Food Tour Mexico: Enjoy Grutas, Delicious Pulque and Mexican Dishes (Small-Group / 3 Days)

Food Tour Mexico: Enjoy Grutas, Delicious Pulque and Mexican Dishes (Small-Group / 3 Days)
From USD $663.00
  • Duration: 3 Days (approx.)
  • Product code: PB0VNY

Overview

Join our 3-day food adventure tour to get acquainted with gastronomic traditions of the State of Hidalgo in Mexico.  Your eyes will witness its spectacular natural attractions while flavors of regional dishes will delight your palate. Local gastronomy is really diverse and ranges from delicious pastries to insect food accompanied by exquisite pulque. Additionally, you will visit charming cities & magical towns and admire countless cultural attractions. Market food experiences, visits to beer & pulque producers, walking tours & local museums - all this and more is waiting for you on our tour.

Highlights

  • Feel appealing smells & flavors of Hidalgo and try some of the best regional specialties.
  • Learn about the history, ingredients, and production techniques of pulque and artisanal beer.
  • Enjoy natural beauties of the UNESCO-listed Comarca Minera Geopark and Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve.
  • Relax in impressive thermals springs of Grutas de Tolantongo.
  • Get under the charm of "Magical Towns" - Real del Monte & Huasca de Ocampo.

Itinerary

Day 1: Mexico City - Tula - Ixmiquilpan - Grutas de Tolantongo

Bienvenidos a la Ciudad de Mexico - the largest city in Latin America where ancient and modern coexist in harmony. Arrive at any time before meeting your group and Tour Leader at 9 am. Following a short welcome meeting, go to taste and see the production of pulque in a local family ranch in Hidalgo. Then, go to discover ruins of Tula - a former Toltec capital and the most important city in the region after the fall of Teotihuacan. After a tour of the archeological zone, we will continue with a walking tour and a market food experience in Tula.

Afterward, we will go to Ixmiquilpan - a city on the Tula River in the east-central part of the state. There, we will visit the unique 16th-century Augustine convent, the museum of local Hñähñu people, and finally, try some of the best local specialties.

Finally, in the early evening, we will arrive at our final destination - Grutas de Tolantongo, one of the most impressive natural wonders of Mexico with awesome views, waterfalls & thermal waters. After check-in and some rest, opt to join your group & Tour Leader to bath in a local thermal river and then have a dinner in one of the local restaurants.

  • Transportation: private vehicle
  • Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel in Grutas de Tolantongo
  • Activities:
    • walking tours in Tula and Ixmiquilpan;
    • guided visits to Zona Arqueológica de Tula (Tula); Museo de la Cultura Hñahñú (Ixmiquilpan);
    • entrance to Grutas de Tolantongo;
    • market food experinces in Tula and Ixmiquilpan, pulque tour & tasting near Tula.

Day 2: Grutas de Tolantongo - Metztitlán - Huasca de Ocampo - Mineral del Monte

In the morning, after breakfast, continue exploring Grutas de Tolantongo visiting its most famous sights - El Tunel & La Cueva. Afterward, take a picture mountainous road to reach the Convent of the Santos Reyes in Metztitlán. This little town, located in the middle of Barranca de Metztitlán Biosphere Reserve is the state's hidden gem.

After an optional lunch and orientation walk of the town, continue to Huasca de Ocampo - one of 3 "Magical Towns" in the state. Situated in the heart of UNESCO's Comarca Minera Geopark, it is famous for its imposing basaltic prisms & mining haciendas, some of which we are gonna visit.

Following a walking tour of the center of Huasca de Ocampo, we will continue to our final destination - "Magical Town" Mineral del Monte. In the evening, after check-in and some rest, join your group & Tour Leader for an orientation walk of the historic center of the town. Thereafter, opt for an optional dinner & get-together in one of the local restaurants.

  • Transportation: private vehicle
  • Accommodation: conveniently located, locally-own hotel/B&B in Mineral del Monte
  • Meals: breakfast
  • Activities:
    • walking tours in Metztitlán, Huasca de Ocampo and Mineral del Monte;
    • guided visits to Hacienda Santa María Regla (Huasca de Ocampo) and Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla (Huasca de Ocampo).

Day 3: Mineral del Monte - Pachuca - Hacienda San Antonio Tochatlaco - Father Tembleque Aqueduct - Mexico City

First, have a breakfast food experience in the municipal market followed by a visit to a local museum of pastes. There not only will you learn about the origin of this dish (it came there with Cornish miners by the way) but will also cook one yourselves. Afterward, continue our "Mexico: Gastronomic Adventure in Hidalgo" tour exploring the state's capital Pachuca with a photo stop at impressive Cristo Rey's viewpoint on our way.

Once in Pachuca, we will climb its symbol - Monumental clock - and have a complete gastronomic tour of the historic center visiting its 3 main markets and trying most typical dishes in each of them. Thereafter, we will go to see the former grandeur of Mexico's pulque industry in Hacienda San Antonio Tochatlaco, followed by a visit to UNESCO-listed Father Tembleque Aqueduct. Finally, we will see the production process in one of the most famous artisanal breweries in the state in Tinayuca. After beer tasting & optional dinner, we will go to Mexico City, arriving there around 8 pm. End of the tour.

  • Transportation: private vehicle
  • Activities:
    • walking tour in Pachuca;
    • guided visits to Museo del Paste (Mineral del Monte), Monumental Clock (Pachuca), Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque, Hacienda San Antonio Tochatlaco;
    • market food experinces in Mineral del Monte and Pachuca, artisanal beer tour & tasting in Tizayuca.

Why go with us

Small groups of up to 13 travelers: closer communication, easier coordination, more adventures & fun!
Off-the-beaten-track tours with maximum immersion in local nature, culture, and traditions.
The easy-going atmosphere of our tours is perfect for informal travel and making new friends among co-travelers and locals.

Logistics

  • DEPARTURE: We will depart from our meeting point in Mexico City (as per trip notes) at 9 am on Day 1.
  • ARRIVAL: We will be back in Mexico City on Day 3 evening around 8 pm. If you need to arrive in Mexico City before this time, you can leave earlier by public transport: it takes ~1 h 15 min to get to Mexico City from Pachuca, buses depart every 10 min.
  • TRANSPORT: The type of vehicle depends on the size of the group and may include car, 7-seater, minivan.

Notes

  • ACCOMMODATIONS: We will send you an exact list of accommodations together with trip notes 2 weeks before the departure date. All accommodations are centrally located, tourist-class, locally-owned properties with private facilities in each room. We can arrange pre- & post-tour accommodations but not earlier than 2 weeks before the departure when we send you final trip notes. 
  • ROOM TYPES:
    • Shared Twin Room: Single bed in a twin room shared with another co-traveler of the same gender. This option is specifically designed for solo travelers and applies just to group departures.
    • Double/Twin Room: Private room for 2 people. You can choose between 1 double bed or 2 single beds.
    • Triple Room: Private room for 3 people. It normally has 1 double bed for 2 people and 1 single bed for 1 person.
    • Quad Room: Private room for 4 people. It normally has 2 double beds for 2 people each.

    If none of the room types above fits you, please contact us and we will send you a personalized quote.

  • PHYSICAL CONDITION: This tour involves a decent amount of walking. Therefore, travelers should have moderate physical fitness condition.
  • ACTIVITIES: Participation in all activities is optional - just be sure to be in time for daily departures.
  • WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU: Comfortable clothes & shoes; a small backpack for daily tours; hat/cap, sunglasses & sunscreen; travel insurance; good mood & curiosity.
  • PRICING: The price of the tour/person depends on the number of travelers & room option you choose. 
  • GROUP VS. PRIVATE TOUR: Group Tour: take a trip with other travelers. Private Tour: take a trip on your own, with friends, couple, or family. While offering more privacy and exclusivity such tours may cost more than group ones. If you wanna take a private tour with a group that is bigger than 4, please contact us and we will send you a personalized offer. For private tours, the dates of departure (and in some cases the itinerary & activities) can be customized to your request.