Best of Mexico & Costa Rica

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Mexico. When you arrive at the airport, you’ll be met by a local representative for a complimentary transfer to your hotel. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm to meet your local leader and fellow travellers – until then, the day is yours. Perhaps take a stroll to get a feel for this vibrant capital where the ancient and modern collide. After the meeting, you might like to head out with your leader for an optional group dinner – an opportunity to get stuck straight into the many local culinary delights.

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Today, you’ll get to know Mexico City during a guided tour with your leader. Visit the Metropolitan Cathedral – the largest and one of the oldest cathedrals in Latin America. You’ll also explore Zocalo, the city’s main square, and the remains of Tenochtitlan – the capital city of the Aztec empire. Check out famous Mexican painter Diego Rivera’s Mural Museum at the Alameda Central. Today’s guided tour includes a visit to the Museum of Anthropology – home to an impressive collection of 600,000 pieces of Mexican art and artifacts. After, the day is yours to spend as you please. The Leon Trotsky and Frida Kahlo (La Casa Azul) museums are famous sights worth checking out as an optional activity. Otherwise, maybe visit the colourful floating gardens of Xochimilco just outside the city.

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Depart Mexico City this morning and visit the ancient Teotihuacan ruins, once one of the biggest cities in the world. Meet with a local guide and discover the ruins known as the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, which dominate the skyline. Stroll down the Avenue of the Dead and get a sense of what life was like here nearly 2000 years ago. Continue to the colourful city of Puebla, joining your leader for an orientation walk to get your bearings around the beautifully preserved city centre. Puebla is known for its delicious food scene – your leader will have tips on the best places to dine on local specialties this evening.

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This morning, get to know Cholula, a city close to Puebla, by joining your leader on an orientation walk. Cholula has more churches than any other city in Mexico and you’ll stop at a few on your journey, like Santuario de la Virgen de los Remedios, located on the top of the Great Pyramid of Cholula. While there, attend a hands-on, locally guided gastronomy workshop and learn the influence of Nahuatl ancestral tradition and corn on Mexican cuisine. Grind corn on a traditional metate, make tortillas by hand while learning about the cultural and culinary importance of corn in Mexico. After, head back to Puebla after to explore the historic city at your own pace in the afternoon – maybe sit down for a dish of mole poblano (Puebla’s specialty sauce of dried chillis blended with spices, nuts and chocolate, typically served with chicken).

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Today you’ll journey to Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ca), the city best known for its mole and mezcal. You’ll see the rest of its best bits on an orientation walk with your leader. Maybe see the main square with its architecture dating back to the 16th century or the Mercado 20 de Noviembre – a food market loved by the locals. Tonight, join your group for a dinner where you can try some of the regional specialities such as tlayudas (Oaxacan pizza) or one of its seven varieties of mole.

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Take today to explore Oaxaca at your own pace. Maybe start in the city’s colourful, historical markets, where stalls are packed with fresh produce, mole pastes and handmade ceramics – even chapulines (grasshoppers), if you’d like to try this local snack! Your leader can help with recommendations, whether you want to spend more time browsing crafts, tasting regional dishes or learning about Oaxaca’s creative traditions. You might also choose to visit nearby Monte Alban, the ancient Zapotec site set on a hill above the valley or join a cooking class to learn more about the ingredients and techniques behind Oaxacan cuisine. Tonight, maybe head out for dinner and try local favourites like tlayudas, mole negro or mezcal.

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Set off with your leader this morning, first stopping at the famous Tule Tree – a 1500-year-old Montezuma cypress with a 36 m (118 ft) circumference, making it one of the widest in the world. Travel on to the Mitla archaeological ruins – once the religious centre for the Zapotec people. Lunch today will be at the home of a local Zapotecan family, where you’ll have the chance to try traditional dishes and learn about their culture. Visit a woman-owned mezcal farm and tour the cacti plantation – you’ll round out your day of exploration by sampling some of the different mezcals. Relax on the bus as you travel to Salina Cruz for the night.

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Your journey continues as you drive to the Sumidero Canyon – a gigantic natural canyon with walls reaching as high as 1000 m (3280 mi). Here, hop aboard a boat for an up close and personal tour of this remarkable landscape. Be sure to keep an eye (or an ear) out for howler monkeys along the way! After your boat trip, drive to the charming city of San Cristobal de las Casas. When you arrive in ‘San Cris’, take a walk and soak up the traditional atmosphere of this town, which is due to the grand Spanish architecture, prominent Indigenous cultures and winding cobblestone streets. Your leader will help orient you with a walk around the town centre, and then you’re free to venture wherever your heart desires.

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This morning, drive to the nearby Maya village of San Juan Chamula. Sitting in the highlands, this village serves as a marketplace and religious ceremonial centre for the Indigenous communities who live in the surrounding hills. The local people have retained their traditional way of life and can often be seen wearing their own distinctive clothes. Make the short drive to the next town of Zincantan. As you explore with your leader, you’ll learn more about these mostly Maya communities. Later, during your free time back in San Cris, maybe rent a bike to explore the town further.

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Say goodbye to San Cristobal de Las Casas as you head for Palenque. This is a bit of a long travel day, so have your favourite playlists and audiobooks ready to go. When you arrive, the afternoon is free for you to relax or explore. Sitting in a steamy jungle, Palenque is a central town close to the nearby Maya ruins of the same name, which you’ll have a chance to check out tomorrow.

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This morning, visit the ruins of Palenque. Sitting on a hilltop surrounded by thick trees, the ruins date back to AD600 and are some of Mexico’s most impressive Maya relics. As you take a guided walk among the temples, listen out for the eerie calls of howler monkeys and screeching parrots echoing from the jungle. There are many ruins that are still unexcavated and remain concealed in the forest. The area gives you an idea of what the Spanish invaders must have seen when they arrived. This afternoon, visit Misol-Ha, where the cascading falls and quiet surroundings create a refreshing escape into nature.

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Settle in for another driving day as you travel from Palenque to the historic city of Merida. Your drive will be broken up with short stops and an included lunch stop. Lunch will be a moreish selection of local seafood, with alternatives available. Founded in 1542, Merida is the capital of the Yucatan state and has retained much of its charm. When you arrive, stretch your legs with an orientation walk with your leader where you’ll have the chance to learn about its Maya heritage.

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Today is a free day to explore the many sights of Merida. Perhaps visit some of the museums, including the impressive Regional Anthropology Museum of the Yucatan, and stroll the city streets, which are alive with art and culture. Hang out in the green and shady Plaza Grande, with the 16th-century cathedral on one side and City Hall, State Government Palace and Casa Montejo on the other. The outdoor market is another essential stop, with an array of hammocks and Mayan replicas for sale, plus a selection of enticing local cuisine, including the dish cochinita pibil (‘little pig’) or the incredibly spicy El Yucateco hot sauce. If you’re keen to explore more Maya sites, you may want to head for the ancient ruins of Uxmal. Here, you’ll see the Palace of the Governors, considered by many to be the best example of classic Maya architecture.

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Your first stop today is Chichen Itza, possibly the most famous Maya site in Mexico and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. You’ll see the marvellous Temple of Kukulkan standing over the ruins – not far from the temple is the ‘ball court’, where many disputes are known to have been settled by way of a ball game that employed only the elbows, hips and wrists. Stone carvings depicting violence suggest it wasn’t such a casual sport. After a guided tour of the site, enjoy a special lunch with a family in the town of Piste. Tuck into a traditional pibil feast – a Maya style of cooking that involves barbecuing underground, which the family has perfected over generations. Finally, continue to the popular seaside town of Playa del Carmen, where you may like to join your group for a final dinner together.

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This morning, you’ll fly to San Jose. When you arrive, you’ll be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. San Jose is a rapidly expanding city, home to some great markets, historic neighbourhoods and a chorus of old theatre. The rest of today is free for you to explore San Jose at your own pace until your second welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. Maybe visit the Pre-Colombian Gold Museum or join the San Jose By Night Food and Culture Urban Adventure. After your meeting, maybe ask your leader for the best spots for a first taste of Costa Rican cuisine in the surrounding streets.

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After breakfast, descend to the Caribbean lowlands to the port of Caño Blanco – this rustic port is your entry point to Tortuguero National Park. When you arrive, hop aboard a small boat and take a ride into the depths of the Costa Rican wilderness. Arrive in the middle of this biodiverse area, where freshwater lagoons rest under the canopy of rainforest bordering the ocean. This afternoon, visit Tortuguero town, where sandy streets, colourful homes and Afro‑Caribbean traditions tell the story of a village shaped by isolation, resilience and the sea. Many animals call this place home, including jaguars and turtles, so listen out for the sounds of the local wildlife as you fall asleep in your lodge tonight.

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Begin your day with a guided walk through the rainforest on your lodge's private nature trails, taking in the sights and sounds of Tortuguero's unique Caribbean wilderness. After lunch at the lodge, venture by boat into Tortuguero National Park’s jungle-fringed canals. Gliding through narrow waterways beneath dense rainforest, you’ll discover one of Costa Rica’s richest ecosystems, home to monkeys, sloths, caimans and a dazzling variety of birdlife. Discover how Tortuguero earned its reputation as the ‘Amazon of Costa Rica.’ For those seeking a quieter start, an optional sunrise kayaking tour allows you to paddle through the canals as the forest awakens. In the evening, you’ll have the optional opportunity for a guided sea turtle observation walk (during nesting season) – a chance to witness these ancient creatures returning to the beach and connecting the name Tortuguero (place of turtles) to its living legacy.

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Take the boat back to the dock in Caño Blanco as you start your journey toward Costa Rica’s volcanic highlands to La Fortuna. Dominated by the near-perfect cone of Arenal Volcano, this small town has grown from a quiet farming community into a place where nature sets the pace. With its lush rainforest trails, waterfalls and soothing hot springs, the volcano anchors everything. This evening, you’ll get a chance to soak in those mineral-rich waters – warmed by the magmatic centre of Arenal – in a lush jungle setting, then sit down to a dinner featuring ingredients from the garden and local producers.

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Today is free for you to explore La Fortuna at your own pace. Maybe visit La Fortuna Waterfall, descending more than 500 steps through the jungle as the air cools near the 70 m (230 ft) falls. Take a refreshing dip in the pool below or simply soak up the misty rainforest setting. You could also head out on the 1968 Lava Trail in Arenal National Park – a moderate walk across hardened lava fields from the 1968 eruption, where black volcanic rock contrasts with bright green regrowth and open views of Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. This evening is yours to spend as you wish, with another chance to soak in the local hot springs.

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This morning, travel by bus and boat to incredible Monteverde. Settled by North American Quakers in 1951, this area was initially used as an environmentally conscious agricultural community and is now a biological preserve. The forest has near-constant cloud cover, providing consistent rainfall. Check into your hotel and take some time to relax or explore the grounds. This evening, join a local guide for a nighttime wildlife walk at Children’s Eternal Rainforest – an Intrepid Foundation partner and Costa Rica’s largest private reserve, protecting more than 22,000 ha of forest through conservation, education and ecotourism. As night falls, your guide will point out different insects, birds and nocturnal animals that are hidden during the day.

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After breakfast, join a guided nature walk in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve for a quiet exploration of the misty trails beneath the dense canopy of moss‑draped trees. With the help of your guide’s spotting scope, the forest’s hidden life comes into focus – resplendent quetzals perched high in fruiting trees, colourful toucans, bellbirds, camouflaged tree frogs and sometimes coatis or howler monkeys moving through the branches. The experience is less about distance and more about discovery, revealing a world that often hides in plain sight. The afternoon is free to explore Monteverde your way – perhaps a suspension bridge walk through the cloud forest canopy or, if you’re up for an adventure, a zoom over the canopy by zipline. Maybe you’ll taste the flavours of the forest on a coffee and chocolate tour or wander the butterfly garden to find your peace.

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Today, you’ll move on to Manuel Antonio by private transfer. Check in when you get there then head to the nearby beach or opt to take a kayaking tour with a naturalist near their home along the Damas Island canals. You’ll be exploring with someone who really knows the twists and turns of these protected tropical wetlands. If you’re lucky, you might spot a troop of curious white-faced capuchins in the trees above. This evening is free, as you prep for a day of exploration tomorrow.

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Take the day to experience the lush national park surrounding Manuel Antonio. Joining your guide, who has all the insider knowledge, spend some time discovering the park and learning about the beauty of the jungle, keeping an eye out for sloths and iguanas. Wander into the depths of the rainforest and look out for wildlife – your guide knows exactly where to find the weird and wonderful that call this place home. After your jungle walk, you’ll have plenty of time to relax on the park’s beaches – some of Costa Rica’s prettiest – and swim in the warm water. Tonight, head back to the hotel for dinner with your group.

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Today, you’ll drive back to San Jose, where your leader will take you for a stroll to stretch your legs and get a feel for this lively city. Later, you might like to head out for an optional farewell dinner and toast to a trip well-travelled.

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With no further activities planned after breakfast, you’re free to leave any time after checkout. If you’d like to extend your stay in Costa Rica, just reach out to your booking agent.