Mexico City has evolved over the centuries into a modern day metropolis from its founding as the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán in the 14th century

A history of agricultural cultivation, religious ritual, and warring tribes took a seismic turn with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores and the development of the city was fuelled by silver mining.

This is all reflected in the cultural vestiges apparent all over the modern cay city which you will glimpse during your guided city tour. Visit the vast Zócalo, or main square, monumental Metropolitan Cathedral and National Palace with its murals by Diego Rivera. Take a look at a handicraft market where you can browse for purchases and travel down elegant boulevards.

Passing through the northern suburbs of the capital, you head into the countryside towards the megalithic archaeological site of Teotihuacán which dates from the time of Christ and was once one of the largest cities in the world.

It is hugely influential in the historic narrative of modern Mexico and, although it had already been abandoned by the time of the Aztecs, even this great empire held it in awe. Soak up the history as you stroll along the imposing Avenue of the Dead, leading to the vast Pyramid of the Sun, and take the opportunity to climb its vertiginous, ancient steps for a panorama of the ruins and the surrounding countryside.

Visit also the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the most venerated shrine and pilgrimage site in Mexico. Here, the Virgin Mary appeared disguised as an indian princess appeared to the fabled indigenous Mexican Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, leaving her image impressed on his cloak. It is not certain that he ever existed, but he was canonised by the Roman Catholic church in 2002 as the continent’s first indigenous saint.

Leave the capital by air and travel southeast towards the southern highlands and the city of Oaxaca, set among arid mountains. 

The population in this area is still dominated by people of Zapotec and Mixtec descent, although the town has many examples of well-preserved Spanish colonial architecture, some fine museums and a thriving artistic community, as well as a wonderful climate. The peace and quiet of the cobbled streets is a welcome contrast to the busy capital.

Discover at your leisure the colonial delights of Oaxaca. You can get around easily on foot with the main square (zócalo), and the boulevard of Calle Alcalá being free from traffic. You might visit the city's government palace, cathedral and Santo Domingo church, as well as its colourful food market. Oaxaca is a centre for Mexican art; there are also opportunities to buy gifts in some of its art and craft shops.

Head out of town to nearby Monte Albán, the grand Zapotec ceremonial centre. Strategically located on an artificially levelled hill where three valleys meet, the site has superb views over the surrounding area. There is time to explore the pyramids, steep staircases, walls covered with strange carvings, burial chambers and temples. Although there is a theory that the main plaza was a religious ceremonial site, most of the imagery is decidedly militaristic, featuring tortured captives and devastated conquered settlements.

Fly from Oaxaca to Tuxtla Gutierrez, a dynamic commercial city and capital of the state of Chiapas.  

Drive to San Cristóbal de las Casas via a scenic drive through the Sumidero Canyon. The scenery becomes dramatic with some of the canyon walls towering over 800m.

San Cristóbal is a delightful town on many levels. Its striking location in a fertile valley bound by chunky mountains and its pleasant climate (altitude 2,100m) enhance the rustic charm of the graceful baroque and neoclassical homes, churches and public buildings. 

But it is the mélange of cultures, Spanish and indigenous, reflected in the markets and craft-shops that is perhaps the biggest draw. A great place to ramble and relax.

In the morning you'll be driven to Palenque via Toniná archaeological site and Misol-Ha.

Toniná has a gruesome history, having served as a prison for captured rulers of other cities. Some of the sculptures depict these unfortunates prior to decapitation. Misol Ha river drops into a wide pool via a waterfall fringed by tropical vegetation. There's a path leading to a cave behind the main fall.

The temples that have been renovated are in remarkably good condition, the most impressive being the Templo de las Inscripciones . Also impressive is Temple 13 that houses a tomb and red-coloured skeleton believed to have been a queen.

Fly to Mérida, capital of the state of Yucatán. The city was founded by the Maya and named Tiho. In 1542 it was conquered by the Spanish conquistadores who dismantled the Mayan pyramids and used the stones as foundations for the cathedral. 

Mérida then became an immensely wealthy city, described as the ‘Paris of the New World’. Its money came mainly from the production of sisal, cactus fibres that are used to make rope, and it was culturally and geographically isolated from the rest of the country until transport infrastructure reached it in the 1950s.

Today Mérida retains a lovely colonial centre, with a mix of opulent and crumbly buildings but it is a modern, bustling, thriving city, with lots of local character, some excellent places to eat and good shops and markets. The inhabitants, descendants of the Maya and the colonists, love a good fiesta, and you may well find one going on, with live music and market stalls, while you are there.

We recommend you take an optional guided excursion to the Mayan temple complex at Uxmal, 80km from Mérida.

The site is dominated by the majestic Pyramid of the Magician, alongside which is an elegant ‘nunnery’ quadrangle with Puuc-style complex stonework pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. Strolling through the ruins, cradled in dense vegetation shading the visitor from the scorching sun is an almost mystical experience. Continue to Kabah, with its incredible Palace of Masks, with intricate mosaics representing the face of Chac the rain god 260 times.

From Mérida drive to Chichén Itzá (3 hrs), the grandest of all the Mayan sites, dominated by the huge, symmetrical, stepped El Castillo pyramid. The origins of the site are mysterious, and appear to have Toltec as well as Mayan influences.

It has the largest and best-preserved ball court in the Americas: the venue for an ancient ritual game that was played throughout the continent, but which is still not fully understood.

Archaeologists have not been able to determine whether the losers or winners were decapitated, but judging from the gory carvings along the base of the court’s walls, someone certainly came to an unpleasant end. There is also a huge sacred well. You have a guided tour in the evening. Accommodation is a short walk from the site and in the evening there is the option to return to the site for the Sound and Light Show.

Drive to Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera (4hrs). As its name suggests, this stretch of white-sand coastline has been comprehensively developed for tourism, with varying degrees of success from an aesthetic point of view. Cancún is a sprawling resort of high-rise hotels and Disney-like themed bars and restaurants. 

As you head south towards Tulum, the built up area thins out and there are some lovely exclusive hotel properties. Playa del Carmen, an hour’s drive south of Cancún, is a pleasant family resort with a lively pedestrianised centre overflowing with restaurants and bars. 

If you fancy some beach-time, we recommend you extend your stay here for a few days. There are loads of activities and excursions, from visits to Mayan ruins to scuba diving.

These are easy to book locally. You might even hire a car for a day or two to have more flexibility to explore.