Instituto Allende Tours
Guanajuato 
Sat, Jul 11, 9am
US$65

Mexico City
Trip preview
Wed, Jul 15, 4pm
Free 

Sat–Sun, July 18–19, departing at 7am
Instituto Allende, 152-0226
Ancha de San Antonio 20
US$235

Tour ten centuries in two days By Jaime Fernández

Guanajuato field trip 

On July 11, the Instituto Allende tour heads toward the colonial city of Guanajuato, the state capital. Guanajuato is about an hour west of San Miguel.

Guanajuato’s narrow streets wind their way between flower-bedecked plazas, and give way to unexpected balconies, bridges and red-tiled roofs that lie level with the street above. Few places appear more exotic.

Guanajuato both eludes and inspires description. Travelers are reminded of the hill towns of Italy and jewels of villages in southern Spain.

Silver mining made Guanajuato wealthy and opulent structures have become left-behind art relics. The flamboyant city is a maze of plazas, byways, dramatic tunnels and picturesque streets.

The tour visits the university and stately government buildings; the Iconographic Museum of El Quixote that showcases sculpture, paintings and graphics; the city center for strolling and shopping; and the home of native son and famous painter Diego Rivera which has been converted to a museum.



Mexico City

An overnight, two-day field trip to Mexico City and the nearby pyramids provides a historic tour of downtown, Bellas Artes, el Caballito Monument, the Zócalo, the Cathedral and the National Palace. 

The valley of Mexico was, as it still is today, the center of Mesoamerica’s high civilization. For centuries, it has been considered the richest of all zones. 

The tour visits the site of the great temple, which was once the heart of the Aztec ceremonial world. The temple was completely buried and remained hidden for 270 years after the conquest. Since its rediscovery, artifacts have come to light, like the eight-ton statue of the Moon Goddess and a 24-ton calendar stone. An adjacent museum houses a magnificent collection of Aztec art, altars, statuary and weapons. The quantity and quality far surpasses anything previously discovered from this period of Mesoamerican history. 

The renowned Anthropological Museum is dedicated to the study of humanity in this part of the world. The tour visits the in-depth complex that perpetually educates and inspires a nation and its people. Explanations of all artifacts and installations are printed in Spanish and English next to each exhibit. That night is a tour of Mexico City’s nightlife.

On Sunday, the highlight is the trip to Teotihuacán, Mexico’s unsurpassable pyramids. The tour returns to San Miguel late afternoon, Sunday, July 19.

Instituto Allende tours are all-inclusive, including transportation, museum fees and restaurant-served meals. Bilingual guides lead all tours and offer further insight within a secure environment. Reservations are a must and fees must be paid in advance.

A free lecture at Instituto each Wednesday at 4pm previews upcoming trips.