Cancun and Yucatán 7 Day Itinerary: Chichén Itzá, Valladolid and Tulum

210 pesos for foreigners, including the San Miguelito archaeological zone, 2 hours, closed on Mondays. It is the first outing after check in, in the Hotel Zone itself.

The galleries show pieces from Chichén Itzá, Tulum and other sites on the peninsula and help you understand what you will see in the coming days. Behind the building, a forest trail leads to the ruins of San Miguelito, a Maya village almost nobody visits.

Free, 1 hour, 1.5 kilometres from the museum. It is the only big Hotel Zone beach with no hotel in front, with a viewpoint on the dune. The sea is rough here: swim only where the flag allows.

Boat of about 300 pesos return from Puerto Juárez, every half hour, a 20 minute crossing. The beach is a five minute walk from the Isla Mujeres pier; arrive early and spend the morning.

The water is calm, warm and shallow for dozens of metres, which is why it tops every list of Mexican Caribbean beaches. Use biodegradable sunscreen, required in the region.

Paid entry at the park gate, 90 minutes with the ride. Rent a golf cart in town to cross the 7 kilometre island. On top of the cliff are the lighthouse, a sculpture park and the easternmost point of Mexico; return to Cancun on a late afternoon boat.

Cheap entry, 45 minutes, three blocks from the main square. Valladolid is 2 hours from Cancun by toll road, or 1h30 on the Tren Maya; check in at 2pm and start with the cenote, the easiest way to escape the afternoon heat.

Free, a 20 minute walk. The restored colonial street runs from the centre to the convent, with pastel facades, design shops and cafés. Do it in the late afternoon, when the light softens.

Free from outside, 1 hour. The 1560 Franciscan convent looks like a fortress and has a cenote in its courtyard that supplied the friars. At night a light and sound show is projected on the facade; check the days at the convent.

About 800 pesos for foreigners, adding the federal INAH fee and the Yucatán state fee, paid together since April 2026. 3 hours, opens at 8am. It is 45 minutes from Valladolid, which is the point of sleeping there: the Cancun buses arrive after 10.30am.

The Kukulcán pyramid has 365 steps, one for each day of the year, and at the equinoxes its shadow draws a serpent down the stairway. You can no longer climb it. See also the great ball court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Sacred Cenote. Hire a licensed guide at the entrance.

About 500 pesos with a life jacket, 1 hour, 3 kilometres from Chichén Itzá. It is the round cenote from the photos, with the water 26 metres below the rim and vines hanging down the walls. After 1pm it fills with tours; leaving Chichén at noon you catch the gap.

About 700 pesos for foreigners, adding INAH and state fees, 2 hours, opens at 8am. It is 30 minutes north of Valladolid and gets a fraction of Chichén's crowds.

What makes the visit is the Acropolis: under thatched shelters, stucco reliefs more than a thousand years old are almost intact, with winged figures and the open jaws of the earth monster at the entrance to the king's tomb.

Separate cheap entry, 1 hour, 1.5 kilometres from the ruins, by bike or on foot. The cenote is run by the local Maya community and has a wooden stairway and a zip line over the water. Then drive on to Tulum, 2 hours away.

Free, 90 minutes, just south of the ruins. After the 2pm check in, head down to the beach of palm trees and fishing boats. Between April and August sargassum seaweed can reach the coast; check the daily monitoring before you go.

About 500 pesos for foreigners, between the INAH ticket and the Parque del Jaguar fees, 2 hours, opens at 8am. Arrive at opening: by 10am the sun is fierce and the Cancun buses are in.

It is the only walled Maya city by the sea, and the Temple of the Wind God, on the rock, is the photo of the Mexican Caribbean. You cannot enter the temples, but the clifftop walk is worth it on its own.

About 500 pesos with gear, 2 hours, 5 kilometres from Tulum. The clear water shows the shallow caves and the turtles that live there; a shower is required before going in, and sunscreen is banned.

About 400 pesos, 2 hours, 20 minutes north of Tulum, on the way back. The two cenotes, the two eyes of the name, are linked by a cave you snorkel through by torchlight, among stalactites.

Free, 1 hour, 50 minutes from Cancun airport. The pedestrian street parallel to the beach has shops and restaurants; eat on a side street, which is cheaper, before returning the car.