Colonial Treasures of Mexico / 3 Days

From: $535 USD

Get a small but great taste of colonial Mexico!

When, in 1521, the conquistadors of Cortez destroyed the Aztec empire of Montezuma, they founded the colony kingdom of New Spain, destined to last for three centuries, ranging from the current states of the Southwestern United States to the Panama Canal. The introduction of pack animals, from work and farm animals, of elementary metal technical tools such as hoes, ploughs, and wheels, of new crops such as wheat, flax, hemp, coffee, and sugar cane, and the use of fertilizers – all things previously unknown in the New World – gave newcomers unimaginable wealth. However, these wealthy immigrants left with nostalgia for the motherland and their lifestyles. They tried to fill the new colony by building cities in the image and likeness of those left in the homeland.

All over the country, often above the remains of the previous ancient civilizations and most of the time using the same stones, they began to have graceful urban agglomerations with the typical Iberian structure with a square plan, gravitating on an enormous central square – the Zocalo – where the public and religious buildings found space, the sumptuous residences of the nobility and, slowly, also of the nascent middle class of the enriched mestizos. Your comprehensive tour of Colonial Mexico starts there, in Mexico City, and offers you the chance to catch glimpses from the past and see how this fantastic land learned how to create and keep the perfect combination between the old and the new.

Our recommendation

If you have more days to explore the Colonial Treasures of Mexico we recommend our tour of Colonial Jewels of Mexico for 7 days where you can enjoy what Mexico offers to the world with its colonial towns most of which are UNESCO Heritage.

Included:

  • Two nights’ accommodation in a standard room at the hotels above mentioned or similar

  • Daily breakfast as indicated in the itinerary

  • All transfers and excursions as specified in the plan, operated in Shared Basis

  • Entrances to sites mentioned in the itinerary

  • Bilingual Guide during all program (English-Spanish Language)

What's not included

  • Airfares (domestic and international)

  • All services, meals, or items not mentioned in the itinerary

  • Personal expenses, such as phone calls, laundry, beverages, etc.

  • Tips to bellboys, room-maids, drivers, and guides

HIghlights:

  • Explore the best of colonial Mexico

  • Visit Mexico City and get lost in one of the most beautiful historic centres in the world.

  • Visit Queretaro, Guanajuato, to deeply look into authentic colonial history and culture.

  • According to Travel and Leisure World’s Best Awards Survey, San Miguel de Allende was voted as the favourite city in the world.

Availability: This tour starts every Thursday

Duration: 3 Days 2 Nights

Meeting Point: It starts in Mexico City and ends in Guanajuato * 09:00 AM

Cancellation: Full refund (Except bank fees)

Itinerary

Day 01 * Thursday - Mexico City - Queretaro - San Miguel Allende

Today, we will leave the big city and pick you up before 09:00 am. This morning we will depart for Queretaro, an attractive town that has played a crucial role in Mexican history. It is situated at the bottom of a basin surrounded by hills with excellent views. After a short tour around the town’s well-preserved historic centre, UNESCO recognised it as World Heritage. You will visit The Aqueduct, The Cross Convent, and The Historical Center.

Then, we will continue to San Miguel de Allende, one of Mexico’s most beautiful colonial cities. Let us show you the city’s highlights, including the famous “Parish of San Miguel,” the iconic church in Neo-Gothic style with pink, sugar-candy pointing towers. These bizarre towers were designed by an untutored Indian, Zeferino Gutierrez, in the late 19th century. In the main chapel, you will see the much-revered image of the Cristo de la Conquista, made from cornstalks and orchid bulbs by Indians in Patzcuaro in the 16th century. In the evening you will have some free time for dinner and enjoy the night ambience of the city – also an excellent opportunity for typical shopping crafts.

Included

Shared Transportation, Walking Tour with Bilingual Speaking Guide in Queretaro and San Miguel de Allende (English-Spanish Language), Entry to places mentioned, Overnight Hotel in San Miguel de Allende.

8 hours activity

Mexico – Querétaro – 2hrs 45 min

Day 02 * Friday - San Miguel de Allende - Guanajuato

After breakfast in the hotel, we will continue to the town of Dolores Hidalgo. Miguel Hidalgo, father of Mexico, and father of this small village delivered his famous “Grito de Dolores” (Act of Independence). This act symbolizes the start of the Mexican independence movement in the early nineteenth century. Then, we proceed to Guanajuato, recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage. You will be surprised by the beauty of this city, with its winding lanes, its Plazuela shaded by Indian laurels, its large variety of decorative styles, its Mummy Museum (optional visit), and its curious underground avenue. The city is a real jewel among Mexico´s colonial towns. This visit, mainly on foot, includes the Hidalgo market, Juarez Theater, the University, the “Alley of the Kiss”, and the monument of El Pipila, a hero of the Independence.

Included

Breakfast in Hotel, Shared Transportation, Guided Tours with Bilingual Speaking Guide during all excursions (English-Spanish Language), panoramic visit, and Overnight at the Hotel.

8 hours of activity.

San Miguel de Allende – Guanajuato – 1hr 10 min

Day 03 * Saturday - Guanajuato transfer

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer from the hotel to Bus Terminal at the proper time to continue your journey. A supplement will apply for transfer from Hotel to Bajio International Airport USD 42 per person. Or please ask for our transfer options to Mexico City or Guadalajara.

Included

Breakfast in the Hotel, Shared Transportation

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