Mexico for the Senses: Art, Food and Coastal Beauty

Coyoacán – all picturesque streets and Spanish colonial architecture – is famous for being Frida Kahlo’s neighbourhood. You’ll tour her cobalt-blue Casa Azul museum with a private guide, seeing her original artwork and personal belongings, before exploring the area’s culinary scene with a local host, tasting your way through markets, street stalls and restaurants. 

Experience Mexico’s culinary trinity – tacos, mezcal and beer – on this nighttime food tour through Mexico City’s coolest neighbourhoods: San Rafael, Anzures, Roma and Condesa. Visit traditional taco stands (taquerías) to try everything from world-famous al pastor to regional specialties, washing them down with cold beers. Then you’ll meet a mezcal expert to learn about the heritage of this pre-Hispanic spirit (and try a few specialities). 

Take a ride on a vibrant trajinera – a traditional painted boat – on a busy canal network that’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Mariachi musicians paddle alongside serenading passengers, flower vendors cruise by with colourful bouquets and food sellers hawk cold beers and sizzling quesadillas. Amid all the activity, you’ll discover how the ingenious Aztecs created floating gardens called chinampas to grow their crops.

The vast mural Sueño de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central (which translates as Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central), 1946–1947, is the only artwork on view at the fascinating Museo Mural Diego Rivera. Originally commissioned for the restaurant of the art deco Del Prado Hotel, it was moved here after the earthquake of 1985 (the museum was built around the artwork). Enjoy an after-hours expert-led tour.

Spanish potters from Talavera de la Reina brought their techniques to Puebla in the 16th century, and you’ll visit the workshop of Uriarte Talavera, one of the oldest producers of Talavera in Mexico. Enjoy a private factory and showroom tour, plus a ceramic and a hand-painting workshop, and take home your pottery complete with a certificate of authenticity.

This evening you’ll explore Puebla’s rich culture through an interactive culinary experience at a casona, one of the city’s beautiful old colonial houses. Your private chef will guide you through the stories and ingredients behind the region’s most famous dish, Mole Poblano, before you cook it together. Afterwards, enjoy your dish with traditional appetisers, paired wines, dessert and coffee.

Dive into the world of mezcal with a visit to a small-batch distillery. you’ll learn how this famous Mexican spirit is made, from growing the agave plants to the actual distilling process. Taste a flight of different mezcals, each made using traditional methods passed down through generations.

Explore the hidden food spots that locals love on this private nighttime culinary tour away from the tourist crowds. you’ll sample exceptional mezcals and taste one of Oaxaca’s most beloved dishes – an amazing grilled tlayuda that puts the downtown restaurant versions to shame.

Immerse yourself in Zapotec traditions on a full-day trip to Teotitlán del Valle, where you’ll visit a local family for an authentic Oaxacan cooking class in their home; after cooking you’ll sit down together for lunch. This experience directly supports the Indigenous Zapotec community.