Aesthetic Mexico

January 29-February 5, 2027

7 nights/8 days

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¡Hola!

Aesthetic Mexico is a small group guided journey that explores the cultural and creative threads that define the vivacious visual character of this warm, colourful country.

Ebullient, earthy, and engaging—Mexico pulses with artistic energy. Deeply rooted in indigenous tradition, it’s a place where contemporary expression pops and sizzles with fresh confidence. Fun and flavourful. Humble and honest. Over the course of the trip we’ll weave together an understanding of how Mexico’s distinct aesthetic has evolved and where it’s headed next.

Mexico Made Manageable

“There’s so much to absorb. Too much, actually.”

Mexico’s mass and momentum can be overwhelming. This journey balances the iconic and essential with the unknown and unanticipated. We’ve distilled an abundance of options into a carefully curated week of discovery. And we’ve connected with the people who can bring it to life. Anyone can find their way to Mexico, but it’s so much easier to enjoy when there’s a steady hand leading the way.

Gently Structured, Deeply Personalised

“I like having a plan, almost as much as throwing it away.”

The itinerary is sufficiently structured to make the most of every moment, but not so tightly planned as to stifle serendipity. Each day will be fine tuned to reflect the character of the group and individuals within. There will be core experiences everyone shares as well as opportunities to dig into personal interests.

A Tiny Collection of Like-Minded People

“This is different from any group trip you've ever done.”

Part of the magic of the experience will be travelling with people who share a similar sensibility. The group will be carefully curated for chemistry. We want you to learn from, and be inspired by, one another. With a maximum of 10 participants (plus two trip leaders) it’s more like a moving dinner party than a group trip.

  • Sand cone sculpture with concentric sand circles, set in a Japanese garden with trees and a pond in the background.

    All that glitters usually is gold

  • Front view of a vintage blue compact car with a chrome grille and bumper, round headlights, and a yellow Japanese license plate.

    For the love of art (and wrestling)

  • A close-up of a Japanese zen garden with sand patterns, a large smooth stone, and a wooden deck in the foreground.

    How 'bout them tomatoes?

  • Empty traditional Japanese room with wooden flooring, sliding shoji doors, and tatami mats visible in the background.

    Made by hand for heads

  • Rows of unglazed ceramic bowls and vases stacked on rustic wooden shelves in a pottery workshop.

    Battered beauty

  • Close-up of a wooden exterior corner with wooden posts, a stone foundation, and metal bolts on the wood, with a concrete sidewalk in front.

    A long view of history

  • Close-up of a red traditional Japanese building wall with wooden slats and lattice framework.

    Tradition woven through time

  • Traditional Japanese room with shoji screens, a wooden low table with vases, tatami mats, and view of neighboring rooftops and greenery outside the window.

    Let the colour captivate

  • Three pieces of fabric with blue and white floral and geometric patterns.

    Colonial charisma

  • Multiple colorful fabric tote bags hanging on display, including red, blue, brown, yellow, beige, and green, each with stitched seams and small labels.

    Wall to wall creativity

  • A traditional Japanese garden with a pond, surrounded by lush greenery, rocks, and a leaning pine tree. A small red-leafed plant is in the foreground, and there are buildings visible in the background.

    Magic at the weekly market

  • A stone bridge with a decorative railing crosses over a pathway, with lush green trees and dense foliage in the background.

    Agricultural rhythms

  • A person crouching on steps in front of a traditional Japanese wooden building with a tiled roof and open doors, surrounded by green tree branches.

    Breathtaking

  • View through an entrance of a traditional Japanese shrine or temple, with a stone pathway leading to the main building and surrounded by greenery. The entrance is framed with white curtains decorated with black designs and a tassel.

    Towering achievements

  • A traditional Japanese folding screen displaying a floral painting with blue hydrangeas and pink flowers on the left side, and white and red poppies on the right side, with a gold background.

    Playing in the shadows

  • Front view of a Japanese snack shop with display cases filled with various packaged snacks and treats, brown awning with Japanese characters, and a sidewalk with yellow tactile paving.

    A swirl of colour

  • Modern white building with a dark roof surrounded by a reflective water surface, trees, and cloudy sky.

    Facing the past

  • Toasted bread on a black plate next to a glass cup on a wooden table.

    Soup that bowls you over

  • Mexican masquerade

  • Wherever you go, Diego

  • To die for

  • Where creativity flowers

Two Distinct Chapters:

One Glorious Week

3 nights

Oaxaca

Nibbling on Tradition

The colonial city of Oaxaca (pronounced wah-HAH-kuh) is delicious in every way. Surrounded by mountains and blessed with an idyllic climate, the valley was settled thousands of years ago by Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. Successive waves of Aztec and Spanish influence have created a layer cake of indigenous culture and colonial architecture. For all its physical beauty, the real charm of Oaxaca is found in its creative and culinary character. Ceramics, weaving, and printmaking have deep roots in this relentlessly crafty region. And most would agree Oaxacan cuisine is an art form all its own. Over the course of a few days we’ll get a flavourful taste of local markets, artisan workshops, mountaintop archaeological ruins, and some seriously yummy food. Large enough to be engaging for weeks, but small enough to manage on foot, Oaxaca is paradise for meanderers.

4 nights

Mexico City

Big Bites of Culture

Mexico City, CDMX (Ciudad de México) as it’s known in shorthand, is wildly short of nothing at all. More than 20 million souls call this high altitude city home. Befitting its status as one of the world’s largest urban areas, CDMX spins energy and ideas at a remarkable pace. While its fascinating history invites curiosity and contemplation, the modern face of the city is even more compelling. Bold, bright, and yes, kind of chaotic, the streets of CDMX are stuffed with more galleries, museums, shops, and restaurants than you could devour in a lifetime. Four days will give us time to move both fast and slow, led by locals and left to follow instinct. Our journey coincides with the start of Art Week, a creative swirl that includes Zona Maco (Latin America’s top contemporary art fair) and a seemingly endless feast of events and parties.

Hotels

Where we stay is just as important to the story as what we see and do. Great care has been taken to select accommodations that are stylish, comfortable, perfectly located, and relevant to what we're exploring. With a mere 9 rooms and 16 rooms, respectively, both of our hotels offer the sort of service and experience you can only find when you stay somewhere small.

Casa Antonieta

Dating back nearly 500 years to the time of the Spanish Conquest, Casa Antonieta’s stone structure is a stunning expression of the colonial style. Beautifully renovated rooms surround an inner courtyard punctuated with columns and archways. A café on the ground floor and leafy terrace on the top floor provide convenient havens for breakfast and cocktails.

Colima 71

When you visit a sprawling city like CDMX you want to be sure you’re staying as close to the cultural heartbeat as possible. This is it. Located in the incredibly convenient (and decidedly cool) Roma Norte neighbourhood, Colima 71 is an intimate boutique hotel that pays equal tribute to calm comfort and the local art scene.

Nuts & Bolts

$14 750 CAD
per person
(double occupancy)

$17 450 CAD
per person
(single occupancy)

Inclusions

  • 7 nights accommodation

  • Daily breakfast, lunches & dinners (except one of each, so you have some flexibility)

  • All ground transportation (private vehicles, taxis, etc.)

  • One-way scheduled flight (Oaxaca-Mexico City)

  • All entrance fees & curated events/experiences (involving several local guides/experts)

  • Also included is pre/post-trip planning guidance (i.e. itinerary suggestions, hotel bookings)

Exclusions

  • Flights to/from Mexico

  • Any meals not included above

  • Travel insurance

Let's talk

Any Questions?

  • Aesthetic Mexico is for people who want to understand a place, not just see it. If you’re generally curious about the way culture expresses itself through design, art, architecture, and objects then you’ll love this trip.

  • We're focused on aesthetic immersion:

    • Architecture and spatial design

    • Art (appreciating the context of traditional and contemporary work)

    • Craft traditions (meeting potters, textile artists, woodworkers)

    • Food culture (understanding the philosophy, not just eating well)

    • Material culture (paper, ceramics, textiles that define daily Mexican life)

  • Small. Interesting. Interested. And fun.

  • Charlie Scott & Emily McInnes will be leading the trip from start to finish. Charlie has worked in high-end experiential travel for over three decades. He’s obsessed with design and loves sharing what he’s discovered. Emily is a seasoned art consultant with over 30 years of experience curating contemporary art collections for corporations, developers, hospitality brands, and private clients. She is the founder of Eye Buy Art, an award-winning e-commerce platform that supports emerging artists. As a duo, Emily & Charlie are more fun than Barbie & Ken—and way more down to earth. Local guides, experts, and friends will join us at numerous points along the way.

  • There will be a reasonable amount of walking most days, as it’s the best way to explore the places we’ll be visiting. You’ll get some exercise but it’s not a high-key active trip.

  • ¡Ay, caramba! We’ll be eating exceptionally well. Some meals will be refined and fancy, others will be roll-up-your-sleeves rustic. Everywhere we go will be delicious and healthy. Please let us know if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions well in advance, to be sure we can accommodate your needs.

  • If you want to stretch your time in Mexico beyond the Aesthetic Journey, we’ll be happy to help you coordinate those plans at no extra cost. Maybe a few days on the coast in Puerto Escondido (3 hr drive to Oaxaca, cool surf town with epic contemporary art foundation nearby) before the trip starts and/or some extra time to enjoy Art Week in CDMX?

  • The weather is typically wonderful at this time of year. You can expect daytime highs of around 26 C (80 F) in Oaxaca and 23 C (75 F) in Mexico City. Evenings in both places are much cooler. Rain is exceptionally rare in late January and early February.

  • Your safety and comfort is essential, so we’ve planned the itinerary in a way that ensures we visit the right places, at the right time, in the right way. We’re not interested in taking chances with your well-being.

  • Once you’ve sent us a message expressing interest in joining Aesthetic Mexico, we’ll coordinate a call so you can ask us questions and we can ask you questions. We want to be sure this trip is the right for you.

  • Send us a message anyway. We're always planning future trips to Mexico and other destinations.

  • You can fly non-stop between Mexico City and several cities, including Toronto, Montreal, Newark, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. To reach Oaxaca you’ll likely have to fly through Mexico City or major hub airport such as Houston, Los Angeles, or Dallas/Fort Worth.

  • We highly recommend you purchase both travel medical and trip cancellation/interruption insurance. Our cancellation policies are not flexible. We can provide travel insurance options for most travellers.

  • Talk to your accountant. We’re not tax professionals. If your work involves design, hospitality, brand strategy, or creating experiences, there's a possibility this trip can be considered professional development.

Let's talk