Templo Mayor, Tulum and Chichén Itzá

The Templo Mayor beside the Zócalo, the National Museum of Anthropology and the pyramids of Teotihuacán in Mexico City, then the Maya city of Tulum on its cliff and a cenote, and from Cancún the boat to Isla Mujeres and a day at Chichén Itzá.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Mexico City → Tulum → Cancún · 9–12 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

MexicoMexico City
Days
4–5
When
Oct–Nov
Per person/day
Average 1,100–2,000 pesosMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
MexicoTulum
Days
2–3
When
Jan–Apr · Dec
Per person/day
Average 2,400 MXNMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
MexicoCancún
Days
3–4
When
Jan–Apr · Dec
Per person/day
Average 2,820 MXNMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants the capital and the Mexican Caribbean in one trip, with Cancún as the base for Isla Mujeres and Chichén Itzá instead of Oaxaca.

Not for anyone who only wants resort beaches, since the first part is Mexico City, at 2,240 m, where distances are covered by metro rather than on foot.

The strategy

The trip starts in Mexico City, with the historic centre, Chapultepec, the south from Coyoacán to Xochimilco and Teotihuacán, reached by 9am before the heat. Then a flight takes you to the peninsula: Tulum airport (TQO) is closer to the ruins and Cancún (CUN) has more flights; compare the whole journey to your lodging, not just the flight. Quintana Roo is one hour ahead of Mexico City. In Tulum, keep the ruins for one morning and the cenote for another day. Tulum to Cancún is about 127 km, by ADO bus from the town terminal or by the Tren Maya, checking the station and timetable on the official channel. In Cancún, the city is the base for Isla Mujeres, half an hour by boat, and for Chichén Itzá, which takes the whole day. You fly home from Cancún airport. December to April is the driest season on the peninsula, and the second half of February is also a good time in Mexico City, so it is the date that suits both ends.

What you will see

Templo Mayor, Mexico City. Ruins of Tenochtitlan's double temple, rediscovered in 1978 by electricians who hit the 3.2 m Coyolxauhqui monolith.
Tulum Archaeological Site, Tulum. The walled Maya city overlooks the Caribbean coast; according to INAH, the buildings visible today mainly belong to the Middle and Late Postclassic, between 1250 and 1550.
Playa Delfines, Cancún. At about km 18 of Bulevar Kukulcán, it is one of the few public beaches in the Zona Hotelera with open access and no hotel in front.