05| Viva Mexico Tour | 7 Days - 6 Nights

05| Viva Mexico Tour | 7 Days – 6 Nights

Here in the origin country of the Mariachi, the color, the food and the tequila will be always waiting for you with unimaginable experiences. For those looking for places full of culture, with historical legacy, colonial monuments, world-class museums, pyramids, and pre-Colon archaeological sites, Mexico has unimaginable treasures. Let yourself be enveloped by the most representative sites of Pre-Hispanic Mexico and Colonial Mexico, visit amazing archaeological sites, cities and towns that seem to have frozen in the Colonial era which was decisive in the history of our country, because after…

Monuments / Attractions Envisaged

Tepotzotlan: Museum of the Vice Regal or Colonial Period.

Tula: The Burnt Palace, the Ball Court, the “Atlantes” Sculptures.

Queretaro: Sightseeing on the City.

San Miguel de Allende: Sightseeing on the City.

Dolores Hidalgo: Bell of Independence.

Guanajuato: Sightseeing on the City.

Morelia: State Museum.

Santa Clara del Cobre: Sightseeing on the town.

Patzcuaro: Sightseeing on the City.

Tlaquepaque: Sightseeing on the town.

Guadalajara: Cathedral of Guadalajara, Plaza de Armas, Government Palace, Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres.

Tequila: National Museum of Tequila.

Accommodation Overview

As part of the Viva Mexico tour you will be staying at a selection of four star hotels.

Equipped with modern day facilities, these hotels are known to offer the utmost care and comfort along with high standards of service.

Accommodation for your tour will be as described below, at the following properties:

1 Night at Galeria Plaza 5* or Similar in Mexico City on Bed and Breakfast basis.

1 Night at Mision Queretaro Juriquilla 5* or Similar in Queretaro on Bed and Breakfast basis.

1 Night at Mision Guanajuato 4* or Similar in Guanajuato on Bed and Breakfast basis.

1 Night at Mision Catedral Morelia 4* or Similar in Morelia on Bed and Breakfast basis.

1 Night at Mision Patzcuaro Centro Historico 4* or Similar in Patzcuaro on Bed and Breakfast basis.

1 Night at Mision Carlton Guadalajara 4* or Similar in Guadalajara on Bed and Breakfast basis.

Hotel Galeria Plaza 5* – Luxurious hotel which is set in a prime location in Zona Rosa, Mexico. Renowned as Mexico’s leading hotel, it serves as a perfect base for guests staying for either business or pleasure purposes. The hotel is set in the heart of the financial and commercial district, and is five minutes from the Paseo de la Reforma’s office buildings. Explore the nearby boutiques and fine dining restaurants which surround the hotel.

Mision Queretaro Juriquilla 5* – Hotel Misión Juriquilla Querétaro offers first class accommodation on a renovated 18th century hacienda north of the city of Queretaro, surrounded by gardens and buildings that evoke colonial Mexico. An ideal setting for immense conventions, business groups, weddings and guests who enjoy a refined atmosphere, always with the hospitality tradition of Hoteles Mision.

Mision Guanajuato 4* – First class lodging in this historic city of Guanajuato. Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with its colonial architecture and romantic atmosphere, is an excellent destination to spend unforgettable moments. Hotel has 138 rooms, with first class services and amenities. You will find a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, tobacco shop, laundry and dry cleaning and souvenir shop. Located next to the former Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera Museum, 20 minutes from the airport, 40 minutes from the city of Leon and 3 hours 45 minutes from Mexico City.

Mision Catedral Morelia 4* – Hotel in Morelia city with cozy rooms, some with own terrace or balcony, where you can admire the beauty of this colonial city. 61 fully equipped standard rooms. The magnificent services and details of the hotel will make you live a cozy stay at the same time that your corners, corridors, balconies and terraces will make you return in time.

Mision Patzcuaro Centro Historico 4* – Hotel in Patzcuaro located in the heart of the village, the 82 rooms and suites of four stars of category, equipped with all the services and amenities that will allow you to feel at home. Restaurant bar with capacity for 80 people in which you will enjoy delicious breakfasts, buffet and a rich traditional cuisine.

Mision Carlton Guadalajara 4* – Hotel in Guadalajara great for leisure or work trips due to a strategic location in the center of Guadalajara, close to the main government offices, means of transport and attractions. Hotel has 207 rooms fully equipped, privileged location in the heart of the city only 20 minutes from the airport and 15 minutes from Expo Guadalajara, a few blocks from the historic center and close to museums such as the Guadalajara Regional Museum or Jalisciense Craft Institute.

* Please note that should accommodation in the above listed hotels not be available at the time of your visit we will offer a similar standard.

Board Basis (Meal Plan) & Included Services

Welcome greeting at the airport in Mexico City.

Transportation in air conditioned vehicles.

English speaking guide during the days of the tour.

06 nights accommodation at the hotels mentioned above in DBL occupancy.

Daily breakfast at all the above hotels.

Visits mentioned in the itinerary, including entrance fees to the archaeological sites.

Government taxes.

Exclusions

Expenses of personal nature like tipping, laundry, telephone/fax calls, alcoholic/non- alcoholic beverages, camera/video camera fee at monuments, medical expenses, airport taxes, any insurance etc.

Any meals other than the mentioned.

Gratuities in hotel (maids and bell boys).

Beach extension hotel.

Information

7 Days - 6 Nigths

Mexico City & Country Center

Departure/Starting City

Mexico City
Hotels during Tour

Galeria Plaza 5* or Similar (Mexico City) | Mision Queretaro Juriquilla 5* or Similar (Queretaro) | Mision Guanajuato 4* or Similar (Guanajuato) | Mision Patzcuaro Centro Historico 4* or Similar (Patzcuaro) | Mision Carlton Guadalajara 4* or Similar (Guadalajara)

From Our Gallery

Day 1: Arrival in Mexico City

Arrival in Mexico City. Transfer to hotel.

Overnight in Mexico City | Hotel Galeria Plaza 5* or Similar | Standard room on Bed & Breakfast basis

Day 2: Mexico City – Tepotzotlan – Tula – Queretaro

Tepotzotlan is a city and a municipality in the state of Mexico. It is located 40 km northeast of Mexico City about a 45-minute drive along the Mexico City-Querétaro. In Aztec times, the area was the center of a dominion that negotiated to keep most of its independence in return with being allied with the Aztec Triple Alliance. Later, it would also be part of a “Republic of the Indians,” allowing for some autonomy under Spanish rule as well. The town became a major educational center during the colonial period when the Jesuits established the College of San Francisco Javier. The college complex that grew from its beginnings in 1580 would remain an educational center until 1914. Today this complex houses the Museo del Virreinato (Museum of the Vice Regal or Colonial Period), with one of the largest collections of art and other objects from this time period. Tula Archeological Site, which was the most important of the Toltec Culture, with a series of important buildings, such as the Central Altar, the Coatepantli, also known as the wall of the serpents, The Burnt Palace and the Ball Court. Still spectacular and one of the most regarded attractions are the “Atlantes” Gigantic Stone Sculptures of enormous warriors that symbolized the army, prevalent before the Aztec take over. After this visit we will continue to Queretaro in the afternoon to visit the city. Queretaro was an important city during the Colonial Period, surrounded by gold and silver mines, which produced wealth to build and impressive colonial architecture, filled with eighteenth century mansions and churches, specially nominated by the UNESCO. Queretaro is a state capital north west of Mexico City, which played an important role in history, where the insurgent plans were prepared for the Independence from the Colonial Domination of Spain in the Early 19th Century. Queretaro witnessed the burial of Austrian Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. It was also the siege of the Promulgation of the Constitution that emerged from the Mexican Revolution 1910-1917.

Overnight in Queretaro | Hotel Mision Queretaro Juriquilla 5* or Similar | Standard room on Bed & Breakfast basis | Travelling Distance Approx. 237 km

Day 3: Queretaro – San Miguel de Allende – Dolores Hidalgo – Guanajuato

We will continue the route of the most outstanding cities of the 18th Century, which in 1810 played the role of the “Cradle of Independence”. These cities surrounded by important mining facilities, also constructed monumental colonial buildings of outstanding architecture. First stop will be San Miguel de Allende with elegant mansions and palaces which were the residence of the owners of the silver mines. Today San Miguel is a City sponsoring art in all sorts of manifestations. Later, through a patch of mountains, we will reach Dolores Hidalgo where the Bell of Independence was first sound on the 15th of September of 1810. We then a bit later, will arrive to Guanajuato, a State Capital and a very important Colonial City during the Spanish Domination. The Historic District is a very well conserved jewel and tourist destination.

Overnight in Guanajuato | Hotel Mision Guanajuato 4* or Similar | Standard room on Bed & Breakfast basis | Travelling Distance Approx. 161 km

Day 4: Guanajuato – Morelia

Today we will leave from Guanajuato to the neighboring State of Michoacán. We will drive towards Morelia through one of the most fertile vegetable intensive agriculture land and pass rivers and lagoons along the way before we reach this other State capital. Morelia was founded in 1541. It was named Valladolid by Don Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of “Nueva España” as the Country was known during the Colonial Period. In 1828, it was renamed Morelia in honor of Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon one of the Generals who consolidated the Independence of Mexico. In Morelia, We will visit the State Museum: this 18th century mansion was restored to contain the State Museum in 1986. It is divided into three sections: Archaeology, History and Ethnology. There is example of an antique pharmacy dating from 1868. The city is really imposing; you will feel back in the 17th and 18th century due to the excellent conservation of the Colonial Heritage.

Overnight in Morelia | Hotel Mision Catedral Morelia 4* or Similar | Standard room on Bed & Breakfast basis | Travelling Distance Approx. 178 km

Day 5: Morelia – Santa Clara del Cobre – Pátzcuaro

We will depart from Morelia onto Santa Clara del Cobre which is a town and municipality located in the center of the state of Michoacán, Mexico, 18 km from Patzcuaro and 79 km from the state capital of Morelia. While the official name of the municipality is Salvador Escalante, and the town is often marked as "Villa Escalante" or "Salvador Escalante" on maps, both entities are interchangeably called Santa Clara del Cobre. The town is part of the Pátzcuaro region of Michoacán, and ethnically dominated by the Purepecha people. These people have been working with copper since the pre-Hispanic era, and led to this town’s dominance in copper crafts over the colonial period (1519–1821) until well into the 19th century. Economic reverses led to the industry’s near-demise here until efforts in the 1940s and 1970s managed to bring the town’s work back into prominence. We will continue to Patzcuaro. Since the Mexican Revolution, Patzcuaro has worked to keep its traditional colonial-indigenous look. Unlike the capital, houses in Patzcuaro are made of adobe and/or wood and generally have tiled roofs. Cobblestone streets dominate the center of town down to the lake. The town is filled with stores and vendors selling a wide variety of crafts, many in bright colors. Patzcuaro is the market hub of the region, with smaller villages bringing in their own specialized crafts such as copperware, black pottery, musical instruments, baskets etc. Local dishes include tamales filled with fish, tarasca soup, red pozole, atole, and a number of cold drinks based on corn. The courtyards and balconies are almost always filled with flowering plants, which is a tradition in Patzcuaro, with many homeowners sharing tips and plants with each other, sometimes even cross breeding a new variety of flower.

Overnight in Patzcuaro | Hotel Misión Patzcuaro Centro Histórico 4* or Similar | Standard room on Bed & Breakfast basis | Travelling Distance Approx. 91 km

Day 6: Patzcuaro – Tlaquepaque – Guadalajara

Today we will leave onto Tlaquepaque, a fashionable colonial neighborhood in the southeast of Guadalajara, was once a small village in its own right, even in pre-hispanic times. Today, it’s a trendy (and touristy) boutique shopping district offering fine arts & crafts, galleries and excellent food. If you are visiting Guadalajara city, make sure that you spend a few hours exploring the many treasures of historical Tlaquepaque. Continue to Guadalajara. Guadalajara is Mexico's second biggest city, and in many respects can be considered the quintessential Mexican destination. This is the birthplace of mariachi music and tequila, but also one of the country’s industrial and business centers, sometimes referred to as Mexico's Silicon Valley. Unlike many colonial cities that maintain their original town plan, in the 1950s Guadalajara underwent a major project that changed the face of the city. Older buildings were razed to allow for wide avenues with new constructions, underground parking lots and shopping centers. Fortunately, the most beautiful older buildings were left intact. At the heart of Guadalajara is the cathedral. With its twin pointed towers and central dome, it is the most recognizable landmark on the Guadalajara skyline. The Cathedral is surrounded on all four sides by plazas. Plaza Guadalajara faces the church. Its central fountain depicts two lions with their paws resting on the trunk of a tree, the city's coat of arms. To the south is the Plaza de Armas with its art nouveau bandstand and matching lampposts. The adjacent Government Palace has a lovely baroque facade and a spectacular mural in the interior main staircase, which was painted by Jose Clemente Orozco. To the north of the Cathedral is the Rotondo de los Jaliscienses Ilustres. This green space has a central circular monument with seventeen ribbed columns; the statues surrounding it represent Jalisco's illustrious sons (and one daughter), people from Jalisco who have made notable contributions in arts, science and politics.

Overnight in Guadalajara | Hotel Mision Carlton Guadalajara 4* or Similar | Standard room on Bed & Breakfast basis | Travelling Distance Approx. 278 km

Day 7: Guadalajara –Tequila – Puerto Vallarta

On the last day, we will leave to visit Tequila. In the area around the town of Tequila in the state of Jalisco, greenish blue fields of agave stretch out mile after mile over the rugged, hilly terrain. All of the tequila in the world, some 60 million gallons a year, is produced in this region, which includes parts of the states of Guanajuato, Nayarit, Michoacán and Tamaulipas. In 1978 the “Appellation of Origin Tequila” was instituted, decreeing that agave-based drinks made anywhere else may not be labelled tequila. On our visit to Tequila you will see the town's 18th century church, the National Museum of Tequila and tour a distillery or two where you'll learn about the tequila-making process and sample different varieties of the spirit. We will continue to our final destination Puerto Vallarta.

Drop off at your selected hotel | Travelling Distance Approx. 340 km