Viva Mexico: Ancient Ruins & the Mayan Riviera — Self-Launched
14 days · Mexico
G Adventures charges £1,095
No-markup version: ~£780 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 14-day independent version of G Adventures' 18-to-Thirtysomethings Mexico run, from Mexico City's taco-strewn streets down through Oaxaca, the Chiapas highlands, jungle-clad Palenque and the lagoon at Bacalar, finishing with Chichén Itzá and the beaches of Tulum. Same route, same big hits — done on ADO buses, colectivos and overnight coaches, staying in hostels and simple guesthouses, and booking the ruins tours and boat trips yourself. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Mexico City
Mexico City
Land at MEX or AIFA and take the Metro (5 MXN, ~£0.25) or a pre-booked airport transfer (~£15) to your hostel in Roma or Condesa — the two most walkable, backpacker-friendly neighbourhoods downtown. Settle in, grab a torta or tacos al pastor from a street stand for dinner (~£4) and get an early night. Buy a SIM card at an OXXO or Telcel shop (~£10 for 2GB) and top up your Metro card.
🚌Airport Metro/bus ~£1; taxi ~£15
🛏Hostel dorm in Roma/Condesa, ~£14/night
- →Settle in
- →Street food dinner in Roma
Mexico City — Roma, Condesa & street food crawl
Mexico City
Do the walking tour the group version pays for, for free: join a free walking tour of Centro Histórico (tips ~£5) and then wander Roma and Condesa yourself past the art deco cafés and leafy plazas, finishing at Bosque de Chapultepec. Eat your way round: chilaquiles breakfast (~£4), a couple of street tacos (~£3), tlayuda or quesadillas in the afternoon. If you want the full taco crawl experience, GetYourGuide and Airbnb Experiences both sell food tours from ~£40. Afternoon option: book a Teotihuacán half-day tour (~£30 including transport and guide, or ~£10 DIY by bus from Terminal del Norte plus 90 MXN entry).
🚌Metro ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm, ~£14
- →Free walking tour of Centro Histórico
- →Roma & Condesa wander
- →Optional Teotihuacán pyramids
Mexico City → Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Take an ADO bus from TAPO or Observatorio terminal to Oaxaca — roughly 6 hours, ~£30-35 (book at ado.com.mx a few days ahead, or in person). Cheaper still: a first-class ETN overnight bus. Arrive and check into a hostel in the Centro. Do your own orientation stroll to the Zócalo and the 20 de Noviembre market — try a tlayuda straight off the comal (~£2.50) and pick up a bag of Oaxacan chocolate or a hot chocolate from a molienda shop (~£2).
🚌ADO bus Mexico City–Oaxaca ~£32
🛏Hostel dorm in Oaxaca Centro, ~£13
- →Zócalo and market wander
- →Tlayuda tasting
- →Chocolate shop visit
Oaxaca — ruins, springs & mezcal
Oaxaca
Full free day. Hit Monte Albán early by colectivo or shared taxi from the centre (~£3 each way plus 95 MXN entry, ~£4) rather than the £40 tour. Afternoon options: a shared tour or colectivo to Hierve el Agua petrified waterfalls (~£20-25 including entry, or ~£10 DIY), a cooking class in a local home (~£30-35 booked direct or via GetYourGuide), or the Valley of Mitla ruins (~£8 entry). Evening: mezcal tasting at a palenque bar (~£6 for a flight).
🚌Colectivos ~£6
🛏Hostel dorm, ~£13
- →Monte Albán ruins
- →Optional Hierve el Agua
- →Optional cooking class
- →Mezcal tasting
Oaxaca artisans → overnight bus to San Cristóbal
Oaxaca / overnight bus
Morning free for a last wander or a market breakfast. In the afternoon visit an alebrijes carving workshop in San Martín Tilcajete or Arrazola — take a local colectivo (~£2) and pay the artisan directly; many families will show you the process for the cost of a small piece (~£5-15). In the evening board the overnight ADO bus from Oaxaca to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~12-13 hours, ~£40, book the cama/semi-bed service for the legroom).
🚌Colectivo ~£2; overnight ADO bus Oaxaca–San Cristóbal ~£40
🛏Overnight bus (reclining seat)
- →Alebrijes artisan workshop
- →Market breakfast
Sumidero Canyon → San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Arrive into Tuxtla Gutiérrez early and take a local bus or colectivo to Chiapa de Corzo (~£1.50), then a shared lancha down the Sumidero Canyon (~£18-22 including the 30 MXN park entry, ~2 hours). Walls rise 800m above you — look for crocodiles, spider monkeys and the Christmas Tree waterfall. Afterwards take a colectivo up to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~£2, 1 hour) and check into a guesthouse in the old town. Dinner: Chiapaneco tamales and posh (corn drink) ~£4.
🚌Colectivos Tuxtla–Chiapa de Corzo–San Cristóbal ~£5
🛏Guesthouse/hostel dorm in San Cristóbal, ~£12
- →Sumidero Canyon boat trip
- →Old town evening wander
San Cristóbal de las Casas — highland Chiapas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Full day at 2,100m. Wander the cobbled streets and 16th-century churches, walk up to the Guadalupe and San Cristóbal hills for views, and browse the artisan market. Optional: a shared tour to the indigenous villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán (~£25-30 via any guesthouse or GetYourGuide) or a day trip to Lagunas de Montebello (~£25-30, long day). Cheaper option: local colectivo to Chamula (~£1.50) and pay the small church entry yourself. Bring cash — there are few ATMs that like foreign cards.
🚌Walking / colectivo ~£3
🛏Guesthouse/hostel dorm, ~£12
- →Highland town walk
- →Optional Chamula & Zinacantán villages
- →Artisan market
San Cristóbal → Roberto Barrios waterfall → Palenque
Palenque
Long travel day, done independently: take a morning colectivo or second-class bus toward Palenque and hop off at the Roberto Barrios turnoff (or join a shared shuttle ~£18 which drops you at the falls). Swim in the turquoise cascades and limestone pools (~£2 entry) for a couple of hours, then continue on to Palenque town (~£3). Total travel ~6-7 hours. Check into a guesthouse in Palenque town or El Panchán jungle cabañas (~£15 if you fancy the jungle).
🚌Shared shuttle/colectivo + local bus ~£20
🛏Guesthouse in Palenque town or El Panchán, ~£13
- →Roberto Barrios waterfall swim
Palenque ruins & jungle
Palenque
Get to the ruins at opening (8am, 90 MXN entry, ~£4) — colectivos run from town for ~£2. Either walk it yourself with the signage, or hire a local guide at the gate for ~£15-20 shared between a few people (check GetYourGuide too, tours from ~£20). See the Temple of Inscriptions, the Palace and the Cross Group, and listen for howler monkeys rolling through the fog. Afternoon: optional jungle trail walk to the Motiepa and Misol-Ha side (~£8 with a local guide), or head to Misol-Ha waterfall by colectivo (~£4).
🚌Colectivo ~£3
🛏Guesthouse in Palenque, ~£13
- →Palenque ruins (self-guided or local guide)
- →Optional jungle hike / Misol-Ha
Palenque → Bacalar
Bacalar
Travel day south-east to Bacalar on the 'Lagoon of Seven Colours'. There's no direct comfortable bus, so take a morning ADO or shared shuttle to Chetumal/Escárcega and connect onward to Bacalar — roughly 7-8 hours total, ~£25-30. Alternatively, shared colectivos break the journey cheaper (~£18). Arrive in the afternoon, find a hostel or cabaña a few minutes from the lagoon, and catch sunset from the public dock or the fort.
🚌ADO/shared shuttle via Chetumal ~£28
🛏Hostel/cabaña in Bacalar, ~£16
- →Sunset at the lagoon
Bacalar lagoon day
Bacalar
Slow day on the water. Rent a kayak or paddleboard (~£8-10) and head out to the stromatolites and the Cenote Azul. Or book a shared catamaran/sailing tour of the lagoon (~£25-35 via Klook or GetYourGuide, includes snorkel stops and the pirate channel). Swim in Cenote Azul (~£6 entry) and visit the San Felipe fort (~£1). Tacos de cochinita and agua frescas for dinner for under a fiver.
🚌Walking / bike rental ~£4
🛏Hostel/cabaña in Bacalar, ~£16
- →Kayaking or lagoon sailing tour
- →Cenote Azul
- →San Felipe fort
Bacalar → Valladolid
Valladolid
Morning lagoon paddle if you've got the energy, then travel north into the Yucatán. Take an ADO or Oriente bus from Bacalar to Valladolid (~5 hours, ~£20) — clean, air-conditioned and cheap. Arrive in the afternoon and walk the pastel colonial streets: the Cathedral of San Gervasio, the Cenote Zací right in town (~£7), and the mayan craft stalls. Evening: fried marquesitas and cochinita pibil from the vendors around the plaza (~£4).
🚌ADO bus Bacalar–Valladolid ~£20
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Valladolid, ~£14
- →Colonial town walk
- →Cenote Zací
- →Street food
Chichén Itzá → Tulum
Tulum
Get an early colectivo or shared taxi to Chichén Itzá (~£3, 45 mins) and be there for the 8am opening — 671 MXN entry (~£30, foreigners; locals cheaper) and far fewer crowds than mid-morning. Walk the site yourself (signage is decent) or hire a local guide at the gate for ~£20 shared. Afternoon: head back to Valladolid and take an ADO bus to Tulum (~3 hours, ~£13). Drop your bag at a hostel in Tulum town (cheaper than the beach strip) and hit the beach for sunset — free.
🚌Colectivo ~£3; ADO Valladolid–Tulum ~£13
🛏Hostel dorm in Tulum pueblo, ~£16
- →Chichén Itzá ruins
- →Tulum sunset beach
Tulum ruins & the Mayan Riviera
Tulum
Early to the Tulum ruins overlooking the Caribbean (~£4 entry, 8am opening before the tour buses land) and then down the stairs to the beach for a swim in the turquoise water. Afternoon for the cenotes — Gran Cenote or Dos Ojos are a short colectivo or bike ride away (~£6-8 entry each, or a snorkel tour ~£30). Last-night dinner at a beach shack, then plan your onward bus (ADO Tulum/Playa del Carmen for Cancún airport or onward to Belize).
🚌Bike rental / colectivo ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm in Tulum pueblo, ~£16
- →Tulum ruins
- →Beach swim
- →Optional cenote snorkelling
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£780 | £1,095 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £315 per person (29%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£780
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 Viva Mexico: Ancient Ruins & the Mayan Riviera — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £780 per person for 14 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 £1,095 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £780 — a saving of roughly £315 (29%) per person.
How long is the Mexico trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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 culture, adventure, 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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