Guided, all-inclusive tour
Eden in the Garden
Edward James's garden all to yourselves, before it opens to the public
About this tour
The Eden in the Garden tour costs $2,990 MXN per person, lasts about 3 hours and picks you up at your own lodging in Xilitla between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. The price includes round-trip transport from your lodging, the admissions, the guide and travel insurance for everyone in the group.
Las Pozas with nobody else in it: you walk in an hour before it opens, with your own guide and access to areas closed to the public. Three hours in Edward James's garden at your own pace, including the upper levels of the Bamboo Palace and the Studio House, where a poem in his own handwriting still hangs on the wall. Groups of up to 7, one flat rate for everyone.
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There is an hour at Las Pozas that almost nobody has seen. Between seven and eight in the morning the garden is still closed to the public: the mist hasn't finished rising off the river, birds are the only sound, and the staircases that lead nowhere stand perfectly still, with not a single line of people waiting for a photo. Eden in the Garden is that hour, and the two that follow.
This is not the usual tour, earlier. It is a private experience inside the Edward James Sculpture Garden — an Artistic Monument declared National Heritage by Mexico's INBAL — for your group and nobody else, with a guide from the garden itself who walks at your pace. Areas that aren't part of the general visit are opened for you, and you climb to the upper levels of the Bamboo Palace, where the garden stops being something you look up at and suddenly makes sense: an entire jungle with surrealist architecture growing inside it.
The moment people remember is a different one. In the Studio House, the cabin where Edward James stayed to rest, a poem written in his own hand is still on the wall. Nobody has taken it down or put it behind glass. It's the kind of detail that appears in no guidebook, because almost nobody gets that far.
The three hours include the hiking trail, admission to the garden and round-trip transport from your lodging in Xilitla — you leave before dawn, so getting there on your own is a bad idea. Only one experience runs per day and the maximum is seven people. The rate covers the whole group, not each head: the more of you there are, the less each one pays.
Your day, hour by hour
Approximate times. We confirm your exact pickup by WhatsApp when you book.
- 7:00–8:00 AM
Pickup in Xilitla
We pick you up at your lodging. The exact time is set by the garden and we confirm it when you hold the date.
- 7:30 AM
The empty garden
You walk in an hour before it opens to the public. It's the only part of the day when Las Pozas has nobody else inside it.
- 8:15 AM
Bamboo Palace
You climb to the upper levels, which are closed on the general visit. From up there you finally grasp the scale of what Edward James built.
- 9:00 AM
Studio House
The room where a poem in his own handwriting is still kept. The general public does not go in.
- 9:30 AM
Hiking trail
You close on the garden's own trail, with the light already high among the ferns.
- 10:00 AM
Return
We drop you back at your lodging in Xilitla.
On this tour
- 1Edward James Sculpture Garden (Las Pozas)
- 2Bamboo Palace — upper levels
- 3Edward James's Studio House
- 4The garden's hiking trail
Tour photos
1 / 10
Todas las fotos son de recorridos reales realizados por nuestro equipo.
All included ✦
- ✦Round-trip transport from your lodging in Xilitla
- ✦Admission to the Edward James Sculpture Garden
- ✦Entry one hour before the general opening, with the garden empty
- ✦Your own garden guide, in English or Spanish (French and Italian on request)
- ✦Access to areas closed to the general public, such as the Studio House
- ✦Access to the upper levels of the Bamboo Palace
- ✦Admission to the hiking trail
Pickup & meeting point
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla and bring you back at the end. If you're staying in Ciudad Valles, we can come and get you there for an extra transfer fee, or you make your own way up to Xilitla.
Xilitla
We pick you up at your lodging
Ciudad Valles
Transfer at an extra cost — or make your own way to Xilitla
Departure time
Between 7:00 and 8:00 AM
Approx. return
10:00 AM
Xilitla only: the experience starts between 7 and 8 AM, and coming from Ciudad Valles would mean leaving in the middle of the night. If you're staying there, message us and we'll quote it separately.
Ask about your pickup →Book with total confidence
Move your date
Up to 5 days before · no refunds
We run in the rain
If the river is unsafe you choose: refund or new date
Photos and video included
Taken by your guide · No extra charge
WhatsApp support 24/7
Reply in under 1 hour
Card, cash or transfer
Encrypted payment · Processed by Stripe
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
What's included in the Eden in the Garden?
Round-trip transport from your lodging in Xilitla, Admission to the Edward James Sculpture Garden, Entry one hour before the general opening, with the garden empty, Your own garden guide, in English or Spanish (French and Italian on request), Access to areas closed to the general public, such as the Studio House, Access to the upper levels of the Bamboo Palace, Admission to the hiking trail. Everything is included in the price.
How long is the Eden in the Garden?
The tour lasts approximately 3 hours.
Can I cancel my booking?
This experience is non-refundable: holding the date requires payment in full, and that day is then closed to everyone else. You can move it instead by telling us 5 or more days ahead, keeping the full amount valid for 6 months. If the weather forces a cancellation, we reschedule at no cost.
Is the price per person?
No — it is a flat rate for the whole group, from $2,990 MXN for one person up to $4,160 MXN for 7, which is the maximum the garden allows. The more of you, the less each pays.
Where does the tour depart from?
We pick you up at your lodging in Xilitla and bring you back at the end. Xilitla only: the experience starts between 7 and 8 AM, and coming from Ciudad Valles would mean leaving in the middle of the night. If you're staying there, message us and we'll quote it separately.
What do I see here that I wouldn't see on the regular visit to Las Pozas?
Three things. You go in an hour before it opens to the public, so the garden is empty. Areas that aren't part of the general route are opened for you, including the Studio House, where a poem written in Edward James's own hand is still on the wall. And you climb to the upper levels of the Bamboo Palace, which are closed on the regular visit.
What time does it start?
8:00 AM on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 7:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday. There is also a 5:00 PM departure from Wednesday through Monday. We confirm the exact time when you book the date, since it depends on the day.
How many of us can go?
Anywhere from 1 to 7 people. The cap comes from the garden itself: no more than 7 per experience, and on some structures you go up one at a time because of their load limits.
What language is the tour in?
English or Spanish, whichever you prefer. French and Italian can be requested in advance, subject to guide availability.
Can I swim in the pools?
No. Water activities aren't allowed on this experience — the garden is an Artistic Monument and National Heritage site, and the rules of the grounds prohibit it.
Can I bring a drone or a tripod?
No. The garden doesn't allow pets, drones or tripods, and management can turn away any object it considers a risk to the site or an obstruction on the paths. Photos with your camera or phone are fine.
What if I need to change the date?
You can, as long as you tell us 5 or more days ahead: the full amount is honored and you can use it on any available date within the next 6 months. With less than 5 days' notice, or if you don't show up, there is no change and no refund. If the weather forces a cancellation, we reschedule at no cost.
More detail in our cancellation and weather policy.
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