CINCO CIVILIZACIONES PLUS

Mapa de tour

Day 1: Arrival to Mexico City. Transfer to the hotel.

Day 2: Mexico City Tour – National Museum of Anthropology – Teotihuacan.

Impressive megapolis showcasing Mexico’s unique combination of Indians, Mestizos, Creoles and Europeans. The capital is a city of mixed emotions, splendid colors and spicy tastes. You will see: “Zocalo”, the main national square, ruins of the ancient Aztec city Tenochtitlan, and the National Palace. See murals by Mexico’s greatest artist, Diego Rivera. These colorful murals depict Mexico’s pre-Columbian Indian history, the colonial period and the Revolution.

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 Maya. Cast your eyes on the immense Aztec Calendar Stone.

Then visit Mexico’s grandest archaeological site, ancient Teotihuacán (80km from Mexico City) Sixth largest city in the world in 400 A.D., Teotihuacán was mysteriously abandoned 300 years later, centuries before the Aztec occupation. Visit the Jaguar Palace and Temple of the Plumed Conch Shells. Wander around Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. Stroll along Avenue of the Dead, flanked by temples and palaces. Return to hotel.

Day 3: Frida Kahlo Museum – Trotsky Museum – 170 km- Taxco – 260 km – Acapulco.

For an offbeat travel experience in the Mexico City area, consider a visit to the Museo Frida Kahlo in Coyoacan. Hidden behind high cobalt blue walls at the corner of Londres and Allende in this charming southwestern suburb, the museo is where the surrealist artist Frida Kahlo was born, grew up and later lived with her muralist husband Diego Rivera, from 1941 until her death at age 47 in 1954. Fascinating not only for the collections and personal effects of the two great artists it contains, the museum also affords a window on the lifestyles of affluent Mexican bohemians during the first half of this century.

Lev Trotsky was a rival of Iosif Stalin following Russian revolution and death of its leader, Vladimir Lenin. Trotsky in fact at first had an upper hand, created and commanded the victorious revolutionary Red Army, but Stalin outwitted him and succeeded in sending Trotsky into exile to Mexico. There, Trotsky continued to be an untiring critic of Stalin and the direction he was taking the Soviet Union. Stalin then sent a spy who killed him. Sightseeing of Taxco, “the city of silver”. Colourful city surrounded by mountains and charming pebbled streets, tour includes a visit to the baroque style Cathedral known as Santa Prisca.

Day 4: Acapulco – City tour – Cliff Diving – Acapulco.

Cliff Diving is the most famous attraction in Acapulco, with a tradition of many years, these brave men perform dives from a 45 meters cliff in a sheer inlet of the Pacific Ocean, overcoming rocks, and guessing if there would be enough water for the immersion.

This show is carried out during the day and night, being the last one the most impressive as the divers wave torches while plunging into the dark. This 40 years attraction is a must if you visit Acapulco that starts in the moment the diver climbs the cliff and pry the Guadalupe Virgin before carrying out the jump.

The incredible cliff divers also perform acrobatics for the enjoyment of the surprised spectators.

Day 5: Acapulco – 770 km – Oaxaca.

Now is time to start your path towards the Caribbean coast. Scenic drive through four states, you arrive in Oaxaca. Accommodation at the hotel.

Day 6: Oaxaca – 10 km – Monte Alban – Tule – 250 km – Tehuantepec.

Tour to Monte Alban. This city-state is strategically situated at 2000 m above the sea-level and used to be a religious center of the tribe of Zapotecs. Fascinating in its geometry, the city contains the ball games field, the observatory, the world-famous wall portrayals of the dancers etc. Arrival to the city of Tehuantepec. Check-in to the hotel.

Day 7: Tehuantepec – 370 km – Sumidero Canyon – San Cristobal de Las Casas.

To the famous Sumidero Canyon, further – by the water boats. You will be amazed of the exotic vegetation, caves and altars – Sumidero Canyon is one of the most fascinating places in Mexico. Again, by land to the most Indian city, the former capital of the state of Chiapas, the city of San Cristobal de Las Casas. Check-in to the hotel.

Day 8: San Cristobal de las Casas – 220 km – Waterfall Misol-Ha – Palenque.

City Tour to the most “Indian” city of Mexico with a visit to its market. Visit to the Indian villages of Zinacatan and San Juan Chamula. Visit Waterfall Misol – Ha. Arrival to Palenque, check-in to the hotel.

Day 9: Palenque – 365 km – Campeche.

Visit the archeological center of Palenque, one of the most magnificent sites of Mayan civilization. This City-Gallery contains stone portraits of priests and of the emperor Pakal II, as well as a dynastic chronicle, the temple of the Sun and the Cross, ‘spaceman’ image on the wall of the Emperor Pakal sarcophagus, and many other wonders. This City of Mysteries is densely covered in tall jungle foliage. Crossing the Usumacinta River we arrive to Campeche, famous by its 17th century walls. Check-in to the hotel.

Day 10: Campeche – 171 km – Uxmal – 80 km – Merida.

Enjoy a completely different landscape, get to know the city-port with its boisterous pirate history. Uxmal is an incredible representative of Puuc architecture. You cannot miss the oval-shaped foundations of Pyramid of the Wizard, or the Governor’s temple adorned with 365 masks of Chaak, the rain god.  Roam through Nuns’ Square, the Temple of Turtles. Arrive to Merida. Check-in at hotel.

Day 11: Merida – 107 km – Chichen Itza – 50 km – Ek Balam – 180 km – Cancun.

Travel through fields of henequen, natural fiber, the ancient currency of  Yucatan. Arrive to Chichen-Itza, rightly named ‘Wonder of the New World. This temple complex beautifully represents Mayan – Tolteque culture.

Only the elite – Magicians, scientists, and ‘soccer’ players could access this special landscape of white stone and ‘eyes’ of the earth – underground lakes. Such temples, belonging to Mexico’s classical and post-classical periods, were never seen in action by the Spanish colonisers. When the Europeans came, the Temples were already abandoned. Arch-astronomy was developed here, a world-view holding Philosophy and History to be identical.

View the Pyramid of Kukulkan, ‘the feathered serpent’, the field of ball games, the observatory and much more. Swim in Ik-Kil cenote, ‘a place where the wind is born’, and the Yucatan’s most beautiful karsts lake.

Finally we visit Ek Balam, the archeological center celebrating fantastic discoveries of the last decades. Learn how recent discoveries have flipped understanding of Mayan culture upside down. Only a small area is visible, the remainder of the city is buried under thick jungle. Spot the Acropolis, Ball Game field, Twin Buildings, Observatory, and ritual saunce, the Temascal. Arrive to Cancun.

General information

• Groups of no more than 16 people
• 5* hotel in Mexico City for every client
• Traditional gifts, drinks, pleasant surprises for clients
• VIP gift upon arrival to Cancun
• Radio guide (for groups more than 10 pax)
• Professional, highly qualified Russian speaking guides
• New transportation, last 3 years model (except Guatemala)
• DVD in the transportation with themed movies in Russian language
• Satellite vehicle tracking system