After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll be spending the day in downtown’s Centro Histórico, exploring our trip’s themes through food, history, and culture. Today will be a crash course in the history of Mexico City, with visits to the “obscure side” of major monuments and historic remnants hidden from view, including Aztec temples, a mural by Diego Rivera, and former sacrificial sites. For lunch, we’ll be dropping by a family-run Oaxacan grocery/restaurant in the heart of one of the city’s oldest commercial districts, once home to large communities of newly arrived Jewish and Lebanese merchants. In the evening, we’ll possibly attend a Lucha Libre wrestling match followed by a visit to Mexico City’s vibrant "mariachi square" for live music, dancing, and a festive evening together.

Today, we’ll head to Milpa Alta, a center of mole production on the outskirts of Mexico City. We’ll be delving deep into all things mole, learning about ingredients, production techniques, regional varieties, and how this food represents the colonial heritage of Mexico. On our way to Milpa Alta, we’ll stop by the home of a local villager to learn about the artisanal production of pulque, a pre-Hispanic drink made from the sap of the agave-like maguey plant. During the afternoon, we’ll visit private homes and markets to gain a better sense of daily life and the food that shapes and defines it, and finish our visit with a late lunch starring (what else?) mole. Back in the city this evening, take some time to rest and relax from the long day, and have dinner at your leisure (if you’re still hungry, that is).

Our final morning, we’ll head out on an action-packed exploration of Xochimilco, a highlight of the region and treasure of Aztec-era living culture. Unlike many pre-Hispanic-era monuments that are entombed in museums, Xochimilco is a living place with working farms and much to see, eat, and drink, all linked to pre-Hispanic Mexico. For lunch, we’ll have a meal onboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat as we float along Aztec-era canals that have been in use for more than 2,000 years. Our meal will be prepared by locals using products from the chinampas, the area’s famous “floating farms,” one of which we’ll have the chance to visit. Back on land, we’ll check out a local market and get a taste of pre-Hispanic Mexico (think: tlacoyos) before heading to the enchanting Dolores Olmedo Museum. For those seeking spirits, tonight might be a good opportunity to explore the city's bustling bar scene and track down some world-renowned mezcal.