Mexico Adventure: Self-Launched

Fly into Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX). Skip the pricey airport transfer and take the authorised airport taxi (pay at the official booth inside arrivals, ~£10–12) or the Metro Line 5 to the city centre (~£0.30). Check into your hostel in the lively Colonia Roma or Condesa neighbourhood. Spend the evening wandering the streets, grabbing tacos from a street stall and getting your bearings.

🚌Official airport taxi (~£10–12) or Metro Line 5 (~£0.30)

🛏Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral or similar rated hostel in Roma/Centro — dorm from ~£12/night, private from ~£25/night

• →Arrive at MEX and take official airport taxi (~£10) or Metro Line 5 (~£0.30) to city centre
• →Check in to hostel in Roma or Condesa
• →Evening street food exploration — tacos al pastor and quesadillas from local stalls

Start with a self-guided walk through the Historic Centre (Centro Histórico): Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo), the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Palacio Nacional (free entry, home to Diego Rivera murals). Head to Chapultepec Park and the National Museum of Anthropology (~£4). In the evening, book a Lucha Libre wrestling show via GetYourGuide (~£15) for the cultural spectacle the tour replaces with a dinner-and-show — or find a local cantina for live mariachi.

🚌Mexico City Metro — single fare ~£0.30, day's travel ~£1

🛏Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral or similar

• →Self-guided walk of Centro Histórico: Zócalo, Metropolitan Cathedral, Palacio Nacional (free)
• →National Museum of Anthropology, Chapultepec Park (~£4)
• →Lucha Libre wrestling show (book via GetYourGuide, ~£15) or live mariachi cantina evening

Take an early ADO bus from TAPO bus terminal in Mexico City to Puebla (~2hrs, ~£6). Explore the UNESCO-listed historic centre, the stunning Cathedral de Puebla, and browse the Mercado El Parián for Talavera ceramics and street food (try a cemita or mole poblano). After lunch, board an ADO bus from Puebla to Oaxaca City (~5hrs, ~£10–12). Check in and head out for dinner in the Zócalo area.

🚌ADO bus Mexico City→Puebla (~£6) + ADO bus Puebla→Oaxaca (~£11) — book at adobus.com

🛏Casa de Sierra Azul Hostel or Hostal Don Nino, Oaxaca — dorm from ~£10/night

• →ADO bus Mexico City (TAPO) → Puebla (~2hrs, ~£6)
• →Self-guided walk of Puebla's UNESCO Historic Centre: Cathedral, Zócalo, artisan markets
• →Shop for Talavera ceramics at Mercado El Parián
• →ADO bus Puebla → Oaxaca (~5hrs, ~£10–12)
• →Dinner in Oaxaca's Zócalo — try tlayudas or mole negro

A full day in one of Mexico's most vibrant cities. Visit the Benito Juárez Market and the 20 de Noviembre Market (the home of mole negro), the Templo de Santo Domingo and its cultural museum (~£3), and the colourful street-art lanes of Jalatlaco neighbourhood. Graze your way through the food stalls — memelas, empanadas and chapulines (grasshoppers!) are local staples. Book a free or low-cost mezcal tasting at one of the many in-town mezcalerías.

🚌Walking day — no transport costs

🛏Casa de Sierra Azul Hostel or similar, Oaxaca

• →Mercado Benito Juárez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre — street food grazing
• →Templo de Santo Domingo and Cultural Museum (~£3)
• →Wander Jalatlaco neighbourhood for street art
• →Free mezcal tasting at a local mezcalería
• →Dinner: sit-down mole negro at a family restaurant (~£6–8)

In the morning, take a local colectivo (~£1.50) to the village of Teotitlán del Valle (~30 mins) to visit family-run textile workshops where traditional Zapotec rugs are hand-woven — artisans welcome visitors for free. On the way back, stop at a mezcal palenque (distillery) in the valley for a tour and tasting (~£5–8 self-booked via Airbnb Experiences or directly). In the afternoon, take an ADO bus from Oaxaca to Tehuantepec (~2.5hrs, ~£5) and check in for the night.

🚌Colectivo to Teotitlán (~£1.50) + ADO bus to Tehuantepec (~£5)

🛏Hotel Doñaji or similar budget hotel in Tehuantepec — ~£18–22/night

• →Colectivo to Teotitlán del Valle for textile weaving family visit (~£1.50 each way)
• →Traditional mezcal palenque distillery tour and tasting (~£5–8)
• →ADO bus Oaxaca → Tehuantepec (~2.5hrs, ~£5)

Take an early ADO or OCC bus from Tehuantepec towards Tuxtla Gutiérrez (~4hrs, ~£10). From Tuxtla, take a local taxi or colectivo to the Sumidero Canyon embarkation point at Chiapa de Corzo (~£3). Book a shared boat tour of the canyon directly at the dock (~£8–10 per person) — no need to pre-book, boats depart regularly. After the tour, board a colectivo or bus to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~1.5hrs, ~£2.50). Take a self-guided evening stroll along Real de Guadalupe.

🚌OCC bus (~£10) + colectivos (~£5.50 total)

🛏Rossco Backpackers or Casa Margarita Hostel, San Cristóbal — dorm from ~£8/night

• →OCC/ADO bus Tehuantepec → Tuxtla Gutiérrez (~4hrs, ~£10)
• →Colectivo Tuxtla → Chiapa de Corzo embarkation point (~£3)
• →Shared boat tour of Sumidero Canyon booked directly at the dock (~£8–10)
• →Colectivo or bus to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~1.5hrs, ~£2.50)
• →Self-guided evening walk along Real de Guadalupe

Take a local colectivo (~£1) to the flower-filled Tzotzil village of Zinacantán for breakfast with a local family — many villagers offer this informally for a small tip (~£3–5). Continue to San Juan Chamula to visit its extraordinary syncretic church (entry ~£1.50 — photography strictly prohibited inside, respect local rules). Return to San Cristóbal and spend the afternoon browsing the Santo Domingo market. Sip Chiapas coffee at a café on Real de Guadalupe and try Pox spirit at a local bar. Group dinner at a local comedor.

🚌Colectivos to/from villages (~£2 total)

🛏Rossco Backpackers or Casa Margarita Hostel, San Cristóbal

• →Colectivo to Zinacantán village for community breakfast (~£1 transport + ~£4 food contribution)
• →Visit San Juan Chamula church (entry ~£1.50)
• →Santo Domingo artisan market — browse textiles and amber
• →Chiapas coffee and Pox tasting on Real de Guadalupe
• →Optional pottery class via a local workshop (~£10–12)

Take an early colectivo or taxi to Tuxtla Gutiérrez airport (TGZ) (~1.5hrs, ~£8–10 shared taxi) and fly to Cancún (CUN) — budget carriers Volaris and VivaAerobus operate this route for ~£35–60 booked in advance. Check into a hostel in Cancún's downtown (not the Hotel Zone — far better value) and spend the afternoon at the free Playa Langosta or Playa Tortugas public beaches. Explore Cancún's genuine local side in El Centro for dinner.

🚌Shared taxi to TGZ (~£9) + domestic flight (~£45 avg)

🛏Hostel Natura or similar downtown Cancún hostel — dorm from ~£10/night

• →Shared taxi San Cristóbal → Tuxtla Gutiérrez airport (~£8–10)
• →Fly Tuxtla → Cancún with Volaris or VivaAerobus (~£35–60, book ahead at volaris.com)
• →Check in downtown Cancún hostel
• →Free afternoon at Playa Langosta or Playa Tortugas
• →Dinner in El Centro — ceviche or cochinita pibil tacos

Take an ADO bus from Cancún to Chiquila (~3hrs, ~£7) — departs from the ADO terminal in El Centro. From Chiquila, take the public passenger ferry to Isla Holbox (~£4 each way, runs roughly every hour). Check into a hammock hostel or budget cabana. Spend the rest of the day as the tour does — lounging on the beach, swimming in the turquoise shallows and exploring the colourful murals around town.

🚌ADO bus (~£7) + ferry (~£4)

🛏Tribu Hostel Holbox or Hostal Ida y Vuelta — hammock/dorm from ~£12/night, private from ~£28

• →ADO bus Cancún → Chiquila (~3hrs, ~£7)
• →Public ferry Chiquila → Isla Holbox (~£4)
• →Check in to beachside hostel or hammock cabana
• →Afternoon on the beach — swimming, hammocks, beach bars
• →Sunset walk along the main beach

Book a shared boat tour of Isla Holbox directly with one of the local operators in the town square (~£18–22 per person) — tours typically visit Punta Mosquito for flamingos (seasonal), Yalahau freshwater spring and a sandbank. Afternoons are for the beach. Rent a golf cart (~£20 split between friends) or bike (~£4) to explore the island's quieter corners independently.

🚌Golf cart or bike hire (~£4–10)

🛏Tribu Hostel Holbox or similar

• →Shared boat tour to flamingo point (Punta Mosquito, seasonal), Yalahau spring and sandbar (~£18–22, book directly in the town square)
• →Afternoon free on the beach
• →Golf cart rental to explore the island (~£20 split) or bike hire (~£4)

Set an early alarm for the sunrise on the beach — one of Holbox's unmissable moments. Take the morning ferry back to Chiquila (~£4) and an ADO bus to Cancún (~£7), then a second ADO bus from Cancún to Playa del Carmen (~1hr, ~£4). Check in to your hostel on or near 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida). Spend the afternoon discovering Playa's beach, the buzzing 5th Avenue strip and the local town market.

🚌Ferry (~£4) + two ADO buses (~£11 total)

🛏Hostel Selina Playa del Carmen or La Tortuga Hostel — dorm from ~£13/night, private from ~£30

• →Early sunrise on the beach
• →Ferry Isla Holbox → Chiquila (~£4) + ADO bus to Cancún (~£7)
• →ADO bus Cancún → Playa del Carmen (~1hr, ~£4)
• →Explore 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida) — shops, street food, souvenir stalls
• →Afternoon swim at Playa del Carmen's public beach (free)

Take an early ADO bus from Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá (~2.5hrs, ~£9) — arrive early to beat the crowds and the midday heat. Entry to the archaeological site costs ~£14. Explore El Castillo pyramid, the Great Ball Court, Platform of the Skulls and the Plaza of a Thousand Columns at your own pace — download the free INAH app or hire an on-site local guide (~£10–15 shared between a small group). Afterwards, stop at Cenote Ik Kil (next to the site, ~£8) or the nearby Cenote Hubiku for a swim. Return by ADO bus to Playa del Carmen (~£9).

🚌ADO bus return to Chichén Itzá (~£18 total)

🛏Hostel Selina or La Tortuga, Playa del Carmen

• →ADO bus Playa del Carmen → Chichén Itzá (~2.5hrs, ~£9)
• →Entrance to Chichén Itzá archaeological site (~£14)
• →Self-guided exploration with INAH app, or hire a local guide (~£10–15 split)
• →Swim in Cenote Ik Kil or Cenote Hubiku (~£8)
• →ADO bus return to Playa del Carmen (~£9)

Take the passenger ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel (~45 mins, ~£12 return). Head to Playa Palancar on the south of the island — take a shared colectivo taxi from the ferry terminal (~£5). Day passes at Palancar Beach Club cost ~£10–15 (includes sun lounger and beach access; food and drinks extra but reasonably priced). The reef snorkelling here is world-class — rent a snorkel set (~£5) or book a short reef snorkel tour via Klook or directly (~£15–20). Return ferry to Playa del Carmen in the evening.

🚌Cozumel ferry return (~£12) + colectivo (~£5)

🛏Hostel Selina or La Tortuga, Playa del Carmen

• →Passenger ferry Playa del Carmen → Cozumel return (~£12)
• →Colectivo taxi to Playa Palancar (~£5)
• →Day pass at Palancar Beach Club (~£10–15)
• →Snorkel gear rental (~£5) or guided reef snorkel tour (~£15–20 via Klook or direct)
• →Return ferry to Playa del Carmen

Check out and enjoy a final breakfast on 5th Avenue. When ready, take an ADO bus from Playa del Carmen directly to Cancún International Airport (CUN) — ~1hr, ~£6, buses run frequently and drop off at the terminal. No expensive taxi needed. Alternatively, the colectivo shared minibus runs the same route for ~£3.

🚌ADO bus or colectivo to Cancún Airport (~£3–6)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final breakfast on 5th Avenue — try chilaquiles or huevos rancheros
• →Last-minute souvenir shopping
• →ADO bus or colectivo Playa del Carmen → Cancún Airport (~1hr, ~£3–6)