Magical Mexico, from Mexico City to the Yucatán

A big day in the capital. Visit to the National Museum of Anthropology, one of the finest in the world, home to the famous Aztec Sun Stone. A trajinera ride — those colorful boats — on the Xochimilco canals, picnic to the sound of mariachis. In the afternoon, the Zócalo and its giants: the National Palace and its Diego Rivera murals, the cathedral, and the Templo Mayor, last vestige of great Tenochtitlán. In the evening, dinner in town to taste real tacos.

On the way, a stop at the Basilica of Guadalupe, Latin America's foremost pilgrimage site. Then on to Teotihuacán, “the place where the gods were born”: the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and the great Avenue of the Dead, seen from above, take your breath away. Tequila and pulque tasting, a typical lunch with pre-Hispanic dances, back to Mexico City for the night.

Morning flight to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the heart of Chiapas. Lancha ride through the spectacular Sumidero canyon, between dizzying walls, waterfalls, egrets, and spider monkeys. Lunch near Chiapa de Corzo, then the climb to San Cristóbal de las Casas, a colonial city perched at 2,300 m in the green mountains. Dinner and night there.

A day meeting the Indigenous communities of the highlands. In San Juan Chamula, the striking church where Maya rituals and Catholicism merge; in Zinacantán, a welcome into a Tzotzil family and an initiation into tacos and guacamole. Back to San Cristobal and free time to wander its markets and colonial lanes. Dinner and night in town.

Early departure on a superb mountain road descending from pine forests to tropical jungle. A swim at the Agua Azul waterfalls, grilled fish lunch at the foot of the falls, then a visit to the ruins of Palenque, lost in lush vegetation — arguably the most bewitching of the Maya cities. In the evening, piñata breaking before dinner and the night in Palenque.

Road to the gulf: a seaside ceviche lunch, then arrival in Campeche, Mexico's only fortified city, UNESCO-listed. A stroll through the historic center with its cobbled lanes and colorful colonial mansions, cathedral and seafront Malecón. Free dinner and night in this charming city.

On to Uxmal, jewel of the Puuc style: the oval Pyramid of the Magician, the Governor's Palace and its friezes carved with Chac masks rank among the finest achievements of Maya art. A lunch of Yucatecan specialties (pollo pibil cooked in the earth), then arrival in Merida, “the white city”: Plaza Mayor, Paseo Montejo, cathedral, and covered market. Dinner and night there.

A stop in Izamal, the “yellow city” painted entirely saffron, a former Maya religious center. Buffet lunch with a jarana show, then a visit to Chichen Itza : the Kukulcán pyramid, the Temple of the Warriors, the ball court, and the sacred cenote. Dinner and night steps from the site.

Transfer to the airport in Cancun, with a possible stop in Valladolid, a pretty colonial town. Free lunch, then the flight home to France (the flight cannot depart before 4pm). Night on board.

Rather than heading straight home, extend with a few beach days on the Riviera Maya (see “Extend the adventure”).

Breakfast on board and arrival in France during the day, your head full of pyramids, Maya markets, and colonial cities. ¡Hasta pronto!