Itinerary
- Day 1
Veracruz
You'll get picked up at the airport and head to your hotel in Veracruz. From there, the day is yours to do what you like. You could check out the museums, spend time on the beaches, try some traditional Jarochan food, or just settle in and relax at your hotel.
Included Activities
- Airport to hotel transfer
Optional Activities
- Visit museums
- Enjoy beaches
- Taste traditional Jarochan food
- Day 2
San Andrés Tuxtla - Eyipantla - Catemaco
Starting at 8:00 am, you're heading to Santiago Tuxtla to see one of the largest Olmec Stone Heads in the area. After that, you'll go to the Santa Clara cigar factory in San Andrés Tuxtla for a guided tour showing how they hand-make cigars. Later, you'll reach El Salto de Eyipantla waterfall in the Tuxtla Biosphere Reserve and walk down 244 steps to get to this 50-meter-high waterfall. The day wraps up with a boat trip through Catemaco lagoon, visiting monkey island and other islets.
Included Activities
- Visit to largest Olmec Stone Head in the region
- Santa Clara cigar factory tour
- El Salto de Eyipantla waterfall visit
- Boat trip through Catemaco lagoon
- Hotel pickup at 8:00 am
- Return transfer to Veracruz
Optional Activities
- Meal at Eyipantla (not included)
- Meal at Catemaco (not included)
Landmarks Olmec Stone Head El Salto de Eyipantla Catemaco Lagoon 
- Day 3
Veracruz
Starting at 10:00 am, you'll check out Veracruz's main spots. First up is the Aquarium of Veracruz with nine different areas including the Tuxtla jungle, freshwater and saltwater galleries, reef fish, sharks, manatees, and jellyfish. Then you're visiting San Juan de Ulúa, a 500-year-old coral construction museum where a guide covers the fort's history and local legends. After that, a boat tour takes you through Mandinga village surrounded by mangrove forests, stopping at Isla de las Conchitas, Isla de las Garzas, and the Alley of the Kiss. You'll finish with a traditional sightseeing bus tour of Veracruz's historic downtown.
Included Activities
- Veracruz Aquarium tour
- San Juan de Ulúa tour with certified guide
- Transfer to Mandinga
- Boat tour through Mandinga lagoon
- Sightseeing tour of Veracruz historic center
- Waiting time at Mandinga restaurants
- Round transportation from aquarium
Optional Activities
- Meal at Mandinga restaurant (not included)
Landmarks Aquarium of Veracruz San Juan de Ulúa Mandinga Isla de las Conchitas Isla de las Garzas Veracruz Historic Center - Day 4
Papantla
At 8:00 am, you're traveling to El Tajín, the most important ceremonial center of the Totonaca culture. You'll walk through precolonial buildings in the jungle including palaces, temples, and the central ceremonial games area. The Pirámide de los Nichos is a highlight with 7 levels and 365 niches (considered a civil calendar). Next, Papantla is on the itinerary, where you'll learn about Totonacapan as the birthplace of vanilla and home to the Voladores de Papantla ritual performers. You'll see how precolonial and Spanish cultures blend together in local folklore and cuisine.
Included Activities
- El Tajín archaeological zone entrance
- Guided tour of El Tajín
- Papantla visit
- Hotel pickup at 8:00 am
- Return transfer to Veracruz
Landmarks El Tajín Pirámide de los Nichos Papantla 
- Day 5
Coatepec or Jalcomulco (Optional Alternative)
You have two options here. OPTION 1: Coffee tour starting at 8:00 am to Coatepec. You'll tour a representative coffee plantation learning the whole process from picking to cup, visit the Antiguo Beneficio of Café Bola de Oro with 19th-century machinery, try a coffee tasting with an expert, and check out Hacienda de Pacho Nuevo (400+ years old). A guided walk through Coatepec's historic center and its legends finishes things out. OPTION 2: Rafting starting at 9:00 am in Jalcomulco. You'll experience extreme rafting on Río Pescados, use camp facilities with a pool, get a security briefing and gear, have a buffet meal, raft downriver, then head back to Veracruz.
- Meals
- Lunch (Buffet meal at Jalcomulco camp (Jalcomulco option only))
Included Activities
- Hotel pickup at 8:00 am (Coatepec) or 9:00 am (Jalcomulco)
- Finca Bola de Oro entrance (Coatepec)
- Refreshment at coffee plantation (Coatepec)
- Antiguo Beneficio tour (Coatepec)
- Coffee tasting and toasting (Coatepec)
- Hacienda de Pacho tour (Coatepec)
- Guided city tour of Coatepec (Coatepec)
- Return transfer to Veracruz (Coatepec)
- Camp facilities access (Jalcomulco)
- Buffet meal (Jalcomulco)
- Security conference and rafting gear (Jalcomulco)
- Rafting along Río Pescados (Jalcomulco)
- Return transfer to Veracruz (Jalcomulco)
Optional Activities
- Meal at Coatepec (not included)
Landmarks Coatepec Café Bola de Oro Hacienda de Pacho Nuevo Jalcomulco Río Pescados 
- Day 6
Coatepec - Xico
Starting at 8:00 am, you'll visit the former hacienda El Lencero in Xalapa, which was the historic house of President Santa Ana, with a guide walking you through it. Next, you're at the Museum of Anthropology and History where a certified guide explains the cultures that inhabited the state. After that, head to Coatepec to visit the Coffee Museum and learn about how coffee is made. You'll wrap up in Xico, one of Veracruz's magical towns, where you can enjoy the local cuisine.
Included Activities
- Former hacienda El Lencero tour
- Museum of Anthropology and History visit with certified guide
- Coffee Museum in Coatepec visit
- Xico center visit
- Hotel pickup at 8:00 am
- Return transfer to Veracruz
Optional Activities
- Meal in Xico (not included)
Landmarks El Lencero Museum of Anthropology and History Coatepec Coffee Museum Xico - Day 7
Veracruz to Airport
Your last day in Veracruz is free for you to spend however you want. You could walk through downtown, visit city hall, or catch a danzón workshop in the zócalo. If you need ideas, ask the tour operator for other activity suggestions. Then 2.5 hours before your flight (or 1 hour before your bus departure), you'll be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport.
Included Activities
- Hotel to airport transfer
Optional Activities
- Downtown walk
- City hall visit
- Danzón workshops at zócalo
Landmarks Veracruz Downtown Veracruz Zócalo
