10 Day Mexico Vacation Packages

Itinerary #: Classic Mexico City & Riviera Maya

Swim in a cenote, visit Mayan archaeological sites, learn how to make tortillas by hand, try a surfing lesson: this well-rounded tour around some of Mexico’s top destinations offers a wide variety of activities.

After checking in to your Mexico City hotel, you’ll meet your private guide for a city tour where you’ll visit the historic center including the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Museum of the Great Temple, and the Zócalo. On day two, visit Teotihuacánthe largest and most revered city in the history of the New Worldand the famous Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe. The catch a flight to Cancún and drive to Valladolid, the jumping-off point for the next day’s visit to the ruins of Chichén Itzá and Yokdzonot Cenote.

The Ultimate 2 Weeks In Mexico Itinerary

Mexico is both enormous and endlessly captivating to visit: a 2 weeks in Mexico itinerary has almost limitless cities, towns, mountains, deserts, andof coursebeaches to choose from so how do you narrow it down?

After spending 6 weeks carving a Mexico backpacking route through some of the countrys most beautiful spots, ranging from wildly popular places to those almost totally devoid of tourists, we put together this itinerary for first-time visitors to Mexico.

Since then, weve returned to Mexico on more multi-week trips, becoming even more passionate about Mexico trip planning in the process.

We recommend this Mexico itinerary to first-timers for a few reasons, starting with the fact that it sticks to some of Mexicos safest regions.

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Its also fairly simple to get to each destination.

And finally, this Mexico itinerary samples cities, towns, waterfalls, ruins, and beachesin other words, it has a little bit of everything.

Will you be able to cover everything in the country with only 2 weeks in Mexico? Absolutely notwe have a personal Mexico travel bucket list that is several lifetimes long.

But if youre looking to fall in love with Mexico in 2 weeks, this is how to do it.

• What to Pack for 2 Weeks in Mexico

Cheap Vacations In Mexico

Have the whole family in tow for your cheap all-inclusive Mexico vacation? Find incredible flight and hotel deals on Expedia. You’ll be pleased with the kid- and adult-friendly activities and meals at Cozumel Palace All Inclusive. Score great prices on an ocean-view room at the beautiful Omni Cancun Hotel and Villas All Inclusive, a resort with a private white sand beach, kids’ pool parties, a luxurious spa, and themed dinners at the 7 restaurants.

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Itinerary #: Southern Mexico Foodie Tour: Mexico City Puebla & Oaxaca

Work up an appetite: you’ll need it for this food-focused journey around Mexico that includes stops for street tacos in Mexico City and delicious chocolates and cheeses in Oaxaca.

Start the adventure in Mexico City, where you’ll take a guided walking tour of the historic center and stop for street tacos along the way. Explore Mercado de San Juan marketplace on day two to learn about Mexican cuisine and its evolution, and sample fruits, cheese, and agave-distilled mezcal. Drive to Puebla next, where you’ll take a cooking class and go on a walking tour. On day four, take a special tour of Puebla to try typical antojitos and visit a tamalería . Then continue on to the city of Oaxaca, where you’ll have a free afternoon.

Where Should You Stay In Mexico During Your Vacation

The Grand Park Royal Cancun Caribe is known for it’s customized service, classic Caribbean décor, and many outdoor excursions. Situated in the coveted La Isla inlet in the Cancun area, this hotel is just 15 miles from the airport, with many taxis offering affordably fixed fares. Mahekal Beach Resort is perfect for travelers looking to combine their intimate private accommodation with a bustling city nightlife in Playa del Carmen. The resort offers safe, non-stop transportation to and from Cancun International Airport for a seamless transition on your next Mexican trip.

Cozumel Palace all-inclusive resort has something for everyone in the family to enjoy from water sports to nightly shows. Located on the secluded Cozumel Island, this Caribbean hotel is easily accessible via Cozumel International Airport, with free airport transfers for qualifying guests.The Grand Oasis Palm in Cancun offers a comprehensive array of family-friendly amenities including a kids club with planned activities like arts and crafts, a game room, waterslides, and even a disco! Cancun International airport is just a 20 minute ride away and easily accessible via shuttle van or taxi.

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How We Structured This Itinerary For Mexico

Like many of the suggested travel itineraries here on Our Escape Clause, this one doesnt cover 14 solid days but instead provides a plan for 11 days.

This is to allow a few spots blank to serve as travel days between regions and to enter and leave the country.

This 2 week Mexico itinerary can be enhanced by completing parts of itthe Yucatan, for exampleas a road trip.

Ultimately, we designed this route with both backpackers and mid-range travelers in mind .

If youre planning a trip to Mexico hoping for something that feels very adventurous but is also fairly accessible, while also introducing you to the incredible diversity of the country, this is the itinerary for you!

If youd like to stick to one particular region of the country, we absolutely adore road tripping the Yucatan peninsula and give a detailed suggested route for that here.

When Should You Book A Vacation Package To Mexico

Visit Mexico in the fall when prices are inexpensive and the weather is more moderate. For a taste of the local culture, attend the popular “Day of the Dead” celebration on November 1st when you will find throngs of people lining the streets honoring the lives of the deceased with food, drinks, colorful themed costumes, and parties.

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Day Mexico Tour Reviews

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Plan Your Weekend Trip To Mexico

Day 1: Morning

You can fly straight into Puerto Vallarta and get settled at your Puerto Vallarta hotel.

When youre feeling refreshed and are ready to get out and explore, start your weekend off with a stroll along the beautiful Malecón . There are plenty of beachside cafes and restaurants where you can watch the waves roll in or sand sculptors showing off their skills.

Where to stay: There are plenty of excellent options to choose from, whether its the luxurious city center Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel, featuring sea views from room balconies, or the midrange, family-friendly Hotel Tropicana on the edge of town.

Transportation: We recommend renting a car at the Puerto Vallarta airport, so youll have the flexibility to get around with ease during your weekend in Mexico. There are bus routes running up and down the coast, but information can be hard to find.

Day 1: Afternoon

Day 1: Evening

No Mexico weekend getaway is complete without at least one big night out. The Zona Romantica has an array of popular dining options. Whether you want a seafood restaurant, a steakhouse or a vegan buffet, youll find it here.

After dinner, check out the beachside bars, live music venues and dance clubs that line the Malecón and downtown Puerto Vallarta. Avoid the tourist crowds and opt for local favorites like Coppa, famous for its unusual beer-based cocktails, and the late-night dive bar Club Roxy.

Day 2: Morning and Afternoon

If you choose Banderas Bay, here are our recommendations:

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What To Pack For 2 Weeks In Mexico

Travel Insurance We dont ever suggest traveling without travel insuranceanything can happen, and an epic 2 week trip to Mexico is definitely a case of better safe than sorry.

We use and recommend World Nomads for trips to Mexico.

Pacsafe Travelsafe The best way to keep your belongings safe in hotel rooms: simply fill it with your valuables and attach and lock it to the sturdiest thing in your room , and voila!

Your things will be safe while youre out exploring Mexico.

Sunscreen On the beaches of the Yucatan peninsula, be sure that your sunscreen is reef-safe!

Youll almost certainly pay more for sunscreen in Tulum or Playa del Carmen than at home, too.

Portable USB Charger Dont stress about your phone dying during your long days at the beach or on ADO buses: throw a portable USB charger in your beach bag and youll be good to go.

Comfortable Day Bag We currently use Pacsafes sleek anti-theft backpack and love it, but if you dont want to shell out the cash for this trip, thats totally understandable.

Do You Need To Speak Spanish In Mexico

Can you travel through Mexico without speaking Spanish?

Yes.

Would it make your 2 weeks in Mexico immensely easier and more fruitful to learn even a little Spanish before you go?

Again, yesabsolutely.

Jeremy speaks quite a bit of Spanish, and I speak some , and it definitely made our trip to Mexico easier than it otherwise would have been.

Unlike in many parts of the world where people speak at least some English, Mexicans tend to speak Spanish only.

After all, Mexico is dominated by the Spanish language and is surrounded in large part by other Spanish-speaking countrieslike in the US to the north, theres little motivation to learn additional languages in Mexico like there is in, say, Switzerland.

If you dont speak Spanish now, start learningeven basic phrases and numbers can help.

If all else fails, remember that Google Translate and writing phrases down in advance to show people can go a long way.

Weve found that Mexicans are almost always willing to help you get around!

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Itinerary #: Magical Oaxaca & The Pacific Coast

Discover the wonders of Oaxaca, from mouthwatering regional dishes to Zapotec ruins and wild Pacific beaches, on this colorful itinerary.

Spend the first days of the trip in the city of Oaxaca, getting an overview of the region’s history and culture on a walking tour. Then get out of town to see a massive Tule tree: at approximately two thousand years old, it’s the biggest tree in the world! Continue to Hierve el Agua, an imposing petrified waterfall located in the mountain range, with the option to bathe in its mineral-rich waters. Learn how to make mole in a cooking class, then visit Monte Albán, the first Mesoamerican urban center.

Wander through picturesque Ocotlán market before continuing to the Northern Highlands of Oaxaca, where you’ll learn about a community jam-making tradition in Latuviand have a chance to make jam and bread yourselfand visit a farm in Benito Juárez to discover what rural life is like in this part of Mexico. Finish up the trip in the beach paradise of Huatulco, on the Pacific coast, where you’ll have two days to sunbathe, swim, snorkel, and relax before catching a flight out of the country. Learn more

Conquest Of The Aztec Empire

Spanish conquest of MexicoStorming of the Teocalli by Cortez and his Troops

Although the Spanish had established colonies in the Caribbean starting in 1493, only in the second decade of the sixteenth century did they begin exploring the east coast of Mexico. The Spanish first learned of Mexico during the Juan de Grijalva expedition of 1518. The Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire began in February 1519 when Hernán Cortés landed on the Gulf Coast and founded the Spanish city of Veracruz. Around 500 conquistadores, along with horses, cannons, swords, and long guns gave the Spanish some technological advantages over indigenous warriors, but key to the Spanish victory was making strategic alliances with disgruntled indigenous city-states who fought with them against the Aztec Triple Alliance. Also important to the Spanish victory was Cortés’s cultural translator, Malinche, a Nahua woman enslaved in the Maya area whom the Spanish acquired as a gift. She quickly learned Spanish and gave strategic advice about how to deal with both indigenous allies and indigenous foes. The unconquered city-state of Tlaxcala allied with the Spanish against their enemy, the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan. The Spanish also gained other indigenous allies, who joined in the war for their own reasons.

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Political Consolidation And One

Despite not holding the presidency, Calles remained the key political figure during the period known as the Maximato . The Maximato ended during the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas, who expelled Calles from the country and implemented many economic and social reforms. This included the Mexican oil expropriation in March 1938, which nationalized the U.S. and Anglo–Dutch oil company known as the Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company. This movement would result in the creation of the state-owned Mexican oil company Pemex. This sparked a diplomatic crisis with the countries whose citizens had lost businesses by Cárdenas’s radical measure, but since then the company has played an important role in the economic development of Mexico. Cárdenas’s successor, Manuel Ávila Camacho was more moderate, and relations between the U.S. and Mexico vastly improved during World War II, when Mexico was a significant ally, providing manpower and materiel to aid the war effort. From 1946 the election of Miguel Alemán, the first civilian president in the post-revolutionary period, Mexico embarked on an aggressive program of economic development, known as the Mexican miracle, which was characterized by industrialization, urbanization, and the increase of inequality in Mexico between urban and rural areas.

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Safety When Traveling In Mexico

Theres no getting around it: any post about planning a travel itinerary for Mexico requires a discussion about safety.

In the international media, Mexico does not have the best reputation for safety.

Yes, the Mexican government and people do still have to grapple with the very real issues that the cartels create for Mexico.

And yes, no destinationMexico includedis immune to occasional tragedy that touches tourists.

That being said, generally speaking, as a cautious visitor, there should be no reason to worry excessively about cartel violence when visiting touristic parts of Mexico.

Mexico is an enormous country, the 16th largest in the world by geography.

What happens in Ciudad Juarez or Acapulco is not going to impact you as a tourist in Playa del Carmen, San Cristobal de las Casas, or Mexico City.

Yes, traveling in Mexico requires cautionbut Im willing to guess that youll end up feeling safer in Mexico than you think before you arrive.

When we followed our Mexico backpacking route for six weeks, we visited nine different destinations and behaved just as we would at homecarrying our camera, taking photos, speaking with locals, using public transportationand never once felt threatened.

Weve returned for multiple trips since, falling more in love with Mexico travel each time we visit.