Self-Launched Central Mexico: Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca & Puerto Escondido
8 days · Mexico
G Adventures charges £1,299
No-markup version: ~£595 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day DIY version of G Adventures' Roamies route from Mexico City to the Pacific coast, following the same shape: street-food and history in the capital, a boat ride through the Xochimilco canals, colonial Puebla, Oaxaca's markets and mezcal, then a mountain road trip down to Puerto Escondido for beach time. Everything is self-bookable: metro and metrobús in Mexico City, ADO buses for the long legs, a cheap regional flight or overnight bus option to the coast, plus GetYourGuide/Klook tours for Teotihuacán, Monte Albán, lucha libre and cooking classes. Costs are rough per-person backpacker estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Mexico City, rooftop and plaza evening
Mexico City
Land at Benito Juárez (MEX) and take the metro (Line 5/4 or the metrobús) or an authorised airport taxi (~£10-15) to a hostel in Roma Norte or Centro Histórico. Check in, then wander to the Zócalo to see the cathedral and Palacio Nacional lit up, and grab your first tacos al pastor (~£4). Hostel dorms in Roma/Centro run roughly £12-18 a night. Sort a local SIM/eSIM and set up your bus bookings for the week.
🚌Airport metro/metrobús ~£1 or authorised taxi ~£10-15
🛏Hostel dorm, Roma Norte or Centro Histórico (~£12-18/night)
- →Zócalo and cathedral evening walk
- →Tacos al pastor dinner
- →Sort local SIM and bus tickets
Mexico City insiders: Revolution Monument, Roma markets, lucha libre
Mexico City
Do the city independently using the metro. Go up the Monument to the Revolution observation deck (~£2, lift to the top for the view), walk Reforma to the Ángel de la Independencia, then head into Roma Norte for Mercado Medellín or Mercado Roma and lunch tacos (~£5). Optional afternoon: get a GetYourGuide or Klook half-day Teotihuacán tour (~£25-35 including entry and transport) or go solo by bus from Terminal del Norte (~£3 each way + ~£4 entry). In the evening, catch a lucha libre match at Arena México (~£15-25; buy via Ticketmaster MX or a GetYourGuide ticket) — Tuesday/Friday/Sunday are the big nights.
🚌Metro ~£0.30/ride; Uber/taxi home at night ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm, Roma Norte or Centro Histórico (~£12-18/night)
- →Monument to the Revolution viewpoint
- →Ángel de la Independencia
- →Roma Norte market lunch
- →Optional Teotihuacán day trip
- →Lucha libre at Arena México
Xochimilco canals then bus to Puebla
Puebla
Morning: take the metro/Tren Ligero to Xochimilco and hire a spot on a trajinera boat through the canals (~£3-6 per person shared, more if you charter a whole boat ~£25-35). Floating vendors sell quesadillas and micheladas; mariachi bands hop aboard for a tip. Return to the hostel, grab your bag and head to TAPO or CAPU bus station. ADO/Estrella Roja first-class bus to Puebla takes about 2h and costs ~£10-14. Arrive late afternoon, check into a hostel in Puebla's Centro, and walk the zócalo and the Rosary Chapel.
🚌Metro/Tren Ligero ~£1; ADO bus Mexico City–Puebla ~£10-14
🛏Hostel dorm, Puebla Centro (~£12-16/night)
- →Xochimilco trajinera boat ride
- →Floating market snacks
- →Puebla zócalo evening walk
Puebla's colonial core, then bus south to Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Spend the morning in Puebla: wander the Centro Histórico, try a cemita or mole poblano for lunch (~£5), and if you have appetite, pop into the Amparo Museum (~£6) or climb the cathedral towers. Early afternoon, take the ADO/ADO GL bus south to Oaxaca — roughly 4-4.5h, ~£18-24. Dump your bag at a hostel in Oaxaca Centro and join a market food walk or just build your own tasting: tlayudas, tamales, mole, and a shot of mezcal at a local tavern (~£12-15 all in).
🚌ADO bus Puebla–Oaxaca ~£18-24 (4-4.5h)
🛏Hostel dorm, Oaxaca Centro (~£12-16/night)
- →Puebla Centro Histórico walk
- →Mole poblano or cemita lunch
- →Oaxaca market food crawl
- →Mezcal tasting
Oaxaca free day: Monte Albán, markets, cooking class or mezcal
Oaxaca
Full free day. Best value picks: shared shuttle or local bus to Monte Albán ruins (~£5 transport + ~£5 entry; a GetYourGuide guided half-day is ~£20-25), or stay in town for a mole cooking class including a market visit (~£30-40 — book via Klook/GetYourGuide or local escuela), or a mezcal palenque tour to Santiago Matatlán (~£20-30). Cheaper DIY: buy a bottle of artisanal mezcal at the mercado and taste at a mezcalería in the evening. Optional Hierve el Agua day trip ~£15-20 if you want the petrified waterfalls.
🚌Local bus to Monte Albán ~£1-2; shared shuttle ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm, Oaxaca Centro (~£12-16/night)
- →Monte Albán ruins
- →Mole cooking class with market visit
- →Mezcal palenque tour
- →Hierve el Agua day trip option
- →Mercado 20 de Noviembre shopping
Mountain road trip to Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido
The classic options to the coast: ADO/Estrella Roja overnight or daytime bus over the Sierra Madre (~7-8h, ~£18-25) — winding but spectacular — or a cheap domestic flight from Oaxaca airport to Puerto Escondido on Aerotucán/TAR (~£55-80, 40 mins) if you want to save a day. Many travellers take the early bus to arrive mid-afternoon. Check into a hostel in Zicatela or La Punta, do your own orientation walk along the beach road, then dinner on fish tacos and a beer (~£7-9).
🚌ADO bus Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido ~£18-25 (7-8h) OR flight ~£55-80
🛏Hostel dorm, La Punta or Zicatela (~£12-18/night)
- →Scenic Sierra Madre road trip
- →Optional short domestic flight
- →Playa Zicatela orientation walk
- →Sunset on the beach
Puerto Escondido: surf, lagoons or pure beach time
Puerto Escondido
Do as much or as little as you like. Surf lessons at La Punta or Zicatela run ~£18-25 for a 1.5-2h group lesson with board included (book at any beachfront surf shack). Alternatives: stand-up paddleboard hire ~£8-10/hr, a boat trip to Laguna de Manialtepec for the bioluminescence night tour ~£20-25, or simply walk to Playa Carrizalillo for a swim and a cheap lunch (~£6). Evening in La Punta for street food, live music and sunset drinks (~£10-15).
🚌Local colectivo/taxi between beaches ~£1-3
🛏Hostel dorm, La Punta or Zicatela (~£12-18/night)
- →Surf lesson at La Punta
- →Laguna de Manialtepec bioluminescence tour
- →Playa Carrizalillo swimming
- →La Punta sunset drinks
Last beach morning and depart
Puerto Escondido
Swim, grab breakfast at a beach café and check out. Fly out from Puerto Escondido (PXM) — usually via Mexico City — or take the bus back to Oaxaca for onward connections. If you're continuing, the Yucatán is a short flight via Mexico City or a long bus route via Oaxaca and Palenque.
🚌Taxi to PXM airport ~£4-6; domestic flight onward ~£60-100
🛏Departure day
- →Morning beach swim
- →Breakfast at a beach café
- →Onward travel or flight home
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£595 | £1,299 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £704 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£595
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Central Mexico: Mexico City, Puebla, Oaxaca & Puerto Escondido cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £595 per person for 8 days in Mexico. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,299 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £595 — a saving of roughly £704 (54%) per person.
How long is the Mexico trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Mexico.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a backpacker, culture, foodie trip through Mexico, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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