Board an air-conditioned car and travel with your guide from Mexico City for about an hour to Teotihuacan, a UNESCO-listed site, also known as the City of the Gods. A former Mesoamerican indigenous civilization that predates the Maya and Aztecs, Teotihuacan was once the largest city in Mexico, reaching its heyday in the 1st century CE (AD) when the Sun Pyramid was constructed.

You’ll be one of the first visitors to arrive at the archeological park, right when it opens. In relative tranquility, wander through plazas and discover the pyramids without jostling around crowds. Enjoy taking unobstructed photos of must-see structures like the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, also known as the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, as well as the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl.

Gain special insight into the complex’s less-visited monuments, including intricate murals and other architectural nuances. Hear about the latest archeological discoveries, the lifestyles of the inhabitants of this ancient city and theories behind the city’s decline.

Huff your way up the Sun Pyramid and the Moon Pyramid, the main axis of Teotihuacan. From the top, enjoy your bird’s-eye vantage point of the Avenue of the Dead, the primary road that runs through the center of the city, which separated the city and stretched from the Moon Plaza in the north to the Great Compound in the south.

After your Teotihuacan tour, hop aboard your transport and head to an obsidian workshop to learn more about the black volcanic rock native to the area. Chat with a local family and sample several liqueurs made from cactus, as well as mescal, tequila and pulque. For lunch, select from a variety of traditional Mexican dishes (own expense), before enjoying transport back to the central meeting point.