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Price Per person double occupancy
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| For groups of 20 or more Request a quote or call 800-322-0788 for more information. |
Note: Many Indians do not like to be photographed. Please ask permission or refrain from taking pictures.
Price Includes: All motor coach and land transportation, sightseeing, admissions, services of tour director and driver, lodging, meals as specified in tour itinerary, taxes, gratuities to bellhops and waiters at included meals.
Not Included: Cost of obtaining passports or visas, laundry, meals, beverages or sightseeing not included in the itinerary, travel insurance, gratuity to guide, driver, communication charges, & excess baggage fees. Port charges and gratuities to crew are not included on cruises.
Airport transfers are included only when airfare is purchased from Pilgrim Tours. Taxi service is available for those purchasing their airfare elsewhere.
Deposit Required: $300 per person will reserve your place. A $100 service fee will be charged for cancellation at any time in addition to our normal payment and cancellation policy.
Day 1: Rio Grande Valley/Tampico
We're on our way to one of the most exciting destinations in all of Mexico...Oaxaca...beautiful, different, historical! Drive through corn and sorghum fields before taking the short cut through Soto La Marina on our way to "Tampico, Tampico on the Gulf of Mexico. Arrive with just enough time to visit the seashore before checking into your centrally located hotel. Explore the nearby restored Historical Zone where wrought iron balconies indicate a strong French influence gaining for Tampico a new name - "the New Orleans of Mexico". Overnight at Hotel Mansion Real in Tampico.
Day 2: Tampico/Xicotepec de Juarez
Cross the Panuco River on the tallest bridge in Mexico into the neighboring state of Veracruz, one of the wealthier states in Mexico. Lush vegetation greets us as we travel toward Poza Rica for our lunch stop. Roadside stands selling tropical fruits such as mamey greet us as we travel through coffee growing areas to Xicotepec de Juarez, known as the "little switzerland of Mexico". One of my drivers calls it his little bit of heaven. Buy locally produced fruit wines in the village stores. You'll get to sample some at our hotel. Overnight at Mi Ranchito in Xicotepec de Juarez.
Day 3: Xicotepec de Juarez/Puebla
Travel through pine forests and fruit orchards on our way to Puebla, a very industrial city that has tried in every way to maintain its colonial charm. A huge Volkswagen plant produces the "Bug"- manufactured nowhere else in the world. Visit the Cathedral - the second largest in Mexico - before walking over to the Rosario Chapel, covered from floor to ceiling with shining gold leaf. Tonight you may want to return to the main square where you can sip your favorite beverage as you sit under the arcades of a street side restaurant. Overnight at the Hotel Aristos in Puebla.
Day 4: Puebla/Oaxaca
In the market, buy camote (sweet potato candy) that is hardly sweet at all. Among other things, Puebla is known for the famous blue and white talavera tiles and pottery, onyx and brightly colored cross stitched rebozos and camote. Drive through the oldest sections of Puebla and by the Forts of Loreta where the famous battle Cinco de Mayo was fought. As you continue to Oaxaca, you will have some of the prettiest scenery imaginable. Overnight at the Hotel Fortin Plaza in Oaxaca.
Day 5: Oaxaca
The central valley of Oaxaca was home to two great Pre-Columbian civilizations - the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs. Visit the ancient ruins of the Zapotec capital, Monte Alban, perched on a mountain peak, 400 meters above the valley floor. Explore the ruins and glimpse the grandeur of what was once a highly organized and sophisticated society. Visit a nearby local village to admire the handcrafts. Visit the ornate Santo Domingo church and the adjoining Regional Museum which houses the famous treasures recovered in Tomb 7 at Monte Alban. In a nearby courtyard, local Indian ladies display their hand-woven products. The rest of the day will be at leisure to shop or relax on your own. Overnight at the Hotel Hotel Fortin Plaza in Oaxaca.
Day 6: Oaxaca
Visit the village of Coyotepec where the black pottery made famous by Dona Rosa is still produced. Nearby Santo Tomas Jalieza produces 100% cotton table runners, mats, belts and ties. Afternoon will be spent in the market or visiting the stores and museums leading to the square. Venture with your guide tonight to the main plaza. Sit under the arcades and watch the world go by. Overnight at the Hotel Fortin Plaza in Oaxaca.
Day 7: Oaxaca
Mitla, capital of the Mixtecs, beckons with all its intricate geometric designs, unsurpassed by any other mosaic stone work in North America. One building boasts 100,000 pieces of stones placed without mortar to form a beautiful pattern. View the giant Tule tree. Visit the rug weaving craft village of Teotitlan del Valle. Many of the patterns will remind you of the geometric designs you saw at Mitla. As we return to Oaxaca, visit a local "still" where mezcal is produced. If you wish, you can even buy the worm well pickled inside the bottle of mezcal. Tonight enjoy an included presentation of folkloric dances from the seven regions of Oaxaca ... a grand finale to our stay in this rich valley. Overnight at the Hotel Fortin Plaza in Oaxaca.
Day 8: Oaxaca/Puebla
Return today to Puebla viewing some of the most spectacular scenery as we take the autopista. You will be very well acquainted with the area as we are in the same well located hotel. Time to shop in the downtown area or listen to the music on the square. Overnight at the Hotel Aristos in Puebla.
Day 9: Puebla/San Luis Potosi
Arrive in Queretaro the opal center around noon. If you like jewelry - especially opals - this is the place. After lunch, visit the Hill of the Bells where Maximilian, leader of the French, was executed. Then depart for San Luis Potosi for your last overnight in Mexico. Evening entertainment by the Estudiantina Guadalupana. These very talented musicians, ages 4 to 24, are sure to steal your heart away. Overnight at the Real Plaza in San Luis Potosi.
Day 10: San Luis Potosi/Rio Grande Valley
Over the rolling Sierra Madre Oriental to Cd. Victoria for lunch on your own. Continue back to the Rio Grande Valley crossing the border around 7:00p.m.
