Join Megalithomania for an incredible comprehensive trip through the megalithic world of Mexico, visiting all the major Olmec sites, plus Teotihuacan, Tula, Cholula, Cuilcuilco, the National Museum, and much more ending in the beautiful jungle location of the Maya site of Palenque.
Feedback from the Mexico tour in January 2018:
"Wow - Mexico was PHENOMENAL - I was absolutely gobsmacked by the sites! Places I've seen on TV and dreamed about! And I loved being in your, and fellow like-minded travellers, company. Hugh and JJ were so friendly and personable - it made my experience so much better." - Chris Burnett, Australia
SITES VISITED Cuilcuilco, Teotihuacan, Tula, Cholula, Mexico Archaeology Museum, Xalapa Museum, Chalcatzingo, San Lorenzo, Tres Zapotes, La Venta Park, La Venta, Carlos Pelicer Museum, Catemaco, Coatzalcolcas, Villahermosa Museum, Comalcalco, Palenque + sites not on itinerary that we will have private access to only for our group!
PRICES * $4295 US
* Based on Shared Room
* $700 Single Supplement
Day 1 Arrival in Mexico City. Personal taxi pick-up at the airport. Overnight Hotel Galeria Plaza Reforma.
Mexico City is an amazing place to be located, whilst we visit some sites. It has had thousands of UFO sightings, discoveries made under its streets and still has an Aztec observatory in the subway station! Overnight Royal Reforma Hotel.
Day 2 Visit anthropological museum, historical centre with Templo Mayor, plus the circular pyramid of Cuilcuilco. We will start our investigation in to the origins of the famous Mayan 'Long Count' Calendar, looking at many Olmec artifacts in the Anthropological museum that suggest they may have instigated the calendar in 3114BC (and ended on December 21st 2012). We will see several Olmec heads, the 'Aztec' sun stone and original Maya codices. Continue to visit the historic centre of Mexico City.
Continuation to visit Cuicuilco circular pyramid, a fascinating and unique structure, again with discoveries of Olmec artifacts at the site. Controversy over the age of this site has been ongoing and archaeocryptographer Carl Munck believes it is an important marker on a grid of ancient sites across the planet. The site is also covered with an ancient lava flowand the subsequent dating of Cuilcuilco has made the site famous. The pyramid was first excavated by Mexican Archaeologist Manuel Gamio in 1917 and although the site is officially dated to around 100AD, the lava flow that covers much of the pyramid was dated to 5,000 BC. Back in 1923 National Geographic were the first to report on this incredibly ancient date. The author of the piece was archaeologist Byron Cummings, who became fascinated by the site because Geologist George E. Hyde estimated the age of the flow to be 7,000 years old at least, suggesting that the pyramid must have been even older than that. A strange blue light even appeared above the pyramid when they began to excavate it. Apparently the workers were delighted, thinking it must contain ancient Maya treasure. None was said to be found, but its location on a seismic faullt line, may indicate its important placement and explain the strange light phenomena. Royal Reforma Hotel. B,L.
Day 3 Visit one the most important sites of the Olmec culture: Chacaltzingo
A rarely visited, but incredibly impressive Olmec site far from their homeland Chalcatzingo featurres two pyramiuds, incredible rock carvings and a breathtaking landscape. The huge rock-face carvings have Olmec symbols and styles and the site is one of only a handful of Olmec outposts south of Mexico City and the only one that can currently be visited. Note that this site is not on any other tours. Royal Reforma Hotel. B
Day 4 Toltec complex of Tula and Pyramids of Teotihuacan Tula is a fascinating temple with some megalithic construction, and the mighty Atlanteans presiding over the site, in the imageof the 'Plumed Serpent' or Quetzalcoatl. The Atlanteans are 30ft tall statues that are surprisingly similar to the ones at Tiwanaku, Bolivia, plus they have similar head-dresses and they have that same look in their eyes. What they appear toholding in their hands look more like metal devices or plasma-guns from a sci-fi movie! In ancient legends they had armed themselves with ‘Xiuhcoatl’ or ‘fire serpents’. These were said to emit burning rays capable of piercing and dismembering human bodies, and perhaps to cut, quarry and carve stone. The statues at Tiwanaku hold similar devices in their hands too. One of many comparisons to Virococha and ancient Peru that will be expanded upon as we pursue the ancient mysteries of Mexico. Tula could also possibly be the site of the legendary Tollan.
In the afternoon we visit massive Teotihuacan. This multi-pyramid site has been compared to Giza in size and style, and is unique in Mexico. It has Olmec influences, is aligned astronomically, has underground tunnels, and contains a another temple to the Plumed Serpent . The complex is said to have been built around 2000C, but it could be much older. Overnight Royal Reforma Hotel. B.
Day 5 Visit Cholula, the largest pyramid in the world
Visit the town of Puebla to visit Cholula, the largest pyramid in the world, with underground tunnels, again dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. Some of Cholula has been reconstructed and around its outskirts were several mysterious megaliths. One looks like an Olmec head (the Olmecs could well have built this place). There are two large megaliths, one with inscriptions and around the main entrance an enigmatic quartz-rich standing stone with a square hole cut out of it - A Mexican Men-an-Tol. We will also hear the story of Hernan Cretez's arrival at Cholula and how they discovered they were seen as 'the returning fair-skinned gods' (Quetzalcoatl), that opened the door for their gold-thirsty rampaging across Mexico. Drive to Xalapa. Holiday Inn Express Xalapa. B
Day 6 Xalapa Museum and Catemaco.
Visit Anthropological Museum of Xalapa to see several Olmec heads, stelae, megaliths and elongated skulls. The Museum has a significant collection of archaeological finds from three millennia. The focus on the Olmec culture is especially featured by huge heads of their rulers or gods made of basalt andweighing up to 20 tons each. Particularly noteworthy are the smaller sculptures of jade and obsidian. Drive to Catemaco, which is considered Mexico’s centre of healers (curanderos) and sorcerers (brujos) to this very day. They use magic potions, herbal juices, tinctures, dice, and cards to approach any problem of life. During a short walk through the small town, you visit the Basilica of La Virgen del Carmen and the local market, and stroll along the Lago de Catemaco. Hotel La Finca. B.
Day 7 Santiago Tuxtla and Tres Zapotes.
Drive to Santiago Tuxtla and visit Santiago Tuxtla Museum where some incredible and rarely seen Olmec carvings and monumental statues and artifacts discovered at Tres Zapotes and other nearby sites. We'll see two Olmec heads including the only one with closed eyes, weighing in at 40 tons on display in the town square (below).
We then take a 13 km drive to Tres Zapotes to visit the museum there, seeing more Olmec heads, evidence of acoustics, plus the stelea showing the controversioal 31BC Long Count date, indcating that the Olmec in fact invented the famous 'Mayan' Long Count and Tzolkin Calendar.s We will also get a glimpse of the originial Tres Zapotes Site which still has earthen pyramids located in nearby fields. Return to Catemaco. Overnight Hotel la Finca. B.
Day 8 Olmec capital of San Lorenzo
Visit San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan Museum, the ancient capital of the Olmec, with a small museum with an Olmec head and several other fascinating carvings and megalithic oddities. We'll see here how sophisticated the stonework really is. We will also explore the central plaza of the remains of the San Lorenzo Olmec Site which no other groups visit. Overnight Hotel Joalica, Acayucan. B.
Day 9 La Venta Pyramid Site The pyramid and megalith complex of La Venta (site), a fascinating tropical pyramid site, with the earliest pyramid in the America's (see pic below), underground mosaic floors, massive megalithic statues, Olmec heads and much more and also in the stunning on-site museum, where newly discovered statues are on display.
We will visit the Museo Regional de Antropología Carlos Pellicer Cámara, where a fragment of the Tortuguero stone is kept and hundreds of other artifacts presents an impressive collection of pre-Columbian sculptures and pottery, particularly focussing on the Olmec discoveries from La Venta and nearby satellite complexes. In addition, you can also discover interesting artifacts from Teotihuacán and from the Totonac, Mixtec, Toltec, and Maya cultures.. Continue to Villahermosa. Overnight Hotel Hyatt Regency. B,L.
Day 10 La Venta Park and Comalcalco
Visit La Venta archaeological park, where sover 100 Olmec heads, altars and colossal, megalithic telae are housed in a beautiful outdoor museum. These were saved from the La Venta site in the 1950's, and are an incredible collection of monumental art and stonework. Below is one of the altars with shamanic iconography which has remarkable magnetic effects built into it.
After lunch we drive to Comalcalco pyramid complex, where strange texts and writings are found on clay bricks, that appear to be from many different ancient cultures. Recently, an inscription indicating the end of the Long count calendar (December 21st) was found. Overnight Hotel Hyatt Regency. B.
Day 11 Palenque pyramid site, Lord Pacal's Tomb
Visit Palenque, a beautiful jungle location containing Lord Pacal's tomb, a great leader in 6th Century said to be of extraordinary height. Founded around 300 BC, Palenque flourished in the 7th and 8th centuries AD. All buildings that are still visible date from this period, e.g, the Temple of Inscriptions with more than 620 hieroglyphs that tell King Pacal’s history, the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Sun, and the North Temple with its stucco remains and military scenes. The Templo Olvidado was built by the Mayan king K’inich Janaab Pakal in 647 AD; its name "lost temple" results from its hidden situation in the subtropical jungle. Farewell Dinner (Included). Overnight Overnight hotel Hyatt Regency. B, D.
Day 12 - Transfer to the airport at Villahermosa - Ciudad de México (Flight Not Included) to Mexico City. End of Tour. The tour company can arrange this flight for you and usually cost under $100. B.
Praise for Previous Megalithomania Mexico Tours:
"It was a trip of a lifetime for me. Don’t know many other tours that are animal enough to road trip 1050 miles to visit 15 ancient ruins in 14 days. I climbed countless pyramids, was bedazzled by their beauty and engineering, and feel blessed to have done it without the crowds of Chichen Itza."- Mona Stevenson, Hawaii
"As far as feedback on the trip--I thoroughly enjoyed just about everything, and loved feeling into the unique energy of each site" - Carla Fox, USA
"I have enjoyed your pleasant good humor and look forward to traveling with you in the future." - David Lewis, USA
I really enjoyed the experience and adventure. This one was like all the others, unforgettable, really eventful, interesting and great company- and also you get to see and do a lot- and go places and see things that others don't. I have travelled a lot- but these are adventures with great company and are always full on 'trip of a lifetime' highlights. Thanks again." - Peter Bugg, England
TOUR INCLUDES
• Transfer In - day 1, Transfer out - day 12
• English-speaking tour guides from day 1 to day 12
• Accommodations in 4-star hotels – 11 nights
• 11 x Breakfast, 7 x Lunch, 2 x Dinner
• All entrance fees as specified in program
• Tips for maids and porters (1 piece of baggage per person)
• Parking fees and motorway tolls
• Tour operator’s liability insurance
• Local taxes for service providers and hotels
* On-Site Discussions & Lectures with Jj & Hugh
• Escorted throughout by our spiritually knowledgeable Mexican guide, Memo Gonzales
* Fun
DOES NOT INCLUDE • Airport taxes
• $125 Gratituity Fee to be paid in advance for drivers, maids and bell boys etc
• Mexican tourism fees
• Transfers (except as specified)
• Meals and drinks (except as specified)
• Optional excursions
• Individual travel insurances
• Personal expenses
• Tips for tour guides and drivers
