Mexico Colonial Cities Tour

All Inclusive Guided Tour ~  7 Days 6 Nights

Pricing 

 

Price per Person

 

 

 

Single

$2,071

 

 

Double

$1,571

 

 

* Call Us Direct to Arrange Pre & Post Nights
or Specialized Pick-Ups.

For questions or comments about any of our Mexico Tours please contact us directly at
(602) 938-0951 or email us
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Tour Begins in Guadalajara

 

DAY 1 – Guadalajara

 

Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico, and is a modern metropolis with an international flavor that still maintains its colonial traditions. An early afternoon arrival, with a transfer to the hotel, located in the heart of the beautiful historical district. This evening features a walking tour of the main plazas that surround the historical center, including a visit to the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Government Palace where we will enjoy viewing the murals by José Clemente Orozco. The day ends with a ride in a horse-drawn carriage through the elegant residential sector, lined with mansions dating back to the 19th century. (D)

 

DAY 2 – Guadalajara and Tequila

 

This morning we will visit the town of Tequila, where the internationally renowned Mexican beverage is produced by dozens of distilleries set amidst the blue agave fields. We will visit one of these distilleries and enjoy lunch at a Mexican Fiesta. This afternoon we will visit Tlaquepaque. Once a separate village, it is now part of the city of Guadalajara. It has evolved into a trendy suburb famed for its local artistry and is filled with countless shops and an endless selection of arts and crafts. We will have dinner at a local restaurant before returning to our hotel. (B, L, D)

 

DAY 3 – Guanajuato

 

After breakfast at the hotel in Guadalajara we depart to the city of Guanajuato. Once checked into our hotel, we will descend down to the town via a gondola that will take us to the Garden of the Union, the city’s lively focal point. We will enjoy our lunch at a local restaurant. Later, relax on your own, strolling from plaza to plaza down narrow cobblestone streets lined with the gorgeous architecture that has led to the city’s designation as a World Heritage Site. We will return via the underground streets to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (B, L, D)

 

DAY 4 – San Miguel de Allende

 

After breakfast at the hotel, we visit the city of Dolores Hidalgo, the birthplace of the Mexican Independence from Spain. We continue on to San Miguel de Allende, one of Mexico’s most charming towns, also designated as a National Historic Monument to preserve its unique atmosphere. The downtown tour will allow you to admire the colonial homes with their gorgeous inner patios, wrought-iron trimming and massive wooden doors. The square is filled with artists capturing the magic of the city with their paints and easels. This afternoon you will have plenty of time to stroll through the city’s famous art galleries. It’s a true shopper’s paradise. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

 

DAY 5 – Morelia and Pátzcuaro

 

Our route to Morelia will take us through the farmlands of El Bajío, arriving in the city of Morelia for a delicious lunch on a beautiful colonial patio, now part of a hotel. We will tour the city, where the buildings date back to the 17th century, allowing visitors to recapture the spirit of Old Spain.  We will enjoy a visit to the downtown area, where the civil and religious buildings were erected in the 17th century to symbolize the city’s ties to the spirit of the past. We now continue our journey to Pátzcuaro. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B L D)

 

DAY 6 – Pátzcuaro and Guadalajara

 

We travel to Lake Pátzcuaro and the hillside city of Pátzcuaro, which still retains its quaint 16th-century atmosphere. We visit the Vasco de Quiroga square and the House of Eleven Patios. Once a convent, it is now a labyrinth of small shops where the artisans are creating their wares. Afterwards, we’ll go to the ancient capital of Tzintzuntzan, where ancient circular pyramids called yacatas were built overlooking the lake. Following this visit, we will head to the charming Santa Ana monastery, dating back to the 1500s, then keep traveling out to the delightful town of Quiroga, where artisans from around the state display their goods. We return to Guadalajara this afternoon, arriving back to the hotel. (B, L, D)

 

DAY 7 – Return Home

 

Breakfast at hotel and transfer to airport for flight home. (B)

Mexico is, and always will be, defined by its beach cities. But there is much, much more to Mexico than sand and sea. There is a rich history melded together by the Spanish conquerors and the indigenous peoples and you won't find it at the beach. You need to step inside Mexico to really begin to discover and appreciate the soul of the country. It's here in Mexico's gorgeous colonial cities that you'll find the very heart of this magnificent culture.

 

After the conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1521, Mexico was the richest and most prized possession for the Spanish Empire. For 300 years Spain not only ruled Mexico, but also worked diligently to model it after the mother country. The result: a Latin country dominated by European ideas, architecture, monuments and art. The modern day Mexico has more standing legacies to this Spanish colonial era than any other country in the world. (In fact, Spanish Catholics built 12,000 churches in Mexico during that time!) This incredible heritage can be experienced in literally hundreds of cities, towns and villages throughout the country, and Guadalajara, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Morelia and Patzcuaro are certainly at the top of the list.

 

Guadalajara is another of Mexico's overlooked treasures. It is the country's second largest city and is known as the "city of roses." Extremely sophisticated and well preserved, Guadalajara is a wonderful mixture of parks, fountains, plazas, rustic churches and tree-lined boulevards. In addition to the museums, galleries and other cultural offerings, the shopping here is unsurpassed. The suburbs of Tlaquepaque and Tonala are world famous for native crafts, folk art and traditional fine arts of all kinds.

 

Guanajuato is purely Mexican. You won't find many Americans here, but you'll be glad you came. This town is so magical that it's difficult to describe in words, quite simply one of the most amazing cities in all of Mexico. It has mysticism and charm only rivaled by the small Italian villages in Tuscany or the Andalusian cities in southern Spain. Founded in 1557 as a silver mining town, Guanajuato is built over a maze of unusual subterranean street systems. Once used as control channels for floodwaters, the roads twist and turn through stone arched tunnels that bring you to the surface in various locations throughout the city. Above ground splashes of bright greens, blues and yellows give the perfectly preserved buildings a storybook quality. A labyrinth of tiny streets, alleyways and steep stairwells cover the hillsides. This feels much more like a medieval village than a colonial city. If you're into photography, you'll be in heaven!

 

As for the increasingly popular San Miguel de Allende, this wonderfully eclectic and mesmerizing city has one of the largest populations of Americans living in Mexico. It has the unique ability to maintain all of its historic grandeur while thriving as a cosmopolitan art community. In 1951, the founding of the Instituto Allende, dedicated to the study of all forms of art (and considered the largest school of fine arts in Latin America for English-speaking students), established San Miguel as a city devoted to creativity.