I am preparing for my next 3-week tour in Mexico, the country of Frida Kahlo (an artist I adore). I have just determined the route (see map below) and booked all the hotels on the tour. I am now at the stage of organizing local transport and wondering if it is better to rent a car to take a road trip in the Yucatan and Chiapas regions or if it is better to travel by car. bus.

Here is step by step how I started planning this 3 week tour in Yucatan and Chiapas in Mexico.

3 week Mexico itinerary

Why did I choose August to go to Mexico?

If I could have chosen another period, I would probably have opted for the month of December which is much more auspicious. Indeed, August is not the most favorable month to visit Mexico. We risk getting soaked often with tropical rains quite frequent at this time of year.

However, I have read that these rains are certainly intense but quite short (no more than 1 hour during the day). Additionally, it usually rains either early in the morning or late in the afternoon. And all the rest of the time, it's sun and heat!

Concerns over security in Mexico

I'm not going to lie to you, Mexico is a scary destination. So, I decided to only visit the safest parts of the country.

Indeed, my choice to only visit the two regions of Yucatan and Chiapas meets the security instructions that I was able to consult on the official website: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs/conseils-par-pays-destination/mexique/#securite. See my article: Is it dangerous to travel to Mexico right now?

To know that Cancun has also become a dangerous city in certain places, so I carefully studied which places to avoid and which places to favor for visits and accommodation.

What to see in Mexico in 3 weeks?

After consulting dozens of catalogs, reading a lot of blogs and discussing travel forums, I understood 3 weeks would not be enough to discover all of Mexico's tourist attractions.

Indeed, to visit all the Mayan and Aztec sites, all the colonial cities, all the magnificent churches, all the diverse landscapes (rainforest, volcanoes, deserts, mountains, beaches of the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico), I would need at least 4 to 5 weeks!

Indeed, this country is very rich in architectural heritage, archaeological remains and diversity of landscapes and I do not want to discover it in a hurry and without taking the time to fully enjoy it.

Zapping Mexico City, I preferred to plan a tour only in the 2 regions that seem to me the most beautiful and safest (see below) in Mexico: Yucatan and Chiapas. This way, I will be able to combine cultural visits with lazy days on heavenly beaches.

What itinerary for 3 weeks in Mexico?

To determine the itinerary for my tour in Mexico, I first looked for the essential stops in the Yucatan region and then those in the Chiapas region. So, I was able to organize them to do a loop tour that leaves Cancun and returns to Cancun with a stay of 2 to 3 days for each stage.

Here is the program for my 3-week itinerary in Mexico:

  • Day 1: Arrival in Cancún + road to Playa del Carmen and hotel check-in
  • Days 2-3: Playa del Carmen + Riviera Maya + Akumal to swim with sea turtles + Cenote Azul. Maybe Cenote Xcacelito then by the Grand Cenote arriving in Tulum
  • Days 4-5-6: Tulum + Muyil and the Sian Ka'an + Cobá nature reserve. 
  • Days 7-8: Valladolid
  • Days 9-10: Chichén Itzá – Izamal – Mérida – Izamal 
  • Day 11: Campeche – Stopover town
  • Days 12-13-14: Palenque + Archaeological site of Uxmal + Archaeological site of Palenque + 1 day at the Waterfalls of Aguas azules
  • Days 15-16-17: Bacalar
  • Day 18: Chiquila – Stopover town
  • Days 19-20-21-22: Isla Holbox - Early morning ferry + lazing around on the island
  • Day 23: Cancun – Margin Day
  • Day 24: Return to France  

3 weeks in Mexico – Map of my itinerary

Bus or rental car for a tour in Mexico?

It's hard to choose between the ease and the freedom of a road trip and the economic side of a bus tour.

Indeed, renting a car and discovering Mexico at your own pace and without time constraints seems ideal but when you do your research on the internet, you hesitate a little because of safety problems and the state of the roads (many topes ). If I opt for this solution, I will follow the advice of bloggers who encourage booking their car in advance on the internet rather than on site at much higher prices.

But I'm still hesitating because travel by bus in Mexico also has some advantages. Indeed, many bus lines connect all the major cities of Mexico between them and at very affordable prices. We can therefore go almost everywhere with the bus. And, to make everything easier, we can organize everything in advance by booking the trips directly on the websites of the largest bus company in Mexico: ADO or on a booking platform that offers all the major bus companies: miescape.com.mx.

So RV after August on this blog to find out what my choice has been and to take advantage of my experience.

Cheap hotels following my 3 week itinerary in Mexico

Here is the list of my selection of cheap hotels that I have booked for my 3 week itinerary in Yucatan and Chiapas :

The total hotel budget amounts to €1 for 171 nights, which brings the cost of accommodation to €23 per person.

Central America appeals to you? So come and discover my Panama tour or, why not South America with my Colombia tour or a trip to peru

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