SaveToRoam

Itineraries/Americas/Mexico

12 Days in Mexico

Aztec pyramids rising from the jungle, cenotes so blue they look lit from below, Oaxacan street tacos that cost a dollar and taste like heaven, and Caribbean beaches where the water is bath-warm. Twelve nights through Mexico's greatest-hits route — ancient ruins, world-class food, and turquoise cenotes connected by cheap domestic flights.

12 nights
Family of 4
~A$15,700
4 stops
Mexico City3n
Oaxaca3n
Tulum & Riviera Maya3n
Cancún & Chichén Itzá3n
Start with this itinerarySwap hotels, adjust dates, change stops any time

Your stop-by-stop itinerary

4 stops across 12 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Mexico.

1

Mexico City

3 nights
Fly into Mexico City (MEX) from Sydney via Los Angeles, Dallas, or Houston (20-24h total). Metro from airport to city centre (MX$5/pp, 30 min) or taxi/Uber ($8-15). Mexico City Metro is $0.30/ride — the cheapest metro in the Americas.

Highlights

  • Teotihuacán pyramids — Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, Avenue of the Dead. The most impressive pre-Columbian site in Mexico. 1h from city centre ($4/adult entry, kids under 13 free). Hire a guide ($30-50 for the group) for context
  • Museo Nacional de Antropología — world-class museum of Aztec, Maya, and Olmec civilisation. The Aztec Sun Stone alone is worth the trip ($5/adult, free under 13 and Sundays free for all)
  • Chapultepec Park + Castle — 1,700-acre park with a hilltop castle, zoo (free), lake boats, and Chapultepec Castle with murals and city views ($5/adult, free Sundays)
  • Xochimilco floating gardens — colourful trajinera boats on Aztec canals, musicians, food vendors on passing boats ($25-30/boat per hour, seats 15). Best on weekends
  • Coyoacán + Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul) — the Blue House where Frida lived and worked ($14/adult, $3/child). Book online 2+ weeks ahead — daily sellout
  • Street food crawl — tacos al pastor, elote, churros, fresh juice. Budget $3-5 per person for a full meal at street stalls. Roma Norte and Condesa have the densest concentration

Local tips

  • 💡Mexico City is enormous (22 million people) but the tourist zone is compact. Stay in Roma Norte or Condesa — walkable, safe, tree-lined streets, excellent restaurants, and Metro access to everything.
  • 💡Altitude is 2,240m — not as intense as Cusco but kids may feel tired on Day 1. Take it easy, drink water, avoid heavy exercise. Most people adjust within 24 hours.
  • 💡Uber and DiDi work perfectly in Mexico City and are cheaper than taxis ($3-8 for most tourist rides). Use them instead of street taxis, especially at night.
Suggested stay: Family apartment or boutique hotel in Roma Norte or Condesa
2

Oaxaca

3 nights
Fly Mexico City → Oaxaca (1h, $50-80/pp on Volaris or VivaAerobus, book 2+ weeks ahead). Oaxaca city is walkable. Rent a car or hire a driver ($40-60/day) for Hierve el Agua and Monte Albán day trips.

Highlights

  • Monte Albán — Zapotec hilltop ruins with panoramic valley views, ball court, carved stelae. 30 min from city ($5/adult, free under 13). Arrive at 10am opening before tour groups
  • Hierve el Agua — petrified waterfall formations with natural infinity pools overlooking the valley. 1.5h from Oaxaca ($3 entry). The swimming pools at the cliff edge are surreal
  • Oaxacan food tour — mole negro, tlayudas (Oaxacan pizza), mezcal (parents), chapulines (fried grasshoppers — kids either love or refuse). Street food lunch is $3-5/person
  • Mercado Benito Juárez + 20 de Noviembre — adjoining markets in the city centre. Cheese, chocolate, mole paste, handwoven textiles. Budget $10-20 for food + crafts
  • Mezcal distillery visit — small-batch artisan mezcal in nearby Matatlán (''the world capital of mezcal''). Kids welcome, parents taste. Most tours are free with a purchase ($10-20/bottle)
  • Textile village of Teotitlán del Valle — families weave rugs on backstrap looms using natural dyes. Watch demonstrations, buy directly. 30 min from Oaxaca

Local tips

  • 💡Oaxaca has the best food in Mexico and possibly the Americas. Budget at least one sit-down meal at Los Danzantes or Casa Oaxaca (dinner $25-35/person) — the mole alone is worth the trip.
  • 💡Hierve el Agua is remote and the road is rough — hire a driver rather than renting a car. Combine it with a mezcal distillery stop in Matatlán on the same day trip ($40-60 for a driver for the full day).
  • 💡Oaxaca is significantly cheaper than Mexico City. A family of 4 can eat 3 meals at markets and street stalls for under $30/day total.
Suggested stay: Family hotel or casa particular near the Zócalo
3

Tulum & Riviera Maya

3 nights
Fly Oaxaca → Cancún (2h, $60-100/pp). ADO bus Cancún airport → Tulum (2h, $15/pp) or rental car. Tulum town is bike-friendly; the beach strip needs a car or taxi ($5-10 per ride).

Highlights

  • Tulum ruins — the only Maya city built overlooking the sea. Small but spectacular clifftop setting ($5/adult, free under 13). Go at 8am opening to have it nearly to yourself
  • Gran Cenote — crystal-clear swimming cenote with stalactites, turtles, and snorkelling. The best family cenote near Tulum ($12/person). Arrive before 10am
  • Cenote Dos Ojos — underground river system, two connected cenotes with dramatic lighting ($15/person). Snorkel gear rental $5. Older kids love the bat cave section
  • Akumal sea turtle snorkelling — swim with green sea turtles in shallow water. Free beach access or guided snorkel tour ($40/person, includes gear). Life jacket mandatory
  • Sian Ka''an Biosphere Reserve — boat trip through mangrove channels, floating in a lazy river, birdwatching ($80-100/person for guided half-day tour)
  • Beach days — Tulum''s white sand beaches face the Caribbean. Free public access at several points along the strip, though beachfront clubs charge for loungers ($20-30/pair)

Local tips

  • 💡Stay in Tulum TOWN (Pueblo), not on the beach strip — the town is cheaper (hotels $80-120 vs $200+ on the beach), has better food, and you can bike to the beach in 10 minutes. The beach strip has no ATMs, limited restaurants, and inflated prices.
  • 💡Visit cenotes before 10am — by midday, tour buses arrive and the magic evaporates. Gran Cenote and Cenote Dos Ojos are the two best family cenotes, both within 15 min of Tulum town.
  • 💡Sargassum seaweed season (April-August) can cover Tulum''s beaches — check recent reports before booking. The cenotes are unaffected and honestly more memorable than the beach.
Suggested stay: Family hotel or eco-lodge on the beach strip or in Tulum town
4

Cancún & Chichén Itzá

3 nights
Drive or ADO bus Tulum → Cancún (2h, $15/pp by bus). Cancún is spread out — Hotel Zone needs a bus or taxi. Fly out Cancún (CUN) → Sydney via LA, Dallas, or Houston.

Highlights

  • Chichén Itzá — one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. El Castillo pyramid, ball court, cenote. Full-day trip from Cancún (2.5h each way). $35/adult entry, free under 13. Hire a guide ($50 for the group)
  • Xcaret eco-park — all-day park with underground rivers, snorkelling, butterfly pavilion, Maya village, spectacular night show. $100/adult, $50/child 5-11. Book online for 15% off
  • Isla Mujeres day trip — ferry from Cancún (30 min, $18/pp return). Golf-cart rental on the island ($45/day), snorkelling at Garrafón, Playa Norte (consistently ranked Mexico''s best beach)
  • Cancún Hotel Zone beaches — Playa Delfines is the best public beach (free, with the iconic Cancún sign). Turquoise water, white sand, lifeguards
  • Cenote Ik Kil — the most photogenic cenote in the Yucatán, vines hanging 26m into the water. Near Chichén Itzá, combine as a day trip ($10/person entry)
  • All-inclusive resort time — Cancún''s all-inclusive resorts are exceptional value at $150-250/night including all meals, drinks, and activities for the family

Local tips

  • 💡Book a Cancún all-inclusive for the final 3 nights — after 9 days of independent travel, the kids (and parents) will appreciate pools, buffets, and zero planning. All-inclusives here are genuinely good value for families.
  • 💡Chichén Itzá + Cenote Ik Kil + Valladolid town make a perfect combined day trip. Leave by 7am to arrive at Chichén Itzá at opening (8am) before tour buses from Cancún. Cenote Ik Kil is 5 min away, and Valladolid is a beautiful colonial town for lunch.
  • 💡Xcaret is expensive but worth a full day — it replaces 3-4 separate activities. The night show (included) with 300 performers is genuinely spectacular. Buy tickets online 2+ days ahead for the best price.
Suggested stay: Family all-inclusive resort in the Hotel Zone or family hotel in downtown Cancún

Good to know

Estimated cost

The ~A$15,700 estimate covers accommodation across all 4 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

What’s included

When you use this template, SaveToRoam creates your trip with all 4 stops, estimated accommodation costs, and a personalised savings plan. You choose your dates and budget — we handle the maths.

Fully customisable

This itinerary is a starting point. Once it’s your trip, add stops, swap hotels, adjust nights — your savings target updates automatically.

Ready to start saving for Mexico?

Pick your departure date and we'll build a week-by-week savings plan that adjusts as you go.

Start with this itinerary

Swap hotels, adjust dates, and change stops any time