2 Weeks in Mexico: The Ultimate Itinerary

Two weeks in Mexico covers the three main travel circuits — the highland capital and its surroundings, the Oaxaca-Chiapas corridor, and the Yucatan Peninsula. This route moves in a logical direction from west to east, ending at the Caribbean coast for your departure from Cancun.

Route Overview

Days	Destination	Nights	Transport From Previous
1–3	Mexico City	3	International flight
4–5	Oaxaca	2	Overnight bus or 1h flight
6–7	San Cristobal de las Casas	2	Overnight bus (10–11h)
8	Palenque	1	Morning bus (5h)
9–10	Merida	2	Overnight bus (8h) or flight
11	Chichen Itza / Valladolid	1	Bus (1.5h)
12–13	Tulum	2	Bus (2h)
14	Playa del Carmen / Cancun	1	Bus (1h)

Days 1–3: Mexico City

Three days covers the historic centre, Coyoacan and Xochimilco, and a day trip to Teotihuacan. See our detailed 3-day Mexico City itinerary for the full day-by-day breakdown.

Where to Stay

Budget: Hostal Centro Historico Zocalo — from approximately MXN 400 per night (around USD 23).

Mid-range: Hotel Histórico Central — from approximately MXN 1,800 per night (around USD 102).

Upscale: Hotel Downtown Mexico — from approximately MXN 4,500 per night (around USD 256).

Highlights

• Day 1: Zocalo, Templo Mayor (MXN 90 entry), Palacio Nacional (free), Chapultepec Castle (MXN 90). Lunch at Café de Tacuba (mains MXN 180–350). Dinner at Contramar in Roma Norte (mains MXN 250–450).
• Day 2: Frida Kahlo Museum (MXN 270–320, book online), Coyoacan markets, Xochimilco trajineras (MXN 500/hour per boat). Dinner at El Vilsito (tacos from MXN 15).
• Day 3: Teotihuacan (MXN 90 entry, bus MXN 120 round trip from Terminal Norte). Evening in Roma-Condesa — Mercado Roma and Máximo Bistrot (tasting menu from MXN 1,200).

Mexico City to Oaxaca (Evening of Day 3)

Overnight ADO GL bus from Terminal TAPO — departs 11pm, arrives approximately 5:30am. Cost: MXN 650–900 (around USD 37–51). Alternative: 1-hour flight from approximately MXN 800 (around USD 45).

Days 4–5: Oaxaca

Where to Stay

Budget: Hostal Casa del Sol — dorms from MXN 350 (USD 20), privates from MXN 700 (USD 40).

Mid-range: Hotel Casa Oaxaca — from approximately MXN 2,500 per night (around USD 142).

Day 4: Monte Alban and City Centre

Colectivo to Monte Alban (MXN 100 round trip). Entry MXN 90. The Zapotec hilltop city has commanding valley views. Return for lunch at Mercado Benito Juárez (tlayudas and memelitas, MXN 50–100). Afternoon at Templo de Santo Domingo (free) and Museo de las Culturas (MXN 90). Dinner at Los Pacos (mains MXN 150–300).

Day 5: Mezcal and Markets

Morning mezcal tasting in Santiago Matatlán (tours from MXN 500–800) or at In Situ Mezcalería (flights from MXN 250–400). Lunch at Itanoni (tetelas from MXN 40–80). Afternoon browsing artisan villages — San Bartolo Coyotepec (black pottery) and San Martín Tilcajete (alebrijes). Colectivos MXN 15–30 each way.

Oaxaca to San Cristobal de las Casas (Evening of Day 5)

OCC/ADO overnight bus — departs approximately 7–8pm, arrives 5–6am. Cost: approximately MXN 700–1,000 (around USD 40–57). The journey is 10–11 hours through mountain roads. There are no direct flights.

Bring a warm layer — the bus air conditioning can be aggressive, and San Cristobal sits at 2,200m elevation.

Days 6–7: San Cristobal de las Casas

San Cristobal is a highland colonial town in Chiapas state, surrounded by indigenous Tzotzil and Tzeltal communities. The altitude keeps temperatures cool (15–22°C year-round) and the atmosphere is distinctly different from lowland Mexico.

Where to Stay

Budget: Rossco Backpackers Hostel — from approximately MXN 250 per night (around USD 14) for a dorm. Central location.

Mid-range: Hotel Bo — from approximately MXN 2,200 per night (around USD 125). Colonial building with a courtyard, on the Real de Guadalupe pedestrian street.

Upscale: Hotel Casa del Alma — from approximately MXN 3,800 per night (around USD 216). Restored colonial house with a garden and spa.

Day 6: City Walking and Markets

Walk from your hotel along Real de Guadalupe to the Cathedral of San Cristobal on the main plaza. The yellow facade is the most photographed building in Chiapas.

Visit the Museo del Ambar on the pedestrian street — amber is mined in Chiapas and the museum explains the geological history. Entry approximately MXN 30 (around USD 2).

Climb the steps to the Templo de Guadalupe for a view over the city’s terracotta rooftops and surrounding pine-covered hills. The walk takes 10 minutes from the centre.

Lunch at TierrAdentro (Calle Real de Mexicanos 9) — contemporary Chiapan cuisine with organic ingredients. Mains MXN 140–250 (approximately USD 8–14).

Afternoon at the Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías for amber jewellery, textiles, and Chiapan chocolate. For a deeper market experience, visit Mercado José Castillo Tielemans — the main food market with comida corrida (set lunch) from MXN 50–70.

Evening: Mezcal and craft beer along Real de Guadalupe. Carajillo Bar has an extensive mezcal selection (shots from MXN 60–120).

Day 7: Indigenous Villages or Canyon

Option A — San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan: Two Tzotzil Maya villages, each 20–30 minutes from San Cristobal by colectivo (MXN 25–30 each way from the market terminal). San Juan Chamula’s church is unlike any other in Mexico — Catholic saints mixed with Maya ritual, pine needle-covered floors, candles, and no photography allowed inside. Entry approximately MXN 25. Zinacantan is known for textile weaving — families welcome visitors into their workshops.

Option B — Sumidero Canyon: A 1,000-metre deep canyon 60km northwest. Boat tours depart from Chiapa de Corzo — guided tours from San Cristobal cost approximately MXN 400–600 (around USD 23–34) per person including transport and 2-hour boat ride. The canyon walls, crocodiles, and spider monkeys are the highlights.

Dinner at Restaurante LUM (Calle 1 de Marzo) — a fine-dining option with a tasting menu featuring Chiapan ingredients from approximately MXN 800 (around USD 45) per person.

San Cristobal to Palenque (Morning of Day 8)

ADO or AEXA bus — approximately 5 hours, departures from 6am. Cost: MXN 250–400 (around USD 14–23). The road descends from the highlands into tropical lowland jungle — the temperature change is dramatic.

Alternative: Colectivo vans (slightly faster, slightly less comfortable, similar price).

Day 8: Palenque

Palenque is the most atmospheric of Mexico’s Maya ruins — set in dense tropical jungle with howler monkeys audible from the temples.

The Ruins

Entry costs approximately MXN 90 (around USD 5) as of 2026. Open daily 8am–5pm (last entry 4:30pm). Arrive at 8am — the morning mist through the jungle canopy is the best time for photography.

The Temple of Inscriptions contains the tomb of Pakal the Great (the tomb itself is closed to visitors but the temple is climbable). The Palace with its four-storey tower, the Temple of the Cross, and the Temple of the Sun form the core complex. Allow 3–4 hours.

Bring insect repellent — the jungle setting means mosquitoes. Water and a hat are essential.

Where to Stay

Budget: El Panchan — a collection of budget lodges and cabañas in the jungle near the ruins entrance. Rooms from approximately MXN 400 (around USD 23). El Panchan also has restaurants and a nightly bonfire atmosphere.

Mid-range: Hotel Ciudad Real Palenque — from approximately MXN 1,500 per night (around USD 85). Pool and restaurant, in Palenque town.

Meals

Lunch at Don Mucho’s in El Panchan — Mexican and international dishes in a jungle setting, mains MXN 100–200. Dinner at Restaurante Maya Cañada in Palenque town — Chiapan and Yucatecan dishes, mains MXN 120–250.

Palenque to Merida (Evening of Day 8)

ADO overnight bus — departs approximately 8–9pm, arrives Merida 4–5am. Cost: approximately MXN 700–1,000 (around USD 40–57). Journey time approximately 8 hours.

Alternative: Some travellers stop in Campeche (5 hours from Palenque by bus, MXN 400–600) for a night — a walled colonial city on the Gulf coast worth a half-day — then continue to Merida (2.5 hours, MXN 200–300).

Days 9–10: Merida

Where to Stay

Budget: Nomadas Hostel — dorms from MXN 350 (USD 20), privates from MXN 800 (USD 45).

Mid-range: Hotel Medio Mundo — from approximately MXN 1,800 per night (around USD 102).

Upscale: Rosas & Xocolate — from approximately MXN 4,500 per night (around USD 256).

Day 9: Historic Merida

Plaza Grande, Cathedral of San Ildefonso (free), Palacio de Gobierno murals (free). Walk Paseo de Montejo. Lunch at Mercado Lucas de Gálvez — cochinita pibil tortas and panuchos from MXN 25–60. Afternoon at Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (approximately MXN 150, closed Mondays). Dinner at La Chaya Maya — sopa de lima and poc chuc, mains MXN 120–250.

Day 10: Uxmal or Cenotes

Uxmal — 80km south (1 hour by car, taxi MXN 500–700). Entry approximately MXN 460 (around USD 26). Puuc-style architecture, Pyramid of the Magician. Allow 3 hours.

Or cenote day: Cenote Xlacah at Dzibilchaltún ruins (MXN 250 combined entry, 30 minutes from Merida).

Dinner at Apoala — contemporary Mexican, mains MXN 200–380.

Day 11: Chichen Itza and Valladolid

Morning ADO bus to Chichen Itza (1.5 hours, MXN 300). Arrive at 8am opening. Entry approximately MXN 570 (around USD 32). Pyramid of Kukulkan, Great Ball Court, Sacred Cenote. Allow 3 hours.

Afternoon bus to Valladolid (40 minutes, MXN 50–80). Swim at Cenote Zaci (MXN 80 entry) in the town centre. Walk to the Convent of San Bernardino (1552).

Where to stay: Hotel Zentik Project — from approximately MXN 1,500 (around USD 85). Converted hacienda with an on-site cenote.

Dinner at Hostería del Marqués — poc chuc and papadzules, MXN 120–220.

Days 12–13: Tulum

ADO bus from Valladolid — approximately 2 hours, MXN 200–300.

Where to Stay

Budget: Mayan Monkey Tulum — dorms from MXN 450 (USD 26), privates from MXN 1,200 (USD 68).

Mid-range: Hotel Bardo — from approximately MXN 2,500 per night (around USD 142).

Day 12: Ruins and Cenotes

Morning at the Tulum Archaeological Zone (MXN 90, open 8am–5pm). The clifftop ruins overlook the Caribbean. Arrive at 8am. Allow 1.5 hours.

Afternoon cenotes: Gran Cenote (MXN 500) and Cenote Calavera (MXN 350). Dinner at Burrito Amor in town (MXN 120–200).

Day 13: Beach and Sian Ka’an

Morning on Tulum beach (public access points are free). Rent bikes in town (MXN 150–200/day) to explore the beach hotel zone.

Optional: Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve — half-day guided tours from approximately MXN 1,800–2,500 (around USD 102–142).

Day 14: Playa del Carmen or Cancun

ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (1 hour, MXN 70–100) or directly to Cancun Airport (2 hours, MXN 250–350).

If you have time before your flight, Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) has shops and restaurants. The ferry to Cozumel departs from here (MXN 250 each way, 45 minutes) — Cozumel is one of the world’s top scuba diving destinations if you can spare a half-day.

Budget Summary

Category	Budget (14 days)	Mid-Range (14 days)
Accommodation	MXN 7,000 (USD 398)	MXN 28,000 (USD 1,591)
Food	MXN 5,600 (USD 318)	MXN 14,000 (USD 795)
Inter-city transport	MXN 4,500 (USD 256)	MXN 7,000 (USD 398)
Local transport	MXN 1,200 (USD 68)	MXN 3,000 (USD 170)
Activities & entries	MXN 3,000 (USD 170)	MXN 7,000 (USD 398)
Total	MXN 21,300 (USD 1,210)	MXN 59,000 (USD 3,352)

Prices are approximate as of 2026. Exchange rate used: 1 USD ≈ 17.6 MXN.

Plan your trip: tours across Mexico · flights to Mexico · car hire · travel insurance.

Related City Guides

• Palenque Travel Guide
• Mérida Travel Guide
• Oaxaca City Travel Guide
• Tulum Travel Guide
• Mexico City Travel Guide
• Cancún Travel Guide
• Playa del Carmen Travel Guide
• Valladolid Travel Guide
• San Cristóbal de las Casas Travel Guide
• Cozumel Travel Guide