- Estimated Cost: $1700
- Deposit: $600
- Max Trip Size: 6 people
Visit Mexico this winter to see millions of migrating Monarch butterflies in a national reserve and travel to the romantic colonial town of Morelia Mexico. We will stay 4 nights at the cozy J&M B&B https://jmbutterflybnb.com/ in the mountains near Zitacuaro Mexico and 3 days in Morelia at the https://www.casonarosa.com/ We’ll be riding horseback on a day trip via to see the butterfly refuge and enjoying the mountains and villages as you wish with hikes, birding, cooking classes, etc.
Here is the itinerary. Fly into Mexico city on February 1st. I’ll be at the Mexico City (Benito Juarez) international airport to greet the group on the 1st of Feb. (I lived in Mexico for 1.5 years and speak Spanish fluently.) Everyone should arrive at Mexico City airport by 3 pm at the latest on that Friday February 1st. A hired van/driver will transport us directly to J&M B&B.
On February 5th, we travel to Morelia in Michoacan, approximately 4 hrs away by taxi and bus from J&M B&B. It is a beautiful colonial city with an aqueduct and wonderful climate. There are many activities as mentioned in the following link below. There is also the opportunity to go to Patzcuaro, a charming smaller town, for the day. Patzcuaro is one hour by taxi from central Morelia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A1tzcuaro
On Saturday the 9th of February, the group will return to Mexico City to fly back to the U.S on the 10th. The bus ride is approximately 4 hours from Morelia to Mexico City. In Mexico City I recommend staying at the Hampton Inn, close to the center of Mexico City by the Templo Mayor and a major cathedral. Each person will be responsible for making their Hampton Inn reservation.
Regarding costs, airfare as of September 2018 is approximately $700-800 round trip. Air travel, guides, food, tips, etc. are the responsibility of each participant and are not included in the cost of the deposit. We will be sharing taxis and riding in buses at times. I have estimated $50 per person for taxis and buses. I will buy tickets enroute for less confusion; rather than each individual of our group lining up to buy a ticket and trying their Spanish. The $75 guided tour by horseback to the butterfly refuge is covered by the deposit. If a person decides not to participate in the horseback ride, they should let me know when they pay me, otherwise it would not be refunded.
The deposit does not cover the cost of the Hampton Inn which can be viewed at the following link: https://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/distrito-federal-d/hampton-inn-and-suites-mexico-city-centro-historico-MEXCHHX/index.html
The deposit is $600. The only way to assure yourself of a spot is by making the deposit before others get around to it. There are no refunds after Dec. 1st. Rovers are responsible for finding another Rover for the trip if they cancel after December 1st. If there are funds left over from covering the costs of the trip after the trip, there will be a check sent to you or payment will be made via Paypal. There will be a pre-trip meeting. The date for that pre-trip meeting is still to be determined.