Mexicana
Express
trip itinerary and details

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Mexicana Express 8 days: US$2565 Currency Converter Mexico City to Cancun - contact us for help with flights.  Countries visited: Mexico Viva Mexico! Mexicana Express is an 8-day sampler of this vibrant country, from the Diego Rivera murals of Mexico City to the Mayan pyramids and mysterious ball-courts of Uxmal and Chichen Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.  So grab your sombrero and we'll see you in Mexico!  And as on all Southern Crossings tours, you're taken care of from beginning to end: airport transfers are included! Depart any day you wish! If traveling alone, please add a single supplement of $780 for your very own trip!

Day Location 1 Arrive Mexico City - downtown city tour 2 Mexico City - Museum of Anthropology, Kahlo and Trotsky houses/museums 3 Ruins of Teotihuacan 4 Flight to Mérida - city tour 5 Uxmal ruins - Valladolid 6 Chichen Itza, Cancun 7 Cancun beaches or depart early 8 Departure day - transfer to Cancun airport

 

Day	Activity/Location
1	Arrival in Mexico City and transfer to our hotel.  Please arrive by 12pm to take part in our first city tour.  Called simply "Mexico" by Mexicans, Mexico City can be a daunting and huge destination, but just stick with us for three days of safe but exciting exploration of this massive megalopolis. After settling into our hotel, we'll head first to the zócalo, one of the largest public spaces in the entire world.  After spending some time visiting the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the main temple of the Aztecs, we'll walk a few blocks to Alameda Park, home to the Palace of Fine Arts and the Mural Museum of Diego Rivera. To round out our first day, we'll have dinner in the Zona Rosa, a glitzy neighborhood of shops, restaurants and discos.
2	We'll spend this morning visiting Parque Chapultepec and its massive National Museum of Anthropology, where we can see art and artifacts from the pre-Columbian sites we've visited as well as those we won't have time for on this trip.  The highlight for many is the giant golden sun disc of the Aztec Empire. In the afternoon we'll stop in at Frida Kahlo's "Blue House" as well as the Trotsky Museum, both in the lively bohemian neighborhood of Coyoacán.  Dinner overlooking one of Coyoacan's lively plazas.
3	This morning we visit one of the great archaeological centers on the planet, the massive Temples of the Sun and Moon at Teotihuacan.  Mistakenly believed by many to be Aztec, the Teotihuacan were their own pre-Aztec civilization, leaving behind two of the biggest pyramids on the planet.  Afternoon free for independent exploration, shopping or a sidewalk cafe coffee.
4	We catch a flight this morning from Mexico City to Mérida, back on the Yucatan Peninsula. Merida is a pleasant colonial city with great restaurants, cafes, museums, churches and shopping!  We'll have an included city tour, then you're free to go off and bargain for that, sombrero, hammock or Panama hat!
5	This morning we head out to the Mayan site of Uxmal.  Uxmal has some of the most ornate and complex architecture in all of the Mayan World, exemplifying what is known as the "Puuc style".  After our guided tour, we'll take a short bus ride to Valladolid, a pleasant, classically Yucatecan town in the heart of the peninsula.  In the afternoon we'll visit the city's Dzitnup cenote for a refreshing afternoon swim.
6	We saved the best for last: Chichen Itza, one of the "new seven wonders of the world".  Chichen Itza is the most well-known of the many Mayan sites and also one of the largest. Rising to prominence at the end of the Mayan Classic era and then reborn under Toltec influence just before the Spanish arrived, Chichen Itza boasts several large temples and pyramids, an astronomical observatory, a sacrificial well, many excellently carved stelae, and the largest ball court of any Mayan ruin. It is a great introduction to pre-Columbian civilization. We'll take a guided tour and then spend some time exploring this fascinating site on our own.  In the afternoon we'll head back by first-class bus to Cancun and, if you're up for it, a night on the Mayan Riviera!
7	This is a free day enjoying some of the great stretches of beach behind your hotel, lounging in the pools, or maybe getting some last minute souvenir shopping done. Optionally, you may reduce your trip by one day and depart today.  Airport transfer is included.  Take off $200 to make day 7 Departure Day.
8	Departure Day - transfer to Cancun airport

TRIP DETAILS

8 days: US$2565 Currency Converter
Mexico City to Cancun - contact us for help with flights
Countries visited: Mexico
 

Joining the tour
On all Southern Crossings tours, you are met at the airport by one of our representatives(holding a Southern Crossings placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel.  No bargaining or being ripped off by airport taxis! 

What's included in the trip 

• Airport pickup/drop off and transfer to/from hotel

• Southern Crossings bilingual guides

• All internal transport

• Internal flight, Mexico City-Merida

• Seven nights tourist-class hotel accommodation

• Entrance fee and guided tour of the ruins of Aztec Templo Mayor, Teotihuacan, Chichen Itza, Uxmal

• Mexico City city tours including Templo Mayor, Cathedral, Presidential palace (murals of Diego Rivera) Palace of Fine Arts, Mural Museum of Diego Rivera, houses/museums of Kahlo and Trotsky

• Half day tour of the National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico City

• Merida city tour

• Valladolid cenote entrance

• All internal transport

What's not included
International flights, international airport departure taxes, pre- & post- tour accommodation, visas, vaccinations, personal insurance, meals, drinks, laundry, souvenirs, optional excursions, tips and other items of a personal nature. Medical travel insurance is not included through Southern Crossings though we do require that you have a policy. Check www.travelguard.com to purchase a policy for your trip

Single Accommodation supplement: $280
Please add this amount to the payment if you wish to have private accommodation throughout the trip.

Diving?
Please add $180 for one two-tank dive (in Cancun).

PRE-TRIP PLANNER

All travelers to Mexico are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for E.U., U.S., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders. Other nationalities, visit www.mexicanconsulate.org.uk/visas/AVISA_WEB.htm for Mexico immigration regulations.  An onward ticket and proof of funds may also be required at entry and should be available to show to immigration. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, is sufficient for proof of funds.

Before you can confirm your booking through Southern Crossings, we need proof that you have medical travel insurance. We do not sell policies, but we can recommend www.travelguard.com

No immunizations are required of travelers except a yellow fever vaccination if coming directly from a yellow-fever infected area such as sub-Sahara Africa or South America.  Travelers may wish to receive hepatitis vaccinations and should be current on all other standard vaccinations.  The areas we are visiting are technically a malarial zone, but malaria is very rare.  Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.

Travelers should expect some mild, temporary discomfort such as diarrhea from the change of diet.  For more serious intestinal illnesses, medicines such as ciprofloxacin and metronidazole are available over the counter from pharmacies.  We will not reach any elevations above 2400m on this trip.

Our trip will be an active tour which includes rainforest walking, exploring ruins and snorkeling (or diving if certified). Please note you don't have to snorkel.  One should come well prepared for outdoor activity at temperatures ranging from 10 to 30 degrees Celsius, and for extremes of sun and the possibility of rain. A suggested list of things to bring would include:

•Passport and, if necessary, visa
•Traveler’s checks and/or cash card
•Airline ticket
•Photocopies of airline ticket, documents
•Wearable pouch for documents and money
•Large, sturdy backpack (much preferable to a suitcase)
•trekking boots, comfortable and worn-in
•Sandals or flip-flops for beaches, showers
•Rain poncho or jacket
•Hat for sun
•An extra layer for a chilly evening
•T-shirts, shorts, for hot weather
•Socks, undergarments
•Beach towel
•Flashlight (head lamps are very handy)
•Sunscreen lotion
•Insect repellent (15% DEET recommended)
•Lip balm
•Earplugs
•Camera and film
•Alarm clock or watch
•Sanitizing hand wipes or lotion
•Camera and film
•Camera batteries
•Playing cards, games, reading material
•Prescription medications
•Toiletries

Note that common clothing, batteries, film, medications, and such toiletries as toothpaste, toothbrush, toilet paper, deodorant and feminine hygiene items are available in the Maya World. Best to bring from home such items as prescription meds, eyewear and care, shoes, unusual film and camera batteries.

Rain is possible at any time of year, especially in the rainforest and in high mountains, and one should always be prepared. The climate in sites we will visit is as follows:

Mexico City: temperate, pleasant climate, except for all the smog!  Cool evenings.

Yucatan Peninsula: Mostly dry and arid, extremely strong sun.  Chance of strong thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon.

Money guide

The unit of currency in Mexico is the peso. Currency Converter

Automatic cash points are available in all cities we will visit (Mexico City, Cancun, Merida, Valladolid). Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards.  Banks and exchange houses are available in all cities.  For currency, U.S. dollars are recommended and most easily exchanged.

Expect to spend about US$8-10 on a meal, US$2 on a beer or soft drink in Mexico.  Prices are slightly lower in Guatemala and almost double in Belize.

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 Consultants and
participants in the

Kids TV Series
Are We There Yet?
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"Southern Crossings arranged for us to see so many wonderful things, to enjoy so many activities and to meet so many interesting and wonderful people.  There  is no way that we could have organized such a complex and interesting itinerary ourselves and no way that we would have known which of the many sites to visit.  On top of this, the local guides are all impressively knowledgeable and present this information so clearly - it makes the locations come alive." - Bishop Family, UK, Mayan World Custom Tour, August 2008

"It was a great pleasure working with Doug Newton and Southern Crossings on our National Geographic family travel TV series ‘Are We There Yet?’.  Doug showed a great flair for coming up with fun things for kids to do at Machu Picchu, and put a lot of thought and time into working with our specific needs.  He was reliable, organized and thorough, plus he was so friendly and calm that he was a pleasure to work with!  Thanks again, Doug!" - Stacey Jenkins, Associate Producer, Sinking Ship Entertainment

info@southerncrossings.com