What a year it has been! At Journey Mexico, we’ve been working hard at creating new and innovative tours for our travelers to experience Mexico in a unique and authentic way. We’ve focused on intimately exploring Mexico’s gastronomy, culture, and indigenous history and we’re excited to share our new Mexico experiences with you below. These tours can added to any personalized itinerary, that includes accommodation reservations.
Mexico City
1. Market Visit & Cooking Class with Chef Chavez
Experience an insider gastronomic journey from market totable with private chef, Alfredo Chavez. Chef Chávez’s expert dedication has led him to train at Michelin-star restaurants in Paris and New York while his passion for Mexican cuisine, appreciation for pre-Hispanic cultures, and commitment to endemic ingredients culminate in authentic plates with a social conscience.
2. A Taste of Coyoacán: Frida Kahlo, Cooking Class & Spirits
Take a deep dive into Mexican art and gastronomy with this full day experience. Walk in the footsteps of Frida Kahlo, wander the tranquil suburb of Coyoacán, and prepare Mexican cuisine like you´ve never seen it before!
3. Private Chef’s Table Dining Experience
In this unique encounter, a skilled local chef will reveal the secrets of Mexican cuisine from his private kitchen. This is a fabulous experience for discovering the sounds, flavors, and aromas of local gastronomy. The magic of the chefs culminates in a 5-course gourmet meal accompanied with Mexican wine and organic coffee from Oaxaca.
4. Electric Bikes – Chapultepec & CDMX Highlights
Visit some of the most emblematic areas of Mexico City (Chapultepec Park, Reforma Ave., Historic center, Roma, Condesa, Polanco) from the comfort of an electric bike. Discover the capital ́s blend of the modern, the historic, and the cultural and social diversity that make this city so vibrant.
5. Mexican Art, Cheese & Wine Pairing Experience in Coyoacán
Enjoy an artistic, foodie day out in Coyoacán. Walk in Frida Kahlo ́s footsteps, get to know the peaceful pueblo, and taste artisanal Mexican cheeses with a pairing of wines.
6. Chinampas Experience in Xochimilco & Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul
Discover the ancient chinampas of Xochimilco on a morning nature experience in the south of Mexico City. Take a trajinera boat ride through the Xochimilco canals to arrive at La Chinampa Del Sol. Also known as ́floating gardens’, chinampas are small plots of land built on the canals, a technique used to grow crops that dates back to Mesoamerican times.
Colonial Mexico
7. Puebla – Evening Culinary Immersion
Located in the heart of Puebla City, visit a historic casona (traditional old house), where a private chef will reveal the stories and ingredients behind a dish emblematic of the region, Mole Poblano
8. San Miguel Allende – Vineyard en Route To/From
Break up the trip to/from Mexico City – San Miguel Allende with a stop along the way to visit a vineyard. Walk, bike, or take a train around the property, sample premium wines, and enjoy a delicious 3-course meal.
9. San Miguel Allende – City Tour, Vineyard Visit & Wine Pairing
On this private experience, explore San Miguel de Allende ́s historic city center, before delving into the enthralling world of Mexican wines at a local, organic vineyard – one of the few wineries in Guanajuato state that produces wine using only their own homegrown grapes. Explore the winery to learn about the art of the winemaking process from grape to bottle. Enjoy a curation of 6 tasting plates accompanied by a delicious selection of wines.
10. Tequila – Tequila Distilleries & Tastings
Visit the home of tequila and witness its striking blue agave fields, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Accompanied by a Maestro Tequilero, learn the history and processes behind the celebrated spirit produced through generations of work. Visit the town of Tequila, explore two distilleries, and enjoy a tequila tasting.
11. Guadalajara – Mezcala Island, Chapala & Ajijic
Take a trip to the fascinating Mezcala Island – one of Mexico ́s best-kept secrets and home to the indigenous Coca community; discover its importance to the country ́s history before exploring the charming lakeside villages of Chapala and Ajijic. Enjoy beautiful landscapes, stroll the boardwalk, see churches, browse artisan markets, and try some tasty local snacks.
12. Guadalajara – Guachimontones: Archaeology & Culture
Get immersed in pre-Hispanic culture with a visit to Guachimontones Archaeological site, where the settlement was once the main site of the Teuchitlán tradition, featuring ball courts used for Mesoamerican ball games and circular step pyramids thought to act as a ceremonial center. Try the typical beverages of the era, and stop by an artisan workshop that specializes in musical instruments and pre-Hispanic artisan goods where you can chat with the creator and have a look around.
13. Guadalajara – Historic Center and Artisans in Tlaquepaque
Take in the neocolonial architecture of Guadalajara ́s historic city center, before participating in a ceramics workshop in neighboring Tlaquepaque and exploring the Pueblo Mágico ́s artistic streets. Visit the Regional Museum of Ceramics, Sergio Bustamente Gallery, and El Refugio Cultural Center.
14. Guadalajara – Historic Center, Culture & Cantinas
Soak up the history and culture of Guadalajara ́s historical center with a walk through the city streets. Admire iconic buildings, enjoy local gastronomy, and experience two Mexican cantinas; one with a modern twist and the other steeped in history. These classic Mexican bars are a piece of living history, a place to go and enjoy a drink with botanas (snacks) served alongside.
Baja California Peninsula
15. New Hotel Opening: Rancho Pescadero
Opened November 2022, Rancho Pescadero sits just 15 minutes from Todos Santos on Baja Sur ́s Pacific coast. Inbetween beautiful beaches and the Sierra Laguna Mountains, this adults-only resort is a great spot to explore Baja ́s wild beauty with the property ́s botanical and cactus gardens, orchard, creek, and natura bird sanctuary, as well as meeting the resident goats, chickens, and bees.
16. Cacachilas – Cheese Workshop
Learn about the process behind award-winning cheeses with this hands-on workshop at a mountain ranch. Start the cultural experience by meeting the stars of the show, the goats! Learn why they are so special and how to handle from them “the goat charmer”. Continue with the procedure the milk goes through to be transformed into delicious cheese and create some to take home. Explore the main orchards and discover the secret to keeping such a vast garden in the desert, as well as the ongoing work projects of the ranch.
17. La Paz – Conservation Project & Boardwalk Stroll
Visit La Paz’s famous Whale Museum and participate in one of two fascinating scientific projects; pearl cultivation or coral restoration. Join efforts with a local non-profit organization dedicated to environmental conservation and restoration efforts for a hands-on and environment educational experience.
18. La Paz – Scenic Flight from Los Cabos (Whale Sharks or Isla Espiritu)
Aboard a private Cessna for a scenic private flight from Los Cabos to La Paz and explore Espíritu Santo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of natural life. Meet an expert naturalist guide and head off a private skiff, to navigate the waters around the island. Spend some time swimming, snorkeling and interacting with the playful sea lions and picnic lunch on one of the secluded beaches. Optional swim with whale sharks, the largest fish in the world!
19. La Paz – Whale Watching Trip to Puerto Chale
Witness the magnificent gray whales that migrate annually to the protected waters of Puerto Chale. Head north from La Paz and up the Pacific Coast to where the friendly gray whales travel to mate and calve.Head out through natural mangroves towards the mouth of Almejas Bay, reaching the southernmost and less developed portion of Magdalena Bay to search for gray whales. Depending on the time of year, it may be possible to spot mating whales or even encounter a friendly calf!
20. El Triunfo – History of a Mining Town & Baja Cowboys
Take a trip to El Triunfo, a picturesque town with a gold and silver mining history, and museums that tell the story.
Once most populated community in Baja California Sur due to its mines, today, the small town hosts around 350 inhabitants. You´ll see vestiges of the architecture and grandeur of a bygone era, with structures such as La Ramona, a monumental chimney that is said to have been designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Riviera Maya & Yucatan Peninsula
21. Chichen Itza and Cenote Xocempich Experience
Enjoy the historical and natural wonders of the Yucatán with a visit to Chichen Itza and a tranquil afternoon at a private cenote. At Chichen Itza, Mexico ́s most iconic archaeological site, learn about the cosmology, religion, and everyday life of the Maya. After exploring, visit a beautiful private cenote found within the ruins of a historic ranch. These natural, fresh water sinkholes were considered sacred to the Mayans and entrances to the underworld.
22. Yaxunah and Granada Community – Mayan Horticulture & Gastronomy
This meaningful cultural exchange takes place either the a Yucatecan Mayan village Yaxunah or Granada, depending on interest. Learn about Mayan gastronomy and prepare a traditional meal using ancient cooking techniques, with the option to visit the local archaeological site and swim in a refreshing cenote.
Chiapas
23. Palenque Waterfall: Misol Ha & Roberto Barrios
Explore two beautiful waterfalls in the jungle landscapes of Chiapas! Starting with tiny village of Roberto Barrios, to swim in beautiful pools and enjoy natural slides and waterfalls enveloped by verdant jungle. Continue the adventure at Misol-Há waterfall where fresh water plunges down a 35-meter drop into around pool. To feel the power of Misol Há, walk the path around the back of the falls that leads to a hidden cave – be warned, you ‘ll get soaked by the spray of tumbling water!
Bonus – New Hotels Opened in 2022
On Mexico´s Pacific coastlines, openings and partnerships with new hotels include Rancho Pescadero in Baja California Sur, Susurros del Corazón near Punta Mita, and Hotel Terrestre near Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.
In Mexico City, debuted Mondrian Condesa and Casa Polanco where we can’t wait to welcome travelers.
And in Riviera Maya and Yucatán state: Hotel Eteréo (Auberge Resorts), Nômade on Holbox Island, the Waldorf Astoria Cancún, Casa Chablé in the Sian Ka´an Biosphere, the Conrad Tulum in Riviera Maya, Habitas Bacalar, Cigno in Mérida center, Hacienda Xcanatun by Angsana on the northern periphery of Mérida city.
Hotel Etereo
Tips & Recommendations for Booking Travel to Mexico in 2023
Travel is stronger than it ever has been before, therefore planning trends have shifted a bit. We recommend making reservations for 2023 as early as possible, particularly for villa stays over Christmas and New Year´s Eve. You’ll also want to plan at least 6 to 8 months in advance for Day of the Dead celebrations on November 1st and 2nd, as accommodation gets booked up well in advance. This is the same recommendation for trips to witness the Monarch butterfly migration in Michoacán from late-November to late-March, where there is limited availability for our favorite hotel, Rancho San Cayetano.
Include one of our New Mexico Experiences above in your custom travel itinerary with Journey Mexico
To include any of the experiences above in your next trip to Mexico, contact Journey Mexico´s team and speak to a travel planner to begin customizing your itinerary. Our personalized itineraries are completely tailor-made to your individual interest and include accommodations, private transfers, and unique experiences with a private, bilingual guide. Trips start at $1,800 USD per day for two travelers.
