Mayan Heart Trip — Self-Launched

Land at Cancún International (CUN) and take an ADO bus from the airport to Cancún city centre (about £2.50, 30 min) rather than a taxi (£25+). Stay in downtown Cancún near Parque de las Palomas or Avenida Yaxchilán rather than the hotel zone — it's cheaper, more local and closer to the main ADO bus terminal for tomorrow's early departure. Get a Mexican SIM/eSIM (£8–12), withdraw pesos from a bank ATM (avoid airport exchange desks) and eat at a local taquería. Book your ADO bus to Valladolid/Chichén Itzá tonight via the ADO app or at the terminal.

🚌ADO airport bus ~£2.50

🛏Hostel or simple guesthouse in downtown Cancún (dorm £10–14 / private £22–30)

• →Settle in downtown Cancún
• →Buy SIM card and pesos
• →Book onward ADO bus tickets

Early ADO bus from Cancún to Chichén Itzá (~£9, 3 hrs) — arrive at opening (8am) to beat the tour buses and the midday heat. Buy your entry ticket at the INAH/Venta de Boletos window on site (£28 for foreigners, includes the state tax) and hire a licensed local guide at the gate for £15–20 — split it with other travellers for a much richer story than the roadside plaques. In the afternoon catch a second-class bus or colectivo from the site road to Valladolid and then an ADO to Mérida (total ~£12, 3 hrs). Check into a guesthouse near the Zócalo.

🚌ADO Cancún–Chichén Itzá ~£9; Chichén Itzá–Valladolid–Mérida ~£12

🛏Guesthouse/hostel near Mérida Zócalo (dorm £9–13 / private £20–28)

• →Chichén Itzá ruins with local guide
• →Cenote Ik Kil or Suytun stop (optional, £5–8)
• →Evening stroll around Valladolid or arrival in Mérida

A full day in Mérida, the 'White City'. Wander the Zócalo, the Plaza Grande and Paseo de Montejo, and visit the free Museo de la Ciudad or the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (£5). On most evenings there are free open-air Yucateco dance performances and serenades in the Zócalo or Parque Santa Lucía — ask at the tourist office for the night's schedule. For a city tour you can hop the Turibus (£6) or take a calesa (horse carriage, £10 per carriage, shareable). Optional half-day trip to the Uxmal ruins by colectivo from the San José Tzal terminal (£3 each way + £20 entry) if you want a second Maya site. Eat cochinita pibil and marquesitas from street stalls.

🚌Walking; local bus/colectivo £2–4

🛏Guesthouse/hostel near Mérida Zócalo

• →Zócalo and Paseo de Montejo walk
• →Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (£5)
• →Free evening Yucateco dance performance
• →Optional Uxmal day trip (£26)

Long travel day. Take an early ADO bus Mérida–Campeche (~£7, 2.5 hrs), drop bags and walk the walled colonial centre and the San Francisco fortifications and pirate-history museums (free–£3). Then continue on an ADO or ADO GL overnight-ish service Campeche–Palenque (~£22, 6–7 hrs) arriving evening. Alternatively take the direct Mérida–Palenque ADO (~£28, 9 hrs) if you'd rather skip Campeche. Book accommodation in Palenque town (El Panchán jungle cabañas are a lovely budget option, or a hotel near the ADO terminal).

🚌ADO Mérida–Campeche ~£7; Campeche–Palenque ~£22

🛏Jungle cabaña at El Panchán (£12–20) or simple hotel in Palenque town (£18–25)

• →Campeche walled city and pirate-history forts
• →Optional: Misol-Ha and Agua Azul waterfalls day tour from Palenque (£20–25)

Collectivo from Palenque town to the ruins (£2, 15 min) and be there for the 8am opening. Entry ~£24 with the INAH fee; a licensed guide at the entrance is £20–25 and worth every peso for the Temple of the Inscriptions and the Palace. Allow 3–4 hours, then walk the jungle trail to the Museo de Sitio and the waterfall at the site exit. In the afternoon, join a shared minivan to Agua Azul and Misol-Ha (£22–25 including a swim stop) booked through any tour office on Avenida Juárez — or take the local colectivo to Misol-Ha (£3) and hitch/hire onward. Back in town, dinner at a comedor on the main street.

🚌Colectivo to ruins ~£2; shared minivan to waterfalls ~£23

🛏Jungle cabaña at El Panchán or hotel in Palenque town

• →Palenque ruins with local guide
• →Misol-Ha waterfall swim
• →Agua Azul cascades

Take an early colectivo or shared van from Palenque to Frontera Corozal on the Usumacinta (2.5–3 hrs, ~£8). From the pier, a shared lancha upriver to Yaxchilán runs about £18–22 per person return (boats leave when 6–8 people fill; negotiate and wait). Entry to Yaxchilán ~£16. Hire a local Lacandon or Chol guide at the site (£10–15) — this is where the deep experience lives. On the way back, stop at Bonampak (entry ~£16, colectivo from the junction ~£3) to see the famous painted murals. Return to Palenque in the evening by shared van (~£8). Pack a lunch — food options are sparse.

🚌Colectivo Palenque–Frontera Corozal ~£8 each way; shared lancha to Yaxchilán ~£20 return; Bonampak colectivo ~£6 return

🛏Palenque town hotel or El Panchán cabaña

• →Yaxchilán ruins by boat
• →Bonampak painted murals
• →Lacandon jungle village stop

Cross into Guatemala. The simplest DIY route: shared minivan from Palenque to Frontera Corozal, then a lancha across the Usumacinta to Bethel, then a colectivo/minivan to Flores — bookable as a through-ticket from any Palenque travel agency for ~£30–35 including the boat and border handling. Alternatively, ADO Palenque–San Cristóbal is not needed here; the direct minivan is faster. Pay the Mexican exit/Guatemalan entry stamps (usually no visa fee for UK passports, but carry £30 buffer for border and boat fees). Arrive on Flores island in the afternoon — a gorgeous little island on Lago Petén Itzá. Watch sunset from the rooftop of your hostel and book your Tikal shuttle for tomorrow.

🚌Palenque–Flores through minivan + lancha ~£32

🛏Hostel or guesthouse on Flores island (dorm £8–12 / private £18–25)

• →Sunset over Lago Petén Itzá
• →Book Tikal sunrise shuttle

Take the 4am sunrise shuttle from Flores (£8 return, book at any Flores agency) to reach the gates when they open — the jungle soundtrack at dawn with howler monkeys is the whole point. Entry to Tikal ~£20 (Q125). Hire a certified local guide at the entrance or through your hostel for £20–25 for a 3–4 hour walk covering Temple I–V, the Great Plaza, the Acrópolis and the Lost World pyramid; or self-navigate with the site map and a good guidebook. Climb Temple IV for the canopy view. Return to Flores by 1–2pm for a swim in Lake Petén Itzá at the public pier and a cheap lunch of pollo guisado.

🚌Shared sunrise shuttle Flores–Tikal return ~£8

🛏Hostel or guesthouse on Flores island

• →Tikal National Park with certified guide
• →Temple IV canopy climb
• →Lake Petén Itzá swim

Overland to the Caribbean. Take a colectivo/ADO from Santa Elena (across the causeway from Flores) to Belize City via Melchor de Mencos (~£18–22, 5 hrs, includes the border), then a water taxi from Belize City to Caye Caulker (~£14, 45 min). Alternatively the flight Flores–Belize City is around £120 if you want to save a day. Pay the Belize departure/entry fees (£10–15) in cash. Arrive on Caye Caulker — no cars, just golf carts, bicycles and the Split. Check into a guesthouse and celebrate with a Belikin beer and a plate of rice and beans at a beach shack.

🚌Minivan/ADO Flores–Belize City ~£20; water taxi ~£14

🛏Guesthouse/cabaña on Caye Caulker (dorm £12–16 / private £25–35)

• →Border crossing into Belize
• →Sunset at the Split

The best value activity on the island is a half-day snorkel trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley — book directly with one of the local operators on Front Street the day before (£35–45 including gear and park fee). You'll swim with nurse sharks, rays and turtles over coral. Afternoon is for the Split, a bike hire (£5/day) and ceviche. If you want a bigger day, the full-day trip to the Blue Hole is £150+ and requires an early start — skip it if you're on a budget. Eat at local stands rather than the waterfront restaurants.

🚌Walking/bicycle £5

🛏Guesthouse/cabaña on Caye Caulker

• →Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley snorkel trip (£40)
• →Bike hire and the Split
• →Beach relaxation

Travel day back into Mexico. Morning water taxi from Caye Caulker to Belize City (~£14), then a bus or shared van Belize City–Chetumal (~£12–15, 2.5 hrs incl. border). From Chetumal take an ADO bus to Tulum (~£16, 3.5 hrs). Alternatively book a through-ticket through any Belize City or Caye Caulker agency for ~£35. Arrive in Tulum pueblo in the evening — the town is much cheaper than the beach strip. Check into a hostel near Avenida Tulum and eat at an inexpensive taquería.

🚌Water taxi ~£14; Belize City–Chetumal ~£14; Chetumal–Tulum ADO ~£16

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Tulum pueblo (dorm £11–15 / private £25–32)

• →Travel day
• →Evening in Tulum pueblo

Get to the Tulum ruins at 8am opening by colectivo (£2) — entry ~£7 (much cheaper than Chichén Itzá). The clifftop setting over the turquoise sea is the main event; a local guide at the gate is £15–20 if you want the history. Walk down to the public beach below the ruins for a swim, then take a colectivo or bike to a cenote — Gran Cenote (£18) or Cenote Calavera (£10) are close by, or Dos Ojos (£22) further up the road for snorkelling. Optional afternoon trip to the Coba ruins by ADO/colectivo (£20 entry incl. guide) if you want to climb the Nohoch Mul pyramid. Dinner on Avenida Tulum.

🚌Colectivo to ruins and cenotes £3–5

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Tulum pueblo

• →Tulum ruins with local guide
• →Gran Cenote swim (£18)
• →Tulum public beach
• →Optional Coba ruins (£20)

Short ADO or colectivo hop up the coast to Playa del Carmen (~£3, 1 hr). Drop bags at a hostel on Calle 12 or Avenida 20 (much cheaper than 5th Avenue frontage). Spend the afternoon on Playa Mamitas or the public beach at Calle 28, wander 5th Avenida for the people-watching, and if you're there in season catch a free beach club sunset set. Optional: take the ferry to Cozumel (£15 return) for the day if you'd rather snorkel or dive — book a Discover Scuba through an operator on the island for £60–70. Evening: cheap tacos al pastor from a street stand.

🚌ADO/colectivo Tulum–Playa ~£3

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Playa del Carmen (dorm £13–18 / private £28–35)

• →Playa del Carmen beach day
• →5th Avenida stroll
• →Optional Cozumel ferry and snorkel (£70)

Take an ADO bus from Playa del Carmen to Cancún airport (~£7, 1.5 hrs) with plenty of buffer before your flight. If you have a late flight, spend the morning at a Playa beach or do last-minute souvenir shopping at the Mercado 28 in Cancún. Remember to budget for the Mexican departure tax if it isn't already in your ticket.

🚌ADO Playa del Carmen–Cancún airport ~£7

🛏—

• →Departure
• →Optional Mercado 28 souvenir shopping