Mexico City at a Glimpse

Mexico City was originally built by the Aztecs in 1325 on an island of Lake Texcoco. Mexico City today is a mix of modern, ancient and colonial. The Zocalo, the historic heart of Mexico City, is just one of many amazing spots in this vibrant and ever changing city. In the surrounds of Mexico there are the impressive Aztec Pyramids at Teotihuacán and Cholula as well as the colonial city of Pueblo.

Day 1
Arrive Mexico City

Arrive into Mexico City, the bustling heart of Mexico, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The capital is a mix of modern and colonial and is home to many galleries and museums. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo are but a few of the artists to come out of this fascinating country, as well as writers such as Carlos Fuentes and Octavio Paz.

Day 2
Mexico City

Morning tour of Mexico City, visiting its main square, Zocalo with the Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace with Diego Rivera’s famous murals and a glimpse of the vestiges of the old Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. Continue to Chapultepec Park, topped by Emperor Maximilian’s castle, for a visit to the National Museum of Anthropology and its treasures of pre-Hispanic art, including the world famous Aztec Calendar. Continue on this afternoon to visit the impressive Aztec Pyramids at Teotihuacán. The origins of  Teotihuacán are uncertain, although it is thought some of the inhabitants arrived from the Valley of Mexico to the south, refugees from an eruption of the Xitle volcano, which caused major devastation and forced the survivors in the region to seek a new place to settle. Construction of the city probably began in the first two centuries BC, and the civilization reached its high point between 350 and 650 AD. Teotihuacán was the largest city in the Americas, and during its heyday around 500 AD; its population was greater than that of Rome at the same time. One of the city’s greatest mysteries is that no one knows where its huge population eventually ended up. It is as if they vanished without a trace. B

Day 3 
Mexico City: Pueblo & Cholula

Today you will leave Mexico City and travel for about 2 and a half hours to visit Cholula, once known as the a city of churches. It is now famed for having been a significant religious site through more than two thousand years of occupation. Predating Teotihuacan by perhaps 400 years, it was still an active spiritual centre at the time of the conquest in 1521. Cholula has the world’s largest pyramid, covering 46 acres, built in several stages in the first 800 years AD. It’s the focal point of an enormous complex and much more remains to be uncovered. Explore the magnificent tunnels and admire the gorgeous murals. Continue onto Pueblo also known as “The City of Angels”. On arrival start a comprehensive tour that includes the historical fort of Guadalupe and Loreto, where Napoleon III”s Imperial French Army was defeated by the poorly armed Mexican troops under General Zaragoza. The City has preserved a strong Spanish-French flavor, and boasts an impressive number of historic and cultural monuments and buildings. Among these, you will visit the massive grey-stoned Cathedral, the high-baroque Rosary Chapel and the unique Biblioteca Palafoxiana. This library dates back to the 17th century and once housed the finest collection of manuscripts in the New World. Today there are over 43,000 books on display, including rare works from the 15th century. UNESCO has declared the Historic Centre of Puebla a World Heritage Site. In the late afternoon you will travel back to Mexico City and your hotel. B

Day 4
Depart Mexico City

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight as you say “Adios Mexico” and your Movidas Journey comes to an end. Perhaps take the opportunity to continue your Mexican adventure and visit the Colonial Oaxaca or the ruins of Chichen Itza. B

Photo top page by Jeremy Lwanga on Unsplash.