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The Heart of Mexico: Puebla and Oaxaca
Included Highlights Airfare:
Roundtrip from most major U.S. airportsAccommodations:
7 NIghts in Tourist Class hotels.Meals:
7 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches & 2 DinnersSightseeing:
Museum of Anthropology, ruins of Templo Mayor, the National Palace, Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, Museum of Arts & Crafts, the Uriarte ceramic factory, The Zocalo Square, the Government Palace, the Regional Museum,Also Included:
Airport-hotel transfers, Hotel taxes, Baggage handling, Touring by private air-conditioned motorcoach, Services of a professional Regina Tours escort, Priest to accompany trip (if available)
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| Call (860) 263-7080 for more information or to book today! Mention code 8724926 | | Regina Tours | | Offer valid through 11/1/2010 | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Mexico City | Mexico City : We depart on our flight to Mexico City. Upon arrival, our guide greets us and takes us to our hotel where we enjoy dinner. Overnight in Mexico City. (D) | | Day 2 | Mexico City | Mexico City : Today the city tour begins with a visit to the Museum of Anthropology, and continuing through Chapultepec Park to the exclusive deluxe residential section of Las Lomas to see many beautiful homes of the wealthy. Continue along Reforma Blvd, leading from Chapultepec Castle to the Historic Centre. Pass the Alameda Park and the Palace of Fine Arts enroute to the Zocalo - main square. We will see the Metropolitan Cathedral and the ruins of Templo Mayor, and visit the National Palace to see the famous murals of Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico. We will lunch overlooking the plaza. Return to the hotel to enjoy some leisure time. Dinner and evening on our own to browse the exciting Pink Zone with its variety of interesting restaurants and boutiques. (B,L) | | Day 3 | Mexico City | Mexico City : Our travels today include a stop at the Shrine of Guadalupe, continuing to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan. We will see and maybe climb, the Pyramid to the Sun, the Moon and Temple of Quetzal-butterfly. Buffet lunch is served at a local restaurant with Mexican decor, and live music. Evening at leisure. After dinner on our own, we may attend the famous Mexican Folklore Ballet at the Palace of Fine Arts (at an additional cost). (B,L) | | Day 4 | Puebla | Puebla : Depart for Puebla, the "City of the Angels." On arrival, see the exquisite colonial architecture, the Cathedral, XVII century Baroque Rosary Chapel with dazzling use of onyx stonework and gilded plaster. Visit the Santa Rosa Museum, with an exquisite 18th-century tiled kitchen, a museum exhibit built in 1926, now the State Museum of Arts & Crafts. Visit the Uriarte ceramic factory, known for its "talavera" tiles, plus other interesting sites in this fascinating city. Lunch at a local restaurant. Check-in to the hotel and overnight. (B,L) | | Day 5 | Oaxaca | Oaxaca : After breakfast drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Oaxaca. The Zocalo continues to be one of the most beautiful Central Squares in Mexico, and the Life Centre of Oaxaca. The arcades that sustain the Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace) and the surrounding buildings house restaurants, terraces, portals, and coffee-houses. From the Zocalo, we can see the clean streets, controlled traffic, animated by the music of the traffic guards' whistles. The main street is closed to cars; it connects the Zocalo with the Santo Domingo Temple and is known as "Andador Turistico." The Contemporary Art Museum is located there, plus old colonial houses, various galleries, restaurants, and the most distinguished jewelry and handcraft stores. Arrive in time for lunch at a local restaurant and time to enjoy the sites. (B,L) | | Day 6 | Oaxaca | Oaxaca : Depart after breakfast for Monte Alban, one of the most important Zapotec archeological sites founded in approximately 500 BC, flourishing until 750 AD. Located in the centre of the Oaxacan Valley, Monte Albán exercised political, economical and ideological control over other communities in the valley and surrounding mountains. The Great Square is 650 feet long by 650 feet wide. Drive to San Bartolo Coyotepec where a special demonstration of black pottery, for which this town is famous, can be set up for the group. Lunch back in town at a local restaurant and an afternoon visit to the Regional Museum, housing such treasures as the jewels of the Tumba 7 (Seventh Tomb) of Monte Albán plus other artifacts of interest. (B,L) | | Day 7 | Oaxaca | Oaxaca : Our tour today will start at the ancient Tule tree located in the atrium of the Santa Maria de la Asuncion temple. Botanists believe it to be over 2,000 years old. It measures 135 feet in height, and 139 feet in circumference, and it is considered the biggest and oldest in the world, weighing approximately 1,119,844 pounds. Continue for a visit to the nearby town of Mitla. Both the archaeological site and present-day town are of Zapotec origin. Mitla was inhabited in the Classic period (100 to 650 AD), reaching its peak during the Post-Classic period (750 to 1521 AD). The attraction in Mitla is the varied ornamentation of its buildings. Enroute to Oaxaca, we visit the weaving town of Teotitlan del Valle. Here we will witness the dyeing process from natural herbs and the cochineal bug from which is derived the red color used to dye the wool for weaving, a centuries-old technique still commonly used today in this community. Tonight, a memorable farewell dinner at a local restaurant with regional Oaxaca cuisine and atmosphere. (B,D) | | Day 8 | New York | New York, NY : Transfer to the airport for our flight home. We arrive home the same day with memories of our neighboring country Mexico. (B) |
| | | Prices indicated do NOT include airline taxes and fuel surcharges |
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