Paths of History

Welcome to Mexico! Upon arrival, we’ll provide a transfer to the hotel, after which you will have free time. Our guide will contact you late in the afternoon.

IMPORTANT: If you requested additional nights, your room will be ready upon arrival at the hotel, but your trip guide will only contact you when the included activities begin. Until then, you’ll have free time to enjoy at your leisure.

Note: The schedules provided in this itinerary are indicative. The guide may adjust them as needed to enhance the trip experience.

Today, we’ll explore Mexico City and the remarkable site of Teotihuacan, located just 40 km from the capital. After breakfast, we’ll begin our journey at the Plaza of the Three Cultures, where past and present merge seamlessly. From there, we’ll continue to the impressive archaeological site of Teotihuacan, where we’ll visit the monumental Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, the Temple of Quetzalpapalotl, the Citadel, and the Avenue of the Dead. We’ll also stop by a local artisan center. On our way back to the city, we’ll visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Latin America. After returning to the hotel, the rest of the day will be free.

Free morning in Mexico City. After lunch, we’ll provide a transfer to the bus station for the journey to Puebla, located 135 km from Mexico City. We’ll travel by regular coach, arriving at the Puebla bus station where another transfer will take you to the hotel.

In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore this charming city, founded in 1531, renowned for its stunning colonial architecture, ornate churches, and rich history. Puebla is a vibrant cultural and culinary hub with a lively university atmosphere.

Over the next few days, you’ll have plenty of time to explore this fascinating city at your own pace. Highlights include its impressive cathedral, the historic Palafoxiana Library (the first public library in the Americas, established in 1646), the famous Calle de los Dulces with its traditional candy shops, and the Callejón de los Sapos, known for its antique stores. Overnight stay included.

Total distance covered: 340 km.

Scenery: We’ll cross the southern mountain ranges of Mexico, passing dramatic highland landscapes, fertile valleys, and rural villages where ancient traditions are still alive.

07:30 a.m. – Departure from Puebla. We’ll leave the capital of the state of Puebla behind as we enter Oaxaca, a region known for its rich cultural, archaeological, and culinary heritage. The journey will take us through mountains, canyons, and sweeping natural scenery.

01:15 p.m. – Oaxaca. Arrival in the capital city of Oaxaca, renowned for its harmonious architecture and strong Indigenous identity. After lunch, we’ll head up to one of Mexico’s most iconic archaeological treasures: Monte Albán. Located 400 meters above the Oaxaca Valley, this ancient ceremonial center was the capital of the Zapotec civilization for over a thousand years. We’ll explore its platforms, pyramids, ball courts, and ornately decorated tombs while learning about the worldview and structure of this great civilization (admission and guided tour included).

After the visit, we’ll return to Oaxaca for a panoramic tour of its historic center, recognized as a World Heritage Site. We’ll admire its stunning Cathedral, the Church of Santo Domingo, and the lively plazas and colonial streets brimming with life. You’ll then have free time to continue enjoying the unique atmosphere of this city, also celebrated for its handicrafts, mezcal, and diverse traditional cuisine.

Total distance covered: 505 km.

Scenery: We’ll venture along one of the most scenic routes in southern Mexico, crossing the Oaxaca highlands, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and lush tropical landscapes that lead us to the heart of Chiapas.

08:30 a.m. – Departure from Oaxaca. We’ll begin a day rich in cultural and natural beauty, traveling along roads that connect two states deeply rooted in the country’s Indigenous heritage.
10:00 a.m. – San Pablo Villa de Mitla. Arrival in this Pueblo Mágico, known for its ancestral traditions and distinctive adobe-and-stone architecture. It’s also famous for preserving remnants of the Zapotec culture. We’ll have time to walk around the Church of San Pablo, built in the 16th century atop an ancient ceremonial platform, and stroll through its rustic, charming streets.

11:00 a.m. – Departure from San Pablo Villa de Mitla. We’ll continue southeast, crossing the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a key region in Mexico’s geography and culture. Lunch will be included en route.
07:45 p.m. – Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Arrival in the capital of Chiapas, a modern and dynamic city that blends urban life with natural beauty in its surroundings. Accommodation.

Total Distance: 100 km
Landscapes: spectacular
Notes: We recommend you to take appropriate waterproof clothing for the speedboat ride.- The visit of the towns of Zinacantán and San Juan can take place on Wednesday or Thursday morning (according to opening times of the church of San Juan).


08.30 hrs.- Tuxtla - Departure.
09.00 hrs.- We will explore the SUMDERO CANYON. Travelling by boat, we will travel for more than 1 hrs up this impressive canyon which is almost 1 km deep and 14 km long.


10.45 hrs.- Sumidero Canyon.- Departure.
11.00 hrs.- Next, we will walk through CHIAPA DEL CORZO, a white traditional and cultural colonial site. Time for a stroll and a coffee.


11.45 hrs.- Chiapa del Corzo. Departure. We enter into the center of the Mexican Mayan culture. We discover 2 beautiful villages inhabited by the Tzotzil Indians.
12.45 hrs.- In ZINACANTAN we can admire the dresses worn by the women and also their small loom workshop-shops.


13.45 hrs.- Zicacantan.- Departure.
14.15 hrs.- SAN JUAN CHAMULA we will be surprised by their church that mixes Christianity with pre-Columbian traditions. Time for lunch.


15.45 hrs.- San Juan Chamula.- Departure.
16.15 hrs.- We continue to SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS. Free afternoon in this beautiful colonial city founded in 1528.

Distance travelled: 225 km Landscape: Beautiful mountain landscapes of Chiapas. Villages which retain their ancient Mayan language and traditions.


Important: We suggest you bring comfortable clothes and shoes, insect repellent and sunscreen - as well as a bathing suit and a towel, to fully enjoy the natural waterfalls and spectacular blue river water.


08:00 - San Cristobal, we head to central Chiapas.
10:45 - OCOSINGO. We stop at the commercial regional capital situated on dairy-farmlands, next to the north Chiapas range, where incredible archaeological remains are found.


11:45 - Ocosingo- departure - We get back on the road and drive through mountains and jungle.
13:45 - Parque Nacional de AGUA AZUL (Agua Azul National Park). Entrance fee and lunch included after the visit, time to have a walk or bathe in the pools and more than 50 waterfalls, which range from 3 to 30 meters in height.


16:30 Agua Azul- departure.
17:45 - MISOL HA. Arrival at this impressive waterfall and its walking trails.


19:00 - Misol Ha- departure.
20:45 - Palenque- arrival. Dinner included.


Important: in some instances, roadblocks might be experienced in the region of Ocosingo due to local social unrest. In that event, we would take an alternative route visiting the City of Villahermosa and the ecological reserve of Yumka instead of the usual stops at Ocosingo, Agua Azul and Misol.

Total distance: 360 km.

Scenery: Yucatan Peninsula. Beautiful views over the coastal road of the Gulf of Mexico.


09.00 hrs.- We include entrance and guided visit to the impressive archaeological site of PALENQUE. This Mayan city, surrounded by jungle, reached its peak between 600 and 800 AD. During the visit we will see its temples, pyramids and ball game. Free time for lunch.


12.30 hrs.- Palenque -departure-. We travel to the Gulf of Mexico through the state of Tabasco.
18.30 hrs.- CAMPECHE- Arrival to this Mexican port city known for its colonial buildings and 17th century fortifications created to confront pirate attacks. Dinner included.

Total distance covered: 180 km.

Scenery: We’ll travel through the Yucatán Peninsula, passing flat landscapes dotted with lush vegetation and traditional villages along the way.

09:00 a.m. – Departure from Campeche. We’ll leave behind this coastal city and make our way into the state of Yucatán. In just over two hours, we’ll reach our destination.
11:30 a.m. – Mérida. Arrival in the vibrant capital of the state of Yucatán, a city rich in both colonial and Mayan heritage. We’ll visit the fortified Mérida Cathedral, the limestone Church of the Third Order, and the Montejo House—a 16th-century mansion that stands as a symbol of Spanish Plateresque colonial architecture.

Free afternoon. We suggest visiting the Museum of the Mayan World on your own.
In the evening, a transfer to the Zócalo will be included, so you can enjoy dinner and take in the lively atmosphere of the city.

Total distance: 290 km
Scenery: Nice stage to get to know the state of Yucatan.
N.B.- Remember to bring comfortable clothes and shoes, swimsuit and towel, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.


08.00 hrs- Merida- departure.
09.15 hrs- IZAMAL- arrival to one of the prettiest cities in Mexico, declared a "Magic town".

10.15 hrs- Izamal, departure.
11.30 hrs- CHICHEN ITZAN,- we include admission and a visit to the most important and renowned vestige of the Mayan civilization, a World Heritage Site where we see the mythical pyramid of Kukulcán and the warriors’ temple.

14.30 hrs - After the visit we include a Mayan cuisine lunch.

16.00 hrs- Chichen Itzan- We continue on our beautiful stage through the state of Yucatan.
18.15- RIO LAGARTOS, arrival to this small fishing village in the middle of a Biosphere Reserve.


Note: The hotel infrastructure in Rio Lagartos is very limited. Occasionally, we will have to provide accomodation in Valladolid. In that case, we will visit Valladolid on Sunday instead of Monday and spend more time in Rio Lagartos on Monday.

Distance: 265 km.

Note: Remember to bring comfortable clothes and shoes, swimwear and towel, sunscreen and mosquito cream.


08.00 hrs.- We include a boat ride of more than two hours. We enter the biosphere reserve, where we can see crocodiles among its mangroves, lots of birds, including pelicans and pink flamingos. You can also "live the mud experience" by smearing mud with high concentrations of sulfur, minerals and salts that act as exfoliants for the skin, leaving a feeling of softness throughout the body.


11.30 hrs- Rio Lagartos, departure. We head to the interior of the peninsula.
14.00 hrs- VALLADOLID- arrival in the third largest city of the Yucatan with a very nice historical city center. We recommend that you have lunch in one of the restaurants in the main square.


16:00 hrs- Valladolid, departure.
17:00 hrs- CENOTE CHOJ HA. We will explore this Cenote managed by the local Mayan community. We will walk along a short trail in the jungle to visit the dry cave and swim in the wonderful lake inside the wet cave.

18:00 hrs- Cenote, departure. Continuation to Cancun.
21.30 hrs- CANCUN, arrival.

Our services end after breakfast. We suggest that any travellers who wish to extend their stay for a few days can do so resting by the beautiful beaches of Cancun or the Riviera Maya.