Veracruz Tour: Enjoy Mountains, Cascades and Know the Coast Culture (15 Days)

Itinerary

1. 1

   Mexico City

   Bienvenidos a la Ciudad de Mexico - the largest city in Latin America where ancient and modern coexist harmoniously. Arrive at any time before meeting your group and Tour Leader in the evening: welcome dinner and get-together with the rest of the group. ­ • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Mexico City • Activities Included : welcome dinner

2. 2

   Mexico City

   In the morning, join your group for a walking tour around the Historic Center: Metropolitan Cathedral, Zocalo, National Palace, and Museum of Anthropology. Then choose by yourself what to do next in this diverse city - your Tour Leader will be happy to give suggestions. Optional dinner and get-together with the group in the evening. ­ • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Mexico City • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : walking tour in Mexico City, guided visit to the Museum of Anthropology

3. 3

   Mexico City - Teotihuacan - Tlaxcala

   After breakfast, we will visit and explore Teotihuacan - a complex of UNESCO-listed pyramids, set amid what was once Mesoamerica’s greatest city. Afterward, we will go to Tlaxcala - the capital of Mexico’s smallest state, largely undiscovered by tourists, unhurried and unself-conscious, with a compact colonial downtown defined by grand government buildings, imposing churches, and a handsome central plaza. Accommodation, optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in Tlaxcala. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Tlaxcala • Meals Included: breakfast • Activities Included: guided visit to Teotihuacan Archeological Zone; walking tour in Tlaxcala

4. 4

   Tlaxcala - La Malinche National Park

   After breakfast and check-out from our accommodation in Tlaxcala, we will go to nearby La Malinche National Park. With an elevation of 4462 meters, it has the sixth-highest peak in Mexico which is frequently used as a training/acclimatization climb by mountaineers. After check-in at our accommodation in a base camp, opt to join your Tour Leader for an easy but spectacular 5-hour hike to the summit or stay in the camp to enjoy other outdoor activities. Optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in our basecamp in La Malinche National Park. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : eco-cabins in La Malinche National Park • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : guided hike to La Malinche volcano; entrance to La Malinche National Park

5. 5

   La Malinche National Park - Cantona Archaeological Zone - Cuetzatlan

   After breakfast and check-out from our accommodation, we will continue our Veracruz Tour in the Cantona Archeologic Zone. This pre-Hispanic city rivaled Teotihuacan barring the way to trade and thus contributing to its decline. Then we will continue to Cuetzatlan - a unique town situated among the mountains, coffee plantations, and tree-like ferns. Accommodation, walking tour around the historic center, optional dinner, and get-together with the rest of the group in Cuetzatlan. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Cuetzatlan • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : guided visit to the Cantona Archeologic Zone; walking tour in Cuetzatlan

6. 6

   Cuetzatlan

   After a morning visit to nearby waterfalls, opt to explore the town or visit some of the nearby attractions: ­ • Jardin Botanico Xoxoctic. Enjoy the exuberant wildlife and the perpetual mist that blankets countless types of multicolored orchids, arborescent ferns, and butterfly gardens. • Caves systems, with Aventura Cave being the most popular and easily accessible. Just 10 minutes drive from the center of the town it is 420 meters long and goes to a maximum depth of 80 meters under the ground. ­ Optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in Cuetzatlan. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Cuetzatlan • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : visit to Cuetzatlan Waterfalls

7. 7

   Cuetzatlan - Yohualichan Archeological Zone - Tlapacoyan

   After breakfast and check-out from our accommodation, we will go to visit and explore the Yohualichan Archeological Zone. First settled by the Totonacs and later overthrown by the Aztecs, the present indigenous inhabitants of the area are Aztec ancestors. After a tour of the pyramids, continue our Veracruz Tour towards Tlapacoyan - a small town famous for the nearby Filobobos Ecological Reserve. Accommodation, optional dinner, and get-together with the rest of the group. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house around Tlapayocan • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : guided visit to Yohualichan Archeological Zone

8. 8

   Tlapayocan - Filobobos Ecological Reserve - Costa Esmeralda

   In the morning, go rafting in Filobobos Ecological Reserve. In the afternoon, continue to our accommodation in Costa Esmeralda. This is one of the most popular parts of the Gulf of Mexico's coastline due to its pristine beaches that are perfect for swimming and diving. Optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Costa Esmeralda • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : rafting in Filobobos Ecological Reserve

9. 9

   Costa Esmeralda - Ciénega del Fuerte State Park

   Relax on the beach before going for a boat tour in Ciénega del Fuerte State Park in the afternoon. The park has a large expanse of rainforests and offers an opportunity to watch crocodiles and birds in its mangroves. Optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Costa Esmeralda • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : boat tour in Ciénega del Fuerte State Park

10. 10

    Costa Esmeralda - Veracruz

    In the morning, after breakfast and check-out, go to Veracruz - the oldest port in the country defined by its history, traditions, joyful people, and delicious food. Walking tour around the Historic Center, free time, optional dinner, and get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Veracruz • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : walking tour in Veracruz

11. 11

    Veracruz

    Free day - choose whether to explore the city, relax on the beach, or visit some of the nearby attractions: ­ • Chachalacas Beach with its 550 acres of dunes and spectacular views of the ocean is a perfect site to ride 4x4 motorcycles, slide yourself from the dunes, and feel the adrenaline in throughout your body. • La Antigua - an important spot in the history of Veracruz, as it was the first European village founded in Mexico, in 1519, by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. • Cempoala - an archaeological site that was the capital of the Totonac civilization at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards. ­ Optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Veracruz • Meals Included : breakfast

12. 12

    Veracruz - Tlacotalpan - Orizaba

    In the morning go to Tlacotalpan. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, this town is located on the banks of the Papaloapan River. After a walking tour of the, a boat ride, and a free time in the town, we will continue to Orizaba. Guarded by the spectacular snowy Pico de Orizaba, this city has created its own personality combining colonial architecture with green and colorful natural landscapes. Accommodation, orientation walk, optional dinner & get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Orizaba • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : orientation walks in Orizaba & Tlacotalpan; boat tour in Tlacotalpan

13. 13

    Orizaba

    Free day - choose whether to explore the city and/or visit some of the nearby attractions: ­ • Los 500 Escalones: beat the challenge of walking up the 500 steps and admire the Elephant Waterfall next to the Rio Blanco Canyon from one of its 3 viewpoints. • Cañón de la Carbonera: with a length of 8.5 kilometers and a depth of 200 to 750 meters, the reserve has at least 24 waterfalls, 12 springs, and 4 caverns, the ideal place to visit and practice canyoning, hiking, and rappelling. ­ Optional dinner and get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Orizaba • Meals Included : breakfast

14. 14

    Orizaba - Cholula - Puebla 

    In the morning head to Cholula - the oldest city in America inhabited without interruption since its origins, where you will see The Great Pyramid of Cholula, the world's largest pyramid topped by the Virgen de Los Remedios church. Then we will continue to Puebla, Mexico's fourth-largest city with well-conserved colonial architecture chosen by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Walking tour, optional dinner, and get-together with the rest of the group in the evening. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Accommodation : conveniently located, locally-owned hotel/B&B/guest house in Puebla • Meals Included : breakfast • Activities Included : walking tours in Cholula & Puebla

15. 15

    Puebla - Mexico City

    Breakfast, check-out, and departure to Mexico City. ­ • Transportation : private vehicle • Meals Included : breakfast

Important information

Meeting point

• Your accommodation in Mexico City (exact location to be provided in trip notes before the tour).
  Zócalo, Ciudad de México
  View on Google Maps

Cancellation policy

100% charge if you cancel less than 360 hours in advance. 50% charge if you cancel less than 720 hours in advance. No charge if you cancel more than 60 days in advance.