Mexico City (video):

Day #1: Chapultepec / Reforma / National Museum of Anthropology / Polanco (Mexico City)
The word "Chapultepec" comes from the Nahuatl language. "Chapulli" (grasshopper) and "Tepe" (hill),
which means "Hill of the Grasshopper". The Aztecs considered the grasshopper as a sacred insect with
supernatural powers.
Aerial view of Chapultepec, showing its lake and Paseo de la Reforma, one of the most important streets
in Mexico.

Independence Angel in Paseo de la Reforma, one of the crucial streets of Mexico due to its history and
economic relevance

Chapultepec Castle, where Maximiliano de Habsburgo governed Mexico during the Second Mexican
Empire (mid-XIX century)

The National Museum of Anthropology is one of the biggest museums in the world. It receives more than
2 million visits every year and shows all the heterogeneus culture of each region of Mexico (both the
pre-European era with more than 47 different ethnic/cultural groups, and post-European age). This
museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from the Mexico's
pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone) and the 16th-century
Aztec Xochipilli statue.

Polanco. This neighborhood is notable because of its cultural diversity. The neighborhood is also
populated with expensive offices, restaurants, museums, luxurious stores and shopping malls. Its
Avenida Presidente Masaryk is the highest-priced street and the one with the most upscale boutiques in
Latin America. It is compared by some to Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive or New York City's Fifth Avenue

Day #2 & 3: Historic Center / Ciudad Universitaria / Coyoacn / Xochimilco

The Historic Center contains 9,000 buildings, 1,550 of which have been declared of historical importance.
This is where the Spaniards began to build what is now modern Mexico City in the 16th century on the
ruins of the conquered Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire. As the center of the ancient Aztec
Empire and the seat of power for the Spanish colony of New Spain, the Centro Historico contains most of
the city's historic sites from both eras as well as a large number of museums. This has made it a World
Heritage Site.
Plaza de la Constitucin:

Fine Arts Palace:

Templo Mayor (The most important Aztec Religious Temple):

Metropolitan Cathedral (The first Catholic Church in America). The Spaniards destroyed the Templo
Mayor and built this cathedral under its ashes.

Torre Latinoamericana:

Aerial view from Torre Latinoamericana

Ciudad Universitaria:
It is the oldest and biggest university in all America, founded in the 16th century. It encloses the Olympic
Stadium, about 40 faculties and institutes, the Cultural Center, an ecological reserve, the Central Library,
and a few museums.

Coyoacn:

Coyoacn, named for the coyotes that once roamed around this former village, previously
separate from Mexico City, has been home to everyone from Corts and his Indian mistress La
Malinche, to Frida Kahlo, Leon Trotsky, and Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz. Cobblestone and
quaint, this area is a favorite with Mexican families for a traditional Sunday stroll and has
maintained its bohemian flavor.

Xochimilco
Xochimilco is characterized by the existence of a system of canals, which measure about a total of 170
km2. These canals, and the small colorful boats that float on them among artificially created land called
chinampas are internationally famous.These canals are popular with Mexico City residents as well,
especially on Sundays.

State of Mexico (video):

Day #4: Teotihuacn - The Place where Humans become Gods (State of Mexico)

At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the 1st millennium AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the
pre-Columbian Americas, with a population estimated at 125,000 or more, making it at least the sixth
largest city in the world during its epoch. Apart from the pyramids, Teotihuacan is also
anthropologically significant for its complex, multi-family residential compounds; the Avenue of the
Dead; and the small portion of its vibrant murals that have been exceptionally well-preserved.
Additionally, Teotihuacan exported fine obsidian tools that garnered high prestige and widespread
utilization throughout Mesoamerica.

Quertaro (video):

Day #5: Quertaro City (Quertaro)

The area was settled around A.D. 200 by Mesoamerican groups moving north, and archeological sites
here show Teotihuacan influences. In 1996, the historic center of Quertaro was declared a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO.The city is notable for the many ornate civil and religious Baroque
monuments from its golden age in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 2008, National Geographic listed
Quertaro as one of the top 15 historic destinations of the world.
The Otomi, the Tarasco, the Chichimeca and the Spanish lived together peacefully in the town with
similar standards of living, a rare occurrence at a time when the Indigenous and Hispanic were usually
separated by a large income gap and at odds with one another in other parts of the nation.

Guanajuato (video):

Day #6: Guanajuato City (Guanajuato)

The origin and growth of Guanajuato resulted from the discovery of minerals in the mountains
surrounding it. The mines were so rich that the city was one of the most influential during the
colonial period. One of the mines, La Valenciana, accounted for two-thirds of the worlds silver
production at the height of its production. The city is home to the Mummy Museum, which
contains naturally mummified bodies that were found in the municipal cemetery between the mid
19th and 20th centuries. It is also home to the Festival Internacional Cervantino, which invites
artists and performers from all over the world as well as Mexico. The city was named a World
Heritage Site in 1988.

Downtown Guanajuato:

Colorful allies in Guanajuato:

Juarez Theater:

Mummies of Guanajuato:

Day #7: San Miguel de Allende (Guanajuato)

San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato.
Its Baroque/Neoclassical colonial structures were "discovered" by foreign artists who moved in and began
art and cultural institutes such as the Instituto Allende and the Escuela de Bellas Artes. This gave the
town a reputation, attracting artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, who taught painting. This attracted
foreign art students, especially former U.S. soldiers studying on the G.I. Bill after the Second World War.
Since then, the town has attracted a significant amount of foreign retirees, artists, writers and tourists,

which is shifting the areas economy from agriculture and industry to commerce catering to outside
visitors and residents.
The main attraction of the town is its well-preserved historic center, filled with buildings from the 17th and
18th centuries. This and the nearby Sanctuary of Atotonilco have been declared World Heritage Sites in
2008.

Day #7 (late afternoon): Return to Mexico City

Option #A: Riviera Maya (Yucatn / Quintana Roo /

Campeche - video)

Day #8 - onwards: This is a good option as it mixes wonderful cultural, historical and touristic
experiences
Riviera Maya is located in the Yucatn peninsula and is famous for its large scale all-inclusive resorts and
a historical tourism base of smaller boutique hotels as well as the many fine-dining restaurants available
along the highway 307 and on or near the beaches. Activities at the most visited locations include
jet-skiing, snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming in cenotes, swimming with dolphins, zip-lining, horse riding,
sailing, and guided jungle tours. Archeology is also a big tourist draw in the area, including the popular
archeological sites operated by the Instituto Nacional de Archeological such as Tulum on the coast, and
Chichen Itza and Coba located some distance inland. The self-named ecoparks of Xcaret and Xel-Ha
also include some smaller archeological ruins as part of their attractions, but these natural water theme
parks operated by private business consortia attract much larger crowds due to the diversity and range of
activities provided, such as swimming with captive dolphins.

Chichen Itz

Tulum

Xcaret

Palenque

Cancn

Playa del Carmen

Option #B: Los Cabos (Baja California Sur - video)

Day #8 - onwards: This is a good option for a touristic experience

Cabo has been rated as one of Mexico's top 5 tourist destinations; it is known for its beaches, scuba
diving locations, balnearios, the sea arch El Arco de Cabo San Lucas, and marine life. The Los Cabos
Corridor has become a heavily trafficked holiday destination for tourists, with numerous resorts and
timeshares along the coast between Cabo San Lucas and San Jos del Cabo.
Cabo houses a range of wildlife, including rays, sharks, birds, and a range of fish, such as mahi-mahi
(dorado), and striped marlin.

Option #C: Puerto Vallarta (Jalisco - video)

Day #8 - onwards: This is a good option for a touristic experience

Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Baha de Banderas.
Puerto Vallarta was once named as La ciudad ms amigable del mundo (The Friendliest City in the
World). The city proper comprises four main areas: the hotel zone along the shore to the north, Olas Altas
- Col Zapata to the south of the Cuale river (recently named Zona Romantica in some tourist brochures),
the Centro along the shore between these two areas, and a number of residential areas to the east of the
hotel zone. The oldest section of the town is the area of Col. Centro near the church of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, especially Hidalgo street.