The perfect itinerary for honeymooners, couples or those looking for R&R bliss amidst a heady mix of colonial charm, ancient Mayan pyramids and breathtaking Caribbean beaches. After a couple of days exploring the museums and galleries of Mexico City, you take a flight to Merida to stay in a sumptuous hacienda estate set amidst lush jungle and sisal plantations. From there, you continue to the magnificent Mayan site of Chichen Itza before finishing your itinerary on a golden stretch of coastline along the idyllic Riviera Maya.
Itinerary Highlights
What’s included
flexibility
This is an example itinerary. It is fully flexible; you can add or detract days and include hotels at your chosen budget. It departs daily.
14
Nights
Price Guide
Prices on demand
Our quotes are bespoke for your customised trip. The prices displayed are indicative only, read more
Mexico City
Mexico City – History & Culture
After arrival into Mexico City, spend three full days exploring (or not!) Mexico’s buzzing capital, an incredible melting pot of history, art and traditional colour. Once heart of the Aztec empire on the shores of Lake Tenochtitlan, the city’s ancient heritage is still visible amidst the colonial monuments most notably in the site of the Aztec Templo Mayor and the extraordinary ruins of Teotihuacán just outside the city, home to the magnificent Temple of the Sun and the Moon. Above all, Mexico City is one of Latin America’s great cultural centres and you may like to visit Coyoacan, home to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s home “Casa Azul” or lose yourself amidst the murals, galleries and incredible museums that define the city. In fact, what better way to round off your stay than by enjoying a “lucha libre” show or a boat trip through the floating gardens of Xochimilco.
Merida – Colonial & Mayan Treasures
Fly to Merida and experience the old-world charm of a glorious colonial hacienda. Set amongst picturesque grounds and crumbling ruins, these sweeping estates sit amidst vast sisal plantations, the “Green Gold” of the Yucatan and capture the glory of New Spain. Here, you can kick back and relax amidst sweeping terraces, wonderful service and delicious gourmet cuisine. If you can drag yourself away from the pool and spa, you can tour the hacienda by bike, horseback or even carriage. Alternatively, head to Merida close by and explore the clutter of colonial monuments, markets and museums or better still, venture out to the wonderful Mayan sites of Uxmal and Kabah or even the wildlife reserve of Celestun, home to some 30,000 nesting flamingos.
The Riviera Maya
The final leg of your journey takes you due west to the powder soft sand and dreamy waters of Mexico’s Riviera Maya. On route, why not take in the splendid “Yellow City” of Izamal and colonial Valladolid or cool off in of the regions picture-postcard cenote sinkholes. You may even like to break up the journey at Chichen Itza, one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World” and a vast Mayan site that for years has captured the world’s imagination. The Riviera Maya extends some 100km down the coast towards the border with Belize, a stunning palm-fringed stretch of sand lined with beautiful boutique hotels and fascinating Mayan sites such as Tulum and the unique Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. For the height of elegance, head for Playa del Carmen while for bars and restaurants, Tulum has become increasingly popular. Alternatively, for pure peace and tranquility away from the mainland’s bustle, escape to Isla Holbox, a picturesque island of golden sand and mangrove forests lapped by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
Return to Cancun airport for onward connections
A note on price
The prices outlined above are a rough guide to give you an idea of costs and enable you to budget for your trip.
Guide prices are generally for private arrangements based on twin share, in well located, good quality accommodation (excluding international flights).
Please note costs are indicative and may vary due to a number of factors such as; travel date, hotel choice, room category, number of people travelling and prevailing exchange rates.
Prices on demand
When to travel
Mexico is a wonderful year-round destination although each region has its own separate micro-climate. In the south, temperatures range between 25 – 35° in the lowlands and on the Pacific and Yucatan Peninsula. Here, days are warmer and more humid between May and October, the rainy season where afternoons often end with a short tempestuous downpour. However, Mexico’s Caribbean coast does lie on the hurricane belt which is at its height between the months of September and October. Travelling north through Mexico’s colonial highlands up into the Sierra Madre Mountains, temperatures drop down into the 10’s and beyond owing to the altitude especially over Christmas although days tend to be bright and generally sunny. Baja California is dry, arid and hottest between January and February, a time that coincides with excellent walking in the Copper Canyon and whale-watching in the lagoons of Magdalena Bay.
Add on’s
From Cancun, there are direct flights to Havana in Cuba, where time has stood still and where beautiful colonial facades hide a heady mix of music, culture and history. Similarly, there are direct connections to Lima where you can spend a week exploring the Inca treasures of Cusco, Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley staying in sumptuous colonial mansions and palaces. You could then even top your stay off with a romantic Amazon cruise on a stylish riverboat such as the MV Aqua Nera or Aria.
Sticking with Centra America, why not skip across the border to Belize and set off on a wonderful overland adventure into Guatemala to visit the incredible sites of Tikal, Antigua and Lake Atitlan. This in turn would then lead you south to the breathtaking wildlife and national parks of Costa Rica, such as Arenal and the Osa Peninsula, and on to the colonial treasure of Cartagena in Colombia.
Want a quote on a trip like this?
Speak to one of our travel specialists and we’ll create your personalised itinerary just for you
