Marco Polo

What it offers. An operator with a wide catalogue: beaches around the country, colonial cities, archaeological sites and ecological, religious, adventure and food excursions. In other words, it does not stop at Mexico City; it works for building the rest of the trip from here.

The excursions that leave the capital. The classic day trips are Teotihuacán — usually combined with the Basilica of Guadalupe and Tlatelolco — Puebla and Cholula, Taxco and Cuernavaca, and Tepoztlán. All of them can be done independently by coach, but the operator handles transfers, timings and entrance fees in a single payment.

What to confirm before paying. Whether the price includes site entrance fees and lunch, how many shopping stops the itinerary carries — the thing that most annoys travellers on cheap excursions — the size of the group, the guide's language and the real return time.

Useful detail. For Teotihuacán, leaving before 08:00 is the difference between walking the Avenue of the Dead in shade and doing it in full sun; ask about it explicitly when you book.