Mexico City – Puebla Gay Cultural Tour

Day 1:  Mexico City, “The City of Palaces”

Welcome to Mexico City, the largest metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere. Grab your bags and enjoy your transfer to our hotel. To celebrate our arrival, we’ll enjoy a welcome drink at a nearby restaurant that overlooks the Cathedral and National Palace. After that, we will have our welcome dinner at the Terrace of the Gran Hotel, a dining experience that beautifully entwines both indoor and outdoor atmospheric elements.

Day 2: 20th Century Mexican Architecture

We’ll start our day with a walking tour through the Coyoacan neighborhood and end up at Frida Kahlo’s home, the Casa Azul, where Frida lived the majority of her life. The Casa Azul (Blue House) is both a look into the life of Frida Kahlo and a testament to the beauty of early 20^th Century Mexican architecture. Next, we will follow this with the Saturday Art Market, El Bazaar Sabado, in San Angel, where we’ll see stall after stalls of handmade jewelry, textiles, crafts, and accessories.

After that, we will grab some lunch, enjoy a boat ride, drinks, and mariachi music at another World Heritage site, the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. In the evening, you’ll have the opportunity to dine at your leisure.

Day 3: Pyramids of Teotihuacan

Today we will enjoy a visit to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, a World Heritage Site, and an enormous archaeological complex. We will marvel at the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, Pyramids of the Sun, and the Moon and even see how families lived around the time of 100 BC.

After the pyramids, we will have a traditional lunch served in a private home and then head to the Shrine of Guadalupe. The Shrine is located in the Basilica of Guadalupe and is an important pilgrimage site and one of the most frequented churches in the world. Then this evening, enjoy a stroll through entertaining pedestrian walkways.

Day 4: Mexico City to Puebla, “The City of Angels”

Today, we’ll see an early morning as we head to Puebla. We will make a stop for breakfast and then enjoy a visit to a Talavera workshop, followed by a walking tour of downtown. Lunch today will be at a lively café in the town square. We’ll check into our hotel in the Centro Historico district, then take a walking tour of Puebla. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to visit markets with antiques, crafts, and tianguis. We’ll then take a culinary tasting tour of the local market.

Day 5: Puebla and The Great Pyramid of Cholula

This morning, we will visit the Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest pyramid constructed in the world. Next, we will visit two baroque churches: San Francisco Acatepec and Santa Maria Tonanzintla, then pause for a delicious lunch. Then we will enjoy the Amparo Museum, followed by the Rosary Chapel and the Church of Santo Domingo. To conclude the day, we will experience live music and dinner at the La Casa del Mendrugo, where you can see a unique skull and other interesting art.

Day 6: Puebla to Tlaxcala to Mexico City

Today we will make our way from Puebla to Tlaxcala, the capital of the state of the same name, and the smallest state in Mexico. This area is rich in tradition, history, and colonial architecture. It happens to be surrounded by beautiful mountains as well. We will visit the hilltop archeological site of Cacaxtla, built by the Olmec culture around 700 AD. Lunch will be enjoyed at a local restaurant and you will have the opportunity to test the “Drink of the Gods” Pulque. After lunch we will continue our journey to Mexico City and the rest of the day will be free.

Day 7: Chapultepec Park and Castle – Anthropological Museum

Today we will start out by visiting Chapultepec Park. Then we will go to the local Anthropological Museum, to see the world’s largest pre-Columbian relics, artifacts, and art. We’ll enjoy lunch on our own, before heading to Chapultepec Castle, the only castle in North America to have ever housed actual sovereigns. We’ll finish our day with food and a great atmosphere.

Day 8: Count del Valle Palace – Diego River Mural Museum

We will start today by heading to Count del Valle Palace (House of Tiles), one of the most beautiful pieces of Spanish baroque civil architecture. We’ll then head to the Iturbide Palace and Cultural Museum, once the home of Agustin de Iturbide, who accepted the crown after Mexican independence from Spain. Next, we will visit the Diego Rivera Mural Museum, followed by lunch. A later stop will be the Museum of Popular Art, where you’ll see handcrafted Mexican folk art. After the museum, we’ll head to the Mercado San Juan traditional food market. Here you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the variety and uniqueness of food and atmosphere. Afterward, we’ll have drinks and enjoy our farewell dinner.

Day 9: Departure Day

Today we will enjoy one last breakfast together and then take our transfers to the airport.