its unique flora and fauna. Look out for the Yucatan woodpecker, Mexican sheartail, tropical mockingbird and depending on the season (usually December to March), you might witness the thousands of flamingos streaking across the landscape. Hop off the boat for a quick walk to view bubbling springs then cruise back through the mangrove canals. Stop in a fishing town for some time for lunch - maybe grab some fresh seafood and eat it with your toes in the sand. Take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico before returning to Merida for a free afternoon.
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6 - Tulum Depart Merida this morning and head towards Muyil, stopping off for lunch in the village of Coba. Continue to the virtually unknown Muyil Archaeologic Site - this ancient Maya trading post is one of the oldest once-inhabited sites in the country, with a history stretching back to 350 BC. Explore the ruins with your leader who will explain what life here once looked like. Next, head to the banks of the Maya River and board a small boat to explore the canals and lagoons of the Sian Ka'an biosphere. One of the largest protected areas in Mexico, this UNESCO World Heritage site covers more than 400,000 hectares of land, lagoon and marine areas, including countless flora and fauna. You'll be joined by guides from the local community who will help you get the most out of this experience. Admire the ruins on the riverbanks before disembarking in the waters of the ancient Mayan mangrove canals, where you'll experience a natural 'lazy river' and float through the peaceful canals in a slow but steady current. After 45 minutes of floating, carry on to Tulum.
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7 - Tulum In the morning, head to the Tulum archaeological site and learn about the history of the ruins and their views of the ocean. One of the last cities built by the Maya, your leader will paint a picture of how life played out here as you explore the complex against the ocean backdrop. Spend the afternoon soaking up the sun at a beach club, where you can swim in the Caribbean Sea or nap in a comfortable lounge chair. Tonight, dine at one of Tulum's best restaurants. With laid back vibes and inspired by the freshest local produce and seafood, this final dinner with your newfound friends will certainly be one to remember.
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8 - Tulum Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to spend some more time in Tulum, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.
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