Incredible tour with Jose. He provided insightful commentary on the city, and peeled back the layers of what he called a matryoshka doll - modernity wrapping revolution wrapping the Porfiriato dictatorship wrapping Spanish imperialism wrapping Aztec and other pre-Colombian cultures. He brought deep knowledge together with personal experience and perspective. We started with an archaeological excavation of Tenochtitlan in the middle of the historic district, where Jose first introduced the matryoshka doll metaphor. It made perfect sense when he showed us how the Aztecs built small pyramids, then covered them with mud and built larger ones outside - six layers total, literally demonstrating the layered history concept that would define our entire tour. From there we moved to the cathedral, built by Spanish Catholics after the conquest, then walked through the central square where they happened to be setting up for the terminus of the pride parade later that day. The tour continued through various other historic attractions before ending at the Opera House (Palacio de Bellas Artes), where we explored murals by Diego Rivera and other artists from the 1940s through 1960s. What made this tour special was Jose’s ability to weave these different historical periods into a coherent narrative. By the time we reached those revolutionary murals, you could truly understand how each layer of Mexico City’s history influenced the next. Whether you’re starting your Mexico City adventure or squeezing in culture during a business trip, this tour gives you the perfect foundation for understanding this incredible city’s complex story.

Luis Rodrigo provided an excellent tour of the Historic Center of Mexico City from a historic, cultural, architectural, and artistic perspective. He was friendly and engaging. He also was very flexible in arranging the tour for particular interests.

We loved this tour! We learned so much about the history of amazing city from a cultural, architectural, and societal perspective thanks to our wonderful tour guide, Rodrigo. We appreciated his professionalism, knowledge, and kindness and he answered all of our questions completely. The tour of the Palacio de Bellas Artes was fabulous as Rodrigo, being a fine arts expert, gave us in-depth perspectives on the Masters' paintings and Frescoes that we would have never recognized without his knowledge. We would highly recommend this tour.

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