Colonial cultures overland

We'll arrange a transfer from your hotel to the bus terminal, just to make double-sure that you don't miss your bus. Leaving Mexico City at around 9am, it will take a while before you're out of the big, noisy metropolis - Greater Mexico City is the largest city in the world. Eventually the suburbs will make way for a dry, hilly landscape dotted with giant cactuses and the occasional hacienda in the distance. It's the quintessential Mexico you'll recognise from the travel guides and movies. After a 3-hour bus journey you'll arrive in Puebla, which, like Oaxaca, is a cultural city with lots of events taking place. When you arrive at the hotel, ask if there are any local festivals or special activities going on - there's usually something happening somewhere in the city.

Distance on Day 1 of our Mexico City to Oaxaca tour: approx 3 hours
 

Puebla, the first stop on your Mexico City to Oaxaca tour, is brimming with beautiful districts and you'll particularly enjoy the artists' district Barrio del Artista with its many open galleries. Heading out of the Barrio del Artista you'll arrive on the Calle 6 Orienta, a street filled with 'dulceria' or sweet shops with mouth-watering (and tooth-breaking) sweets and delicacies. Dulce de leche and lime filled with sweet coconut and custard is a local speciality. Further on, you'll find the beautiful 150-year old Teatro Principal and a terrace nearby which is brilliant for people-watching. It's a popular meeting place for the many musicians of this town.

The bus leaves for Oaxaca at 9am. Even with 300.000 inhabitants, Oaxaca has an almost villagey feel to it. The centre is very compact and the pedestrianised area and the Zocalo, the central square in Oaxaca is always bustling especially in the evening.
Oaxaca is considerably more Indian than Puebla, which is more 'mestizo'. The Indians stand out in their colourful robes and every tribe has its own signature style and colour scheme. Churches and markets stand happily side by side: little stalls piled high with local handicrafts stand against a backdrop of imposing baroque buildings. The most beautiful church in Oaxaca is the Santa Domingo. The sober stone facade forms a striking contrast to the glittering gold interior, and when the sun seeps in through the windows the church lights up in a magical golden glow.  A tip: after an afternoon walking round the town you can recharge your batteries in a Temazcal bath - a purifying herbal sauna.

Distance: 5 hours

You'll arrive into San Cristobal at approximately 7am, where this Mexico City to Oaxaca tour finishes.

In the early period the temple complex served a purely religious purpose but later Monte Alban became a burial city for the Zapotecs and later Mixtecs. Tombs built for dignitaries were so cleverly hidden that they weren't actually discovered until this century.

When you're done admiring the ruins and the views, you'll pedal your way back down to Oaxaca by bike. You can stop off on the way at one of the roadside stalls or villages to see the local villagers working on their wood crafts or sculptures. Usually you can just walk in and with a bit of nifty hand-and-foot-Spanish find out more about their way of life. At 2pm you'll hand in your bike back in Oaxaca and spend a few more hours relaxing in the town before boarding the overnight bus at 7pm for the tiring 12-hour trip to San Cristobal.  

In San Cristobal you can continue your trip with Mountains, markets and Mayan temples.

If you want to see the holy city of Mitla (40km southeast of Oaxaca) but don't want to be in rush, then you'll need an extra night in Oaxaca. You can easily book a day excursion locally (approx US$20), or just the transport there and back. In Mitla you will see a Roman-Catholic church in the middle of an open space, the red domes forming a striking contrast to the green cactuses and bright blue sky. The church was in fact built with the remains of the destroyed temples of Mitla. Imagine how Catholic worshippers would react if Muslim worshippers would convert a Christian church into a Mosque. Mitla was also the burial grounds of the Zapotecs, later on Monte Alban and Mitla actually switched roles when the Zapotecs moved to Mitla and Monte Alban became the burial city.