Central Mexico & Yucatan: Mexico City to Tulum (Self-Launched)
13 days · Mexico
G Adventures charges £1,650
No-markup version: ~£649 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 13-day independent version of G Adventures' "Central Mexico & Yucatan: Mexico City, Oaxaca, Oh Yeah" — same route, same hostels-and-street-food energy, booked yourself. Start in Mexico City with tacos al pastor and a trajinera boat ride through Xochimilco, then colonial Puebla, Oaxaca's mole and mezcal, a Pacific beach break in Puerto Escondido, a cheap domestic flight up to Mérida for cenote cycling, Chichén Itzá by public ADO bus, and a finish on the Caribbean at Tulum. Everything here is bookable via Hostelworld, ADO/Volaris, GetYourGuide or direct — expect to spend roughly a third of the tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Mexico City
Mexico City
Land at MEX (AICM) or the newer Felipe Ángeles airport and take the Metrobús or an authorised airport taxi (~£6-8) to your hostel in Roma Norte or Centro Histórico. Mexico City's metro is absurdly cheap at ~5 MXN per ride. Settle in, grab a drink on the hostel rooftop, then walk to the Zócalo after dark — the main plaza is buzzing and floodlit. Get a Mexican SIM/eSIM for maps and ride-hailing; Uber and DiDi both work well here.
🚌Airport taxi or Metrobús ~£6-8
🛏Hostel dorm in Roma Norte or Centro Histórico (Hostelworld, £12-18/night)
- →Zócalo evening wander
- →Hostel rooftop social
- →Buy local SIM/eSIM
Mexico City: Revolution Monument, Roma street food & lucha libre
Mexico City
Do the city's highlights under your own steam. Take the metro to Monumento a la Revolución and pay the small lift fee for the dome viewpoint (~100 MXN). Walk Reforma to the Ángel de la Independencia for photos, then head into Colonia Roma Norte for a self-led market crawl — Mercado Medellín or Mercado Roma are great for tacos al pastor and quesadillas. Free walking tours (GuruWalk, tip-based ~£5-8) cover the Centro's history if you want context. In the evening, book lucha libre at Arena México via Ticketmaster MX (~350-500 MXN) — Tuesday/Friday nights are best. Prefer ruins? Teotihuacán day trip via GetYourGuide from ~£25, or public bus from Terminal Norte ~£4 return.
🚌Metro + walking (~£2)
🛏Hostel dorm, Roma Norte or Centro Histórico
- →Monumento a la Revolución viewpoint
- →Roma Norte market food crawl
- →Free walking tour (tip-based)
- →Lucha libre at Arena México (optional)
Xochimilco boat ride, then bus to Puebla
Puebla
Morning: metro + Tren Ligero to Xochimilco and hire a trajinera boat on the Aztec-era canals. Boats are priced per hour per boat (~600-900 MXN/hr) so team up with hostel-mates to split it — bring your own snacks or buy from the floating vendors and expect mariachis to pull alongside. In the early afternoon, head to Terminal de Autobuses TAPO and take an ADO bus to Puebla (~2 hrs, £12-15). Check into a hostel near the Zócalo and spend the evening exploring the colonial centre, the rosario chapel, and trying mole poblano.
🚌Tren Ligero + trajinera share + ADO bus TAPO–Puebla ~£13
🛏Hostel dorm in Puebla Centro (Hostelworld, £10-15/night)
- →Xochimilco trajinera boat ride (shared)
- →Floating markets & mariachis
- →Puebla Zócalo & Rosario chapel evening walk
Puebla to Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Spend the morning on Puebla's highlights — the Amparo Museum or the cathedral, plus a taco árabe for lunch. Then take an ADO Platino or UNO bus south to Oaxaca (~4.5 hrs, £18-22) — the mountain road is scenic. Arrive late afternoon, check into a hostel in the Centro Histórico and dive straight into the food: the Mercado 20 de Noviembre or a tlayuda stand, plus a rooftop mezcal bar. Oaxaca is the mole and mezcal capital of Mexico, so treat tonight as research for tomorrow.
🚌ADO bus Puebla–Oaxaca ~£20
🛏Hostel dorm in Oaxaca Centro (Hostelworld, £10-15/night)
- →Puebla cathedral & Amparo Museum
- →Arrival food crawl: tlayudas & tamales
- →Mezcal tasting on a rooftop
Oaxaca: ruins, cooking class or mezcal
Oaxaca
A full free day. Best value picks: Monte Albán ruins by colectivo or shared tour (~950 MXN via GetYourGuide, or ~£8 on a local bus plus entry); a mole or Oaxacan cooking class including a market visit (~1,200 MXN, book on GetYourGuide or direct with a local cooking school); or a mezcal palenque tour out to Santiago Matatlán (~£20-25). Hierve el Agua petrified waterfalls make a solid half-day too. Keep it local instead and wander the Benito Juárez market and the Santo Domingo cultural centre.
🚌Colectivo or local bus (~£5)
🛏Hostel dorm, Oaxaca Centro
- →Monte Albán ruins (optional ~£30)
- →Oaxacan cooking class with market visit (optional ~£45)
- →Mezcal palenque tour (optional ~£22)
- →Santo Domingo & Benito Juárez market
Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido
Take the winding mountain road down to the Pacific on an ADO or Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido bus (~7-8 hrs overnight or morning departure, £22-28). Alternatively hop a short flight from Oaxaca airport on Volaris/VivaAerobus from around £45 if you're short on time. Once you land, self-orientation is easy: the main beach Zicatela for surf, Playa Principal for swimming, and Playa Carrizalillo for a sheltered cove. Check into a hostel and find fish tacos for dinner.
🚌ADO bus Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido ~£25 (or flight from ~£45)
🛏Hostel dorm near Zicatela or Carrizalillo (Hostelworld, £10-16/night)
- →Beach orientation walk
- →Sunset at Zicatela
- →Fish tacos dinner
Puerto Escondido beach & surf day
Puerto Escondido
Do as much or as little as you like. Book a beginner surf lesson directly on Zicatela or Carrizalillo beach (~£20-25 for 2 hrs incl. board) — the surf schools are easy to find and cheaper than any pre-booked package. Stand-up paddleboarding on the lagoon, a boat trip to Laguna de Manialtepec for the bioluminescence (evening, ~£20), or simply a hammock day. If it's turtle season (roughly Nov–Mar), ask your hostel about release programmes on nearby beaches.
🚌Walking / collectivo (~£3)
🛏Hostel dorm, Puerto Escondido
- →Beginner surf lesson (~£22)
- →Laguna de Manialtepec bioluminescence boat trip (optional ~£20)
- →Beach time
Fly north to Mérida
Mérida
Fly from Puerto Escondido (PXM) to Mérida (MID) via Mexico City on Volaris or Aeroméxico — book 2-4 weeks ahead and expect roughly £75-110 for the connecting route. Public ADO buses from PXM airport get you into Mérida Centro for a few pesos. Mérida is hot, so drop bags and find a hostel with a pool in the Centro. Evening: walk the Plaza Grande, Paseo de Montejo, and eat cochinita pibil at a market stall.
🚌Domestic flight PXM–MID via MEX ~£90; ADO bus from airport ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm in Mérida Centro (Hostelworld, £12-18/night)
- →Plaza Grande & Paseo de Montejo evening walk
- →Cochinita pibil dinner
Cenote cycling day from Mérida
Mérida
Rent a bike in Mérida (~£6-8/day) or take a colectivo to Cuzamá and hire a local moto-taxi ('truck') to the cenotes for ~£10-15 total. Cuzamá's three cenotes — Chelentún, Chansinicché and Bolonchooj — are reached by horse-drawn rail cart, and you can swim in all of them. Alternatively, book a cenote bike tour from Mérida via GetYourGuide (~£35 incl. lunch). Back in town, spend the afternoon in hammocks or exploring the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya.
🚌Bike rental or colectivo + local moto-taxi ~£12
🛏Hostel dorm, Mérida Centro
- →Cuzamá cenote circuit
- →Swimming in three cenotes
- →Gran Museo del Mundo Maya (optional)
Chichén Itzá & Valladolid
Valladolid
Take the early ADO or Oriente bus from Mérida to Chichén Itzá (~2 hrs, £8-10) and arrive at opening (8am) to beat the crowds and the heat — entry is ~£25 and a licensed local guide at the gate is ~£20 for a small group. Afterwards, continue on the ADO to Valladolid (~1 hr, £4). Check into a hostel, then explore the yellow colonial streets, the Convento de San Bernardino, and swim in the free-to-cheap Cenote Zací in town. For a splurge dinner, book a cenote dinner experience directly (~£25).
🚌ADO bus Mérida–Chichén Itzá–Valladolid ~£14
🛏Hostel dorm in Valladolid Centro (Hostelworld, £10-15/night)
- →Chichén Itzá at opening
- →Local guide at the site (optional)
- →Cenote Zací swim
- →Valladolid colonial walk
Tulum ruins & Caribbean beach
Tulum
Take an ADO bus from Valladolid to Tulum (~2 hrs, £9-12), or a colectivo from the highway junction for less. Pre-book your Tulum ruins ticket online (~£5, plus the national park fee) and visit either early or in late afternoon for softer light and fewer people — the cliff-top Castillo over the turquoise water is the shot. Then check into a hostel in Tulum town (cheaper than the beach strip) and walk or bike to Playa Pública for the afternoon. Dinner: beachfront or a taquería in town.
🚌ADO bus Valladolid–Tulum ~£10; bike rental ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm in Tulum town (Hostelworld, £14-20/night)
- →Tulum ruins (El Castillo & Temple of Frescoes)
- →Playa Pública swim
- →Tulum town food crawl
Tulum: cenotes, snorkelling or beach clubs
Tulum
Free day in the Caribbean. Options booked direct or via GetYourGuide: Gran Cenote or Cenote Calavera for easy, cheap swimming (~£8-12 entry, bike or colectivo to get there); a half-day snorkel tour of the Mesoamerican Reef (~£30-35); the Muyil Sian Ka'an lagoon float (~£30); or Xel-Há all-inclusive waterpark (~£60). Low-key pick: beach day at Playa Paraíso, then a beach-club night on the Zona Hotelera strip to finish the trip.
🚌Bike or colectivo (~£6)
🛏Hostel dorm, Tulum town
- →Gran Cenote or Cenote Calavera swim
- →Reef snorkel tour (optional ~£32)
- →Playa Paraíso beach afternoon
- →Beach club night
Depart Tulum
Tulum
Depending on your flight, take an ADO bus from Tulum to Cancún airport (~2.5 hrs, £12-15) or to Cancún town then a local bus to the airport. Note the Quintana Roo tourist tax (roughly $45 USD) is usually bundled into international airfares — check with your airline. If you have time, one last swim and a proper breakfast before heading home.
🚌ADO bus Tulum–Cancún airport ~£13
🛏—
- →Morning swim
- →Bus to Cancún airport
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£649 | £1,650 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,001 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£649
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 & Yucatan: Mexico City to Tulum (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £649 per person for 13 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 £1,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £649 — a saving of roughly £1,001 (61%) per person.
How long is the Mexico trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 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 budget, 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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