Mexico City & The Beach

Upon arrival, you’ll meet your Almaz Journeys driver and English-speaking guide for your private transfer to your accommodations in Mexico City.

A sprawling city simply bursting with energy, Mexico City is a true melting pot of international talent. Known for its incredible range of fine dining options as well as some of the cities best street food. There are countless ways to spend your days – from visiting nearby ruins, to touring the home of Frida Kahlo, to participating in a cooking class, to catching a local wresting match (lucha libre). Mexico City is an urban jungle with something to offer anyone.

Lodging Option: The Wild Oscar

Located in the neighborhood of Polanco, The Wild Oscar is a great contemporary option. With a nice rooftop offering 360 degree views of the city, an onsite restaurant, a robust wine bar, and a complete fitness center – The Wild Oscar makes for a great base from which to explore the city.

After breakfast you will be met by your driver and guide who will take you to Coyoacan, a former colonial village, located in the southern part of the city. Coyoacan still has its own identity, with narrow colonial-ear streets, plazas, cafes, and a lively bohemian atmosphere. Your guide will accompany you on a walking tour of the area, admiring the main plaza, churches, and colorful old buildings.

You will then visit Frida Kahlo’s home (museum – The Blue House), where she was born and lived much of her life, and eventually died. The house is a treasure trove, not only of her paintings, but also of innumerable artifacts associated with her and her husband, famous muralist Diego Rivera.

You will then drive to visit the Casa Estudio Diego Rivera designed by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera ´s friend: architect and painter Juan O ´Gorman.

You will have the late afternoon and evening to enjoy the city on your own.

Today you will enjoy a market visit followed by the chance to try your hand at cooking your own Mexican meal. Your culinary adventure will begin at a local cooking studio, in the charming neighborhood of Roma Norte. You will be welcomed with an ‘agua fresca’ (fruit juice) or a Mexican coffee while the local chef introduces you to the robust gastronomic history of Mexico. You will then walk to the traditional neighborhood market, Mercado de Medellin, where you will get to taste local delicacies such as mamey fruit or, if you are feeling adventurous, grasshoppers. Here you will also pick up the ingredients for the meal you are about to create alongside the chef.

Back at the studio the hands-on cooking class will begin. You will help to prepare a 4-course menu from scratch, including an appetizer of distinct Mexican salsas, prehispanic “mextlapiques”, a traditional “mole blanco” dish, and sweet corn cakes for dessert. When it’s time to eat your meal will be paired with artisanal mezcal, Mexican craft beer, Mexican wine, or local fruit juice.

After breakfast your guide and driver will meet you for a full day of exploring some of Mexico’s most important historic sites, the main attraction being the ruins of Teotihuacan. On the way to the ruins you will stop at “Plaza de las Tres Culturas” as well as the Shrine de Guadalupe. This shrine is where it is said that the Virgin de Guadalupe appeared before Juan Diego in 1531, miraculously emblazoning her image on his cloak. You will have the chance to see the New Basilica de Guadalupe (the Old Basilica, built in 1700, is slowly sinking) and to see Juan Diego’s cloak.

You will then drive for another hour to Teotihuacan, one of the most impressive cities of the ancient world, a sacred site for the Aztecs. You will explore its temples, palaces and pyramids, including the Quetzalpapalotl Palace, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the immense Pyramid of the Sun, ranked among the biggest in the world.

In the evening you will enjoy a classic Lucha Libre fight. The raucous and dramatic Lucha Libre is quite an experience. Mexico’s version of professional wrestling is one of the country’s biggest spectator activities, characterized by colorful masks, flamboyant personalities, and a whole lot of spandex. You will meet your guide, a former luchador, in front of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Your first stop on this walking tour is a local bar for a mezcal tasting (non-alcoholic options will also be available) and some delicious guacamole, while your guide shares the history, rules, and rising stars of Lucha Libre.

You will then decide what character you would like to be, either a técnico (hero) or rudo (villain) and you will get to pick out your own mask (included) so that you look the part. You will then walk with your guide to the Arena Mexico for the main spectacle. The tour finishes after the show, potentially having lost your voice from all the cheering and screaming.

You will be picked up at your hotel in Mexico City and driven to the airport for your domestic flight (price not included). Upon landing in Puerto Escondido you will be picked up at the airport by your private driver and taken to your hotel, located on the stunning Pacific coast.

Lodging Option: Escondido Hotel 

Located on the wild Pacific Ocean is Escondido Hotel – aptly named the lost hotel. Each room has sea views, a private terrace, and a small private pool. The hotel is a bit outside of the town of Puerto Escondido making it the perfect place to enjoy the surrounding area but also to truly escape and simply listen to the sound of the waves.

Today after breakfast you will drive with a local guide along the Oaxacan coast taking in stunning views as you visit some of the areas most magical villages. The first stop will be the charming town of Mazunte, known for its spiritual centers and abundant sea turtle population. You will visit the towns turtle center and learn about the breeding and preservation of the areas variety of turtles.

You will then continue into town to see one of the area’s thriving small businesses, an organic cosmetics shop that produces high quality products. The next stop will be Zipolite, a nude beach with some of the areas most enticing waves. You will have time to enjoy the beach on your own. Continuing on you will travel to Puerto Angel, a local fishing village, where you will enjoy a fresh seafood lunch, at a typical local spot where the focus is the ingredients and the connection to the sea.

Located on the Pacific Ocean, Puerto Escondido takes a bit of effort to get to which is why it also is not yet as overrun by tourists as other beach towns in Mexico. With plenty of different beaches to choose from, Puerto Escondido is known as a surfing mecca and not all beaches will be friendly options for your average swimmer. Playa Zicatla is the best choice for those looking to enjoy the water and is also a great area for trendy beachside smoothie huts and atmospheric candlelit restaurants. Enjoy today at leisure to relax on the beach or explore at your own pace.

Today you will enjoy a private fishing tour out on a boat. A local guide and fisherman will take you out for a few hours of fishing in the abundant waters of the Pacific Ocean. After returning to Puerto Escondido the guide will cook up anything that you caught to be enjoyed for lunch!

Enjoy the late afternoon and early evening at your own leisure.

Today you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the airport in a private transfer for onward travel.