The Heart of Mexico

Selected hotel dinners plus a locally hosted meal

4-star stays

Mexico City: Stay in a restored 18th-century colonial building in Mexico City’s historic district. The hotel stands in the area that formed the centre of the Aztec capital before becoming the heart of the Spanish colonial city, with original architectural features that reflect its history.

Mexico City: Visit Frida Kahlo’s Blue House in Coyoacán, where the artist was born, lived and worked. Explore the house and garden at your own pace, seeing personal items, artworks and rooms that reflect her life and artistic identity.

Mexico City: Walk through the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see the Zócalo, Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace and Templo Mayor. You’ll see how the city developed from the former Aztec capital into the Mexico City of today.

San Miguel de Allende: Visit the Basilica de Guadalupe, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Catholic world. You’ll see a place of major religious significance in Mexico, where faith, national identity and centuries of devotion come together.

San Miguel de Allende: Explore Teotihuacán with a Local Specialist, walking along the Avenue of the Dead to see the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalpapálotl. As you move through the site, you’ll gain a stronger understanding of the scale, symbolism and lasting significance of this ancient city.

San Miguel de Allende: Join your Travel Director for a walk through San Miguel de Allende, from the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel and its pink neo-Gothic spires to the hidden courtyards and colonial streets that give the city its distinctive character.

Guanajuato: Explore Guanajuato on foot with your Travel Director, from its steep alleyways and flower-filled plazas to the subterranean roads built to manage flooding. As you move through the city, you’ll get a better feel for the unusual layout and hillside setting that make Guanajuato unlike anywhere else in Mexico.

Tequila: Visit a local distillery for lunch and learn how the region’s best-known spirit is made, from the work of the jimadores to the ageing process behind each style. With a Local Specialist, taste blanco, reposado and añejo and understand what gives each one its distinct character.

Guadalajara: Discover Guadalajara through its architecture, public art and historic landmarks, from the Metropolitan Cathedral to the murals of José Clemente Orozco in the Government Palace. You’ll see how the city’s civic buildings and artistic heritage reflect its importance in the cultural life of Jalisco.

Mexico City: Travel by private trajinera through the Xochimilco canals to a working chinampa, where local hosts are restoring a 1,000-year-old agricultural system. Learn how these ecological gardens support Mexico City’s green spaces and provide habitat for the endangered axolotl, then sit down to a regional meal made with ingredients grown on site, ending with a cacao ceremony. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Guanajuato: Join your host, Mtro. Raúl Jaramillo, at Casa Carbonera for a hands-on workshop centred on Guanajuato’s culinary traditions. Learn to make tortillas by hand and help prepare enchiladas mineras, a regional speciality linked to the city’s mining heritage, before sitting down to a three-course meal with wine. Along the way, hear the story of the family business and create your own small piece of art to take with you.