Culture and Beach in Mexico

This morning you will be met at your hotel by your expert guide for a full day private tour of Mexico City and the Anthropology Museum. You will start at the Zocalo (town square) - the second largest piazza in the world, no less - before visiting the National Palace. Your guide will take you past the crowds to the lesser-known heart of the palace, telling you about the history of the building and the role it played in building the Mexico we know today.

From here you will visit the Metropolitan Cathedral - so enormous it took three centuries to build - before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch you will visit the Anthropology Museum, where your expert guide will lead you in an exploration of the many histories and cultures of Mesoamerica. After your tour, you will be privately transferred back to your hotel to relax or wander around the city for the rest of the afternoon.

This morning you will be privately transferred to Morelia. The journey will take roughly four hours, so you will stop for lunch. When you arrive in Morelia, your expert guide will meet you for a half day tour of the city. Having visited the pink stone cathedral on the main square, your guide will take you to the House of Morelos, a museum in the home of Mexican revolutionary hero Don Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon. Here, you will learn about the brutal eleven-year Mexican War of Independence, and how modern Mexico came into being 200 years ago, before visiting the conservatoire, Bishop's Palace and the College of Saint Nicolas. After your tour you will be privately transferred to your hotel to check in and spend the evening at leisure.

This morning you will be met at your hotel by your expert guide for a private tour of Patzcuaro and Lake Janitzio. Your first stop will be the pueblo magico ('magic town') of Patzcuaro before moving to Lake Patzcuaro where, according to myth, the barrier between life and death is thinnest. After lunch you will cross the lake by boat, to the island of Janitzo. With your expert guide, you will hike to the island's peak, where in the middle of town you will find a 130ft statue commemorating Don Jose Maria Morales. As you might have guessed by now he's a pretty big deal in Mexico. If your legs are up to it, you can climb the memorial for some truly breath-taking views from the top. After your visit you will take a boat back to the shore, before a private transfer back to your hotel.

After breakfast this morning, you will check out of your hotel before meeting your driver for a two-and-a-half-hour private transfer to San Miguel de Allende. When you arrive, you will have lunch in a local restaurant before meeting your expert guide and stretching your legs - which may well ache after yesterday's exertions! - on a private tour of the city. Your guide and you will wander the cobbled streets, taking in the iconic architecture, the shaded central plaza and the famous pink gothic church. After your tour, you will be privately transferred to your hotel to spend the evening at leisure.

After breakfast this morning, you will be met by your expert private guide for a personalised day of art appreciation. After visiting the Institute of Culture, where Mexico's finest artists and artisans hone their craft, you will visit a local artisan in their studio. Here you will learn how the traditional local rugs - every one unique - are woven, and can pick up a few rugs for home before heading on to La Aurora, a former textile factory which now houses an arts and culture centre full of artists' studios, interior designers and all manner of creative shops. Before heading back to your hotel, you will go on a tour of murals and street art by local artists David Leonardo Chavez and David Siqueiro.

This afternoon you will be met at your hotel for an afternoon of epicurean delights. San Miguel de Allende is widely regarded as a gastronomic hotspot for gourmet chefs, and handily it sits in the 'bread basket of Mexico,' surrounded by farms, vineyards and cheesemakers. Your expert guide, who is also a professional chef, will take you around the market as you choose the ingredients for your feast later, before visiting a local wine shop and selecting a few bottles to accompany the meal. From here, you will walk to a nearby organic garden within a courtyard of one of the most beautiful houses in the city for a private cookery class. Your chef will show you how to turn your ingredients into traditional Mexican dishes, including fresh tortillas, 'guisos' (stews) and guacamole, which you will then enjoy (assuming you followed the instructions), accompanied by the lashings of wine you bought earlier in the afternoon.

This morning you will be met at your hotel for the one-and-a-half-hour private transfer to Guanajuato, the heartland of Mexico's colonial heritage. Upon arrival you will be met by your expert guide for a full day private tour of the city, beginning with an invite-only visit to famed ceramicist Gorky Gonzalez's workshop. Here you will learn about the process and the craftmanship that goes into making these beautiful pieces. From here you will explore the city's twisting cobbled streets with your guide, visiting the Jardin de la Union, Alhondiga de Granaditas, site of the first rebel victory against the Spanish in the War of Independence, and the opulent Juarez Theatre. After your tour, you will be privately transferred to your hotel to check in and spend the evening at leisure.

After a morning spent relaxing, you will be have a private transfer to the Cuna de Tierra Vineyard, home to one of the best wineries in Mexico. Following a drink on the roof terrace with the sommelier, you will hop into a tractor-drawn carriage for a private tour of the vineyard, before visiting the wine vats and the cellar where the barrels and bottles are left to age. There you will have an in depth explanation of the winemaking process. After your tour, you will be taken to the restaurant for a four course, gourmet lunch with specially chosen wine pairings. After lunch - and, we imagine, a little worse for wear - you will be privately transferred back to your hotel to spend the rest of the day at leisure.

After checking out of your hotel this morning, you will take a 50-minute private transfer to the airport for the one-hour flight to Puerto Vallarta. After you have collected your luggage, you will be met by your driver for a one-hour private transfer to your hotel on the Mexican Riviera, where you will spend the rest of the day getting your bearings and appreciating this beautiful stretch of coastline.

The next three days are yours to spend at leisure, lazing on the white sandy beaches or relaxing in the gardens of your hotel. Potential activities we can arrange include private city tours of Sayulita or Puerto Vallarta, surfing or paddle boarding lessons, sunset sailing trips or spa treatments.