last updated: November 2023
A destination that combines jungle, beach, cenotes, scrumptious Mexican food and so much history, the Yucatan peninsula truly has it all. With Tulum being the cosmopolitan super star and heavenly Isla Holbox featuring beaches that look photoshopped, this is a trip that will leave you wanting for more! My boyfriend and I spent two weeks in the Yucatan Peninsula and loved every minute of it. In this blog post, you’ll find our detailed itinerary which proved to be the perfect combination of relaxation and sightseeing. Naturally, I wish we had more time! If you are planning for a longer trip or just want to squeeze in more, make sure to read this post all the way to the end where I list more places to visit in wonderful Yucatan!
Total No of days: 12 (excluding transfer time from / to Europe):
Tulum: 7 overnight stays + Holbox: 5 overnight stays
Who is this itinerary best suited to?
Travellers who love culture, nature and aquatic activities in equal measure.
Backpackers, flashpackers & luxury travellers. You can easily adjust the price range of your accommodation & meals accordingly!
How to get around & how to get to Tulum?
There are plenty of taxis in Tulum town and it won’t be hard to find one around the cenotes. From the town to the beach and vice versa you will also need a taxi. It is a really short distance, but traffic can be horrible. Prices for this kind of transfers are generally reasonable.
In order to get to Tulum from Cancun airport, we used a random taxi that we found at the arrivals hall after we landed; the service was good but fairly expensive. Do a bit of research on your airport transfers in advance in order to save some cash.
Two things before we start:
1. While in Tulum, we chose to split our time between the town and the beach and stayed in two hotels. You don’t have to do that. Nevertheless, it’s worth having a look at my thoughts on our stay in Jungle Keva (town) and Habitas (beach) and why we chose to split our stay.
2. If you are short on time or if visiting Mexico involves shorter flight times for you than it did for us, you can definitely cut the itinerary in half and visit Tulum and Holbox on two separate occasions.
In summary, we organised our time as follows:
Tulum & Holbox 2-week itinerary
4-night stay Tulum town + 3-night stay Tulum beach + 5-night stay Holbox
Flight to Cancun (we flew from London).
Transfer to Tulum: 1.5h drive. We took a taxi that we found randomly at the arrivals terminal after we landed. The service was good but fairly expensive. Do a bit of research on your airport transfers in advance in order to save some cash.
Unwind & relax! In Tulum town, we stayed in beautiful Jungle Keva.
Morning: Visit to Cenote Dos Ojos. We loved it! Don’t worry if you haven’t hired a car (we didn’t). There are plenty of taxis in Tulum town. We didn’t have trouble finding one around the cenotes either. Prices are reasonable (for a tourist destination).
Afternoon: Lunch and relax at a beach club. The one we went was nice enough but I would not recommend it to you. Tulum beach is full of truly unique beach clubs hence I feel that we could have done better! Most of them are part of a hotel/resort and they will provide you with sunbeds and shade if you have lunch at their restaurant or purchase a day pass.
Evening: Dinner and drinks in Encanto Cantina in Tulum town. We really enjoyed the ambience and the food; huge portions and incredible value!
Early morning: Yoga at Jungle Keva -the owner is a yoga instructor!
Morning: Visit Cenote Calavera -that was so much fun!
Lunchtime: Lunch at Burrito Amor in Tulum town -cool place!
Afternoon: Relax by the turquoise pool in our hotel.
Evening: There are more and more dining options being added to the main street in Tulum town but you could also take a taxi to the beach if you think that the 3 nights there won’t be enough. If you love fancier restaurants, the beach can keep you happy for many more nights.
A little tip: The beach is about a 20min drive from the town but it can take longer if there is traffic. We actually got stuck in traffic and ended up not finding availability to any of the restaurants we wanted to visit because we arrived at peak dinner time! So, make sure you have a reservation and be mindful of the time!
Morning: Excursion to Coba archaeological park -fantastic!
Lunchtime: Lunch at Coqui Coqui Coba. What a serene place! I really want to go back and stay at the hotel…
Afternoon: Private tour to 3 cenotes after hours which I would definitely recommend! We loved cenotes Sac Actun and Jaguar. If you would like to visit on your own, you will have to visit earlier in the day (cannot be combined with Coba).
Evening: Dinner in Tulum town. We went to a tiny local cantina for some delicious local food.
Early morning: Yoga & relax by the pool at Jungle Keva.
Morning: Transfer to the beach (approx. 15-20min taxi ride depending on traffic). Our hotel on the beach was stunning Habitas.
Afternoon: Habitas spa.
Evening: Sunset cocktails at Kin Toh in Azulik and dinner at Moro, the restaurant in Habitas. I am not really a fan of making restaurant reservations while on holiday but as I mentioned earlier, they seem to be necessary for the well-known beach restaurants.
Note: For our three nights in Tulum town, we made a habit of visiting the busy places for cocktails before sunset (when we could find a table without a booking) and then have dinner at our hotel. Moro turned out to be quite the secret gem so it was delightfully calm yet amazing.
Morning & afternoon: Yoga & relax by the beach at Habitas.
Evening: Drinks at Arca -superb ambience. Dinner at Moro in Habitas.
Morning: Visit to Tulum ruins -it’s an all time classic and a must see.
Afternoon: Relax by the beach at Habitas.
Evening: Drinks at Gitano -we loved it! Dinner at Moro in Habitas.
Morning: Transfer to Holbox = Taxi to Chiquila (2.5h) + Ferry (<0.5h). We arranged a private taxi to and from Holbox with the same company that took us from Cancun airport to Tulum. We booked the ferry to Chiquila at the pier and it was inexpensive.
Afternoon: Enjoy the stunning beach.
Evening: Bioluminescence canoe ride & dinner at the hotel (too tired to venture further away!)
Read all about our escapades in Holbox & our hotel Ser Casasandra.
Early morning: Yoga at Ser Casasandra.
All day: Relax by the beach.
Evening: Dinner & drinks at the hotel / Holbox village.
Transfer to Cancun & flight back.
Day trips and more places to visit from Tulum
If you have more days or if you are not that crazy about spending multiple days on the beach (which you might regret once you see the incredible colour of the water in Holbox), consider the following options to add to your own Tulum & Holbox itinerary:
Valadolid
The pretty town with the colourful Spanish colonial historic centre is situated about 1.5h drive from Tulum town. If you are thinking of spending the night, splurge in Coqui Coqui Valadolid (alternatively just visit the perfume shop or spa).
Chichen Itza
No need for introductions. There are tours from Tulum that can get you there and back in a day (it is about 2h drive each way). I am a massive fan of archaeological sites and the fact that we did not go there is a testament to how much you can do in Tulum without venturing too far out!
Valadolid & Chichen Itza
Valadolid is on the way to Chichen Itza. Quite a few great cenotes as well!
Valadolid, Chichen Itza & Merida
If you are keen on including a (medium sized) city to your itinerary, I have heard and read a lot of great things about Merida. Spanish colonial architecture, inexpensive but superb Mexican cuisine and of course, the authentic feel of Mexican life! Valadolid and Chichen Itza are on the way to Merida (total driving time is a less than 4 hours).
FYI. Coba archaeological park is on the way to all of the above as well.
That is all! Writing down all the additional places one can go made me daydreaming of going back to Mexico! Time for some travel hunting for yours truly!
This is not a sponsored post & I am not affiliated with any of the hotels, restaurants or organisations mentioned.
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