Central Mexico Self-Launched: Oaxaca to Mexico City
7 days · Mexico
G Adventures charges £1,830
No-markup version: ~£380 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 7-day route through Central Mexico's cultural and culinary heartland — Oaxaca, Puebla and Mexico City — following the same arc as the G Adventures Geluxe small-group trip but booked independently. Pedal out to the petrified waterfall of Hierve el Agua, wander the ruins of Monte Albán, hop between Oaxaca's markets and mezcalerías, ride a comfortable ADO bus up to colonial Puebla, then finish among the pyramids of Teotihuacán and the taco stands of Mexico City. Budget guesthouses and hostels replace the premium hotels, and public buses replace the private vehicle. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-range estimates in GBP and will vary by season.
Day-by-day
Oaxaca: Arrival & First Taste of the City
Oaxaca
Fly or bus into Oaxaca and check into a guesthouse in the Centro Histórico, a few blocks from the Zócalo. Ease in with a walk around the main plaza, the Templo de Santo Domingo and the Benito Juárez market, grazing on tlayudas, memelas and tejate. If you're keen on the operator's optional extras, book a small-group mezcal factory tour or a Oaxacan mole cooking class locally through GetYourGuide or direct with a neighbourhood cocina — most run £25-40 and can be arranged day-before.
🚌Airport to Centro: shared colectivo ~£4 or taxi ~£8-10. Everything in the centre is walkable.
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Centro Histórico (private room £22-35/night, dorm £10-15)
- →Walk the Zócalo and Centro Histórico
- →Templo de Santo Domingo
- →Benito Juárez Market food crawl
- →Optional: mezcal factory tour (£25-40)
- →Optional: Oaxacan mole cooking class (£30-40)
Cycle to Hierve el Agua & Agave Country
Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca
Rent a bike in Oaxaca or join a small self-bookable cycling day trip out through farmland and agave plantations toward Hierve el Agua, the petrified waterfall perched above the valley. Swim in the mineral pools, walk the viewing loops, and stop at a palenque for a mezcal tasting on the way back. Tour operators around the Zócalo run this as a guided day ride (£30-45 including transport, bike and entrance); independent cyclists can hire a bike (~£12) and pay the ~£3 site entry, though the road is hilly and hot.
🚌Guided day trip transport included, or local colectivo to Hierve el Agua (~£2.50 each way) plus bike hire ~£12.
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Centro Histórico, Oaxaca
- →Cycling through agave fields
- →Hierve el Agua petrified waterfall and mineral pools
- →Palenque mezcal tasting
- →Optional: Tule tree and Mitla ruins stop
Oaxaca: Ruins, Craft Villages & Food
Oaxaca
Spend the morning at Monte Albán, the Zapotec hilltop city with sweeping valley views — take a colectivo or catch a shared taxi from the centre (£1.50-3 each way, entry ~£4). Afternoon in the city: the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, the Rufino Tamayo museum, and the artisan villages of San Bartolo Coyotepec (black pottery) and Teotitlán del Valle (woven rugs) if you have time. Evening: sip mezcal at a small mezcalería and eat mole at a market comedor.
🚌Colectivo or shared taxi to Monte Albán (~£1.50-3 each way); local trips by colectivo or taxi.
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Centro Histórico, Oaxaca
- →Monte Albán archaeological site
- →Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
- →San Bartolo Coyotepec black pottery workshop
- →Teotitlán del Valle rug weaving
- →Mezcalería evening
Oaxaca to Puebla by Bus
Puebla
Morning departure on the ADO or ADO GL bus from Oaxaca to Puebla — around 4.5 to 5.5 hours through the mountains — landing in Puebla's UNESCO-listed colonial centre by afternoon. Settle into a hostel near the Zócalo, then wander the candy-coloured streets, the Biblioteca Palafoxiana and the Barrio del Artista. Dinner should be a proper Puebla meal: mole poblano, cemita, or chiles en nogada if in season.
🚌ADO/ADO GL bus Oaxaca to Puebla, ~4.5-5.5 hrs, £18-28 depending on class. Book online or at the Oaxaca terminal.
🛏Hostel/guesthouse near Puebla Zócalo (private room £20-32, dorm £9-14)
- →Scenic bus journey through the Sierra
- →Puebla Zócalo and cathedral
- →Biblioteca Palafoxiana
- →Callejón del Sapito and Barrio del Artista
- →Mole poblano dinner
Puebla & Cholula Pyramids
Puebla / Cholula
A full day in Puebla and neighbouring Cholula. Start at the Amparo Museum and the Templo de Santo Domingo, then catch a local bus or taxi out to Cholula (~£2-3), where the Great Pyramid is topped by the Nuestra Señora de los Remedios church and the tunnels below are open to explore (~£3-4 entry). Climb for volcano views over the plain, and finish with dinner back in Puebla's centre — try the street stalls around the Zócalo for memelas and pelonas.
🚌Local bus or taxi Puebla to Cholula (~£2-3 each way); walking within the centre.
🛏Hostel/guesthouse near Puebla Zócalo
- →Museo Amparo
- →Templo de Santo Domingo Rosary Chapel
- →Cholula Great Pyramid and tunnels
- →Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
- →Puebla street food evening
Puebla to Mexico City & Teotihuacán Prep
Mexico City
Morning bus to Mexico City (around 2 to 2.5 hours with ADO or Estrella Roja from Puebla's CAPU terminal). Check into a hostel in Roma, Condesa or the Centro Histórico. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided walk of the Centro: the Zócalo, Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes, then an evening of tacos al pastor and pulque in Roma or Condesa. Book tomorrow's Teotihuacán transport and entry online tonight.
🚌ADO or Estrella Roja bus Puebla to Mexico City TAPO or Norte, ~2-2.5 hrs, £8-15. Metro within Mexico City costs ~£0.25 per ride.
🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Roma, Condesa or Centro (private room £25-40, dorm £12-18)
- →Mexico City Centro Histórico walk
- →Templo Mayor ruins
- →Palacio de Bellas Artes
- →Roma/Condesa taco and pulque crawl
Teotihuacán Pyramids & Departure
Teotihuacán / Mexico City
Make an early start for Teotihuacán, the vast ancient city with the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. Take the Metro to Autobuses del Norte and catch the local bus to the site (£3-4 each way, entry ~£5), arriving before the tour crowds for cooler air and better light. Climb the pyramids, walk the Avenue of the Dead and see the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, then return to the city for a final mercado meal or museum stop before your onward flight or bus.
🚌Metro to Autobuses del Norte, then local bus to Teotihuacán (~£3-4 each way). Airport return by Metro (~£0.30) or taxi/rideshare (£8-12).
🛏Not included — depart or extend your stay
- →Pyramid of the Sun and Moon
- →Avenue of the Dead
- →Temple of the Feathered Serpent
- →Museo Nacional de Antropología (optional)
- →Farewell market meal
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£380 | £1,830 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,450 per person (79%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£380
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 Central Mexico Self-Launched: Oaxaca to Mexico City cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £380 per person for 7 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 £1,830 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £380 — a saving of roughly £1,450 (79%) per person.
How long is the Mexico trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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, foodie, city-breaks 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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