Self-Launched Mexico: Day of the Dead (San Cristóbal)

Fly into Benito Juárez International Airport. Take the Metro Line 5 to the city centre (around £0.30) or a pre-booked airport taxi (~£10). Check into a centrally located hostel or budget hotel near the Zócalo or Reforma area. Spend the evening exploring the neighbourhood, grabbing tacos from a street stall and getting your bearings.

🚌Metro Line 5 from airport to city centre (~£0.30) or pre-booked taxi (~£10)

🛏Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral or similar budget hotel near Zócalo (~£18-22/night)

• →Arrive and check in to accommodation
• →Explore the local neighbourhood on foot
• →Street food dinner around the Zócalo

Start your day at Chapultepec Castle (Museo Nacional de Historia, ~£3 entry) and the world-class National Museum of Anthropology (~£4 entry) — buy tickets online in advance. After lunch, head south by Metro to Coyoacán. Visit Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo Museum (~£10, book well in advance online as it sells out). In the evening, head to a local mezcal bar or cantina for dinner.

🚌Metro Lines 1 & 3 to Coyoacán (~£0.30 each)

🛏Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral or similar (~£18-22/night)

• →Museo Nacional de Historia at Chapultepec Castle (~£3)
• →National Museum of Anthropology (~£4)
• →Frida Kahlo Museum / Casa Azul in Coyoacán (~£10, pre-book online)
• →Explore Coyoacán's cobbled streets and plazas

Walk the historic Zócalo, see the Metropolitan Cathedral and the ruins of the Templo Mayor (~£4 entry). Wander through Mercado de San Juan for food tastings and Mercado de la Ciudadela for handicrafts. In the afternoon, take the Metro and light rail to Xochimilco (~£1 total) and hire a colourful trajinera canal boat with other travellers (~£8-12 per person for a shared boat). A snack or beer from the passing market boats is part of the fun.

🚌Metro to Tasqueña, then light rail (tren ligero) to Xochimilco (~£1 total)

🛏Hostel Mundo Joven Catedral or similar (~£18-22/night)

• →Zócalo and Metropolitan Cathedral (free)
• →Templo Mayor archaeological site (~£4)
• →Mercado de San Juan food tasting
• →Mercado de la Ciudadela handicrafts
• →Trajinera boat ride on Xochimilco canals (~£10 shared)

Take an early bus from Terminal del Norte to Teotihuacán (~£3 return, buses every 30 min). Explore the Avenue of the Dead, Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon (~£4 entry) — hiring a local guide at the entrance costs around £10-15 and is highly worthwhile. Grab lunch at one of the site restaurants. In the afternoon, catch an ADO bus from Teotihuacán to Puebla (~£5, ~2.5hrs). Check in and take an evening stroll around Puebla's UNESCO-listed historic centre.

🚌Bus from Terminal del Norte to Teotihuacán (~£3 return); ADO bus Teotihuacán to Puebla (~£5, ~2.5hrs)

🛏Casareyna Boutique Hotel or similar budget option in Puebla (~£20-25/night)

• →Pyramids of the Sun and Moon at Teotihuacán (~£4 entry)
• →Walk the Avenue of the Dead
• →Optional local guide at entrance (~£10-15)
• →Arrive in Puebla and explore the historic centre

Take a morning taxi or local bus to the Jardín Botánico de Zapotitlán Salinas (~£5-8 by colectivo/taxi, £2 entry) to see the extraordinary cactus landscape within the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve. Return to Puebla for an ADO bus to Oaxaca (~£12, ~4.5hrs). Check into your hostel in Oaxaca's compact, walkable centro histórico and explore the buzzing evening food scene around the Zócalo.

🚌Colectivo/taxi to Zapotitlán (~£5-8); ADO bus Puebla to Oaxaca (~£12, ~4.5hrs)

🛏Casa de las Bugambilias or Hostal Don Mario (or similar) in Oaxaca (~£15-20/night)

• →Jardín Botánico de Zapotitlán Salinas (~£2 entry)
• →ADO bus journey through the mountains to Oaxaca
• →Evening wander around Oaxaca's Zócalo

Catch the early morning shuttle from Calle Mina to Monte Albán (~£3 return), the spectacular Zapotec hilltop city. Entry is around £4 — allow 2-3 hours to explore. Return to Oaxaca and visit the fascinating Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca within the Santo Domingo complex (free or donation). In the afternoon, take a colectivo to San Antonio Arrazola (~£1.50) to see craftspeople carving and painting alebrijes. Return to Oaxaca for dinner — try the famous tlayudas.

🚌Shuttle bus to Monte Albán from Calle Mina (~£3 return); colectivo to San Antonio Arrazola (~£1.50)

🛏Casa de las Bugambilias or similar (~£15-20/night)

• →Monte Albán Zapotec ruins (~£3 shuttle + £4 entry)
• →Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca / Santo Domingo (free/donation)
• →Alebrije workshop visit in San Antonio Arrazola
• →Dinner featuring Oaxacan tlayudas and mole

Book a hands-on Oaxacan cooking class in advance via GetYourGuide or Airbnb Experiences (~£30-45). Many classes include a market visit, where you select ingredients, followed by cooking traditional dishes such as mole negro and tamales with a local Zapotec cook. You'll sit down to enjoy what you've made. Spend the afternoon exploring Oaxaca's craft markets — Mercado Benito Juárez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre — or revisit San Antonio Arrazola.

🚌Walking within Oaxaca city centre

🛏Casa de las Bugambilias or similar (~£15-20/night)

• →Zapotec cooking class with market visit (~£30-45, book via GetYourGuide)
• →Explore Mercado Benito Juárez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre
• →Free afternoon to explore at your own pace

Hire a private driver or join a shared day-trip tour (~£20-30 via GetYourGuide) covering Santa María del Tule (the massive 2,000-year-old Montezuma cypress, free entry), the Zapotec ruins of Mitla (~£3 entry), and a mezcal distillery in Santiago Matatlán for a tasting (~£5-10). Ask your driver to make a stop at a Pacific coast beach before continuing to Salina Cruz. Stay overnight before the next day's canyon adventure.

🚌Shared day-trip minibus or hired driver (~£20-30 for the circuit); continue to Salina Cruz by bus/colectivo

🛏Budget hotel in Salina Cruz (~£15/night)

• →Santa María del Tule — ancient Montezuma cypress tree (free)
• →Mitla Zapotec ruins (~£3 entry)
• →Mezcal distillery visit and tasting in Santiago Matatlán (~£5-10)
• →Stop at a Pacific coast beach

Travel by ADO bus or shared shuttle towards Tuxtla Gutiérrez (~4-5hrs), the gateway to Sumidero Canyon. Book a boat tour of the Sumidero Canyon in advance or on arrival (~£8-12), where towering 1,000m limestone cliffs rise above the Grijalva River and crocodiles and birds are often spotted. After the canyon, take a shared shuttle (~1hr) to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~£5-8). Check in and enjoy the highland city's atmospheric streets.

🚌ADO bus or shared shuttle to Tuxtla Gutiérrez (~£10-15); shared shuttle to San Cristóbal de las Casas (~£5-8)

🛏Hostal El Puente or similar in San Cristóbal (~£14-18/night)

• →Boat trip through Sumidero Canyon (~£8-12)
• →Spot wildlife including crocodiles and birds
• →Arrive and explore San Cristóbal de las Casas

Explore San Cristóbal's colourful markets and artisan stalls in the morning. In the afternoon, take a shared colectivo or taxi (~£3-5 each way) to San Juan Chamula, where the church blends Catholic and indigenous Maya rituals in a fascinating and deeply spiritual way (entry donation ~£1.50; no photography inside). Continue to Zinacantán to visit a local weaving family — a number of homes open their doors to travellers and explain the textile traditions (free or small donation). Return to San Cristóbal for dinner.

🚌Shared colectivo to Chamula and Zinacantán (~£3-5 each way)

🛏Hostal El Puente or similar (~£14-18/night)

• →Browse markets and artisan stalls in San Cristóbal
• →San Juan Chamula syncretic church visit (~£1.50 donation)
• →Zinacantán weaving family visit (free/donation)
• →Dinner at a local restaurant

This is the highlight of the entire trip. Visit local cemeteries around San Cristóbal in the morning to see altars, marigold offerings and candle-lit tributes. Explore bakeries selling pan de muerto and pick up Day of the Dead specialities at street markets. In the afternoon, hire a taxi (agree a return fare, ~£12-15) to the Chamula village of Romerillo, where the cemetery is covered with towering blue wooden crosses draped in chrysanthemums. The atmosphere is deeply moving and visually spectacular — be respectful, ask before photographing, and simply absorb this extraordinary living tradition.

🚌Walking around San Cristóbal; return taxi to Romerillo (~£12-15)

🛏Hostal El Puente or similar (~£14-18/night)

• →Visit cemeteries in and around San Cristóbal (free)
• →Sample pan de muerto and Day of the Dead market food
• →Taxi to Romerillo village cemetery (~£12-15 return, shared with other travellers)
• →Witness traditional Day of the Dead ceremonies at the chrysanthemum-covered crosses

Take an early ADO bus from San Cristóbal to Villahermosa (~£12-15, ~4.5hrs). Grab breakfast at the terminal before departure. Check in upon arrival in the early afternoon. If energy allows, consider hiring a taxi or joining a shared tour to the Roberto Barrios Waterfalls in Chiapas (~£20-25 for a taxi return trip, ~1hr 10min each way) — a series of turquoise jungle cascades that are well worth the detour.

🚌ADO bus San Cristóbal to Villahermosa (~£12-15, ~4.5hrs); optional taxi to Roberto Barrios Waterfalls (~£20-25 return)

🛏Hotel Provincia Express or similar in Villahermosa (~£18-22/night)

• →Early ADO bus to Villahermosa
• →Optional: Roberto Barrios Waterfalls (~£20-25 taxi return)
• →Explore Villahermosa's riverside and La Venta Park Museum (giant Olmec heads, ~£3)

Take an early ADO bus from Villahermosa to Palenque (~£5, ~1.5hrs). Explore the stunning Maya ruins set within the jungle (~£5 entry) — arrive early to beat the heat and crowds. The Temple of the Inscriptions, the Palace and the jungle backdrop make this one of Mexico's most atmospheric archaeological sites. Book a local guide at the entrance for deeper context (~£10-15). After lunch, catch an ADO bus to Campeche (~£12, ~5hrs). Take an evening orientation walk around the UNESCO-listed fortified old town.

🚌ADO bus Villahermosa to Palenque (~£5, ~1.5hrs); ADO bus Palenque to Campeche (~£12, ~5hrs)

🛏Hostal or budget hotel in Campeche historic centre (~£16-20/night)

• →Palenque Maya ruins (~£5 entry)
• →Optional guide at entrance (~£10-15)
• →Arrive in Campeche — walk the colonial fortified walls
• →Evening in Campeche's pastel-coloured historic centre

Take a morning bus or shared tour from Campeche to Uxmal (~£6, ~1.5hrs). Uxmal is one of the finest examples of Puuc Maya architecture — the Pyramid of the Magician and the Governor's Palace are extraordinary (~£7 entry). Grab a traditional lunch at a local restaurant near the site. In the afternoon, continue by bus to Mérida (~£4, ~1.5hrs). Explore the grand Plaza Grande and the vibrant evening food scene — Mérida is considered one of Mexico's culinary capitals.

🚌Bus Campeche to Uxmal (~£6, ~1.5hrs); bus Uxmal to Mérida (~£4, ~1.5hrs)

🛏Nomadas Hostel or similar in Mérida (~£15-20/night)

• →Uxmal Maya ruins — Pyramid of the Magician, Governor's Palace (~£7 entry)
• →Traditional Yucatecan lunch near Uxmal (~£8-10)
• →Arrive in Mérida — explore Plaza Grande and the cathedral
• →Evening dining on cochinita pibil and other Yucatecan specialities

Take a morning colectivo from Mérida to Izamal (~£2, ~1hr), the entirely yellow-painted colonial city built over a Maya ceremonial site. Visit the large Franciscan convent and the pyramid of Kinich Kakmó (free). Continue by colectivo towards Yokdzonot cenote (~£1.50) — a community-run, less touristy cenote where you can swim among stalactites (~£5 entry including life jacket). Then hop on a bus or colectivo to Pisté, the village right next to Chichén Itzá, and check into a budget hotel within walking distance of the ruins.

🚌Colectivo Mérida to Izamal (~£2); colectivo to Yokdzonot (~£1.50); bus/colectivo to Pisté (~£3)

🛏Posada Olalde or similar budget hotel in Pisté (~£14-18/night)

• →Izamal — yellow colonial city and Kinich Kakmó pyramid (free)
• →Swim at Yokdzonot community cenote (~£5 entry)
• →Transfer to Pisté village, gateway to Chichén Itzá

Walk to Chichén Itzá at opening time (8am) to beat the tour groups — the ruins are ~1km from Pisté. Entry is ~£17. Explore El Castillo (the famous pyramid), the Great Ball Court, the Sacred Cenote and the Temple of the Warriors. Allow 3-4 hours. Head back to Pisté for breakfast and pick up your bag. Take a colectivo or ADO bus to Cancún (~£8-10, ~2.5hrs) for your onward flight or a final night in the city. Don't forget to budget for the Cancún airport departure tax (~£20/€21).

🚌Walk from Pisté to Chichén Itzá (~1km); ADO bus Pisté to Cancún (~£8-10, ~2.5hrs)

🛏N/A (departure day) or budget hostel in Cancún if overnight needed (~£15-20)

• →Chichén Itzá at opening time — El Castillo, Great Ball Court, Sacred Cenote (~£17 entry)
• →Breakfast in Pisté before departure
• →ADO bus to Cancún (~£8-10)
• →Depart from Cancún (note: airport departure tax ~£20 not included in estimates)