Mexico

Mexico City: History, Art, Culture and Politics

Program No. 13964RJ
Immerse yourself in the cultural heart of Mexico and learn from experts as you explore renowned museums and national monuments while gaining insight into its neighborhoods and politics.

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At a Glance

Embrace and explore Mexico City as it showcases all facets of Mexico’s national character. In a place where many public buildings are built from the stones of Aztec temples, past and present are inextricably linked, so that around each modern street corner is another opportunity to delve into the history of Mexico. Ballet folklórico, mariachis and a cosmopolitan mix of museums and neighborhoods adorned with the art of the great muralists illustrate the story of Mexican antiquity alongside pre-Aztec pyramids and colonial squares.
Activity Level
Varies by date
Varies by date. On Your Feet: Walking up to one mile daily over varied terrain. Keep The Pace: Walking up to 2.5 miles daily. Elevations of 7,200 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Trace the history of Mexico City with local historians and in a variety of museums.
  • Study the life and work of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in museums and exhibitions.
  • Explore quaint and historic neighborhoods like Coyoacan and San Angel.

General Notes

Dates with an On Your Feet Activity Level are eight nights to allow for a more relaxed pace.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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María Teresa Peniche
Maria Teresa Peniche, who prefers to be known simply as “Teri,” is a highly regarded addition to Geronimo’s Road Scholar staff. Teri pursued a career in higher education, preparing school curriculums designed as well as teaching English in secondary education. After retiring, Teri’s vast knowledge of Mexico’s history and culture paved the way towards her becoming a Group Leader. Blessed with a caring disposition and a great desire to share her love of her country, Teri’s capacity for sharing her considerable knowledge is unrivaled.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of María Peniche
María Teresa Peniche View biography
Maria Teresa Peniche, who prefers to be known simply as “Teri,” is a highly regarded addition to Geronimo’s Road Scholar staff. Teri pursued a career in higher education, preparing school curriculums designed as well as teaching English in secondary education. After retiring, Teri’s vast knowledge of Mexico’s history and culture paved the way towards her becoming a Group Leader. Blessed with a caring disposition and a great desire to share her love of her country, Teri’s capacity for sharing her considerable knowledge is unrivaled.
Profile Image of Arturo Vertiz
Arturo Vertiz View biography
Arturo Vertiz knew from an early age that he wanted to work in the travel industry, focusing on learning English and French in school. Graduating with a degree in tourism and business administration, he worked in the hotel industry before founding his own travel agency. Arturo’s greatest honor was being chosen to manage the housing complex for athletes participating in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara. As a Group Leader and a Mexican national, Arturo loves interacting with visitors in search of learning experiences.
Profile Image of Haydee de Hoyos
Haydee de Hoyos View biography
Originally from the northern state of Sonora, Haydee de Hoyos learned English through her interest in American television, especially “Sesame Street.” Her affinity for American culture led her to pursue a career in the travel industry with a degree in tourism and business form the University of Guadalajara. Haydee has worked for Geronimo for more than 20 years and served as a Group Leader on programs focusing on art, culture, history, the environment and Mexican cuisine, developing an encyclopedia of knowledge of all things Mexico.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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8 days
7 nights
18 meals
7 B 6 L 5 D
DAY
1
Arrive Mexico City, Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner
Mexico City, D.F.
D
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: After arriving at the hotel, checking in, and getting your room, take some time to unpack, freshen up, and relax.

Dinner: In the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a welcome buffet dinner featuring Mexican and international cuisine with a variety of salads, soup, main dishes, and dessert, plus coffee, tea, fruit water, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the days ahead.

DAY
2
Orientation, Lecture & Historical Center, Templo Mayor
Mexico City, D.F.
B,L,D
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; flat terrain, busy sidewalks; periods of standing up to 1/2 hour at a time.

Breakfast: At the hotel, we'll enjoy a buffet featuring Mexican and international cuisine including a variety of hot dishes, bread, pastries, yogurt, fruit, plus coffee, tea, juice, water.

Morning: Orientation: 8:30 a.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. All transportation will be provided via bus unless specified otherwise. An instructor will conduct all sessions in the classroom; a certified expert will lead field trips and excursions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Next, we’ll be joined in our private meeting room by our instructor. The focus of our first lecture today will be on famous Mexican muralists. Leaving the hotel, we’ll walk to The Templo Mayor, which was the site of the main temple of Tenochtitlan and regarded as the center of the world by the Aztecs. It was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, and Tlaloc, the god of rain and agriculture. After seeing the ruins, we will then walk to the Templo Mayor Museum, which holds some 7,000 pieces recovered during excavations of the site.

Lunch: At a local favorite restaurant, we’ll have a 3-course plated lunch with fruit water, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will walk to the San Ildefonso School Museum, known locally as the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso. Currently a cultural center in downtown Mexico City, the college is the most important of the many founded by the Jesuits in the late 16th century, offering both a secular and religious education until the expulsion of the Jesuits from all Spanish territories in 1767. The building was renovated in the 1990s to serve as a public center and to promote local culture, businesses and a museum. Back at our hotel, we will have our social hour with an opportunity to know more about our fellow travelers.

Dinner: At the hotel restaurant, we’ll enjoy a buffet dinner featuring Mexican and international cuisine and dessert, plus coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
3
Anthropology Museum; Alameda Central
Mexico City, D.F.
B,L,D
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Walking up to 1.5 miles throughout the day; periods of standing and walking in museum up to 1 hour; flat terrain, city sidewalks.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We will meet with our instructor to receive the first in a series of lectures on the history of Mexico City. Founded as Mexica-Tenochtitlan by the Mexica people in the early 14th century, it is commonly referred to as Tenochtitlan. According to Mexica mythology, they were signaled by their principal god Huitzilopochtli to build their home where they saw an eagle resting on a cactus with a snake in its beak. For nearly two centuries, the city prospered and expanded as the capital of the Aztec empire, until falling to Spanish conquest in 1521. Next, we’ll head to the exhibition rooms of one of the most visited museums in México accompanied by our local expert, the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, or the National Museum of Anthropology. Built in the 1960s, this large and prestigious museum houses over 52,000 pieces in 23 exhibition rooms. Among its collections are pieces from the Teotihucans, Toltecs, Mexicas, Mayans, and other cultures. One of the most important items we will see is the Aztec Calendar carved in stone.

Lunch: At the Anthropology Museum restaurant, we will have a buffet meal featuring a variety of salads, soups, main dishes, and dessert, plus coffee, tea, fruit water, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will have some time to explore the museum independently. Then, we'll set out for our field trip continuing to explore more of México City: The Alameda, Museo Mural Diego Rivera. Once the Aztec market, the Alameda was dedicated as a greenspace by Viceroy Luis de Velasco on the western edge of the city in 1592. The park became the blueprint for the traditional Mexican park, inspiring others around the country. We will make a stop at the Museo Mural Diego Rivera to admire the famous mural "Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central," or "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central." Painted between 1946 and 1947, the 51-foot-long mural depicts famous individuals and events in Mexican history. We’ll then return to the hotel.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a plated 3-course meal with coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure

DAY
4
Teotihuacan Archaeological Site, Basilica de Guadalupe
Mexico City, D.F.
B,L
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Getting on/off a bus; driving about 30 miles, approximately 1.5 hours one-way. Walking up to 2.5 miles throughout the day; periods of standing; dirt paths.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Departing the hotel via bus, our field trip will begin with a visit to the Teotihuacan Pyramids and its archaeological site where our local expert will introduce us to Teotihuacan and how it became the sixth largest city in the world between 150 BCE and 450 CE. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the pyramids are the centerpiece of the holy city that once hosted a population of at least 125,000 people. Some of the most famous temples include the Temple of the Plumed Serpent and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we will have a buffet meal featuring a variety of salads, soups, main dishes, and dessert, plus coffee, tea, fruit water, and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: We will continue to La Villa de Guadalupe, where we will learn about the old and new Basilica, as well as the Capuchinas Convent, and stand on the Antrio of the Americas. The basilica is the most visited sanctuary in Latin America housing the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. While here, we’ll also learn the story of St. Juan Diego and the apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1531. Originally the site of a shrine to a mother goddess, the conquistadors destroyed the chapel and adapted the location into the parish, eventually building the Old Basilica that was completed in 1709. Due to a sinking foundation, the New Basilica was constructed next to it from 1974 to 1976, creating a dichotomy of old and new. We’ll then return to the hotel to continue our lecture series on the history of México City, focusing on the colonial period as the capital of New Spain.

Dinner: Tonight's dinner is on your own. This meal has been excluded from the program cost. Group leader can make suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
5
Mexican Art, Chapultepec Castle, Diego Rivera’s Mural
Mexico City, D.F.
B,L
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Walking up to 1.5 miles total throughout the day; periods of standing in museum, flat terrain. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 35 miles each way, approximately 1.5 hours total.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Setting out via bus, we'll ride to the Chapultepec Castle one of the best museums in Mexico City. This is the only castle that housed royalty in North America. It is a place that has as much historical significance within its walls as the building itself does. Having been an imperial and presidential residence. The Castle houses the National History Museum.

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a delicious 3-course meal with water included; other beverages available for purchase

Afternoon: Continue our ride to the Carcamo de Dolores Museum, is a hydraulic work built by the engineers Eduardo Molina Arevalo, Guillermo Torres, and the great Muralist Diego Rivera, between 1943 and 1951. Diego Rivera painted the Water, Origin of Life mural. Diego Rivera painted more than 200 square meters, which are underwater, being the only underwater mural in the world. After returning to our hotel, we will meet at the conference room with our instructor to continue learning about the history of México. The focus of our lecture today will be on Neoclassic Art in the Independence Century.

Dinner: On your own to enjoy what you like.

Evening: At leisure

DAY
6
Coyoacan, Frida Kahlo Museum, Bazar de San Angel,
Mexico City, D.F.
B,L,D
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles total throughout the day; flat terrain. Getting on/off a bus; driving about 22 miles, approximately 1.5 hours roundtrip. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during independent exploration according to personal choice.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Setting out via bus, we’ll ride to the neighborhood of Coyoacán. Once an independent village on the shore of Lake Texcoco, Coyoacán welcomed the Spanish and served as the headquarters of Hernan Cortes and the conquistadors. Its name comes from a Nahuatl word of which the exact meaning is unknown but most likely means “place of coyotes.” While here, we’ll visit the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as Casa Azul, with our expert. The museum is housed in the building where Kahlo spent most of her life and was donated, along with its contents, to be a museum in her memory by her husband Diego Rivera. Here, we will admire many exhibits for Frida’s work, as well as some personal items that are on display. The museum displays works of art by the couple and other artists, in addition to displaying the lifestyle of Mexican artisans and bohemians in the first half of the 20th century. We will also be able to enjoy some of Diego Rivera's work and, during some time for independent exploration after visiting the museum, you can walk on the beautiful gardens on the property.

Lunch: At a local restaurant in San Angel, we'll enjoy a 2-course meal, plus lemonade, coffee, and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will walk through the neighborhood of Colonia San Angel and visit the Bazar del Sabado where local artists show and sell their work. With a local expert, we’ll see much of Mexico’s native art. We’ll then return to the hotel. In our meeting room with our instructor, we will have the last presentation in our series of lectures, this time covering Mexico XX century.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, we’ll have a 3-course plated meal, plus coffee, tea, and water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
7
Mexican Muralists, Fine Arts Palace; Ballet
Mexico City, D.F.
B,L,D
Hotel NH Mexico City Centro Histórico

Activity note: Walking up to 1.5 miles total throughout the day; periods of standing in museum; flat terrain.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll set out for our field trip to the Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) was built in the place of the first National Theater of México in the early 1930s. Here, we will have the opportunity to enjoy a presentation of the Ballet Folklorico of Amalia Hernandez. This piece reflects the various genres and art forms from across the country through both dance and music. After the performance we will explore the marvelous interior. Primarily a combination of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, the grand building is divided into a main hall with smaller exhibition rooms, the theater, and the institute's offices. On the way to the restaurant, we will walk to Casa de los Azulejos, or House of Tiles; this is an 18th-century mansion known for its exquisite blue and white tilework from the state of Puebla. Our next stop is the Postal Palace, also known as Main Post Office. Built in the early 20th century by the original architect of The Palace of Fine Arts, the building features a variety of architectural styles creating a unique masterpiece. We'll move on to the Palace of Iturbide for today’s final stop. Constructed between 1779 and 1785, the palace was a prominent count’s wedding gift for his daughter featuring three floors, a mezzanine, and two fortified towers. The Palace has been renamed the Palacio Cultural Banamex to promote the culture of México City

Lunch: At a local restaurant, we'll enjoy a 2-course meal with water, fruit water, or tea included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Free afternoon, Group leader can make suggestions.

Dinner: We will walk to a local restaurant for a 3-course meal, plus coffee, tea, and water; other beverages available for purchase. The Group Leader will review the program and discuss airport transfers for when the program concludes. The remainder of the evening will be at leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for departure in the morning.

DAY
8
Program Concludes, In Transit From Program
Mexico City, D.F.
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon. See your program’s Transportation Information regarding transfers. Driving about 5 miles, approximately 1/2 hour to airport.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: After checking out of the hotel, we’ll then board the bus and transfer to the airport. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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