A Month in Central America: Self-Launched Mexico, Belize & Guatemala

Land at Benito Juárez (MEX) and take the Metro (Line 5 from the airport, ~20p) or an authorised airport taxi (~£8) to a hostel in Roma Norte or Condesa. Settle in, get a local SIM (Telcel ~£12 for 4 weeks of data), withdraw pesos and eat your first tacos al pastor (~£2.50). Book tomorrow's walk and your Oaxaca bus at the ADO counter or on the ADO app tonight.

🚌Airport Metro or taxi ~£2-8

🛏Hostel dorm, Roma Norte (~£12)

• →Airport transfer
• →SIM card and cash run
• →Street taco dinner

Do a free (tips ~£5) walking tour of Roma and Condesa with a local guide, or use a self-guided street-food route: chilaquiles for breakfast, esquites in the park, tortas in Condesa. Wander Bosque de Chapultepec in the afternoon and visit the Museo Nacional de Antropología (~£4) to prep for the Mayan sites ahead. Optional sunset trip to Teotihuacán pyramids (~£20-25 with a GetYourGuide half-day tour, or ~£5 by bus + £7 entry DIY).

🚌Metro/Metrobús ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Roma Norte (~£12)

• →Roma/Condesa walking tour
• →Chapultepec Park & Anthropology Museum
• →Optional Teotihuacán trip

Take an ADO GL bus from TAPO terminal to Oaxaca — roughly 6.5 hours, ~£28-32 booked a day or two ahead online. Alternatively fly Volaris for ~£35 if you're short on time. Check into a hostel near the Zócalo, then do an orientation walk: the zócalo, the Benito Juárez market for a tlayuda (~£3) and a chocolate shop visit for tejate or a hot chocolate (~£1.50).

🚌ADO bus Mexico City–Oaxaca ~£30

🛏Hostel dorm, Centro Oaxaca (~£12)

• →Zócalo orientation walk
• →Tlayuda at Mercado 20 de Noviembre
• →Chocolate shop visit

Pick your highlights. Monte Albán is easiest by colectivo from the Hotel Rivera del Ángel (~£1 each way) plus ~£8 entry — go at 8am to beat the heat. Afternoon options: a shared shuttle to Hierve el Agua petrified waterfalls (~£18-22 return with a tour, or colectivo + entry for ~£10), a cooking class (~£35-45) or a mezcal palenque visit. Evening: sample Oaxacan cheese and grasshoppers in the markets.

🚌Colectivo + local bus ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Centro Oaxaca (~£12)

• →Monte Albán ruins
• →Hierve el Agua
• →Oaxacan cooking class
• →Market food crawl

Visit an alebrijes carving workshop in San Martín Tilcajete or Arrazola by local bus (~£3 return) — buying direct from the family workshop supports the same artisans the group tours visit. Spend the afternoon in the zócalo, then board the overnight ADO bus to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~10-11 hrs, ~£30-35, reclining seat). Sleep on the bus, or grab a cheap night in a hostel if you prefer.

🚌Local bus to workshop ~£3; overnight ADO to San Cristóbal ~£32

🛏Overnight ADO bus

• →Alebrijes artisan workshop
• →Zócalo people-watching

Arrive early in San Cristóbal and drop your bag at the hostel. Take a colectivo to Chiapa de Corzo (~£2) and a shared lancha through Sumidero Canyon (~£10-12 for the 2-hour boat, plus ~£4 park entry) — 1,000m walls, crocodiles and spider monkeys. Back in San Cristóbal by late afternoon; walk the pedestrian street Real de Guadalupe and eat posh (a Chiapan stew, ~£3).

🚌Colectivo to Chiapa de Corzo ~£2 each way; boat ~£11

🛏Hostel dorm, San Cristóbal (~£10)

• →Sumidero Canyon boat trip
• →Real de Guadalupe stroll

San Cristóbal sits at 2,100m, so take it slow. Options: a shared tour to the Tzotzil villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán (~£18-22, includes church and weaving visits); Lagunas de Montebello day trip (~£22-25); or a self-guided day of 16th-century churches, the amber museum (~£2) and café-hopping. Book tomorrow's Palenque shuttle this evening.

🚌Walking / shared tour van ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, San Cristóbal (~£10)

• →Chamula & Zinacantán villages
• →Lagunas de Montebello
• →Amber museum

Book a tourist shuttle San Cristóbal–Palenque (~£16-20, 5-6 hrs) and ask to be dropped at Roberto Barrios waterfall for a swim in the turquoise cascades (entry ~£2, colectivo from Palenque town ~£2 each way if you do it as a separate trip). Continue to Palenque village for the night — most hostels are on the road to the ruins.

🚌Shuttle San Cristóbal–Palenque ~£18; colectivo to waterfall ~£4

🛏Guesthouse/hostel near Palenque ruins (~£11)

• →Roberto Barrios waterfall swim

Get to the ruins gate for opening (~8am, entry ~£5 plus ~£4 park fee). Hire a certified guide at the entrance for ~£15-20 per small group to cover the Temple of the Cross Group, Temple of the Inscriptions and the Palace — or pre-book a GetYourGuide Palenque tour (~£25 including entry). Afternoon: walk the jungle trail behind the ruins to the museum (~£2) or take a colectivo to the Misol-Ha waterfall (~£5 return).

🚌Colectivo to ruins ~£2

🛏Guesthouse/hostel near Palenque ruins (~£11)

• →Palenque ruins guided tour
• →Misol-Ha waterfall
• →Jungle trail hike

Long travel day: colectivo or local bus to Palenque town, then an ADO bus south via Escárcega to Bacalar (~7-8 hrs, ~£30). Check into a hostel on the lagoon side of town, cook dinner in the shared kitchen and watch the sun go down over the water.

🚌ADO bus Palenque–Bacalar ~£30

🛏Hostel dorm, Bacalar (~£12)

• →Lagoon sunset

Hire a kayak (~£8/day) or join a shared pontoon boat trip to the stromatolites and the Cenote Negro (~£12-15). Afternoon options: the San Felipe fortress (~£1) and the pirate channel, or just float. Eat at the roadside cochinita pibil stalls (~£3) and book tomorrow's lagoon sail and the Valladolid bus.

🚌Walking / bike hire ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Bacalar (~£12)

• →Lagoon boat trip
• →Kayaking
• →Fort San Felipe

Morning catamaran or sailboat trip on the lagoon with snorkelling stops (~£20-25, book direct on the waterfront or via GetYourGuide). Midday take an ADO bus north to Valladolid (~3 hrs, ~£10). Arrive and do a self-guided orientation walk: the yellow Convento de San Bernardino, the zócalo and street-food stalls selling marquesitas and panuchos.

🚌ADO Bacalar–Valladolid ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm, Valladolid (~£11)

• →Bacalar sailing trip
• →Valladolid orientation walk
• →Street snacks

Take a second-class bus or colectivo from the Valladolid bus station to Chichén Itzá (~£2, 45 mins) and arrive for 8am opening to beat the tour buses. Entry ~£30 (the steep Yucatán state fee plus national fee). Hire a guide at the gate (~£20 shared) or pre-book a GetYourGuide tour from Valladolid (~£35-45 with entry and cenote). Swim at Cenote Zaci in town afterwards (~£3).

🚌Bus/colectivo to Chichén Itzá ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Valladolid (~£11)

• →Chichén Itzá guided tour
• →Cenote Zaci swim

Bus to Tulum (~1.5 hrs, ~£6) and check into a hostel in Tulum Pueblo (beach-side beds are 3x the price). Afternoon at the public Playa Pescadores, then rent a bike (~£5) to explore. Book the ruins for tomorrow morning; go before 8am to avoid crowds and heat.

🚌ADO Valladolid–Tulum ~£6; bike hire ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Tulum Pueblo (~£14)

• →Playa Pescadores
• →Bike ride to the beach road

Cycle to the Tulum ruins for opening (~£5 entry) before the tour groups arrive — Castillo over the Caribbean, Temple of the Frescoes, then down to the beach below. Afternoon: visit Gran Cenote or Dos Ojos by colectivo (~£3) with entry ~£12-15 and snorkel gear hire ~£5. Cooking-class or mezcal-bar night back in the pueblo (~£15).

🚌Colectivo + bike ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Tulum Pueblo (~£14)

• →Tulum ruins
• →Gran Cenote snorkelling
• →Mezcal tasting

Short ADO hop to Playa del Carmen (~1 hr, ~£4). Check into a hostel two blocks off 5th Avenue. Spend the afternoon on the free public beach at Calle 72, then take the ferry across to Cozumel for the day if you want reef snorkelling (~£15 each way, plus ~£25 for a reef trip). Evening on Quinta Avenida — grab street esquites and a £2 beer rather than the tourist-trap restaurants.

🚌ADO Tulum–Playa ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Playa del Carmen (~£14)

• →Playa beach afternoon
• →Quinta Avenida evening

ADO bus Playa del Carmen to Chetumal (~5 hrs, ~£22), then a taxi (~£4) to the Chetumal water taxi terminal for the fast boat to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye (~1.5 hrs, ~£35-40) and onward to Caye Caulker (~£15). Total crossing day ~10 hours. Check into a guesthouse or hostel dorm, then eat at a beachfront grill and watch the sunset from the Split. Budget ~£25 exit fee/entry fees at the border crossing.

🚌ADO bus ~£22; water taxis ~£50

🛏Hostel dorm / guesthouse, Caye Caulker (~£15)

• →The Split sunset
• →Beachfront dinner

Book a half-day snorkel trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley direct with one of the many dive shops on Front Street (~£35-45 including gear and park fee) — nurse sharks, rays, angelfish and coral. Afternoon: rent a bike (~£5) to ride to the north end, or do a sunset sailing trip (~£45). Keep it simple: grilled lobster or a plate of rice and beans for dinner (~£8).

🚌Bike hire ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm / guesthouse, Caye Caulker (~£15)

• →Hol Chan snorkel tour
• →Shark Ray Alley
• →Sunset sail (optional)

Water taxi back to Belize City (~1 hr, ~£18), then a local express bus or shared shuttle to San Ignacio (~2 hrs, ~£6-10). Check into a guesthouse in the Cayo district and book your ATM cave or Xunantunich tour for tomorrow. Evening: the San Ignacio market and a Belikin beer (~£2).

🚌Water taxi ~£18; bus to San Ignacio ~£8

🛏Guesthouse dorm, San Ignacio (~£12)

• →Belize City transit
• →San Ignacio market

Two great choices. Budget route: local bus to San José Succotz (~£1), hand-crank ferry across the river (~50p) and Xunantunich ruins with El Castillo (~£5 entry) — ~£10 all in. Splurge route: a guided Actun Tunichil Muknal cave tour (~£90-100, includes transport, guide, lunch), wading into a Maya ceremonial cave. Afternoon back in town for a women's pottery cooperative visit and lunch (~£10).

🚌Local bus ~£2 (or tour transport included)

🛏Guesthouse dorm, San Ignacio (~£12)

• →Xunantunich ruins
• →Actun Tunichil Muknal (optional)
• →Pottery cooperative visit

Shuttle or local bus across the border to Flores, Guatemala (~3 hrs, ~£8-12). Dump your bag in a lakeside guesthouse, then take an afternoon colectivo to Tikal (~£5 each way) or pre-book an early-morning Tikal tour with sunset option from Flores (~£25-35 with transport and guide). Alternatively visit Yaxhá or spend the afternoon swimming in Lake Petén Itzá.

🚌Shuttle to Flores ~£10; colectivo to Tikal ~£10

🛏Guesthouse dorm, Flores (~£10)

• →Lake Petén Itzá swim
• →Flores island walk
• →Border crossing

Take the 4:30am colectivo or a sunrise tour van to Tikal (~£5-8, entry ~£15). Climb Temple IV for the canopy view, wander the Gran Plaza and listen for howler monkeys and toucans. A licensed guide at the gate is ~£25 for a small group, or join a GetYourGuide Tikal tour from Flores. Back in Flores for sunset on the rooftop terrace.

🚌Colectivo/shuttle ~£8

🛏Guesthouse dorm, Flores (~£10)

• →Tikal ruins
• →Temple IV climb
• →Sunrise with the howler monkeys

Long day or night on the road north to the highlands: overnight ADO/Linea Dorada bus Flores–Guatemala City–Antigua (~10-12 hrs, ~£30-35, reclining seat). Spend the day swimming or kayaking on the lake first, then board at around 7-8pm.

🚌Overnight bus Flores–Antigua ~£32

🛏Overnight bus

• →Lake kayaking
• →Overnight bus

Arrive early in Antigua, drop bags at a colonial-house hostel and walk the cobblestones: Parque Central, the Santa Catalina Arch, the ruined churches of San Francisco and La Merced. Take an Elizabeth Bell walking tour (~£20) or freelance it with a café-and-ruin map. Afternoon at a rooftop bar facing Volcán de Agua, then book your Lake Atitlán shuttle and ChocoMuseo workshop.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua (~£14)

• →City walking tour
• →La Merced & San Francisco ruins
• →Rooftop sunset

Do the ChocoMuseo bean-to-bar workshop (~£20, book direct) in the morning, then either hike Volcán Pacaya with a guided tour (~£25-35, includes transport and marshmallow roasting on volcanic rock) or head to Finca Filadelfia for a coffee tour (~£20). Evening salsa lesson (~£8) at a local dance school — a fun, group-free way to meet people.

🚌Walking / tour transport included

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua (~£14)

• →ChocoMuseo workshop
• →Pacaya volcano hike
• →Salsa lesson

Shuttle Antigua to Panajachel (~3 hrs, ~£10-12), then a public lancha across the lake to San Juan La Laguna (~£3, 30 mins). Check into a homestay or guesthouse run by a local Tz'utujil family (~£12-15 including breakfast) — book via a responsible tourism agency or messages ahead, or arrange on arrival at the dock with the cooperative.

🚌Shuttle ~£12; lancha ~£3

🛏Family homestay/hostel, San Juan La Laguna (~£14)

• →Lake Atitlán crossing
• →Homestay evening meal

Kayak or swim off the dock in the morning (~£5 kayak), then do the self-guided village loop: the women's textile and natural-dye cooperative in San Juan, the street-art murals, and the coffee roasteries. Lancha to Santiago Atitlán (~£3) to visit the Maximón shrine and the weaving market, or hike to the Santa Clara lookout. Sunset from the Panajachel waterfront with Volcán San Pedro glowing pink.

🚌Lancha hops ~£6

🛏Family homestay/hostel, San Juan La Laguna (~£14)

• →Textile cooperative visit
• →Kayaking
• →Santiago Atitlán & Maximón
• →Lake viewpoints

Lancha to Panajachel and shuttle back to Antigua (~3.5 hrs, ~£12-14). Afternoon free for anything you missed: the Casa Santo Domingo museum (~£6), a massage (~£20), or shopping for jade and textiles in the mercado. Last-night dinner and drinks with new hostel friends — big-night-out style on Calle del Arco.

🚌Lancha ~£3; shuttle ~£14

🛏Hostel dorm, Antigua (~£14)

• →Casa Santo Domingo
• →Mercado shopping
• →Final night out

Fly home from Guatemala City (shuttle ~£12, 1 hr) or continue south to Lago de Izabal/El Salvador. Grab breakfast at a courtyard café, double-check your onward transport and head out. If you're flying out late, the Jacaranda or Behave cafés are good places to wait with wifi.

🚌Shuttle to Guatemala City airport ~£12

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport transfer