Mexico 2010
DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO MEXICO
Flight to Mexico. Airport reception and transfer to hotel.
Welcome drink.
Free dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2: MEXICO / XOCHIMILCO / MEXICO
Breakfast early in the morning.
Visit Constitution Square, usually called "Zocalo". Visit the Cathedral, built from 1537 on order of Philip II and the National Palace, built from 1529 on the site of the former palace of Montezuma.
Visit the National Museum of Anthropology (closed Mondays), located in Chapultepec Park. It offers a total area of 400,000 SQM, the opportunity to discover the history and culture of all pre-Columbian civilizations. This museum, inaugurated in 1964, is one of the finest museums in the world. The visit is long since has a dozen rooms, all equally interesting one over the other. The ground floor is devoted to the history of the Central Plateau (from the early classical period to today) and different regions. Upstairs are presented costumes, home and crafts of the 56 cultures still living in Mexico and their beliefs, their social organization and their festivals.
Continue to the floating gardens of Xochimilco.
Lunch on the boat over water.
Since pre-Hispanic era to the present day, Xochimilco is a major producer of horticultural products. With its 157 miles of navigable canals lined with hundreds of small islands, much of which has been transformed into ecological park, Xochimilco has become one of the sights in the national and international tourism. One of the most popular attractions is a ride aboard flat-bottomed boats known as "Trajinera"
Back in Mexico City.
Promenade Place Garibaldi to the sound of Mariachis.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 3: MEXICO / TEOTIHUACAN / PUEBLA (2h30 drive)
Breakfast.
Departure for Teotihuacan.
Stop Plaza of Three Cultures, built on the old main square of the city of Tlatelolco. Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the symbol of the Christianization of the Indians and the War of Independence (1810-1821). Continue to Teotihuacan. Visit a lapidary obsidian.
Tasting of pulque and tequila: typical beverage prepared from the agave.
Lunch with traditional music and view of the pyramids.
Visit the site of Teotihuacan, which means in Mexican mythology "places where the gods were born. This site is the most important of the classical period (from third to ninth century) and marks the beginning of a new type of planning is going to continue to Mexico City today.
Drive to Puebla.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 4: PUEBLA / VERACRUZ (approximately 4 hours drive)
Breakfast.
Tourist few Mexican cities have preserved as faithfully footprint Spanish. In one neighborhood center, there are over 70 churches and 1,000 other colonial buildings, often decorated with tiles painted by hand on which the reputation of the city.
Lunch
Road to Veracruz, a beautiful mountain road.
Veracruz, the port legendary point of departure for the conquest of Cortes is often considered one of the most festive of Mexico. It has a "Zocalo" particularly lively evening tour of the historic center (the Cathedral, Government Palace, the Malecon and Plaza Mayor).
Installation at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 5: VERACRUZ / CANYON DEL SUMIDERO / SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS (about 6 hours drive)
Breakfast.
Route for Chiapas and the town of Chiapa de Corzo.
This is a new highway that will cross the Sierra Madre Oriental to win the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, capital of the state of Chiapas.
Picnic lunch en route.
Drive motor boat (with time) in Canyon Sumidero where you can admire the magnificent gorge with cliffs rocks reach an altitude of 1000 meters and a depth of 150 meters.
Continue to San Cristobal de las Casas, founded in 1528 by Diego de Mazariegos. The city owes its name to the local patron saint (St Kitts) and Bartholomew de las Casas, Spanish prelate of the Order of St. Dominic, patron of the Indian, who was bishop of Chiapas from 1544.
Installation at the hotel. Welcome drink.
Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 6: SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS
Breakfast.
Tourist and market: the life of this city appears to be concentrated in its prodigious market which combines the picturesque costumes of Tzotzil Indians descended from their villages with donkeys and baskets.
Lunch.
Departure to the picturesque village of San Juan Chamula and visit its interesting church, where ceremonies are held astonishing shamans to cure the illnesses Chamulas spiritual, by curses and cures surprising.
Back to San Cristobal in the late afternoon.
Dinner and free time to enjoy the charm of this beautiful colonial city ...
Overnight at hotel.
DAY 7: SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS / AGUA AzZUL / PALENQUE (5 hr drive)
Breakfast.
Departure for Palenque. Stop the waterfalls of Agua Azul, where tons of water in a dazzling white empty into pools of turquoise water surrounded by jungle. Free time and opportunity to swim.
Lunch.
Continue to Palenque.
Installation at the hotel. Welcome drink.
Dinner. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 8: PALENQUE / CAMPECHE (6 hours drive)
Breakfast.
Visit the ruins of Palenque, lost in the midst of lush vegetation. The harmonious proportions of the architecture and strength of the mysterious forest of Palenque are one of the most beautiful Mayan cities of Central America.
Road to Campeche. Stop along the Gulf of Mexico.
Lunch of fish in the sea
Check in Campeche, recently declared World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Visit Campeche, the only walled city in Mexico. Promenade at the heart of the Historic Center, with many cobbled streets and old colonial mansions. Discover the Cathedral and the famous Malecon, beautiful avenue along the Gulf of Mexico ...
Installation at the hotel.
Dinner. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 9: CAMPECHE / UXMAL / MERIDA (approximately 3 hours 30 minutes drive)
Breakfast.
Departure to Uxmal.
Visit the archaeological site considered by some as one of the Seven Wonders of
World because of its location amidst an exceptional natural setting. You will notice the excellent preservation of all buildings of the Classic Maya civilization.
Lunch specialties Yucatan (possibility to taste pibil pollo: chicken cooked in the earth braised in banana leaves) in a traditional restaurant with waitresses in local costume.
Continue to Merida
Installation Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 10: MERIDA / CHICHEN ITZA / VALLADOLID (2h30 drive)
Breakfast.
Tour of Merida, the Cathedral, Plaza Mayor and the Paseo Montejo (great avenue where you can admire the old colonial mansions dating from the turn of the century). Visit the covered market (except Sundays) featuring articles of sisal (henequen), including hammocks but also huipils embroidery, jewelry and weavings.
Then drive to Chichen Itza. Ruling in a Mayan cemetery and found graves colorful and highly decorated.
Lunch with presentation of folk dances (Jarana).
Visit the site of Chichen Itza. The ancient city extended over 300 hectares was founded around 540 AD by Mayan tribes arrived in the South. You can admire the Pyramid of Kukulcan, the Temple of the warriors, the tomb of Chac Mool, the famous sacred cenote (place of sacrifice) and the ground game of pelota.
Continue your journey to Valladolid, a charming colonial city.
Late afternoon available for sightseeing or relax beside the hotel pool.
Welcome drink.
Dinner. Overnight at hotel.
DAY 11: VALLADOLID / CANCUN / HOME
Breakfast.
Depending on schedules, transfer to Cancun airport.
Assisting boarding formalities. Flight bound for France. Dinner and overnight on board.