1 INCREDIBLE MEXICO 10 night circuit GUARANTEED DEPARTURES WITH A MINIMUM OF 2 TRAVELLERS Beach Extension available in Cancun or Playa del Carmen 2016 Season All seductive aspects of Mexico come together in this unique tour. Discover historic towns and archaeological sites that tell the epic history of the friendly mestizo population. During the tour you will travel through iconic landscapes, dotted with picturesque villages, where indigenous traditions are still preserved. At the end of the circuit, travelers have the possibility to stay on the Mexican Caribbean coast, one of the most beautiful in the world. Our contact information: QUIMBAYA MEXICO Carolina 98-502 Col. Cd. De los Deportes Del. Benito Juárez CP 03710 México D.F. Tel: (52 + 55) 56154140 / (52+55) 56153991 mexico@quimbaya-tours.com STR CEE - QUIMBAYA TOURS 1132 Budapest, Hungary Vaci u. 28.1/2 em. 5m Budapest Tél : (36) 12-36-06-55 peter@str-cee.com
2 2 nd page Itinerary Map Daily schedule D1- Mexico City D2- Mexico City / Teotihuacan / Puebla 3.30 hour road trip D3- Puebla / Oaxaca 5 hour road trip D4- Oaxaca D5- Oaxaca / Chiapa de Corzo 8 hour road trip D6- Chiapa de Corzo / San Cristobal de las Casas 1.30 hour road trip D7- San Cristobal de las Casas D8- San Cristobal de las Casas / Agua Azul / Palenque 5 hour road trip D9- Palenque / Uxmal / Merida 8 hour road trip D10- Merida / Chichen Itza 2.30 hour road trip D11- Chichen Itza / Cancun s airport 2.30 hour road trip
3 GUARANTEED DEPARTURE DATES ARRIVALS ON THURSDAYS TO MEXICO CITY January 14 February 18, 25 March 10 April 21, 28 May 12 June 9 July 14 August 4, 11 September 22 October 20 November 10 December 1 YUNI/SALAR/INCAHUASI/POTOS TECHNICAL INFORMATION 1- Flights - Please book international flights arriving late afternoon in Ciudad Mexico. The return flight must be booked from Cancun to the United States leaving in the afternoon. 2- Health - No mandatory vaccines needed. Anti-malaria treatment recommended but not mandatory for the region of Palenque. 3- Weather - the dry season runs from November to May. There is tropical weather all year round in the Yucatan region and beaches.
4 HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR TRIP TO MEXICO - Assistance throughout the trip offered by our team at destination - all English speaking professionals - Service of English speaking guide-driver available for individual groups (1-11 passengers). For 12 passengers and more, there is a guide and driver throughout the tour. - Visit the National Museum of Anthropology, which houses the largest collection of pre-columbian art in the world and serves as an introduction to the large ethnic diversity of the country. - Visit the site of Teotihuacan, the "City of Gods", to admire the Sun and Moon pyramids. - Explore ceramic decorated houses in the city of Puebla, home of the beautiful "Talavera" pottery technique. - Walk inside the Indian market of Oaxaca and taste exotic and colorful products. - Tour Chiapa de Corzo in a traditional combi (small urban bus) and walk across this small charming village. - Enjoy a boat ride in the Sumidero Canyon. - Visit the indigenous village of San Juan Chamula with its ancient mystical traditions and its religious syncretism. - Marvel with the famous Agua Azul waterfalls nestled amongst lush vegetation. Swimming is allowed. - Exploration of the archaeological sites of Uxmal and Chichen Itza, the most famous Mayan cities in the country. - Possibility to extend your stay on the beaches of Cancun or Playa del Carmen.
5 INCREDIBLE MEXICO 10 night circuit GUARANTEED DEPARTURES WITH A MINIMUM OF 2 TRAVELLERS Beach Extension available in Cancun or Playa del Carmen 2015 Season D1 Thursday ARRIVAL IN MEXICO Arrival and welcome at Mexico City s airport by our English speaking driver-guide or guide. Transfer to your hotel in the center of the city. Dinner not included Accommodation in the hotel METROPOL *** SUP or SIMILAR Overnight stay in the hotel. D2 Friday MEXICO / TEOTIHUACAN / PUEBLA 3h30 road trip American Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning, we will tour the main show rooms of the National Museum of Anthropology, which house the treasures of the indigenous civilizations that have shaped Mexican culture. Visit of the historical center: Visit the Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo, lined with arches, one of the world's biggest urban plazas. Enter the Metropolitan Cathedral to admire the architecture and decoration composites: a mix of Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles. Contemplate the majestic National Palace, with its facade decorated with beautiful iron balconies. Continue through Calle Madero, where you will discover beautiful examples of the 18 th century architecture, such as the head office of the Banco Nacional of Mexico, the Palace of Iturbide and even the magnificent house of Azulejos that keeps the memories of Emiliano Zapata and the Mexican Revolution.
6 Drive to Teotihuacan. Lunch buffet in a local restaurant near the site. Taste Nopal «cactus», widely used in Mexican cuisine. Traditional musical entertainment on site. Visit Teotihuacan Archeological site, the most ancient city of the American continent. During the visit you will discover: The Citadel, a vast compound (400 m long on each side) on which the Temple of Quetzalcoatl rose; the sun pyramid, the biggest construction of that kind in the American continent (225 m long on each side); the moon pyramid, surrounded by small pyramidal constructions; the Jaguars Palace and the Quetzal-Butterfly Palace. Before leaving Teotihuacan, taste pulque, a local beverage made from cactus and visit an obsidian sculpting workshop, a black volcanic stone widely used by pre-columbian civilizations. Today, obsidian rock is the basis for most of the sculptures of the region s craftsmen. Road trip to the beautiful Puebla, one of the largest cities in the country, which holds a remarkable colonial history. Check-in at the hotel COLONIAL*** or SIMILAR Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel. D3 Saturday PUEBLA / OAXACA 5h of road trip Walk through the streets and squares of Puebla to admire the remarkable colonial center, including several building facades decorated with "Talavera", the famous local ceramic. After the visit of the Cathedral, stroll down 5 de Mayo Street to discover one of the jewels of baroque sacred art of Mexico: the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary, located in the church of Santo Domingo. The chapel has a beautiful decoration of painted and gilded wood, marble and onyx. Enjoy the lively streets of Puebla Lunch not included Departure to Oaxaca across a highway surrounded by mountains where the candelabra cactus grows freely. Stop to take pictures. On arrival transfer to hotel MISSION SAN FELIPE OAXACA *** or SIMILAR Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.
7 J4 Sunday OAXACA In the morning, departure to Monte Alban to discover the Zapotec/Mixtec ceremonial center, which rises on a vast esplanade. This is probably one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in Mexico by its altitude (2000 meters) and sacred monuments. Lunch specialties of regional cuisine in a small restaurant in the village of San Bartolo Coyotepec. The afternoon will be dedicated to a walking tour of the charming Oaxaca, known as the "city of jade", inhabited by a mestizo population, proud of its indigenous origins. Visit the church of Santo Domingo, considered a baroque jewel from Mexico and its magnificent museum dedicated to pre Colombian civilizations that inhabited the area. Visit the Regional Museum of Oaxaca, the city s most important museum, which houses historical objects and exhibits of Monte Alban, the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and ancient Oaxaca. Through the streets, adorned with colorful houses, you arrive at the city market. Exotic, with its stalls of fruits, vegetables and meats in quantity, you can enjoy chocolate in one of the many factories that surround the market. Very close to the market, tourists have the opportunity to get in contact with the locals in the Zocalo of the city, lively place for gathering during day and night Finally, visit the Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption, impressive for its many statues and baroque sculptures. Before dinner in a small restaurant in front of the Zocalo, taste mezcal, the local alcoholic drink, made from agave plants. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel. D5 Monday OAXACA / CHIAPA DE CORZO 8h of road trip Cross the Mexican countryside dotted with small villages and agave plantations. Stop in Santa Maria El Tule where you will see and amazing botanical curiosity never seizes to amaze: a giant tree of the ahuehuete species, 40 meters high, that literally covers the village square with its foliage. Lunch at Tehuantepec, festive city where the Zapotec culture remains very much alive.
8 Departure to Chiapa de Corzo. Late arrival, but before checking in the hotel we will walk in the city center of this charming village. Accommodation at the hotel LA CEIBA*** or SIMILAR Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel. D6 Tuesday CHIAPA DE CORZO / SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS 1h30 of road trip In the morning, boat ride in the Sumidero Canyon, a natural site with high gorges, covered with vegetation, down to the calm waters of a winding river, which forms a fabulous parade of unforgettable landscapes. Before lunch, passengers will travel in a "combi" with the townspeople (a small urban bus). Lunch at a local restaurant in Chiapa de Corzo to taste cochito (regional dish with pork with spices, garlic and chili sauce). Departure to visit the small village of San Juan Chamula, where ancient mystical traditions come alive. You are in the heart of the Indian region of Chiapas, which keeps the celebration of shaman rites and prayers intact. Road trip to San Cristobal de las Casas. Arrival and Installation at the hotel PLAZA MAGNOLIAS**** or SIMILAR. Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel.
9 D7 Wednesday SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS In the morning explore the Indian market in San Cristobal, where you will find crowds of people dressed in traditional costumes of the different indigenous communities of the region. Part of the market is devoted to medicinal and magical plants. Around the Zócalo, visit the Cathedral (XVI century) and the Temple of Santo Domingo, beautiful examples of colonial and Baroque architecture. Lunch in a small restaurant. Free afternoon to enjoy this city full of traditions and culture. Dinner not included. Overnight stay in the hotel. D8 Thursday SAN CRISTOBAL / CASCADAS DE AGUA AZUL 3h30 road trip route CASCADAS DE AGUA AZUL / PALENQUE 1h30 road trip Early departure to the Agua Azul waterfalls. American Breakfast on route. Discover the famous Agua Azul waterfalls nestled amongst lush vegetation. Swimming is allowed. Lunch in a restaurant at the foot of the falls. Road trip to Palenque in the heart of the rainforest.
10 Visit Palenque, one of the most famous Mayan cities in Mexico. Most monuments are hidden in the thick vegetation, which gives a mysterious aspect to the visit of the ruins. The city had its heyday during the seventh century under the reign of the emperor Pakal. Check-in Hotel NUTUTUN*** or SIMILAR, located near the site. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel. During dinner we will offer a Piñata game (hitting a giant paper mache figure, filled with sweets and fruits, with a stick). D9 Friday PALENQUE / UXMAL 6h30 of road trip UXMAL / MERIDA 1h30 of road trip Cross Yucatan State, located on the Gulf of Mexico Lunch will be served at a restaurant run by a Mayan community in the village of Muna. Enjoy the roasted chicken, cooked with spices in a traditional oven. Explore the archaeological city of Uxmal, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The architectural style found here, known as Puuc, is of great finesse and elegance. Breathtaking horizontal buildings with rounded shapes are decorated with various mosaics, such as the Governor's Palace and the Magician s Palace. Continue to Merida, capital of Yucatan. Arrival to the hotel RESIDENCIAL*** or SIMILAR. Dinner not included. Overnight stain in the hotel.
11 D10 Saturday MERIDA / CHICHEN ITZA 2h15 of route Walk through the historic center of Merida, where you will see colonial and republican buildings that are the hallmark of this city, which used to be very rich thanks to the exploitation of sisal or henequen. Promenade on the Independence Square, animated by various musical groups, especially during the weekends. Continue to Chichen Itza, one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Lunch in a local restaurant with a jarana dance show. Visit the archaeological sites of Chichen Itza, the emblematic city of the Mayan people. Monuments placed near a huge cenote (natural well) give a perfect idea of the life and culture of the Mayans. You can watch the ballgame, the pyramid of Kukulcan, dozens of temples and an astronomical observatory where the Mayans calculated the rainy seasons, fundamental for corn plantations. Check-in in a hotel next to the site, CHICHEN ITZA*** or SIMILAR Dinner not included. Overnight stay in hotel D11 Sunday CHIHEN ITZA / CANCUN 2hrs 30mins of route American breakfast served in the hotel. Route to Cancun. Lunch not included Transfer to Cancun s airport according to passengers flight schedules. IMPORTANT NOTE: The 11 day program and transfer-out to Cancun s airport are scheduled for early midafternoon flights. In the case of late flights, we can offer private transfers from Chichen Itza. You can also contact us for activities in Cancun for the last day (with a surcharge). END OF OUR SERVICES