Mexico Cultural Stories & Guelaguetza Festival

Day 1 – Welcome to Mexico City!

Touch down in the heart of Mexico City! Step out of arrivals and spot your friendly driver waiting, ready to whisk you straight to your hotel. You’re staying in Zócalo Central – smack in the middle of it all. Take a moment to freshen up, shake off that travel dust, and pinch yourself. After months of waiting, you’re finally here!

Tonight, it’s time for your first taste of Mexico, gathering with your new crew for a welcome feast featuring tacos spilling over with smoky meat, tamales steamed in banana leaves, and salsa so fiery and fresh it feels like there’s a mariachi band in your mouth! With music in the air, laughter around the table, and a group of soon-to-be friends by your side, this night sets the perfect tone for the epic journey ahead.

Accommodation: Zocalo Central (or similar), Mexico City
Included: Dinner

Day 2 – Mexico City

It’s your first full day in Mexico City, so let’s dive straight into it! You’ve woken up right in Centro, the perfect launch pad for exploring the city’s stand-out sites. Your local guide will build the story of the city’s magnetic pull as you experience centuries of indigenous cultures, colonial architecture, and 360 degrees of photo ops. 

Is that your belly rumbling? With your dial turned to CDMX, the excursion moves seamlessly into a food tour that’ll make you question everything you’ve ever called “Mexican food”. How many ways can you make a dish piquante? Just leave room for dessert – you haven’t had a churro until you’ve devoured one straight from the fryer, your hands sprinkled with sugar. Thankfully, there’s room in the schedule for a nap after! 

By the end of the day, you’re wearing a massive grin and Mexico City has already hooked you in. Ready for round two tomorrow?

Accommodation: Zocalo Central (or similar), Mexico City
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3 – Teotihuacan

If you’re still buzzing with city life from yesterday, we’ve got just the tonic. At the outskirts of town, a local family’s farm provides a peaceful oasis. Follow them in their morning routines (a perfect chance to practice your Spanish vocab!), before making your way through the crop rows to enjoy the family’s breakfast staple: warm, comforting quesadillas. 

Belly full and peace restored, you’re ready to tackle the day’s history lesson, delving into the ancient archaeological site of Teotihuacan. Here, walking in the footsteps of ancient civilisations, you may find yourself scaling a pyramid or two and letting the eyebrow-raising stories of the “City of the Gods” sweep you away.

It was a pretty full-on morning, so later in the afternoon is all yours to rest your feet and relax. Rooftop sundowners with a postcard-perfect view, anyone?

Accommodation: Zocalo Central (or similar), Mexico City
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 – Frida Kahlo & Xochimilco

First stop: the iconic Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo’s colourful, creative playground. Every corner pulses with her flair, and her eye-popping art feels so alive that you’ll leave feeling like you’ve met the legend herself!

Then, hop on a boat and drift through the Xochimilco Floating Gardens. While at first it may feel a bit touristy, once you learn that these chinampas have been around for over 1,000 years, you’ll see it with new eyes – so hop aboard a colourful boat and take it all in. Your only issue now is whether to focus on the delectable lunch in front of you or the flower-adorned barges drifting past.

After such a feast for the eyes, a short flight is the perfect way to digest. Hop on a plane, watch the mountains drift beneath you, land in the Central Highlands and be in the Magical Town of San Cristobal.

Accommodation: Hotel Casavieja (or similar), San Cristobal de las Casas
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5 – Tzotzil Mayan Culture and Customs

To make up for your evening travels, snooze the alarm this morning and listen to the birdsong instead. You’ve plenty of time before heading to nearby Mayan pueblitos for a cultural appreciation day like no other. 

Start by meeting local women crafting traditional embroidery, their colourful handiwork spread out around you like tropical birds, while the click-clack of looms creates a spellbinding soundtrack. 

A potentially bumpy ride to another village prepares you for what might be a cultural shake-up ahead. This community has some unorthodox religious practices, so travel with an open mind in case there’s a religious moment unfolding in the local church. Imagine: stepping over its threshold, breathing air thick with incense, your feet crunching pine needles underneath, the faces of local families flickering from candlelight. and a shaman performing a ceremony pulled from both traditional Tzotzil Mayan and colonial Catholicism.

Accommodation: Hotel Casavieja (or similar), San Cristobal de las Casas
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 – Mayan Pottery & San Cristobal Roaming

After all this art appreciation, are your fingers itching to give it a try, too? Today is your day! In a mountain village outside of town, pottery is the star craft, inspired by the bright reds of roosters, intricate spots of leopards, and other spirits of the surrounding nature. A local craftsmaster hands you a slab of clay, ready for your inspiration. Under gentle guidance, you’ll get to shape forms and paint your own piece. Is this already your favourite souvenir from the trip? 

Spend lunch comparing art projects with your Fencox crew (equal parts ooohs and laughs are expected) before carefully holding your pieces on the rural-road-adventure drive back. The afternoon is yours to enjoy in San Cristobal. Take a stroll through the artisan markets to top up your souvenir haul  – or have a glass of wine at a main square café. San Cris is ready for you!

Accommodation: Hotel Casavieja (or similar), San Cristobal de las Casas
Included: Breakfast, Lunch 

Day 7 – Sumidero Canyon and Road Trip

After several nights with Casavieja as home base, it’s time to pack up and move west toward Oaxaca. But what could have been a humdrum transfer day becomes an epic adventure thanks to the morning’s detour. Climb aboard a boat and head for Sumidero Canyon. Gliding along water so glittery you’ll need sunnies, toward the thousand-metre-steep walls of a gorge 35 million years in the making, you may feel like you’re embarking on a hero’s quest to distant shores. Speaking of shores, keep an eye out for crocodiles sunning themselves and watch out for monkeys swinging through the trees as you drift by. Then it’s back on the road with the Pacific Ocean in your sights. It’s a quick overnight stop in Salina Cruz while you’re en route to Oaxaca, but we promise there’ll be a little beach time, if you’re up for it!

Accommodation: One Salina Cruz (or similar), Salina Cruz
Included: Breakfast 

Day 8 – Tule Tree and Oaxaca City 

You’re halfway through the trip, and while you’ve experienced a lot already, there’s so much left to see! Today’s continued road trip to Oaxaca gives you some time to reflect. Scroll through pictures or reminisce and imagine with your fellow Fencoxers about your Mexico adventures – done and yet to come – or simply gaze out the window… but wait, what’s that in that park? The Tule Tree is worth getting out of the bus to experience up close – you’ll see why when you get there! 

Once you’ve checked into your home for the next four nights, you have some time to get a sneak peek at this storied town. Colourful buildings, murals that practically burst off the walls and walkable cobblestoned mazes wait just beyond the hotel’s front steps – but a dip in the hotel pool couldn’t hurt, either. Need a dinner rec? You know your local guide will have just the spot for a meal that hits the spot!

Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Na’ura Centro (or similar), Oaxaca
Included: Breakfast 

Day 9 – Oaxaca

Oaxaca is teeming with all the best the region has to offer – how will you enjoy it this morning? By waiting patiently while a vendor prepares a traditional, creamy chocolate drink, a thousand years in the making? Or by skipping the patience and heading straight for a mezcal tasting? The morning is yours! 

In the afternoon, the whole crew gets together to take on the city’s famous market, the air thick with the smoky scent of mole. Wander row upon row of colour-drenched stalls, stacked high with fresh produce and handwoven textiles, while local artisans handcraft their goods right in front of you. 

Come evening, Oaxaca bursts into kaleidoscopic colour with the long-awaited Guelaguetza parade. Locals strutting in neon-hued gear that could make a parrot blush, dancers spinning like tops, hip-shaking music in the air – this full-on fiesta will have you grinning ear to ear. You’ll be asking yourself: Can this trip get any better? Spoiler alert – yes, it can!

Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Na’ura Centro (or similar), Oaxaca
Included: Breakfast

What is the Guelaguetza Festival?

Have you heard of one of Mexico’s most legendary cultural blowouts yet? The Guelaguetza Festival is Oaxaca’s pride and joy – a two-week explosion of dance, music and more colours than you ever thought existed. It’s a full-on, all-senses-in kind of celebration where the streets absolutely come alive.

The word “Guelaguetza” comes from the Zapotec language and means “offering” or “gift”. Way back when, indigenous groups in this area gathered on a hill to give thanks to the goddess of corn, with days-long food offerings, dance and traditions. Fast forward to today and those roots still hold strong. Different regions of Oaxaca show up in full force to strut their stuff – whether that’s through dazzling folk dances or eye-catching costumes that make you feel like you’ve fallen straight into a Frida Kahlo painting.

So, what can you expect? Parades that feel like a whirlwind of twirling skirts, feathered headdresses and more embroidery than you can shake a maraca at. Oh, and did we mention the street food? You’ll be munching on Oaxacan favourites as fireworks light up the sky and the streets pulse with ancient rhythms. Sounds good, right?

Day 10 – Village Crafts and Culture

Oaxaca’s known for its artsy side, so that’s what you’re going to delve into today as you travel to a nearby town packed with artisan workshops, where you’ll get to see centuries-old techniques brought to life right before your eyes. You’ll meet the locals behind the magic here – the master potters, weavers, woodcarvers and embroidery wizards – and see how these crafts have been passed down through generations. 

Pottery that looks like it belongs in a museum? Check. Handwoven textiles that make your current wardrobe look like a snooze fest? Double check. The only question is: which will steal your heart (and your pesos)?

Later, things take a theatrical turn as you settle in for a performance of the legend of Princess Donaji, complete with drama, flair and costumes to match – a perfect way to wrap up the day.

Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Na’ura Centro (or similar), Oaxaca
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11 – Guelaguetza Festival

Catch up on those zzz’s this morning, Fencox Crew… you’ll need every ounce of energy for what’s coming! This afternoon, you’re diving into the Guelaguetza Festival’s main event, with the town practically exploding in a riot of stomping feet, swirling skirts and head-turning headdresses. We’re talking about an all-out celebration, where the energy’s as thick as the confetti in the air, and you’re right in the middle of it. With this crew, every day feels like a party.

First, though, it’s mezcal time. Tequila’s wild cousin doesn’t mess around, so gear yourself up for a tasting session that’ll knock your socks off. Sip slow… this isn’t amateur hour! Think you can keep it up for another few days?

Accommodation: Hotel Boutique Na’ura Centro (or similar), Oaxaca
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 12 – Desert Blooms and Crunchy meals

Time to say adios to Oaxaca just as the city yawns back to life post-celebration, and make your way to a veritable ring of fire! But before you get there, nothing restores a partied-out spirit like some time in nature, and a visit to the botanical gardens is just the ticket. Bright pink coquito blossoms offer flashbacks to the colourful night before while towering organ pipe cacti will have you craning your neck to the blue skies above. 

If that didn’t do the trick, lunch certainly will. The room fills with the scent of that infamous chocolate in rich moles, warm tortillas straight off the comal and, wait, is that crunch a grasshopper? This meal showcases the best of the region, including local flowers, fruits and – for those brave enough – insects. 

After lunch, the town of Puebla beckons in the north. And that ring of fire? Everywhere you turn is a volcano!

Accommodation: Voco Royalty (or similar), Puebla
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 13 – Puebla

Good morning, Puebla! Time to lace up and take a wander through nearly 500 years of history. The cobblestone streets here are basically time machines, and the Spanish colonial buildings that line the way are so perfectly manicured you’d think they have a personal stylist. Puebla wasn’t just plopped here for its pretty face, though – it was originally built to keep trade routes in check between Mexico City and the Gulf. Now, though, it’s all about those picture-perfect facades and lace-iron Juliette balconies, and you’re the lucky one soaking it all in.

By lunchtime, you’ll be trading Spanish-era streetscapes for Puebla’s food scene. And if you haven’t tried mole yet, this is your chance. It’s the bomb! A rich, velvety sauce that mingles chocolate, spices and chillies into a taste that’s equal parts smoky, sweet and spicy… confirmed by those who have bravely travelled before you – one bite, and you’ll either love it or hate it! Which side of the tasting fence do you think you’ll end up on?

Accommodation: Voco Royalty (or similar), Puebla
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 14 – Yes, Chef!

You’ve encountered plenty of culinary delights already on this trip, but today you take over the reins! Outsiders may sleep on Puebla’s culinary star status, but you’re about to see what they’ve been missing. With the help of a skilled chef, learn to pick out just the right flavour-bursting ingredients and pull influences from Arab, Spanish, and indigenous cooking to make yourself a lunch that brings layer upon layer of tongue-twisting happiness. 

By now, you’ve earned a drink, and there’s no better place for it than a local distillery. On the menu? Traditional Pueblan liquor. Smell the smokiness, taste the sweet fruits and chocolate notes, and feel the hint of ancho chile warm its way down your throat right into your heart. 

For dinner, it’s a free night, but after two weeks together, your crew’s practically family. So, why not set a time for sunset drinks on the beach? Raise a glass to the kind of travel crew you didn’t see coming.

Accommodation: Voco Royalty (or similar), Puebla
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 15 – Cholula and Hacienda Living

Today, you’re ticking off one of Mexico’s most enchanting spots. Cholula is home to the largest pyramid in the world (yep, even bigger than Egypt’s!). But here’s where it gets weird: the pyramid is hidden beneath a hill, and sitting right on top of it is a church, and all of this is set against a backdrop of volcanoes. This might even make it to the top 10 coolest sights you’ve ever feasted your eyes upon.

Roll on to the grounds of Hacienda Vista Hermosa, your stay for the night. “Is this place real?” you may ask, and we get it. This is why you have the whole afternoon and evening free to explore the grounds. Make time for a swim in a pool so large you’ll think you’re in a lake – and definitely don’t miss out on dinner in the hacienda’s restaurant (you’ll thank us later!).

Accommodation: Hacienda Vista Hermosa (or similar), Cuernavaca
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 16 – Taxco

Mountain magic, here you come, as your Fencox Crew heads to Taxco, the “silver capital” of Mexico and one of the country’s Pueblos Mágicos. That means it’s one of the most gorgeous towns – no biggie! 

This town’s all about those twisty cobbled streets, Spanish-style buildings, and more silver shops than you can shake a taco at. As you wander, take every opportunity you can to drink in the breath-stealing views.

After filling your camera roll (and your belly, because you shook those tacos and then ate them up!), it’s back to your hacienda hideaway. Only one whole day left in Mexico, that’s all the reason you need to soak in the sunset over the hacienda’s 500 years of history (or just lounging in the pool). 

Accommodation: Hacienda Vista Hermosa (or similar), Cuernavaca
Included: Breakfast

Day 17 – Mexico City

Reluctant to leave the hacienda? Hiding behind the curtain of today’s itinerary is perhaps the only thing that’ll make it worth going. First, it’s time to return to Mexico City, arriving with plenty of time to stock up on last-minute gifts and absorb the last of the CDMX energy.

But we wouldn’t leave you without one final firework – a favourite chilango pastime that most tourists miss. Get ready for Drama! Flair! Spectacle! The air is buzzing with passionate crowds at an event rooted deep in Mexican culture. It’s time for– actually, we’re going to keep this one a secret… Just be ready! 

High off this grand finale, dive straight into a late evening farewell fanfare of tacos, mole and cocktails! Gathering with your crew one last time, you’ll swap wild stories from the road, laugh about the little things and toast to an epic adventure that’ll be hard to top. Any teary eyes are the spicy jalapeños’ doing!

Accommodation: Zocalo Central (or similar), Mexico City
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 18 – Farewell Friends!

One last breakfast together, one last round of side-splitting laughs and then it’s time for those bear hugs and promises to keep in touch. As you head out for the airport, our trusty driver will make sure you’ve got plenty of time before takeoff – no stress in sight!

With your heart and camera roll full, the only question left is… which Fencox adventure will you choose next? Wherever you go, we can’t wait to see you there!

Included: Breakfast