Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico City. Your adventure begins with an included group transfer to your hotel. You will have the afternoon free to explore before meeting your Local Leader and fellow travel mates this evening. After your welcome meeting, head out to a local restaurant to sample one of Mexico’s most celebrated dishes – tacos. You may like to accompany your tacos with a refreshing local beer or even horchata, a milky cinnamon rice drink. (d)

Take a private vehicle to San Pedro Tlahuac where Nahuatl descendants preserve pre-Columbian traditions – this is one of the last remaining places in Mexico that still has the canals and chinampa farms from the times of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Start your visit in a family kitchen where tortillas are freshly pressed and cooked before being taken to the local market to sell. Be sure to sample the tortillas before boarding a trajinera for a ride to the chinampas. These colorful flat-bottomed boats are used to navigate through the canals. Tour the chinampas with a Nahuatl farmer, who will show you their crops, explain how they make a chinampa and their tips for a successful harvest. Fill a basket with vegetables, which you’ll turn into a salad for lunch. A fresh and colorful spread will accompany your salad – tortillas stuffed with pork or vegetables and hibiscus tea. After, head back to the center of Mexico City, enjoying the rest of the day at leisure. Perhaps relax in Chapultepec Park, take in some of the city's notable museums, or check out the home of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. (b,l)

Pick up the rest of your travel mates today and head out of town by public transport, experiencing how locals move about this crowded city. Hop off at the archaeological area of the Teotihuacan pyramids and explore the grounds. Visit the Moon Pyramid, the Calzada de los Muertos (Dead Pass), and the Sun Pyramid, the tallest and most spectacular in the area. Next, head to a nearby village and stop by a family-run business where you’ll learn about obsidian – the material that the Teotihuacan people use to make their tools, idols and decorations. You’ll also get to sip pulque (an ancient sacred drink), considered by some as the great-grandfather of tequila! After working up an appetite, be welcomed into a family home for a memorable lunch where you’ll be served authentic dishes bursting with local flavors and plenty of Mexican hospitality. After lunch, head back to Mexico City where the rest of the day is free for you to explore. (b,l)

Visit a Mexico City institution: a two-story bakery brimming with cakes, breads and biscuits, followed by a walking tour of the Centro Historico. Take in the beautiful Bellas Artes Palace, travel down the Paseo de la Reforma thoroughfare, and marvel at the enormous Zocalo square. Along the way you'll visit Mercado San Juan, the city’s main food market, then roam the surrounding streets and watch local vendors at work. Pull up a chair at one of the best seafood stands in the city for a late lunch. Catch a local bus to Puebla, a city known for its long culinary history. Puebla is renowned for dishes which combine Spanish and pre-hispanic influences, such as chiles en nogada (stuffed chillies covered in creamy walnut sauce). Venture out on a culinary city tour – start with some Pueblan street food like tacos Arabes (a style of taco created by Puebla’s Middle Eastern immigrants), or chalupas (fried tortillas with a spicy filling). Then, make a beeline for Calle de los Dulces (Sweet Street) to sample tortitas de Santa Clara (shortbread biscuits) and camotes (sweet potato lollies). Save space for a cinnamon-dusted churro or two! (b,l,d)

Travel by bus to Oaxaca, a beautiful colonial city nicknamed the ‘land of the seven moles’. On arrival, head straight for the bustling Mercado 20 de Noviembre for lunch. Amongst the many great choices, tlayudas are a Oaxacan staple you shouldn’t miss. Next up, visit the fabulous Mercado Benito Juarez, a bountiful market taking up a full city block and brimming with produce, mole spices and pastes, and towers of Oaxacan cheese. With free time for the remainder of the day, you can continue to roam the markets, people watch in the zocalo, or take a gentle stroll around Oaxaca’s beautiful streets. (b,l)

With a free day, you may like to visit the archaeological site of Monte Alban, an outstanding example of a pre-Columbian ceremonial center. The terraces, dams, canals, pyramids and artificial mounds of Monte Alban were carved out of the mountain. Those with a sweet tooth can find several shops on Calle Mina at which to learn about the production of real Oaxacan chocolate – and of course taste this regional specialty. This evening you’ll be joined by a local chef for a visit to the market, learning about Oaxaca’s produce and cuisine from an expert. You’ll then take the ingredients you’ve picked up at the markets and learn how to transform them into traditional Oaxacan dishes, which you’ll then enjoy for dinner. (b,d)

Today you will venture out of Oaxaca for an insight into regional life. First, head to the ancient ruins of Mitla. Mitla (the Nahuatl word for 'underworld') is an important Zapotec archaeological site and was the main religious center for the Zapotec people. At lunchtime, explore the abundant Mercado Tlacolula - renowned for its barbacoa and the ideal choice to fuel you through till dinnertime. On the way back to Oaxaca, stop into a mezcaleria (mezcal distillery). Although this tequila-like drop is experiencing a resurgence in popularity all over Mexico, it is largely produced in Oaxaca. It's generally enjoyed straight up, so it's not for the faint-hearted! (b,l)

Your adventure ends today with an included group transfer to the airport. Want to stay a little longer? Ask about our Huatulco extension! (b)