General information
| Destination |
|---|
| Mexico City, Mexico |
Program details
Seven-hundred-year-old Mexico City is transforming itself into a vibrant, hip destination for artists, restaurants and businesses but it never forgets its past. With your guide and an itinerary inspired by The New York Times, spend a day immersed in Mexican culture, markets and cuisine with exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to our favorite designer workshops, concept stores and food joints.
Allow us to introduce you to the Franz Mayer Museum, an often overlooked Mexico City attraction that quietly displays the largest collection of decorative arts in Latin America. Located in a former monastery and hospital building, its extensive collection spans three centuries. You will learn about the museum’s origins as your guide directs you towards its most significant pieces. On the second floor, we will admire one of our favorite objects, a 17th-century screen that depicts the chaos of the Spanish conquest on one side and an idealized version of the pristine Mexico City that rose from the ashes on the other.
Ethical fashion is next on our agenda. Carla Fernández is an exciting contemporary designer who uses indigenous textiles and themes in her clothing designs. The team here travel throughout Mexico meeting artisans who specialize in handmade textiles, learning from them and utilizing their centuries-old indigenous techniques, preserving them for future generations to enjoy. Carla’s studio is not usually open to the public but you will be granted exclusive access to find out more about this inspirational fashion house. Lose your fear of navigating Mexico City’s chaotic streets by hopping on the Metrobus with us.
We will stop for lunch at Huerto Roma Verde, a funky community garden that grew out of a neighborhood ruined by the devastating 1985 earthquake. In a city as crowded as this, the garden focuses on sustainability and innovation through research and participation and is a wonderful example of turning blight into beauty. We will talk to some of the volunteers and see for ourselves the need for green spaces amongst the cement jungle.
Next we will visit Mercado Medellín (officially known as Mercado Melchor Ocampo). This bustling market may be small but it’s jam-packed with mouth-watering products from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Peru and other Latin American countries. The exotic fruits and desserts are particularly popular but we are here for the ice cream! We will seek out Eugenio, a molecular biologist from Havana who, luckily for us, has turned his scientific thinking to ice cream. If you’re lucky, he will be the one serving. His top seller is nata, made from the cream that rises to the top of buttermilk, but there are plenty of options to choose from. If we have time, we’ll make a quick stop to sample a beloved Latin American cocktail too.
From the traditional Mercado Medellín to the modern Mercado Roma, now Mexico City’s premier foodie destination. This neighborhood, Colonia Roma, is affectionately referred to by the locals as the ‘Magical Neighborhood’ because of its delightful array of restaurants, bars, cantinas and breweries. Among the beer, street food, sauces, wine and chocolate you can pick up at the market is Churreria el Moro, one of the oldest and most famous churrerías in all of Mexico. Here we will grab a cup of coffee or chocolate and a hot churro (we may have to stand in line for a bit, but it’s totally worth it!). As we munch on our churros, we will stroll the streets, stopping in at galleries and stores selling furniture, art and old crafts. We will make our way towards the shop of David Pompa, where once again indigenous crafts are incorporated in innovative ways into contemporary fashion.
Then, at Fábrica Social, a social enterprise that supports the work of female artisans, we will learn more about traditional Mexican artistry and sewing techniques. Mezcal and the avocado are the international culinary stars of Mexican cuisine; drinks and dishes featuring these products have spread worldwide. We’ll taste them both at El Traspatio. Their mezcal experts will teach you how to make a delicious cocktail that incorporates both mezcal and avocado (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!). Our final stop will take us a couple of blocks to La Docena, a restaurant owned by a group of friends from the state of Guadalajara. They own a vineyard in Baja whose brands are becoming well known in Mexico and beyond. We will taste the white or rosé (the barrel-aged white wine is likely to please even red wine lovers), alongside some superb Mexican seafood. Ask the oyster experts here about the flavors, sizes, seasons and types of oysters available in Mexico and sample the catch of the day, wine in hand.
Included
Vegan ceviche or a sandwich paired with fresh fruit water at Huerto Verde,
Ice cream at Helados Palmeiro,
Coffee and/or hot chocolate and a churro at Churreria el Moro,
Avocado and mezcal cocktail, sample of Mexican oysters and Mexican wine.
Languages
English
Italiano
Русский
