Mayan Trail: Self-Launched from Playa del Carmen to Antigua

Fly into Cancún International Airport (CUN) and take the ADO bus direct to Playa del Carmen for around £5 — buses run every 30 minutes and take about an hour. Check into a hostel on or near 5th Avenue, drop your bags, and spend the evening exploring the pedestrian strip. Grab tacos from a street stall for £2–3 and get your bearings before the adventure kicks off.

🚌ADO bus from Cancún Airport: ~£5

🛏Hostel Playa — try Selina Playa del Carmen or MYplace Hostel, dorm beds from ~£12/night

• →ADO bus from Cancún Airport to Playa del Carmen (~£5)
• →Explore 5th Avenue (Quinta Avenida) on foot
• →Street food dinner — tacos al pastor from a local taqueria

Take an early ADO bus from Playa del Carmen toward Mérida, stopping at Chichén Itzá (ask the driver or book a direct Chichén Itzá bus — around 2.5 hrs, £8). Entrance to the ruins is £15. You can hire a local guide at the site entrance for £8–10pp, or use the free audio guide on your phone via the INAH app. After exploring the Pyramid of Kukulcan, ball court, and sacred cenote, continue by bus to Mérida (~1.5 hrs, £4) and take an orientation walk around the Plaza Grande and Cathedral.

🚌ADO bus Playa del Carmen → Chichén Itzá → Mérida: ~£12 total

🛏Hostel in Mérida — try Nomadas Hostel or Hostel Zócalo, dorm from ~£10/night

• →ADO bus Playa del Carmen → Chichén Itzá (~£8)
• →Chichén Itzá ruins entrance fee (~£15)
• →Optional: hire a local guide at the site (~£8–10pp)
• →Bus Chichén Itzá → Mérida (~£4)
• →Self-guided walk around Plaza Grande and Mérida Cathedral (free)

A full free day to explore at your own pace. Top options: catch a shared colectivo to the ruins of Uxmal (£3 each way), one of the finest Mayan sites in the Yucatán with a £12 entrance fee. Alternatively, head to the cenotes around Homún or Cuzamá by colectivo (£4 each way) for a swim in crystal-clear underground pools — entry around £6. Or take a day trip to the Gulf Coast beach at Progreso (£1.50 by bus). Back in the city, don't miss the Mercado Lucas de Gálvez for lunch — try poc chuc or sopa de lima for under £4.

🚌Colectivos and local buses: £3–8 depending on choice

🛏Hostel in Mérida (same as night 2), dorm from ~£10/night

• →Option A: Colectivo to Uxmal ruins (~£6 return + £12 entry)
• →Option B: Colectivo to cenotes near Homún (~£8 return + £6 entry)
• →Option C: Bus to Progreso beach (~£3 return)
• →Lunch at Mercado Lucas de Gálvez (~£3–4)
• →Evening stroll along Paseo de Montejo (free)

An early start for a long but scenic travel day across the Yucatán into Chiapas. Take an ADO bus from Mérida to Palenque — the direct service takes around 6–7 hours and costs approximately £16. Alternatively, you can stop in Campeche for a couple of hours to see the colourful walled city before catching an onward bus (~£8 + £8). Arrive in Palenque town by late afternoon, check in and rest up for the ruins tomorrow.

🚌ADO bus Mérida → Palenque: ~£16

🛏Hostel in Palenque — try Hostal La Aldea or El Panchan eco-camp area, dorm from ~£9/night

• →ADO bus Mérida → Palenque (~6–7 hrs, ~£16 direct)
• →Optional stopover in Campeche walled city (free to walk around)
• →Evening: explore Palenque town and grab dinner at a local comedor (~£4)

Head to the Palenque archaeological site early (it opens at 8am) before the heat and crowds build — take a colectivo from town for £1.50. Entry is around £5. Wander the Temple of Inscriptions, Temple of the Cross Group, and the Grand Palace surrounded by jungle — howler monkeys are a regular soundtrack. In the afternoon, hire a local taxi or join a shared colectivo tour to Roberto Barrios waterfall (about 35km away), where you can swim in turquoise pools — entry £2, transport ~£6 return. Book a local guide at the ruins entrance for deeper context (~£8pp).

🚌Colectivos and shared taxi: ~£10 total

🛏Hostel in Palenque (same as night 4), dorm from ~£9/night

• →Colectivo to Palenque ruins (~£1.50 each way)
• →Palenque ruins entrance fee (~£5)
• →Optional: local guide at the site (~£8pp)
• →Shared taxi/colectivo to Roberto Barrios waterfall (~£6 return)
• →Swimming at Roberto Barrios (entry ~£2)

Take an ADO or OCC bus from Palenque to San Cristóbal de Las Casas — a stunning 5-hour journey winding up into the highlands of Chiapas (~£8). Arrive into one of Mexico's most charming colonial towns: cobbled streets, colourful facades, and a thriving indigenous culture. Spend the afternoon exploring the pedestrian zone around Real de Guadalupe, the Zócalo, and the Santo Domingo market. Evening: grab dinner at a local restaurant — try Chiapaneco specialities like tamales with chipilín for under £5.

🚌ADO/OCC bus: ~£8

🛏Hostel in San Cristóbal — try Rossco Backpackers or Posada del Barón, dorm from ~£9/night

• →ADO/OCC bus Palenque → San Cristóbal de Las Casas (~5 hrs, ~£8)
• →Self-guided walk around the Zócalo and Santo Domingo market (free)
• →Browse textiles and crafts from indigenous artisan cooperatives
• →Dinner at a local Chiapaneco restaurant (~£4–5)

Spend the day exploring the highlands around San Cristóbal. Take a shared colectivo to the indigenous villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán (£2–3 each way) — San Juan Chamula's syncretic church is one of the most unique and culturally rich experiences in Mexico. A small entrance donation of ~£1.50 is expected. Back in San Cristóbal, visit the free Museo Na Bolom or join a street food walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£18). In the evening, the town's cafes and bars along Real de Guadalupe come alive.

🚌Colectivos: ~£5

🛏Hostel in San Cristóbal (same as night 6), dorm from ~£9/night

• →Colectivo to San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán (~£5 return)
• →Visit San Juan Chamula's syncretic church (donation ~£1.50)
• →Visit Zinacantán weaving cooperative (free/small donation)
• →Optional: Street food walking tour via GetYourGuide (~£18)
• →Evening drinks on Real de Guadalupe

Take a tourist shuttle from San Cristóbal de Las Casas direct to Panajachel on Lake Atitlán — these run daily and cost around £20–25, covering the border crossing at La Mesilla and the onward journey (~8–9 hrs total). The shuttle companies handle the border logistics, making it straightforward. Guatemala tourist visa is free for most nationalities. Arrive at Lake Atitlán in the late afternoon and take a short lancha (boat taxi) across to San Pedro La Laguna or San Marcos (~£1.50) for a more relaxed base. The lake, ringed by three volcanoes, is jaw-dropping at sunset.

🚌Tourist shuttle + lancha: ~£24

🛏Hostel at Lake Atitlán — try Zoola San Marcos or Fe y Esperanza in San Pedro, dorm from ~£8/night

• →Tourist shuttle San Cristóbal → Panajachel via La Mesilla border (~£22)
• →Mexico exit tax if applicable (~£2)
• →Lancha (boat taxi) to San Pedro or San Marcos La Laguna (~£1.50)
• →Sunset views over Lake Atitlán (free)

Take a short lancha across the lake to San Juan La Laguna (~£1.50 each way) and spend the morning immersed in Tz'utujil Mayan culture. Visit the local textile cooperative where women demonstrate traditional back-strap loom weaving, the medicinal plant garden run by a local association, and the community of painters known for their vivid natural-pigment artworks — all of which you can visit independently for free or small donations. This mirrors the exact included G Adventures experience. Grab lunch at a lakeside comedor for £3–4 before heading back across the lake.

🚌Lancha: ~£3 return

🛏Hostel at Lake Atitlán (same as night 8), dorm from ~£8/night

• →Lancha to San Juan La Laguna (~£1.50 each way)
• →Visit Tz'utujil textile cooperative (free/donation)
• →Visit medicinal plant garden with a local guide (donation ~£2)
• →Browse community painters' workshop (free)
• →Lunch at a lakeside comedor (~£3–4)

Take a lancha back to Panajachel and then a chicken bus or tourist shuttle to Antigua (~2–3 hrs, £5–8). Antigua is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas, with cobblestone streets, baroque churches, and volcanoes on the horizon. Check in and explore the Parque Central, Santa Catalina Arch, and ruins of La Merced. In the afternoon, book a chocolate-making workshop at ChocoMuseo Antigua (walk-in or book online, ~£20) — learn the full bean-to-bar process and eat your creations. Evening: Antigua's restaurant scene is brilliant; try a local patio restaurant for £6–10.

🚌Lancha + shuttle: ~£7

🛏Hostel in Antigua — try Tropicana Hostel or The Yellow House, dorm from ~£10/night

• →Lancha Panajachel departure + shuttle to Antigua (~£7)
• →Self-guided walk: Parque Central, Santa Catalina Arch, La Merced ruins (free)
• →ChocoMuseo chocolate-making workshop (~£20, book direct at chocomuseo.com)
• →Dinner at a local patio restaurant in Antigua (~£7–10)

Enjoy a final morning in magical Antigua. Grab breakfast at a local café (try El Sabor del Tiempo or a market stall for £2–3), then explore the Mercado de Artesanías for last-minute souvenirs. If your flight departs from Guatemala City, take a shuttle to La Aurora International Airport (~1 hr, £8–10) — shuttles depart regularly from the main hostels and agencies. Alternatively, if you have time, hike up Cerro de la Cruz for panoramic views over Antigua and the Agua volcano before you go.

🚌Shuttle Antigua → Guatemala City Airport: ~£9

🛏No accommodation needed (departure day)

• →Breakfast at a local café or market stall (~£2–3)
• →Browse Mercado de Artesanías for souvenirs
• →Optional: hike to Cerro de la Cruz for panoramic views (free)
• →Shuttle to Guatemala City Airport (~£8–10)