This program will run during spring break from March 12 through March 21, 2026. Students will need to check with their professors that they are able to miss the classes immediately before Spring Break, but this has not posed any difficulty in the past.

Day 1: Mexico City

• Departure from Rochester airport to Mexico City
• Arrival in late evening and check into accommodation
• Evening dinner with mouth-watering Mexican cuisine to get the trip started
• Overnight in Mexico City

Day 2: Mexico City

• Breakfast as a group
• Spiritual cleansing ceremony in the center of Mexico City with dancers at the Zocalo
• Visit to the local market to learn about both modern and Pre-Hispanic traditions and how local food and produce tie into local culture
• Group lunch
• Hands-on Alebrije art workshop to create the surrealist animal from the hit Disney movie "Coco"
• Group dinner
• Overnight in Mexico City

Day 3: Xochimilco

• Start the day with sunrise kayaking in Xochimilco
• Enjoy a lunch in Coyocan, the first settlement of Mexico City
• Interactive workshop to learn about ancient Aztec farming methods 
• Afternoon visit to the National Museum of Anthropology which boasts the world's largest collection of Aztec and Mayan artifacts
• Group dinner
• Overnight in Mexico City

Day 4: Mil Cascadas

• Discover Mil Cascadas, a hidden paradise in the mountains where nature invites you to explore countless waterfalls and crystal-clear pools. The group will be led by a team of experts on a walk through nature to learn about the local vegetation.
• Group lunch
• Free time in the afternoon to swim in the waters from the waterfalls before a short sunset hike
• Group dinner
• Overnight in Mexico City

Day 5: Teotihuacan

• Group breakfast
• At Teotihuacan the group will explore one of the continent's most fascinating ancient sites with vast pyramids, avenues and city structures transporting students back to Pre-Columbian times
• Group lunch
• In the afternoon, the group will venture to the Teotihuacan Caves and play the ancient game "Juego de Pelota"
• Group dinner and free time in late afternoon/evening
• Overnight in Mexico City

Day 6: Tlaxcala

• After breakfast the group will take a private bus from Mexico City to San Pedro Tlalcuapan
• The group will learn about the Ruta de Maiz together with the indigenous communities. The will discover the ancient methods of Maiz cultivation and how corn and other locally-grown products plays an integral role within the Mexican culture.
• Students will participate in a traditional tortilla making class with a Mexican family after an introductory talk with community leaders
• Enjoy a home-cooked traditional lunch within the community
• The group will participate in a night hike with the community to "La Malinche" Volcano
• Enjoy a campfire and dinner with the local community
• Overnight in San Pedro Tlalcuapan

Day 7: Cuetzalan

• The group will take a bus from San Pedro Tlalcuapan to the magical town of Cuetzalan which boats beautiful Spanish colonial architecture and a diverse mix of indigenous cultures.
• On the way to Cuetzalan, the group will stop to visit Cantona, the largest archaeological site in Mexico. This site is rarely visited so students can see what Pre-Hispanic life was like without a bunch of tourists.
• Free time in Cuetzalan in the evening and dinner on your own
• Overnight in Cuetzalan

Day 8: Cuetzalan

• Students will join the Tosepan Titataniske cooperative and help individual families in their production process of coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, honey or piloncillo
• Students will join the local families for a home-cooked lunch
• Students will continue working with families in their individual backyards. This hands-on activity will not only help the families produce goods to sell but they will be able to share their stories with students who learn about the consequences of discrimination toward indigenous communities.
• In the late afternoon the group will visit a nearby cave to experience a Mexican style sauna. The group will enter a Temazcal, which is a type of sweat lodge, which originated with pre-Hispanic indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica.
• Free time and free dinner to choose one of the many restaurants in the area.
• Overnight in Cuetzalan

Day 9: Mexico City

• Private bus back to Mexico City from Cuetzalan
• Group lunch in Mexico City upon arrival
• Free afternoon to explore the neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa, the two most vibrant and modernized area in the city.
• Final group dinner
• Overnight in Mexico City

Day 10: Travel back to Naz

• If time allows, students will have time to visit nearby shops for souvenirs
• Flight back to Rochester, arriving in the late evening or early morning

While in Mexico City and San Pedro Tlalcuapan, you will stay in hotels. While in Cuetzalan you will stay in a rural eco lodge. 

The program fee for 2026 will be announced towards the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester.

Funding Sources:

For SPARK eligible students, you will receive the $1,500 SPARK Grant from the Center for Life's Work.

For non-SPARK eligible students, you will be eligible for some funding from the Center for International Education.

Program Fee Includes:

• Round trip airfare
• All accommodations
• All activities, entry fees, tours, etc. listed in the itinerary
• All in-country transportation
• All meals part of the itinerary
• Transportation to and from the Rochester airport
• International travel and medical insurance

Not Included:

• Passport (must be valid at least 6 months past the return date of the program). 
• Additional meals (meals not in the itinerary)
• Miscellaneous expenses (such as souvenirs, personal care items, etc.)

Applications will open towards the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester. All students will be required to complete an online application and then schedule a brief interview. Acceptance emails will be sent out shortly after the completion of all interviews. The payment timeline will be shared with students once they are accepted into the program.