QUOTE
Mexico York School
York School | Daniel Neville
An experiential journey into Mexico City & Oaxaca – two cultural centres in a country rich with vibrant colours and flavours.
Activities & Attractions
Mexico City
- Explore the hustle and bustle of Bazaar Sábado
- Wander around the leafy suburb of San Ángel
- Explore Roma Norte, the epicentre of Mexico City’s art scene
- Discover the capital city’s coolest street art on a walking tour
- Visit the Palacio Nacional to see Diego Rivera’s impressive murals
- Learn about Mexico through the ages at the Museo Nacional de Antropología
- Visit Museo Frida Kahlo, dedicated to the work of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo
- Learn new skills on a segway tour of Chapultepec Park
- Visit Chapultepec Castle to learn about Mexico’s successive rulers and changes in power and governance
- Ride a bike along the pedestrianised Paseo de la Reforma
- Complete a tour and tasting at the Museo de Chocolate
- Enjoy learning about Mexican culinary traditions in a cooking class
- Enjoy an immersive street food walking tour to taste tacos, tamales and more
- Visit some of the world’s most impressive pyramids at Teotihuacán
Oaxaca
- Complete a walking tour through the main plaza to see Santo Domingo Church, Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, and more
- Meet with local women weavers and other cooperatives for two days of learning, exchange and service
- Enjoy a tour of surrounding villages
- Do a group activity focused on the value and importance of community service work
- Visit the market, interact with vendors and prepare a 4 course meal in a cooking class with a local chef
- Swim in the mineral pools of Hierve el Agua
- Visit Monte Albán and hike the pyramids
- Learn about local artisan traditions and make your own alebrije
Trip Details
Accommodations
- 10 nights’ accommodations at 3*, centrally-located hotels
- Nights 1-5: Mexico City
- Nights 6-10: Oaxaca
- Double accommodation for students
- Double accommodation for chaperones- each requiring their own bed
Meals
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners included in tour costs
Transportation
- Coach airfare from Toronto to Mexico City
- Coach Airfare from Mexico City to Oaxaca
- Coach airfare from Oaxaca to Toronto via connection
- Private coach bus transportation for duration of stay in Mexico
Additional Personnel
Full Time Evolve Trip Leader/Director + Local Evolve Team Support
Exclusives
- Creative trip programming and leadership activities
- Videography and Photography
- Forever Green by Evolve Tours- Carbon Offset this whole trip (ask for details)
Insurance
- Travel Insurance: $129 Manulife Youth All Inclusive Insurance – medical, baggage, cancellation and trip interruption coverage available.
Package Price is based on
- Prices subject to availability and change until contract signed
- Total Package price may vary if number of paying customers changes
- Does not include airline baggage fees if applicable
- Tips for drivers and guides are appreciated
- This quote expires January 13, 2025
- Happy with what you see? Sign a 2-year contract with Evolve and pay the same rate for two years. Ask us for more information. *Based on same group size
Itinerary
Day 1:
YYZ > CDMX
| Morning | Meet as a group at Toronto International Airport. |
| Afternoon | Board the direct flight to Mexico City. |
| Evening | Arrive in Mexico City and meet your Evolve Tours guide, excited to spend the week together. Transfer to your hotel via private transfer, while getting your first look at the metropolis of Mexico City.
Check in to the hotel for a good night’s rest ahead of a jam-packed 2 weeks in Mexico. |
Day 2:
MUSEO FRIDA KAHLO, BAZAAR SABADO, SAN ANGEL EXPLORATION
| Morning | Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and prepare for immediate immersion into the bustling and vibrant city life of DF, as Mexico City is known locally.
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the Museo Frida Kahlo, the Blue House, dedicated to the work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The exhibit includes works by Kahlo, her husband Diego Rivera, as well as Mexican folk art from Kahlo’s personal collection. |
| Afternoon | In the early afternoon, transfer south to the leafy suburb of San Ángel, where we will head directly to Plaza San Jacinto with its famed Bazar Sábado, full of local artisans’ ceramics, jewellery, textiles and more. Spend time perusing the market and using our Spanish with the artists. Enjoy lunch in the neighbourhood. For the rest of the afternoon, enjoy the live performers and stroll through the colonial streets with bougainvillea-covered balconies and hidden-away courtyards. |
| Evening | Relax this evening over a fresh and delicious meal of local ingredients at a popular restaurant. In the evening, enjoy an ET-led game or journaling activity. |
Day 3:
CHAPULTEPEC PARK, SEGWAY TOUR, BIKE RIDE, ROMA NORTE STREET ART TOUR, MUSEO DE CHOCOLATE, MEXICAN COOKING CLASS
| Morning | Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and prepare for immediate immersion into the bustling and vibrant city life of DF, as Mexico City is known locally.
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of the Museo Frida Kahlo, the Blue House, dedicated to the work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The exhibit includes works by Kahlo, her husband Diego Rivera, as well as Mexican folk art from Kahlo’s personal collection. |
| Afternoon | In the early afternoon, transfer south to the leafy suburb of San Ángel, where we will head directly to Plaza San Jacinto with its famed Bazar Sábado, full of local artisans’ ceramics, jewellery, textiles and more. Spend time perusing the market and using our Spanish with the artists. Enjoy lunch in the neighbourhood. For the rest of the afternoon, enjoy the live performers and stroll through the colonial streets with bougainvillea-covered balconies and hidden-away courtyards. |
| Evening | Relax this evening over a fresh and delicious meal of local ingredients at a popular restaurant. In the evening, enjoy an ET-led game or journaling activity. |
Day 4:
PALACIO NACIONAL, MUSEO NACIONAL DE ANTROPOLOGIA, PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES
| Morning | This morning, head into the Historic Centre to see the Palacio Nacional, home to the president of Mexico. Admire Diego Rivera’s impressive murals that showcase the history of Mexican civilization from the Aztecs to post-Revolution. Take in the bustling atmosphere around the Zócalo, the main square, and explore the museums, churches and Palacio de Bellas Artes, which are all nearby. |
| Afternoon | Enjoy lunch, then head to the incomparable Museo Nacional de Antropología, for its collections that showcase the many civilizations and cultures of Mexico through the ages. This is Mexico’s most visited museum, so make sure to give yourself sufficient time to explore the many different exhibitions and periods of history. |
| Evening | In the evening, enjoy free time to relax and reflect on all that we have learned and experienced in Mexico City so far. |
Day 5:
TEOTIHUACÁN
MorningPrepare to be blown away by architectural feats today, as we visit the archaeological sit of Teotihuacán.AfternoonClimb hundreds of steps for the views at the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world.
Also visit the Palace of Quetzlpapalotl, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. Afterwards, visit the museum to learn more about the significance of each site.EveningReturn to Mexico City for a delicious group meal together, then pack up ready for the next day’s journey
Day 6:
MEXICO CITY > OAXACA
MORNING
Our last activity in Mexico City will be a memorable one; embark on a 3-hour street food tour. Head to the neighbourhood of Cuauhtémoc, where we will be led by an expert in Mexican flavours to try a huge variety of food prepared and served in small stalls and markets. Taste sizzling tamales, empanadas, tacos, tostadas and more. With the help of our guide, chat with local street vendors and gain an insight into daily life here at the busy junctions and cross-walks of Mexico City.
Return to the hotel to load the bus and for Airport
EVENING
Enjoy an Evolve-led activity this evening after a group dinner, where we will reflect on our goals for the upcoming service portion of the trip.
Day 7:
OAXACA
MORNING
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Oaxaca is a place bursting with colour, history, and vibrant Indigenous traditions. We will explore these themes through cuisine, artesanía and through 2 days service work in the local community.
AFTERNOON
Once we arrive, we will check in to the hotel and freshen up. We will do a walking tour of the city itself, covering the Plaza Principal, Santo Domingo Church, Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, and more. We will also visit the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca. Housed in a former monastery that dates back to the 1600s, this varied museum contains exhibits through expansive hallways and views of the surrounding Ethnobotanical Garden.
EVENING
This evening, over a group dinner, reflect on our goals for the upcoming days of service work and enjoy a group activity together to focus our skills and experience and what we hope to contribute and gain over these last few days in Mexico together.
Day 8:
WEAVING COOPERATIVE IN TEOTITLÁN
| Morning | Over these two mornings, we will head out of the city to the famous weaving village of Teotitlán. Right back to pre-colonial times, the community in this area had to pay tributes to the Aztecs in the form of prized cloth and textiles. To this day, their weaving traditions are strong. We will get acquainted with the village as we visit different weaving cooperatives, run by women who will teach us some of their skills in spinning and weaving yarn, traditional cooking and culinary methods, and medicinal plants found in the surrounding areas. |
| Afternoon | On this immersive learning and service experience, we will also have the opportunity to help in the community through painting, English classes, or whatever is needed by the women’s cooperative in the moment of our visit.
On the second day, we will continue these tasks with the women we have built connections with on the first day. Enjoy the opportunity for further cultural and language exchange, as well as service in their local community. |
| Evening | In the evening, return to Oaxaca for group dinner and free time. |
Day 9:
MONTE ALBÁN & CERAMICS WORKSHOP
| Morning | Depart by bus to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monte Albán. These pyramids, canals, and terraces are one of the first urban centers of Mesoamerica. Monte Albán was inhabited by the Olmecs, Zapotecs, and Mixtecs over a period of 1,500 years. |
| Afternoon | Climb to the tops of the pyramids for a bird’s eye view of the ancient temples.
After our visit, we will explore more of the surrounding area and meet more artisans famous for their sculpture-making of distinctive mythical creatures central to Indigenous cosmologies. We will get the chance to partake in this practice ourselves, as we use brightly coloured paint to make our own alebrijes. |
| Evening | This evening, prepare for tomorrow’s immersive cooking class through researching recipes and ingredients and comparing notes on all the delicious meals we’ve had so far. |
Day 10:
COOKING CLASS AND HIERVE EL AGUA
| Morning | Start the morning with a visit to the local market, where our chef will facilitate our interactions and negotiations with vendors. He will talk us through the region’s culinary history, while we pick out fresh ingredients by sight, taste and smell.
Back in the kitchen, we will make a four course meal, including mole, sopa, ensalada and postre (dessert). Afterwards, enjoy the fruits of our labour on the idyllic back patio.
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| Afternoon | All filled up and fuelled up, depart to the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua. The natural wonder was created by mineral water that pushed through karstic limestone, leading to two pools full of calcium carbonate, magnesium, and sulphur. Hike up the rock’s edge for incredible views and then cool off with a swim in the carbonated water. |
| Evening | Enjoy dinner and live music on the final night in Oaxaca. |
Day 11:
RETURN HOME
| Morning | Transfer to Oaxaca Airport for the flight back home. |
| Afternoon | Stopover(s). |
| Evening | Arrive back in Toronto, excited to share with family and friends the sights and flavours that characterised this memorable trip to Mexico. |
