Best of Mexico & Cuba

Arrival
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Mexico City is quickly becoming a must-see destination in Central America with its revamped public spaces, exciting new culinary scene and buzzing downtown area. These combined with the city's historical elements make for what is sure to be a highlight of your trip.

City Tour
Today we will explore magnificent Mexico City, built by the Spanish on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital. The city's historical heart is its vast central square, or El Zocalo and on this tour you will have the opportunity to visit it along with the Metropolitan Cathedral, which is the largest church in all of Latin America. You'll drive along the famous boulevard Paseo de la Reforma, built during the short-lived reign of Emperor Maximilian to connect the main square and his castle in Chapultepec.

You'll also visit the National Palace, which hosts Diego Rivera's murals depicting the history of Mexico and is one of the oldest government seats in the world. Your last stop is the Museum of Anthropology, where you will have some time to explore the treasures of the Aztec culture at one of the finest archaeological museums in the world.

*Please note that the Museum of Anthropology is closed on Mondays.

Breakfast included.

Teotihuacan Pyramids & Guadalupe Shrine
Located 50-kilometres north-east of Mexico City are the 'must-see' archaeological ruins of Teotihuacan - the site of the massive Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon which dominate the skyline of the complex. This was once the country's biggest ancient city and capital of the Aztec people, who ruled over the largest empire in the pre-Hispanic era. Guarded by mountains, this magnificent city is thought to have been founded early in the 1st century AD and reached its peak around 500 AD, when its influence extended down to Guatemala and as far north as present-day Texas. With the help of a local guide we have time to stroll down ‘The Avenue of the Dead', uncover its many wonders and imagine what life must have been like nearly two thousand years ago. We will also visit the Basilica de Guadalupe, Latin America's most revered religious shrine, where the Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have appeared before an Indian named Juan Diego in 1531, and an image of her was miraculously emblazoned on his cloak. We will have time to explore the New Basilica de Guadalupe (the Old Basilica, built in 1700, is slowly sinking) and to see Juan Diego's cloak.

After our exploration we return to Mexico City in the afternoon.

Breakfast included.

Departure from Mexico City
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Arrival
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in a classic American car.

Havana, Cuba's colourful capital, is like no other place on earth. The minute you step outside the airport you will know exactly what we are talking about - the classic American cars, the cobbled streets, the fading, peeling paintwork, we guarantee that Havana will be one of the major highlights of your adventure.

Breakfast included.

Old & New Tour City Tour
Today you will get acquainted with Cuba's capital city by taking a guided walking tour through the crumbling splendour of the UNESCO World Heritage listed site, Habana Vieja (Old Havana). Wars and revolution have done little to damage its heritage, making it one of the finest examples of a Spanish colonial city anywhere in the Americas.

You will first enjoy a short walking tour around Old Havana including its most important squares and fortresses. You will then be picked up at the Plaza de Armas in your chauffeur-driven, classic American car for a scenic drive along the Malecón seafront to the elegant suburb of Miramar with a stop at Revolution Square. Finally we include a traditional Cuban lunch, a visit to the Ernest Hemingway museum and drop you off at your hotel.

This evening is at your leisure. You might want to consider taking in a cabaret show at Havana's famous Tropicana nightclub, which boasts more than two hundred performers, a fabulous orchestra and astonishing acrobatic feats.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Vinales Day Tour
Today we'll travel to Pinar del Rio province, in the west of Cuba, and to the small village of Viñales located in a valley of the same name, which possesses some of Cuba's most dramatic landscapes and is the world's best tobacco growing region. The beautiful, fertile valley is surrounded by unusual limestone outcrops known as ‘Mogotes'. A visit here is a great way of gaining an insight into life in rural Cuba and you'll be served a traditional Cuban lunch.

On the way in from Havana, you will enjoy a visit to a working tobacco farm, where you will learn about the lifestyle of local farmers as well as about the growing of tobacco. In Viñales, we include a visit to the ‘Mural de Prehistorica' where a history of evolution is painted in bright colours on the side of a Mogote. After enjoying this spectacular environment you'll travel back to Havana where the evening is free.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Havana – Cienfuegos Tour - Trinidad
This morning you will be picked up by your driver guide and transferred in your private vehicle to Trinidad, approximately four hours' drive south-east of Havana. Along the way, you'll have the opportunity to stop whenever you would like and there are several spectacular Caribbean beaches where you might like to enjoy a swim.

Before arriving in Cienfuegos, Australian's may be interested to stop in a small town along the way called Australia. You will have time to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (own expense) in Cienfuegos, before embarking on a guided tour of this laid back maritime city known as the 'Pearl of the South', due to its lovely location on a picturesque bay. Walk through the city's well preserved colonial centre and learn about its proud musical tradition and its famous musicians like Benny More.

Later we continue onto Trinidad following the panoramic coastal road.

Breakfast included.

City Tour
Trinidad, often referred to as the Soul of Cuba, is one of the main highlights of the island and today we'll include a walking tour of the main sights of the city. The city was founded in 1514 by the Spanish conquistador Diego Velasquez and became a major centre for trading sugar and slaves for almost two hundred years. The wealth generated by the landowners during this region's dark past is reflected by the well restored colonial architecture found in Trinidad's colonial centre, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

After further walking the cobble stoned colonial heart of Trinidad, you will have the afternoon free to enjoy this beautiful place. We suggest you consider a drive out to Playa Ancón to relax on the beach or a sunset cocktail.

Tonight we recommend you check out one of Cuba's classic venues, Casa de la Musica. This informal outdoor gathering has a good mix of tourists and locals with a great chance to listen to live music and watch some salsa dancing.

Breakfast included.

Santa Clara Tour & Return to Havana
On the way back to Havana we stop in at the town of Santa Clara, a key city in the Cuban Revolution. Upon entering Santa Clara, there is a huge statue of Ernesto Ché Guevara, to commemorate his death and that of the revolutionaries who died along with him in Bolivia. There is also a museum and mausoleum (closed on Mondays) here dedicated to his amazing life.

Its one final night of the tour in Havana, and your tour guide will have some suggestions for a farewell dinner and fun night out.

Breakfast included.

Departure
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Villahermosa Arrival
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Breakfast included.

Travel to Palenque & Archaeological Tour
Today we will transfer you from Villahermosa to the archaeological site of Palenque, a World Heritage Site located 7km outside of the town of Palenque, overlooking the swampy plains that stretch northward all the way to the Gulf Coast. Palenque flourished between AD600 and 800, when its influence extended throughout the basin of the Usumacinta River. The site, surrounded by toucan and howler monkey-filled rainforests, is made up of some five hundred buildings spread over 15 sq km, of which only a few have been excavated. We will explore the magnificent ruins, including the Temple of the Inscriptions, The Temple of the Sun, the tallest and stateliest of Palenque's buildings, and The Palace, crowned with a prominent roof comb and featuring a maze of corridors and ruins. We'll also visit many other beautiful buildings. On conclusion of your tour you will spend the afternoon and evening at your leisure in a hotel close to the Palenque site.

Breakfast included.

Isla Aguada Visit / Travel to Campeche
After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel by a representative and transferred to Campeche. On the way, stop at the Natural Reserve of Laguna de Terminos and as you reach the smalling fishing village of Isla Aguada, enjoy a 1.5 hour boat cruise through the lagoon. Keep an eye out for dolphins and manatees! Stop at an Island in the Lagoon and see the local flora and fauna.

Continue to Campeche and join a walking city tour of the historical centre.

Breakfast included.

Uxmal & Kabah Tour
We will visit the archaeological site of Uxmal, a World Heritage Site, located 80km south of Merida. Its architecture is characterised by low horizontal palaces set around courtyards, decorated with a profusion of symbolic motifs and sculptures depicting the long-nosed rain god Chaac. We will explore the magnificent buildings, including the Nunnery, the House of Turtles, and the House of the Magician, which dominates the site. We'll continue on to Kabah, with its amazing Palace of the Masks, covered in nearly three hundred masks of Chaac before returning to Merida.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Chichen Itza Visit / Travel to Tulum
Today will be one of the highlights of your Mexican adventure as you enjoy a visit to the archaeological site of Chichen Itza, located 120km east of Merida. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza is the best restored of Yucatan's Mayan sites. While here we will explore the magnificent ruins set in a dense jungle, including:
- Pyramid of Kukulcan, its height and striking geometric design the most prominent of this site.
- The Great Ball Court , the largest and most impressive in Mesoamerica.
- The Sacred Cenote, a natural well used for human sacrifice.

We'll also see many other beautiful temples. From Chichen Itza we'll head to the white sandy beaches of Tulum.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Day at Leisure
Today is at your leisure to enjoy the magnificent beaches and crystal clear waters of the Riviera Maya. Apart from its excellent beaches Tulum possesses some impressive cenotes (underwater sinkholes) which offer fantastic snorkelling opportunities and you should also consider a side trip to its breathtaking Mayan ruins.

Breakfast included.

Transfer to Cancun Airport
At the appropriate time today you will be met at your hotel by our representative and transferred to Cancun airport. This transfer should take around 2.5 hours.

Breakfast included.