Mexico City & Riviera Maya

Day 01. Wednesday. Mexico City Arrival. Meet and transfer to your hotel. Accommodation for 4 nights with buffet breakfast daily.

Day 02. Thursday. Mexico City - Historical Downtown - Chapultepec Palace - Anthropology Museum. Breakfast in your hotel. Visit Historic Center of Mexico City declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. The heart of fashionable Historical Downtown of the Mexico City often calls "City of Palaces". You will be in "the most transparent region of the air", the nation's cultural hub. Here in its compact geography is where history intertwines with the cultural movement and political expression from the times of the Aztecs up to our days. "El Zocalo" is an ideal place to begin a city tour. The Zocalo served as the center of Tenochtitlan, then an island about a mile square containing palace and pyramids, including the Templo Mayor, or Great Temple. Ever since the time of Emperor Montezuma, the area was surrounded by palaces, temples and other structures. The Aztecs lived here and they extended their empire from here. Now it is the largest public square in the Western Hemisphere. Here you will see the Metropolitan Cathedral - the most notable monument of Colonial America, built on the top of the remains of the Aztec pyramids. It was the first cathedral in La Nueva España and is the oldest one in the Americas. It has a Baroque-style facade and 64-meter high Neoclassical-style towers which hold 18 bells. You will observe and visit the National Palace, transformed, is the only survivor of XVII century civil architecture and this is where Presidents of Mexico and some ministries conduct their business. Inside the palace there are murals painted by Diego Rivera. The more illustrious is "The Legend of Quetzalcoatl" which shows the famous tale of the feathered serpent bringing a blond-bearded white man to the country. You will explore the Palace of Fine Arts, built in the Porfirian era with Carrara marble. In its interior, one can admire a crystal glass curtain made by Tiffany's as well as Works by great Mexican painters as Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Rufino Tamayo. And in front, you will observe the majestic Post Office Palace - one of many mind-bending buildings in the city, a riot of marble floors and gilded metalwork, recently restored to its full, blinding glory. Walk down on the neighboring streets, now occupied by families, unions, businesses, restaurants and enjoy the ancestral spirit of the Mexicans mixed with renaissance spirit that the Spanish men brought; you will see a whole urban area that is a patrimony of humanity. House of Tiles is an old mansion whose exterior is covered in blue and white tiles. Interesting courtyard with 20th century murals. Then, you will enjoy the Empress' Promenade - Paseo de la Reforma. The beautiful promenade was planned early in the 1860s by the Emperor Maximillian of Hapsburg to resemble the Champ-Elysees in Paris. The Paseo de la Reforma physically and symbolically unites the two words that encompass the essence of modern Mexico. At the midpoint of this great avenue stands the Angel of Independency. Only a city like Mexico City, with mythology and the future oriented toward the firmament can be symbolized in a heavenly monument. You will visit and know the Chapultepec Palace. It was the resting place of the last Aztec kings where, during the Colonial era, the Spanish rulers took their evening strolls and one of Emperor Maximillian of Hapsburg's favorite spots. After visit to the Chapultepec Palace you will have time for lunch. After lunch visit Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park. See archaeological treasures of pre-Hispanic civilizations, including the Toltec, Mexica, Aztec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Olmec and Mayan. See the immense Aztec Calendar Stone. After, we will drop you off at your hotel. (Breakfast)

Day 03. Friday. Mexico City - Basilica of Guadalupe - Teotihuacan. After breakfast you will be picked up at your hotel and our first stop is the Plaza of the Three Cultures. Then we move on to the Basilica of Guadalupe, the most visited pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere. Legend has it that the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared to an indigenous man, Juan Diego towards the end of the sixteenth century, leaving her image embedded in his maguey cloth cloak. For more than 450 years the color of the image have remained as bright as if they were painted yesterday and the coarse-woven cactus cloth of the shawl, which seldom lasts more that twenty years, shows no evidence of decay. Then we make our way to the pyramids of Teotihuacán - the Pyramids of the Sun and of the Moon, together with temples, platforms and residential buildings distributed along both sides of the long Causeway of the Dead. Teotihuacan… Creation of the Fifth Sun in the Mesoamerican culture. Since it is not known exactly who built Teotihuacán, it is attributed to the gods, thus it becomes the mystical place where the Fifth Sun hides that will rise and illuminate the world. Teotihuacan is situated in a large valley, 45 kilometers from Mexico City. Although the area was populated from the very earliest times, the construction of the ceremonial center did not begin until around 100 BC. The center was built in stages, yet the harmony and functionality of its distribution would lead us to believe that it was planned as a complex. It is hard to believe that this was built by a people who did not know metal tools, had no beasts of burden, and did not use even simple machines to aid them in their constructions. Teotihuacan is "a place where gods are born". Know and admire what has been discovered down through the centuries, delve into the ancestral essence of the great pyramid of the Sun- the center of the teotihuacanian Cosmo vision. Lunch. After visiting the Teotihuacan you will be transferred back to Mexico City where you will visit the Central Crafts Market with 200,000 Mexican typical articles as leather, onyx, silver, gold, malachite stone, copper, blown glass, dresses, ceramics… You are welcome to enjoy it!! Transfer back to your hotel. (Breakfast & lunch)

Day 04. Saturday. Mexico City - Coyoacan- San Angel. Breakfast in your hotel. Today you will know and see unique and very special areas of the Mexico City, the charming cobblestone streets of Coyoacan and San Angel village with upscale Bazar del Sabado on the Plaza San Jacinto, which is filled with artists selling their fine handicrafts. Coyoacan, the place of the coyotes' in Nahuatl is the place from which Cortes launched his attack on the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Visit the Castle of Cortes, where the Spanish conquistador Cortes lived when woods and water separated this area from the Mexico City Zocalo. Visit the Parroquia de San Juan Bautista. This church dates back to the 16th century and the frescoes on the ceiling, and the artwork throughout are amazingly well-preserved. In the Coyoacan's tree-lined streets filled with colonial home and museums you find your thoughts drifting back in time. It is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved parts of the city, with elegant avenues, hundreds of fine buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries and carefully tended parks - a world away from the modern streets of Mexico City. An abundance of cafes, boutiques, restaurants and art studios create a charming ambiance here. Walking through Coyoacan, you will imagine how it must have looked in the early 1900s, when Frida Kahlo was born in the now-famous "Blue House." At that time, Coyoacan was a small country town. Even though she and Diego Rivera shared a city home, they frequented her birthplace often, and it was here that she chose to spend her last days. Her homestead keeps the legendary and volatile love affair between these two artists alive. Visit a beautiful San Angel Hacienda and Casa Studio Diego Riviera and Frida Kahlo known as the Blue House. Culturally, Coyoacan is one of the liveliest parts of Mexico City and combined with a visit to San Angel. As with many other neighborhoods in Mexico City, San Angel was once an independent town until the late 1940s, and 50s, when the city finally grew up around it. San Angel still retains its colonial architecture and charm, reminiscent of its esteemed history as the summer residence to many of Mexico's aristocracy in the eighteen and early nineteen hundreds, as well as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo's residence-turned-museum. Visit the Temple and Museum del Carmen, former convent with its original inhabitants - a bizarre collection of mummified nuns. Narrow cobblestone streets, tree-lined plazas, and sprawling haciendas still make up the center of San Angel, only now the plazas contain the Saturday art show and bazaar, and the haciendas play host to craft markets, restaurants and coffee shops. Enjoy the best artwork in the city. Visit a two story colonial hacienda filled with more handicrafts and artwork. Take a look around, note the sheer size of the Hacienda, and wonder what one family did with all that space. Time for lunch in the beautiful central garden of the Hacienda. After a lunch, we head back up to the Bazar del Sabado. Anything from jewelry and handmade clothing, to the masks can be found there. Transfer back to your hotel. (Breakfast & lunch)

Day 05. Sunday. Mexico City - Cancun - Riviera Maya. Breakfast in your hotel. Transfer to the airport for flight to Cancun. Arrive. Meeting and transfer to your hotel. If you choose your hotel on Riviera Maya beaches it will be good for you because Riviera Maya is just a paradise! Hundreds of miles of the most beautiful beaches in the world, picturesque villages, huge reefs, ponds, cenotes, underground rivers, rain forests, exotic animal species and hundreds of archaeological sites of Mayan origin. Accommodation for 5 nights. Beach time at leisure to enjoy beautiful Caribbean Sea. (All Inclusive)

Day 06. Monday. Riviera Maya - day at leisure. Beach time at leisure to enjoy beautiful Caribbean Sea. (All Inclusive)

Day 07. Tuesday. Riviera Maya - Ultimate Adventure. (It is suitable for all ages). Breakfast in your hotel. Jungle transportation via a "mad max" style jungle mobile for full day unique fun experience. Fly high, swoop low - this biking experience is like no other. A one of a kind opportunity to bicycle through the high jungle canopy at a leisurely pace, then swoop down to pedal through a short section of a natural cave, then out again, into the sun, and through a cenote full of hundreds of green palms and exotic plants, all while suspended on a steel cable. You can pedal at your own pace through the air, taking in the overwhelming beauty of this incredible place and its teeming plant and animal life without disturbance to the delicate eco-system. The one kilometer route will take you down into and through enchanting caverns filled with dreamlike natural rock formations and cenotes where you can join one of our knowledgeable guides on a snorkel tour through a natural underground river system and the sacred cenotes that it connects. Then, long jungle canopy Zip Line is guaranteed to get the adrenaline flowing as it takes off from a high platform with the most magnificent jungle views whilst the Cenote Splashdown Zip Line features an invigorating water landing inside the cenote itself. The free rappel lets adventurers descend straight down through the collapse in the jungle floor by rope into the concealed wonders of the cenote system below, using rock-climbing harnesses which guarantee the highest level of safety and enjoyment. After, we will drop you off at your hotel in Riviera Maya. (All Inclusive)

Day 08. Wednesday. Riviera Maya - Day at leisure. Beach time at leisure to enjoy beautiful Caribbean Sea. (All Inclusive)

Day 09. Thursday. Riviera Maya - Xcaret Eco Park. Full Day Visit one of the largest and arguably the best eco-park on the coast. Xcaret is a majestic park by the sea that features unique activities, where you have fun while discovering the natural and cultural richness of Mexico. Among its great treasures, in Xcaret you can find underground rivers, a Butterfly Pavilion, a beach, inlets and Xcaret's one of a kind celebration "Xcaret Mexico Spectacular". A firelight Mayan ceremonial dance, Indiana Jones style dry cave, and fantastic amphitheater for regional music and dancing from around Mexico. At Xcaret you can enjoy the most amazing water activities such as swimming with dolphins, Snuba, Sea Trek and snorkeling. You will see jaguars and pumas, sea turtles, ruins, Mayan village, and more. Xcaret is a wonderful natural landscape! (All Inclusive)

Day 10. Friday. Riviera Maya. Breakfast in your hotel. Now here is the big decision: Go home… or stay on? If you must return home, then enjoy the morning in your hotel… later in the afternoon check out and be transferred to the airport for your return flight HOME. (Breakfast)

Rates in USD
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Rate includes:

• 4 night's accommodation at Casa Blanca Hotel, BB / Mexico City.
• 5 night's accommodation at Catalonia Playa Maroma Hotel, All Inclusive / Riviera Maya.
• Meals as indicated by itinerary.
• Transfers as indicated, with English - speaking guide.
• Luggage handling at airports.
• Sightseeing as indicated, with English- speaking guide.
• Surface and overland travel as indicated.
• Entrance fee.

Rate does not include:

• International airfare.
• R/trip domestic airfare.
• Tips to drivers, guides, hotel bellboys.
• Meals not specifically indicated as included.
• Items of a personal nature.
• Trip Insurance - Highly Recommended.

This is a simple program. Combine it with other programs, add days or destinations, or choose other hotels.
Milavia International will design your trip just for you.

If you decide to stay on, that's great; there is a lot to choose from. Our recommend extensions are:

• Deep sea fishing - Puerto Aventuras is the only deep water marina on the Riviera Maya. Here you will find deep sea sport fishing charter boats offering full and half day trips, excellent captains and local guides. This is a tourist oasis with restaurants, shopping, a wide sandy beach, nighttime entertainment, swim with dolphins and more.
• Rio Secreto Tour - Walk and float your way through spectacular caves encrusted with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, and cool crystal clear freshwater cave pools (cenotes) all while being escorted by expert guides every step of the way. This is a rare and exotic opportunity to admire the unequaled beauty of our beloved Mexico and Mother Earth. Dedicated to conserving cherished natural assets and the region's biodiversity, natural resources, and people. The cool fresh water, the formations and amazing natural energy of these caves is life changing, cleanses your spirit.
• Xaman Ha Aviary - is a wonderful natural habitat for some 60 species of tropical birds that populate the jungles of the Yucatan peninsula. Here you can see roughly 200 individual birds living in harmony with one another, all within an open-air sanctuary that has paths and trails leading to the birds' preferred nesting areas. These birds live, eat, fly and reproduce within Xamana Ha's little Mexican jungle, and they intermingle with many of the non-winged species of Quintana Roo; like iguanas, butterflies, squirrels, and the turtles and fish found in the cenotes of the Riviera Maya.
• Yaax Che Jardin Botanico - half day trip to see tropical plants and trees native of the Yucatan peninsula, identified with tags in a natural setting. Mayan legend tells us that a giant Ceiba tree grows from the earth's center (Yaax Che). Its trunk and branches support the sky and its roots penetrate into the underworld joining together the three cosmic levels of the Mayan universe: Cab, Kan and Xibalba.The gardens have paths which lead to varied environmental zones, a scenic overlook, small Mayan ruins and an example of a traditional Maya "palapa home". Monkeys and birds are not uncommon to see.
• Yal-ku Lagoon - solid natural limestone lagoon edge with a few stairways for entering the water. Virtually no wave surge or currents, calm water even when seas are rough. Good snorkeling with plenty of tropical fish.

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