EXPRESS MEXICO CITY Under 40s favourite

Our first day in Mexico City is low-key – you’ll want to save your energy for the busy schedule ahead. After touching down at the airport, you’ll be transferred directly to your hotel to drop your bags before hitting the city streets for a walk with our Local Insider. We know you’ll be travel-weary, so an authentic Mexican hot chocolate from the famed Cafe de Tacuba should hopefully pick you up – before we sit down for dinner at locals' favourite Salon Corona. After getting to know the rest of the group, it’s back to the hotel for some well-earned down time.

After a hotel breakfast, lace up your walking shoes as today we’ll be clocking up some miles (as well as plenty of amazing views). We’ll kick things off with a visit to the Museo Nacional de Historia, housed in the hilltop Castillo de Chapultepec with panoramic views across the city. Next, we’ll head over to the fascinating Monumento a la Revolución, part-monument, part-museum. We reckon by now you’ll be a bit peckish, so a stroll through the Mercado de San Juan should hit the spot – this huge indoor market is the go-to for local and specialty Mexican produce and hot food. After a taco or two, you’ll be ready for the giddy heights of the Torre Latinoamericana. The views from the top are spectacular.

An hour north of Mexico City is the sprawling pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacán, one of Mexico’s most significant archeological sites. Strolling down the central Avenue of the Dead, the width of a highway, the scale of the site knocks you off your feet – and that’s before you’ve reached the base of the towering Pyramid of the Sun.. The on-site museum is just as spectacular in a different way, stuffed with jewellery, art and the remains of human sacrifices uncovered on site. We’ll end the day as the Aztecs themselves may well have done – with a shot of pulque, an ancient liquor made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. Salud!

You’ll be up early this morning – but we promise it’s worth it! We’re heading to the south-city margins to explore the Aztec-built canals of Xochimilco by kayak, as the sun rises over the verdant floating gardens. After some free time (and a nap, if you need it!), we’ll head to Mercado de Artesanías la Ciudadela to browse Mexican handicrafts and folk art – ideal for picking up a souvenir or two. We’ll also pop into the famed Pasteleria Ideal, so you can sample Mexico City’s favourite sweet pastries. But wait – that’s not all! The day (and this trip) concludes in fitting fashion, quite literally, with tickets to a lucha libre wrestling match. The masks, capes and glittery spandex are all part of the fun!

After a final hotel breakfast, make your way to the airport for your flight home – or onwards, to further adventures!