Mexico travel itinerary

On November 21, we arrived in Mexico City. We were so excited to be there, we couldn’t wait to experience all the amazing things Mexico has to offer – the delicious food, vibrant culture, folkloric traditions, mariachis, great music and art, Mayan and Aztec ruins, kind and happy people, stunning landscapes, heavenly beaches, warm weather, great biodiversity (Mexico is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries), margaritas, and chocolate. 😉

Our twenty-three-day Mexico honeymoon itinerary (things to see and things to do)

(Caution, this will be a long one. 😀 )

DAY 1

Since we had been on the road for almost two and a half month before reaching Mexico City, we were a little tired. Just around the corner from where we were staying we bought some (delicious) tortillas from the street vendor, checked into our hotel and went straight to bed.

DAY 2

On our second day in Mexico City, we did nothing but eating and sleeping. We had to regain our strength. 🙂

DAY 3

In the afternoon we finally got out of the bed and went to explore the surroundings. We walked the Paseo de la Reforma, visited La Lagunilla Market and the Mariachi school, where there was a big mariachi gathering. At the market, we did some food tasting and realized, that the authentic Mexican food tastes a bit different than its American or European version. It’s delicious but definitely a lot spicier. They also use different ingredients than they do in the US and in Europe. We love both versions equally. 🙂

DAY 4

In the morning, a noisy, festive parade passed our hotel and woke us up. 😀 We got dressed and took a walk to the historic center of Mexico City. We visited all the main attractions, like the main plaza – Zócalo, the National Palace, the Church of Santo Domingo, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Museo Nacional de Arte, and other monumental buildings along the way. The city was full of street artists, Native American performers, mariachi musicians, and colorful parades. We are not big city lovers, but it was really nice to see a Latin American City for the first time and to feel its vibrant spirit.

DAY 5

Since in Jamaica one of our cameras stopped working, we decided to finally deal with it. We took it to a specialized store, but they weren’t able to fix it, so we had to buy a new one. After that, we took a walk to the Angel of Independence Monument – the famous victory column on a roundabout on the Paseo de la Reforma Avenue.

DAY 6

It was time to leave Mexico City and to take a road trip! 🙂 In the morning we rented a car and drove to the famous Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan, which is thought to have been established around 100 BC. The pyramids, as well as other buildings and the whole layout, blew our minds. We climbed up the majestic Pyramid of the Sun, the largest building in Teotihuacan and the third largest pyramid in the world. From the top, we got a good view of the ancient city and it was breathtaking.

Next, we drove to Querétaro City, located 76 km (47 mi) northwest from Teotihuacan. We explored its historic center, which is a World Heritage Site and other notable sites, like the enormous aqueduct. We had dinner at Plaza de la Independencia and went to a cheap hotel.

DAY 7

Next destination: the colorful city of Guanajuato. We loved the multi-colored architecture, the narrow streets, and small plazas and we loved the fact that there was a fruit vendor around every corner.

DAY 8

On our long drive from Guanajuato to Puerto Vallarta, we had a short stop at Guadalajara. Guadalajara is considered to be the cultural center of Mexico and the home of mariachi music. We took a short walk through the historic city center. We thought the city was lovely and we’re sure one can find many amazing things to do in Guadalajara. However, since we’re not city tourism enthusiasts, we weren’t that impressed.

DAY 9

It was 29th of November, an epic day! We woke up in a great ‘bed and breakfast’ in Puerto Vallarta. The host prepared a delicious rooftop breakfast with a view for us – and what a view! We were able to see the whole bay and we even saw the magnificent Humpback whales jumping out of the water. We were mesmerized.

After breakfast, we took a bus to Punta de Mita and there we took a private boat trip to Marieta islands. Since there are lots of locals offering boat tours to the islands, we didn’t have to make a reservation in advance. But during the high season, a reservation may be a good idea – just in case. On our way to the islands, we unexpectedly encountered a pack of dolphins and two adult Humpback whales. <3 They were so very close and they were leaping out of the water and slapping their fins. It was the most beautiful, humbling experience.

When we reached the islands, the boat driver gave us some snorkeling equipment and we jumped into the water, where there were thousands of tropical fish. Snorkeling with tropical fish was a breathtaking adventure.

Next, we swam through a cave and finally reached the amazing Hidden beach aka. Playa del Amor – a beach hidden inside a cave. Getting there was an unparalleled adventure and the sight was stunning.

After a few hours, we had to return to the boat. We finished off the tour and returned to the shore with huge smiles on our faces.

When we came back to Puerto Vallarta it was already evening, but we decided to take a walk around the charming coastal town. There we bumped into a parade of mariachi bands and dancing horses. The whole day was like a fairytale and will definitely be remembered as one of the best days ever!

DAY 10

We visited the Aquaventuras Park, the adventure water park, known for its many amazing water slides.

DAY 11

We drove all night and reached Mexico City in the morning. We dropped off the car and went straight to the airport because we had a plane to catch. Destination: Cancun. By the time we got there, we were too tired to do anything, so we went straight to a hotel.

DAY 12

We visited El Meco, an archaeological site of Mayan ruins. It’s not as popular as Chichen Itza, but we were impressed. We had the whole site for ourselves and it was our first encounter with Mayan civilization.

In the evening we took a walk in the hotel zone, where we admired all the fancy waterfront resorts.

DAY 13

In Cancun, we took a ferry to Isla Mujeres, the well-known Caribbean island about 13 km (8 mi) off the Yucatan Peninsula coast. Its coast is popular for snorkeling and scuba diving – mainly because of the proximity of the numerous coral reefs, a large population of sea turtles and the famous Cancun Underwater Museum. We went to the most beautiful beach on the island, called Playa Norte and had a nice beach day.

DAY 14

Cancun beach day. It was a beautiful, sunny day and we decided to spend it on Playa Delfines beach.

DAY 15

We took a bus to Playa del Carmen and there we had a food tasting day. It was amazing!

DAY 16

We went to explore the beautiful Caribbean coastal city of Playa del Carmen. We went to the beach and later decided to walk Quinta Avenida, the incredibly charming, colorful and lively pedestrian street full of shops, restaurants, bars, small hotels and other tourist attractions. We loved it!

DAY 17

We took a bus from Playa del Carmen to Xel-Ha. This idyllic eco-park is a definite must-do for nature lovers. You can go swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, zip-lining, cliff-climbing, cliff-jumping, take a river tour, go cave exploring, hiking or cycling through the jungle, and admire many different species of flora and fauna in their natural habitat along the way. They provide you with snorkel gear and offer many restaurants, shops, lockers, restrooms, showers and other refreshment facilities, so you can carelessly enjoy your day.

DAY 18

In Playa del Carmen we took a ferry to the island of Cozumel, the famous scuba diving and snorkeling destination. We rented a motor scooter and explored the entire island. The island is full of various tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, hotels and resorts, live music events and water activities.

DAY 19

At the hotel in Playa del Carmen, we booked an affordable daily tour to Chichen Itza and Cenote Ik Kil. First, we visited the world-famous pre-Columbian city, a Mayan archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World – the amazing Chichen Itza. At the entrance, you can hire a tour guide, which is a good idea, especially for first-time visitors. They provide you with lots of interesting information about the history of Yucatan, the Maya civilization and the site itself in Spanish, English and sometimes even in some other languages. The city, which was established sometime between 600 and 800 AD, the Castillo pyramid, other temples, and buildings took our breath away.

Afterwards, we visited Ik Kil Cenote, located less than 6 km (3 mi) from Chichen Itza. Yucatan Peninsula is known for its many cenotes, but Ik Kil may be the most popular one. This natural sinkhole is about 40m deep, it’s open for swimming and it’s known for its undeniable beauty.

DAY 20

We reached our final destination in Mexico – Tulum, a coastal town, established by the Mayans. We spent the day at the beautiful beach.

DAY 21

We rented a motor scooter and went to explore the coast south of Tulum. Some of the secluded beaches were really nice and we had a great day, in spite of the bad weather.

DAY 22

We visited the Tulum ruins. This archaeological site is a lot smaller than Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan and the ruins aren’t as spectacular. However, the site is located on cliffs at the beach, which makes it particularly charming.

DAY 23

We checked out of the hotel and stayed in the lobby the whole day. We were waiting for the bus to Belize and used our time to plan our trip through Central America.

♥ Top romantic experience

Mexico is a very romantic destination. You can relax in one of the best beach resorts, enjoy a spa day together, have a wine and cheese tour, take a boat tour along the coast, find a secluded beach, enjoy a serenade, go food tasting, sail off into the sunset, have a romantic waterfront dinner, admire their art and architecture, explore their rich culture or attend a festival. For us, the romantic highlight was the picnic on the secluded beach outside of Tulum.

♥ Top adventure

Mexico is heaven for adventurers. It offers countless hiking, cycling, sailing, diving, snorkeling, rafting, kayaking, horseback riding possibilities. You can go whale watching in Puerto Vallarta, hot air ballooning above the Teotihuacan pyramids, zip-lining through the rainforest, ATV riding, caving, rappelling, paragliding, skydiving, swim in a cenote, or simply visit one of their many adventure parks. We’ve had so many amazing adventures in Mexico, that it’s actually hard to pick our favorite. Swimming in one of the most beautiful cenotes was pretty awesome, so was visiting Xel-Ha Park, but the most thrilling experience was definitely snorkeling around the Marietas Islands and the unexpected encounter with the whales and dolphins along the way.

Are you wondering about the daily budget, the best time to go, visa and immunization requirements, local customs, currency, electricity standards, safety tips and where to stay? Here you can find out all you need to know before visiting Mexico.

Have you already been to Mexico? We invite you to share your top romantic experience and top adventure in the comment section below. 😉

Next stop: lovely Belize! 😉