Later this month, I'm leaving Colombia to discover the food, beaches, and ancient civilizations of Mexico with G Adventures.
It was a little over one year ago that I first had the opportunity to travel with G Adventures in Patagonia.
The experience surpassed my expectations in every way, from our friendly mountain guide Christian and the nightly feasts of Patagonian lamb and king crab, to the breathtaking scenery and optional activities like ice climbing.
When you factor in airfare, Patagonia is one of the more costly regions of Latin America to visit.
By contrast, Mexico remains one of the cheapest, most easily accessible destinations from North America.
The two-week itinerary below hits on all the hot spots en route from Mexico City to Playa del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera.
There are so many optional activities on offer in each city; I'm not even going to try to list them all.
It was last year that two of G Adventures' Wanders in Residence, Daniel and Audrey of Uncornered Market, sold me on Oaxaca through their vivid Instagram photos of food and daily life.
Add to that the massive appeal that Playa del Carmen has as a hotspot for digital nomads, and I could no longer delay visiting Mexico.
Last weekend, while researching which UNESCO World Heritage Sites I've visited so far, I found that I may be able to visit as many as six new sites on this 15-day tour alone.
- Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
- Historic Centre of Puebla
- Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán
- Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca
- Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque
- Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza
As always, I'll be providing live coverage of the trip through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and following that up with articles and photo essays on both Go Backpacking and the G Adventures' blog.
Expect lots of food photos as I delve into one of my favorite world cuisines!
I'll be arriving in Mexico a week early to visit friends in Puerto Vallarta, and I'll be spending an extra two weeks exploring Playa del Carmen and the region on my own after the tour.
Have you been to Mexico? Share your recommendations below, and I'll do my best to try them all!
Last Updated on August 24, 2020 by Dave
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking uses and recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours
- Skyscanner for researching flights
- Hostelworld for booking hostels
- Airbnb for renting rooms and homes
- Rail Europe for train passes
- World Nomads for travel insurance
Looks like you’re going to have a great time!
Playa is a good, charming alternative to the huge, uniform resort hotels in Cancun. A short ride from Playa you have the ruins of Tulum. A one day trip away – of course, Chichen Itza. My recommendation would be to travel to Chichen Itza renting your own car, rather than taking a tour. Leave early to catch nice shots without too many people. Go to Cenote Ik Kil afterwards and the town of Valladolid on your way back to Playa.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll still be with the group for Chichen Itza, but I’ll have time afterwards to explore Tulum and the region on my own.
What an incredible adventure! I LOVE Mexico!!! Buen viaje!
Thanks Andi
Mexico is fabulous. Be sure to see the Anthropology Museum and the Diego Rivera Murals in Mexico City. Also, if you get a chance, go some of the colonial “silver cities” in the center part of the country. I’ve been living in Mexico (in Guanajuato) for the past six years and really love it.
Bienvenido!
Thanks for the tips Jenny!
What a great itinerary, take as many optional activities as you can, I know I would.
You’re hitting all the great spots. We toured much of that area last spring and loved it. Especially the ancient ruins of Monte Alban (http://roadslesstraveled.us/monte-alban/) and Palenque (http://roadslesstraveled.us/palenque/).
I don’t know if you’ll have time for a daytrip out of Palenque, but the absolute highlight of our entire time in Chiapas we our river trip to the Mayan ruins at Yaxchilan (we felt like we were walking through the pages of National Geographic) and Bonampak (amazing colorful wall frescoes that almost look Egyptian and so well preserved they could have been painted within my own lifetime not a millenium ago)… http://roadslesstraveled.us/yaxchilan/
Have a ball – wish I were going there too!!!
Thanks Emily, I’m excited. I’ll keep Yaxchilan and Bonampak in mind.
Hey,
I hope you havent finished this trip yet. Directly south of playa del carmen is Tulum, and the entrance to Sian Ka’an (another UNESCO world Heritage site). My whole blog is based on ranking UNESCO WHS, and I would put Sian Ka’an above Mexico City, Teotihuacan, or even Chichen Itza (which I haven’t written a review for yet, but will soon).
I hope you have a blast in Mexico. I visit for months at a time since I have a lot of family there.
BTW, the beaches of Tulum have been ranked as #5 in the world, and I have to say, they are the best Ive ever seen.
BTW, my gravatar picture (the dolphins) were taken in Sian Ka’an
Nope, I just arrived in Puerto Vallarta, so I have a few weeks before I reach Playa. Thanks for the tips, I’ll definitely hit Tulum!
Hi Dave ,
How was the tour ? i’m planning to take it in september .Can you provide me with some insight ?
Slawo
I had a great time, and would highly recommend the tour. For me, it was a nice mix of culture and ruins, food, and beach time (at the end, I continued to hang out with people from my group for days after the tour officially ended).
Palenque was everyone’s favorite ruins, not Chichen Itza. What else would you like to know?
Hi Dave ,
Thanks for the quick reply .I just have few more questions ;
– Were you able to see all that’s listed in the itinerary ? No changes due to “local occurences” as they state in disclaimer ?
– are the prices for optional attractions accurate ?
-is it safe to do some sighseeing in Puebla,San Cristobal or Oaxcaca on your own ?
Cheers !
Slawo