Mexico: Through The Mayan Heartlands

Group Tour

Overview

With its rich legacy of Aztec, Mayan and Spanish colonial architecture, Mexico is perhaps unsurprisingly home to more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the Americas.

On this epic journey which travels from Mexico City in the Central Highlands through the rainforests of Chiapas to the coastline of the Yucatan, we’ll not only have ample opportunities to visit several of these sites (some well-known, others less so) but also to experience the incredible diversity of landscapes, ...

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HIGHLIGHTS

At a glance

MEALS

14 x Breakfasts
13 x Lunches
14 x Dinners

TRANSPORT

On this tour we will use a combination of minibuses and boats

GROUP SIZE

Maximum: 12

EXPERT TEAM

The full services of a Wild Frontiers Tour Leader with local guides where appropriate

ACCOMMODATION

5 nights x Premium
9 nights x Superior

ENTRANCE FEES

All entrance fees for sights mentioned in the itinerary

FITNESS RATING

Low / Moderate

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 11114 Wild Miles

ACCOMMODATION

As an overall ethos, wherever possible we aim to use characterful accommodation that enhances the overall travel experience, not just offers a bed for the night. This can obviously vary dramatically from country to country and from trip to trip. On this particular trip we will predominantly be in comfortable and characterful hotels with 1 night in a simpler hotel (near Tehuantepec, where there are limited options) and 2 nights in a jungle eco-lodge. Please note that the accommodation mentioned in the itinerary is intended as a guide only and is always subject to availability.

FITNESS RATING

LOW: You should be comfortable walking around towns and cultural sites. May include some optional walks (typically 1-2hrs).

LOW/MODERATE: May be of a long duration and/or involve numerous border-crossings. May include easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-3hrs/day). You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle.

MODERATE: May include several easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-5hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle. Previous experience of similar trips helpful.

MODERATE/HIGH: May involve several days of moderate hiking (up to 3-6 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

HIGH: May involve several days of moderate/strenuous trekking (up to 4-7 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a very fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.

Wild Miles Club

When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:

Blue More than 10,000 points 2.5% discount
Bronze More than 30,000 points 5% discount
Silver More than 45,000 points 7.5% discount
Gold More than 60,000 points 10% discount

Positive Impact of this Trip

Tree
Ten trees are planted per passenger on this trip
Community
Supports Wild Frontiers Foundation community projects
Wind Turbine
A contribution to renewable energy projects

Map & Itinerary

Individual departures may vary so please refer to the information in the tour specific links in the Dates and Prices section below

Mexico: Through The Mayan Heartlands
EXPAND ALL ITINERARY DAYS
COLLAPSE ALL ITINERARY DAYS

Day 1 Tour starts in Mexico City

Day 1 Tour starts in Mexico City

The tour starts this evening in Mexico’s bustling capital. Rooms will be available from early afternoon for anyone arriving before the suggested group flights (see GETTING THERE section below).

NH Collection Centro or similar
Dinner

Day 2 Mexico City

Day 2 Mexico City

One could easily spend a week or more exploring the many sights in and around Mexico’s capital so, by its very nature, our time spent here cannot be fully comprehensive. However we aim today to provide a good introduction to the city and the country by first visiting the excellent Museo Nacional de Antropologia, home to one of the largest Mesoamerican collections anywhere in the world and which will provide an important context for many of the places we will visit later on in the trip. We’ll also visit the vast expanse of the iconic Zocalo square, and take a tour through the heart of the city’s colonial past, taking in the stunning facades of the National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral.

NH Collection Centro de Mexico or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 Mexico City - Puebla - Oaxaca

Day 3 Mexico City - Puebla - Oaxaca

Our journey today will take us through magnificent Mexican countryside to the picturesque city of Oaxaca. Our actual driving time will be about 6hrs but will be broken up with a visit to the charming historic city centre of Puebla, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to more than 70 churches and thousands of colonial buildings.

Casa Conzatti or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 Oaxaca

Day 4 Oaxaca

This morning we’ll head out to see one of the region’s most significant pre-Columbian ruins, Monte Alban, otherwise known in indigenous languages as ‘At the Foot of the Sky’ or ‘Sacred Mountain.’ This partially excavated site is characterised by several hundred terraces and a dozen clusters of mounded architecture. Later we’ll return to Oaxaca for a guided tour around this stunning city that is home to several impressive colonial buildings including the cathedral, the Templo del Carmen Alto and the Templo de Santo Domingo.

Casa Conzatti or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 Oaxaca - Mitla - Tehuantepec

Day 5 Oaxaca - Mitla - Tehuantepec

After a visit this morning to the nearby Teotitlan del Valle, which is admired locally for its textiles, we’ll head into the foothills of the Sierra Madre to discover the well-preserved Zapotec archaeological ruins of Mitla, renowned for its geometric mosaics. We’ll then continue down towards the Pacific coast and the town of Tehuantepec which will provide us with our night stop.

Hotel Calli or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 Tehuantepec – Sumidero Canyon - San Cristobal de las Casas

Day 6 Tehuantepec – Sumidero Canyon - San Cristobal de las Casas

Heading into the state of Chiapas we’ll make for the Sumidero Canyon to take a wonderful boat trip through the majestic rock walls of the canyon towering thousands of feet above the water. We hope to catch glimpses of the local wildlife such as crocodiles, spider monkeys, cormorants and herons. On our return to the dock we’ll continue into the highlands, finally arriving at the beautiful town of San Cristobal de las Casas.

Villa Mercedes or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 San Cristobal de las Casas

Day 7 San Cristobal de las Casas

This morning we’ll visit the nearby local indigenous towns of San Juan Chamula and San Lorenzo Zinacantan, which are famous for their unusual religious traditions, including drinking copious amounts of Coca Cola in an attempt to ward off evil spirits! Please note that in these towns photography inside the churches and of any religious parades is strictly forbidden. Whilst in Zinacantan, we'll drop into a weaving mill run by three sisters to learn more about their lives and art form in the rural, indigenous village over some freshly prepared tortillas. In the afternoon we’ll return to San Cristobal where the rest of the day will be free to relax and enjoy the surrounds of this enduringly popular destination.

Villa Mercedes or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 San Cristobal de las Casas – Las Guacamayas

Day 8 San Cristobal de las Casas – Las Guacamayas

Eschewing the more commonly taken direct route to Palenque we instead opt to take the so-called Frontier Highway which runs along the border with Guatemala. This route will take us along rough roads into the rainforest to access the ecotourism project of Las Guacamayas, established by local villagers and which benefits from a remote jungle location. This will be our base for the next two nights.

Las Guacamayas Eco Lodge or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 Las Guacamayas

Day 9 Las Guacamayas

With a full day in the jungle, there will be time for early morning boat rides along the Lacantun and Tzendales Rivers, both of which lie within the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, and which offer great wildlife spotting opportunities. In the afternoon we’ll also be able to go for a hike through the forest to see the flora of this protected zone as well as an area where parrots often come to feed. Las Guacamayas is a special place that offers a good insight into the natural wonders of Chiapas and is a project we are proud to support.

Las Guacamayas Eco Lodge or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 Las Guacamayas – Yaxchilan - Frontera Corozal

Day 10 Las Guacamayas – Yaxchilan - Frontera Corozal

This morning we’ll make for one of the least visited and most impressive Mayan sites – Yaxchilan – renowned for its incredible setting and ornamental facades. In the afternoon a boat ride takes us along the Usumacinta River, the natural border between Mexico and Guatemala, as the calls of large troops of howler monkey remind us just how far from modern civilization we are. We return back up the river to our overnight cabins close to our embarkation point.

Centro Ecoturistico Escudo Jaguar or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 Frontera Corozal - Bonampak - Palenque

Day 11 Frontera Corozal - Bonampak - Palenque

After breakfast we’ll make for Bonampak – the fascinating and well-guarded secret of the Lacandón forest. These ruins are famous for the astonishing paintings inside the Templo de las Pinturas, with vivid depictions of battles and bizarre rituals unmatched in the Mayan world. After time to take in these magnificent surroundings, we’ll head on to Palenque, aiming to arrive at our hotel in the afternoon.

Chan Kah Eco Hotel or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 Palenque – Campeche

Day 12 Palenque – Campeche

Early in the morning we head for the archaeological site of Palenque - one of the most spectacular Mayan sites anywhere in Mexico. Engulfed by jungle and occupying a high escarpment on the northern edge of the Chiapas Highlands, these captivating ruins span nearly a thousand years of history. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city once lay at the heart of the Mayan empire and its revered Templo de las Inscripciones is considered one of the most important burial sites ever discovered in the Americas. After a comprehensive visit, a six hour drive takes us finally into the Yucatan peninsula. Here we’ll spend the night in the wonderfully preserved Baroque city of Campeche that was built by the Spanish to protect their ports from pirates such as Francis Drake. With two forts and part of its old defensive walls still intact, Campeche contains some superb examples of 17th and 18th century Spanish military architecture, whilst its main plaza is a great place to soak up the rich ambience of modern life.

Hotel Plaza Campeche or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13 Campeche - Uxmal - Merida

Day 13 Campeche - Uxmal - Merida

Our drive through the Yucatan this morning will take us to Uxmal to visit the stunningly preserved ruins of one of the finest Mayan cities ever built. Once one of the largest cities on the Yucatan Peninsula, Uxmal can boast the spectacular setting of the Palace of the Governors, considered by many to be one of the finest examples of classical Mayan architecture anywhere. It is also home to the mystical Pyramid of the Magician, a 38 metre high structure that is in fact five superimposed temples. This afternoon we’ll continue on to Merida, the cultural hub of the Yucatan Peninsula, blessed with some very impressive colonial architecture.

Gamma El Castellano or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14 Merida - Chichen Itza - Merida

Day 14 Merida - Chichen Itza - Merida

To avoid the inevitable but understandable crowds, we’ll have an early start as we make for Chichen Itza, one of the most awe-inspiring attractions in Latin America. This pre-Columbian city is famed for the intricately designed Castillo pyramid where human sacrifices were made. Later there will be an opportunity to stop at a picturesque cenote (sinkhole) for a quick swim before returning to Merida for our last night. The afternoon will be free to explore the city, however in the evening we will regroup to head out for our final night in Mexico.

Gamma El Castellano or similar
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15 Tour ends in Merida

Day 15 Tour ends in Merida

The tour ends after breakfast.

Breakfast

ACCOMMODATION USED ON THIS TOUR

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Hotel Rating

Ultra
The best of the best, the ultimate in luxury
Luxury
Outstanding service and facilities, giving you the 5* experience
Premium
Excellent standards offering a higher-end experience
Superior
Good quality service and overall comfort
Simple
No frills, basic accommodation, but often in the most exciting of places

Accommodation displayed here should be taken as a guide only. *Please refer to the Detailed Itinerary of your individual departure for more information.

PRIVATE HOLIDAYS: DATES DON’T FIT?

All group tours can be taken on a private basis.

Additional Details

Responsible Travel

With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit.

When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats. 

Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.

Stay at Las Guacamayas Ecotourism Centre

Certified by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Las Guacamayas lives and breathes its strong beliefs in sustainable tourism. The founders belong to the Chinantecos ethnic group and formed the ‘Ejido Agragarian Reform’ in 1980 with 40 other local families to provide economic support for the rural communities of this remote area of the rainforest. After finding success by growing chilli peppers, the cooperation later turned to environmental education and projects, receiving a grant from the Ministry of Tourism in 1996 to build infrastructure and to establish the scarlet macaw conservation project, which had been created and endorsed by the Indigenous National Institute five years prior. Still very much entrenched in the principles on which it was founded, the cooperative now uses its 2463 hectares to benefit the region in multiple ways, from agriculture and local schooling to conservation and running an ecolodge. Needless to say, Las Guacamayas is an incredible initiative that we are proud to support and we like to give our clients the opportunity to do so as well. During their stay, guests can expect to learn about the group’s conservation efforts by visiting the Scarlet Macaw Project and embarking on various hikes and safari excursions into the Chiapas jungle and the nearby Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve. 

Reducing Single Use Plastic

We recognise the environmental issues and challenges around single-use plastic in many countries we visit and are actively working with our partners on the ground to reduce plastic waste on our tours and within the hotels and restaurants we visit. You can help to reduce your personal plastic waste by taking a refillable, filtered water bottle with you on your trip. Filtered water bottles can be refilled from water sources including your hotel room and restaurant taps, drinking fountains and refill stations. Every time you refill your bottle without the use of single-use plastic, you will be helping to reduce waste and protect the environment. Filtered Water Bottles | Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com)

Getting There

If you would like us to send you a quote for the suggested tour flights or on any alternative flight that may suit you better, please let us know, noting that for our US clients, we will most likely refer you to one of our preferred partners. For this trip our suggested flights from the UK (subject to change) are shown below.

If you wish to arrange your own flights you are completely free to do so and in this case we can arrange any transfers or supplementary accommodation that you may require. However please note that if you are planning on making your own flight arrangements, we recommend that you first check with us to see if the trip is guaranteed. We then suggest that you purchase flights that are flexible and ideally refundable as due to the nature of adventure travel, itineraries and destination accessibility can change at any time. For more information, please refer to our booking conditions.
 

Flight Code Departing Arriving
UA 879 London Heathrow (LHR) 10:05 Houston Airport (IAH) 15:50
UA 429 Houston Airport (IAH) 19:40 Mexico City Airport (MEX) 21:15
UA 1427 Merida Airport (MID) 08:00 Houston Airport (IAH) 10:15
UA 880 Houston Airport (IAH) 16:20 London Heathrow (LHR) 07:25

Visas

VISAS

Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here - www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa

For this tour UK passport holders currently do not require a visa for Mexico. However, those travelling on the suggested group flights will require a visa or an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa waiver to transit the USA. If travelling on a British passport, you should just need an ESTA. 

Please note that as of January 2016 US policy (subject to change) has stated that anyone wishing to travel to or via the USA must have a biometric passport. In addition, anyone who has travelled to several countries including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Cuba, Yemen or Somalia since March 2011, is required to apply for a US visa (rather than just an ESTA). If you are affected by this, the process is fairly straightforward and you can read more about it here - www.wildfrontierstravel.com/us-visa.

Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.

Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements.

VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

There are no mandatory vaccination requirements for travellers to Mexico.

For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider. 

Malaria is present in some parts of Mexico and precautions are essential.

For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk

Covid Testing: No mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers.

If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.

Extensions

If you have more time available, why not arrive early to adjust to a new time zone or just to get a feel for the country before your tour starts? Alternatively, you might choose to allow a few extra days after the tour to relax or to undertake some further exploration.

The choice is completely yours and we can usually arrange anything from simply additional accommodation and transfers to full tailor-made itineraries*. Please contact the office for more details and to discuss your requirements.

*Please note bespoke, tailor-made itineraries need to be a minimum of 7 days and we can only offer them in countries where we have a tailor-made expert

Governmental Travel Advice

Many governments issue advice which highlights potential hazards their citizens might experience when travelling abroad. We strongly suggest you refer to your country’s particular advisory site before booking and contact us if you have any queries or concerns. Click to follow links to the advice of the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the US State Department.

Non-UK citizens should consult the travel advice of their respective governments.

Key Information

CLIMATE

Being such a diverse country which ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific and which comprises deserts, mountains and rainforest, it is hard to give an overall picture on Mexican climate. However it is possible to say that although it is absolutely viable to visit Mexico year-round, the months of November to April are generally considered the dry months and the best time to visit, and as such we can expect many fine sunny days with temperatures generally in the mid-20s (C).

IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?

It may sound obvious but Wild Frontiers tours are not always for everyone and it is important to us that the tour you choose is the most suitable. All our tours have a fitness rating as a guideline but you should check the day-by-day itinerary carefully. In certain instances we may ask you to complete a travel questionnaire before confirming your booking in order to ensure your suitability. Should you have any concerns about your ability to partake in any aspect of the tour then please contact the office.

KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER

Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour. Roads in Mexico are of mixed quality so come prepared for some smooth rides as well as some bumpy ones, especially in Chiapas. This is a big trip covering approximately 2500kms so by necessity some of the days will involve long drives, but the diversity of scenery and people that you’ll see along the way will more than make up for this. 

THE NATURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL

We feel that it’s worth pointing out that while we will always strive to stick as close to the stated itinerary as possible, it may be necessary from time to time to make changes to our itineraries or services (due to weather, political and religious influences etc.) and this can happen with little or no notice. This unpredictability can be one of the most exciting aspects of adventure travel and for many of our clients often leads to unexpected highlights as the tour-leader necessarily adapts the tour to the changing conditions. However we are aware that this lack of assuredness may not suit everyone. As such, with the greatest respect, if you are someone who needs to know that everything will happen exactly as planned, we would kindly suggest that perhaps our tours are not for you. Adventure travel can be infectious and once you’ve caught the bug, it is likely to never leave you, but especially if this is your first such tour we would strongly urge you to give us a call if you have any concerns whatsoever about your suitability for this trip.

TRAVELLING SOLO AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS

As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone!

Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation, but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip.

On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour.

Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.
 

INSURANCE

Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. If you choose to purchase the Wild Frontiers bespoke policy through Travel & General (currently available to UK residents only) then please note for this trip the minimum required level of cover will be the Standard policy. Please see the Insurance section for more details.

General Information

TOUR PRICE

All our tours are priced on a land-only basis, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding how to get to and from your tour.

DEPOSIT

A 10% deposit is required to confirm your booking.

PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY

For further details please see our travelling with peace of mind page

WILD MILES

This tour will earn you 11114 Wild Miles

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.

Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatory
Tips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents
International Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UK
Airport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights
Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs

WILD FRONTIERS COMMUNITY

If you’re still not sure if this trip is right or just want to see get some different perspectives, then why not have a look at the wide variety of resources we have on our website? Browse our community section to read our blogs, watch videos and find out about our events. 

WHY WILD FRONTIERS?

We are frequently asked what makes Wild Frontiers different from other tour operators. Visit our Why Wild Frontiers page to find out.