Mexico tours

Some things you can do with your group on our Highlights of Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City tour, or during your free time, include:

• Visit a chocolate factory. Chocolate is important to Mexico’s history and culture. On our tour, you can visit a factory for a tasting and a look at how it’s made.

• Take a cooking class. Cooking is an important culinary tradition in Mexico. Travelers visiting the country on our Mexico tours can take a cooking class in a private home to learn about local ingredients, traditional preparation methods, and more.

• Visit a mercado, or food market. In Mexico, markets are packed with vendors selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to homemade bread and colorful candies. Spend time browsing stalls one of these markets for a taste of local life.  

• Taste locally made mezcal. Made from agave plants that grow in Mexico, mezcal is one of the country’s signature spirits (it’s up there with tequila). Visit a distillery to learn how it’s produced and to try a few different varieties.

• Shop for locally made handicrafts in Oaxaca. This UNESCO-recognized city is known for handicrafts such as pottery and textiles. Our trips to Mexico include plenty of free time in the city, which you can spend shopping for the perfect souvenirs to bring home.   

• Swim in a cenote. Adventurous travelers on trips to Mexico can swim in a cenote, which is essentially a large sinkhole or cave filled with cool, clear groundwater or rainwater. Some of the most popular cenotes are located on the Yucatán Peninsula, which you can visit by adding the Riviera Maya extension on our Highlights of Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City tour.

• November - March (dry season). The warm and pleasant, dry season lasts from November through March and is an ideal time to travel on one of our Mexico tours. 

• October and April (shoulder season). Another good time to travel to Mexico is during shoulder season, in October and April when the weather’s still pleasant and there are fewer crowds. Note that if you visit Mexico in early November, you might spot decorations and other signs of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, an important and deeply spiritual holiday during which Mexicans honor loved ones who have passed on. 

• January - March (whale-watching season). This time frame is prime for whale watching off the Pacific Coast of Baja California, the narrow strip of land in western Mexico that extends south from California. If you’re traveling on our Highlights of Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City tour, or one of our other Latin America tours, and would like to visit Baja California, you can lean on our travel experts to help plan an independent pre-or post-tour stay in the area. You can also visit Baja California on a Customized Tour of Mexico expertly planned by our in-house travel team.

If you’re planning to join one of our guided tours to Mexico, these are some must-visit sites:

• Chichén Itzá: Located on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, this popular archaeological site is home to several Mayan Ruins, including the iconic Chichén Itzá Pyramid (it’s also known as El Castillo, or The Castle). Visit during your free time when you add the Riviera Maya extension on our Highlights of Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City tour. And check out 4 things you’ll learn on a tour of Chichén Itzá.

• Tulum Archaeological Zone. This site, situated on a bluff overlooking the Caribbean Sea on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, houses ruins of a walled, ancient Mayan city. It’s another can’t-miss spot for travelers who add the Riviera Maya Extension on our Highlights of Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City tour.

• Coba. Compared to archaeological sites like Chichén Itzá and the Tulum Archaeological Zone, this spot, which is also located on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, sees fewer crowds thanks to its more remote setting. (You’ll see it with a local guide when you add the Riviera Maya extension on our Highlights of Mexico tour.) Bring your sneakers, as you’ll have an opportunity to climb a steep set of stairs to the top of Nohoch Mul pyramid, the tallest Mayan pyramid on the Yucatán Peninsula.  

• Frida Kahlo Museum. This museum, located in Mexico City’s artsy Coyoacán neighborhood, is devoted to the famous Mexican painter. It’s set in Kahlo’s former home and features her artworks and items from her personal collection. Visit the museum during an optional excursion on our Highlights of Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City tour, and spend free time afterward browsing the Coyoacán Market and the Mercado de Antojitos.

• National Museum of Anthropology. Opened in 1964 by Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos, this world-renowned, Mexico City museum houses a treasure trove of archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico’s pre-Columbian heritage.

• Palacio de Bellas Artes. Completed in 1934, this opulent cultural center in Mexico City has hosted events, performances, and exhibitions centered around music, dance, theatre, opera, literature, art, and photography. During your free time on one of our trips to Mexico, you can find it on the western side of the historic center of Mexico City, next to the Alameda Central Park.

• Playa del Carmen. Situated along the Riviera Maya on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, this coastal resort town is known for its laid-back beaches, colorful coral reefs, and Quinta Avenida, a pedestrian thoroughfare that’s lined with local restaurants, bars, and shops. It’s also the last stop on tour for travelers who add the Riviera Maya extension on our Highlights of Mexico trip. Playa del Carmen is one reason that the Yucatán Peninsula is one of our top tropical destinations.

Weather in Mexico can be hot, sunny, overcast, breezy, wet, and, in the evenings, even cool. So, light layers, including a light rain jacket, will come in handy. Here are a few more essentials to add to your suitcase.

• Comfortable shoes. Our guided Mexico tours include a fair amount of walking—it’s one of the best ways to get to know a destination—so pack shoes that will keep your feet comfy whether you’re hitting the sidewalks of Mexico City or climbing steps to the tops of ancient Mayan pyramids on the Yucatán Peninsula.

• Sun protection. Bring brimmed or billed hats, sunglasses, light wraps, lightweight long-sleeved shirts, lightweight pants, and plenty of SPF to protect your skin from Mexico’s strong sunlight. Planning to swim or snorkel in Playa del Carmen during our Riviera Maya extension? Consider bringing a reef-safe sunscreen that will help preserve the area’s aquatic environment.

• A small crossbody bag or backpack. Whether you’re browsing pottery markets in Oaxaca or climbing pyramids on the Yucatán Peninsula, a small crossbody bag or backpack will keep your hands free, and essentials, such as sunscreen and a bottle of water, within easy reach.

• Your camera. From ancient Mayan ruins to charming, UNESCO-recognized cities to postcard-perfect beaches, our trips to Mexico offer countless photo ops, and you won’t want to miss a single one.

Here a few dishes to try on our Mexico trips:

• Mole. Considered one of the most important dishes in Mexico, mole (pronounced MOLE-ay) is any deeply flavorful sauce made by blending together a mixture of herbs, dried spices, chiles, nuts, seeds, and other ingredients—even chocolate (this type is known as mole poblano). Mole can be green (mole verde), black (mole negro), or another color, such as red or yellow, and preparations and ingredients vary by region. Mole sauces are often served as a dressing for meats or poured atop dishes like enchiladas. Have fun trying as many as you can while traveling on one of our tours to Mexico!  

• Chilaquiles. Featuring layers of fried corn tortillas, green or red salsa, scrambled or fried eggs, pulled chicken, cheese, and refried beans, this savory, sometimes spicy, dish is typically served for breakfast.

• Pozole. This slow-cooked, hominy-based soup, a staple of Mexican cuisine, dates to pre-Hispanic times. Chicken, pork, and vegetarian versions are served with garnishes such as onion, radish, lettuce, lime, and chili.  

• Tacos al pastor. This popular type of taco is another can’t-miss dish to try when you travel on one of our tours to Mexico. (Its name translates to “in the style of the shepherd,” a nod to the Lebanese and Syrian immigrants who originated the dish in Mexico in the early 20th century.) Strips of pork, cooked shawarma-style on a spit, are piled onto a corn tortilla, along with diced onion, fresh cilantro, and pineapple. Simple, and so delicious!  

• Elote. If you join one of our Mexico tour packages and see a street vendor selling this snack, don’t pass up a chance to try it. It’s made by topping a boiled cob of corn with salt, chili powder, lime, butter, cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Whether it’s served on a stick or in a cup, we’re pretty sure you’ll want to go back for seconds. (Just don't forget to grab a few servilletas, or napkins!)

• Guacamole. A popular party snack in many parts of the world, this mashup—considered a mole in Mexico—of avocado, onion, tomato, lime juice, and chili peppers dates back to the time of the Aztecs. Scoop it up with warm tortilla chips as a snack, or add it as a garnish to tacos, enchiladas, or other traditional Mexican dishes.

Before setting off on one of our Mexico trip packages, keep a few things in mind.

• Mexico has some of the best food in the world. Even if you don’t consider yourself an adventurous eater, when you travel to Mexico, open yourself up to new flavors and ingredients. Hallmarks of Mexican cooking include warming spices, bright flavor courtesy of fresh fruit and herbs, and simple ingredients that yield big flavor thanks to thoughtful, sometimes painstaking, preparation.

• Don’t drink the tap water. Stick to bottled water, whether you’re in your hotel room or in a restaurant.

• Travel with a little cash. Conveniently for travelers on Mexico tours, credit cards are widely accepted around the country. Many street vendors only accept cash, but ATMs are typically easy to find if you need a few pesos.