Day 1: Arrive in Mexico City Arrive at Mexico City International Airport and meet your airport supervisor and private driver. Travel to Casa Polanco, an intimate boutique hotel with the atmosphere of a refined private residence. Settle into your Deluxe King room and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure in Polanco, home to leafy parks, museums, galleries, acclaimed restaurants and designer boutiques.
Overnight: Casa Polanco Day 2: Explore Mexico City Through Tacos Begin in the historic center, visiting the Metropolitan Cathedral, viewing Templo Mayor from above and walking from the Zócalo to the Palace of Fine Arts. Continue to Santa María la Ribera and discover corn’s ancestral place in Mexican culture at a local tortillería. Prepare guacamole and salsa with native chilis before tasting the evolution of the taco at two venues, from a longstanding al pastor taquería to a contemporary interpretation of the classic.
Overnight: Casa Polanco Day 3: Discover Xochimilco’s Chinampas Travel south to Xochimilco and board a manually steered trajinera for a private journey through its ancient canals. Visit a working chinampa with Arca Tierra and learn how this agricultural system has supported farming families and supplied Mexico City with fresh produce for generations. See how the project protects biodiversity, community knowledge and a living cultural landscape before gathering around the table for a traditional lunch made with ingredients harvested nearby.
Overnight: Casa Polanco Day 4: Enter the Monarch Forest at El Rosario Leave Mexico City for El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Ascend through the highland forest on foot, with horses sometimes available locally at an additional cost. Your guide explains the butterflies’ extraordinary migration as you approach the fir trees where they gather for winter. Under favorable conditions, sunlight brings the forest to life as monarchs take flight above the trails. Descend from the sanctuary and continue privately to Rancho San Cayetano near Zitácuaro.
Overnight: Rancho San Cayetano Day 5: Explore Sierra Chincua Sanctuary Visit a second monarch habitat at Sierra Chincua Sanctuary, reached by a steep trail through the mountains. Walk into the forest with your private guide, learning about the discovery and conservation of the monarchs’ winter migration grounds. Depending on the weather and seasonal conditions, see butterflies clustered across the branches or flying through sunlit clearings. After descending the trail, return privately to Rancho San Cayetano for another evening in the countryside.
Overnight: Rancho San Cayetano Day 6: Travel to Valle de Guadalupe Meet your private driver for the journey from Zitácuaro to Morelia International Airport. Fly to Tijuana and meet another driver for the private transfer into Valle de Guadalupe. Settle into Casa 8 at Bruma Wine Resort, a design-led retreat surrounded by Baja’s distinctive desert and vineyard landscapes. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight: Bruma Wine Resort
Day 7: Meet a Valle de Guadalupe Winemaker Delve into Baja’s wine culture with an appointment-only visit to one of Valle de Guadalupe’s leading vineyards. Continue to a private tasting hosted by a respected local winemaker, exploring the region’s terroir, grape varieties and evolving techniques through direct conversation and carefully selected wines. Time is allowed for lunch at a chosen local restaurant at your own expense. An optional dinner at Fauna can also be arranged for an additional cost. Overnight: Bruma Wine Resort
Day 8: Discover Ensenada’s Wine and Food Culture Enjoy a leisurely morning in Valle de Guadalupe before traveling privately to Ensenada. Visit Plaza Santo Tomás, a former winery transformed into a cultural complex, for a private tasting focused on Baja’s winemaking heritage. Continue through the city’s colorful streets, artisan shops and creative spaces with your local host. There will be time to dine (not included), whether choosing fresh seafood, Michelin-recognized cooking or one of Ensenada’s celebrated street-food carts. Overnight: Bruma Wine Resort
Day 9: Fly to La Paz and Explore the City Transfer privately to Tijuana International Airport and fly to La Paz. On arrival, meet your driver and continue to Baja Club beside the waterfront. Later, explore La Paz on a privately guided walk through its historic neighborhoods. Discover local architecture, hidden corners and colorful murals created through the Mi Ciudad al Día project, stopping along the way to taste regional specialties and connect with the city beyond its beaches.
Overnight: Hotel Baja Club Day 10: Swim with Whale Sharks and Visit Balandra Set out by private boat with a naturalist guide to search for seasonal whale sharks in La Paz Bay. Enter the water for the opportunity to snorkel alongside these gentle giants before continuing to San Rafaelito, a small sea lion rookery. Arrive at Balandra, a protected bay known for its turquoise shallows and dramatic coastline. Enjoy a freshly prepared beach lunch, then swim, snorkel or relax on the sand before returning privately to La Paz.
Overnight: Hotel Baja Club Day 11: Seek Gray Whales at Puerto Chale Travel across Baja’s coastal plains to the fishing village of Puerto Chale, part of the Magdalena Bay complex. Board a private local boat and navigate through mangrove channels with your naturalist guide in search of migrating gray whales. Depending on the timing of the visit, you may observe courting adults or mothers traveling with their calves. Return to shore for a picnic lunch before making the scenic journey back to La Paz.
Overnight: Hotel Baja Club Day 12: Enjoy La Paz at Leisure Spend the day enjoying La Paz at your own pace. Relax at Baja Club, walk along the waterfront or explore more of the city independently. Optional activities can be arranged at an additional cost, allowing the day to focus on relaxation, local culture or another adventure in the surrounding landscapes.
Overnight: Hotel Baja Club Day 13: Depart La Paz Meet your private driver at Baja Club for the short journey to La Paz International Airport. Depart after experiencing Mexico’s capital, monarch forests, northern wine country and wildlife-rich coast.
