The best 4 day itinerary in Mexico (without a car)
Mexico is a popular tourist destination and has been for a while, so planning a trip to Mexico is not difficult. It’s easy to read up on the biggest attractions, how to get there and what the different places offers. This allows you to thoroughly select the places you want to see. I’ve been doing research for this trip for years. I’ve been longing for the white sandy beaches, the clear blue waters and for the history of the Mayan people. And of course, the tacos. It seems like Mexico has it all, so you can plan whatever kind of trip you want.
My favorite places so far, after spending four days in the Quintana Roo and Yucatán area, are Chechen Itza, Tulum and Isla Mujeres. The beaches at Isla Mujeres are stunning! White sand and clear blue waters.
Day 1
Cancun/Isla Mujeres/Playa del Carmen:
We landed in Cancun and wanted to explore the area before heading down to our base in Playa del Carmen. We only had a day, so we didn’t see that much of Cancun, but the time we had there gave us the impression that it wasn’t really that much to see. We decided to spend most of the day at Isla Mujeres and I don’t regret it. This was so fun! We rented a golf cart and drove around half the island. I really recommend renting one, you’ll explore the island in the best way possible.
Getting back to Cancun, we caught the bus to Playa del Carmen. We did consider renting a car but since we were going to Chetumal at the end of our trip, it would be expensive leaving the car there. We used ADO, a company I was really satisfied with. The busses were nice, clean and air conditioned. The prices were also reasonable.
I wasn’t too impressed stepping off the bus in Playa del Carmen. Its so touristy, people are shouting out, trying to sell you whatever they can. We were two girls walking through the main street and we hadn’t even gotten to our hotel and had already received several free drinks offers. It does have a spring break feel to it.
I really enjoyed the location of our amazing hotel. It was located outside the busiest street but was still just a short walk to everything. The area was beautiful and also really quiet. I highly recommend this hotel. It’s called “Playa Palms Beach Hotel”. Gorgeous place!
Day 2
Chichen Itza:
We took the bus from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza. It took almost 4 hours, so I strongly recommend hiring a car, if only just for the day. Then you can also stop by some cenotes on the way. The bus ride was fine, but it was long and cold. If you take the bus, make sure to bring a sweater.
Arriving at Chichen Itza, we decided to have lunch before entering. The food was good, so if you don’t want to bring food, I recommend the restaurant located on the right-hand side, after the ticket office.
Day 3
Playa del Carmen:
Since Mexico is a place with beautiful beaches, we decided to relax at the beach for a day. I do need to let you know, that there are several beaches with lots of seaweed. Some places make sure to clean them, but that’s not the case everywhere. I did read up on it later, and it does seem like it’s a problem these days… Before going, I’d only seen amazing pictures of the beaches in the area, but I don’t know if they were old or if they’d been edited. Just be aware that what you see on pictures might not be the case in reality. However, we did manage to find a nice beach in Playa del Carmen to enjoy for the day.
My favorite thing about Playa, was for sure the food! There were several great restaurants, but my favorite one was El Fogon! The food had so many flavors and it literally melts in your mouth. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
Day 4
Tulum:
We got an ADO bus from Playa to Tulum and decided to stay there the entire day. The bus ride was 50 minutes and we paid 100 MXN. Arriving in Tulum, we took a 5 min taxi ride to the Ruins of Tulum. We walked around the area, had lunch on the beach and ended the day with a boat ride and snorkeling.
It was a fun day, but there was a lot of seaweed (sargassum) in Tulum as well. I didn’t feel like I could get disappointed, it’s only nature, it might even be caused by us humans, just be aware that the beaches might not be as stunning as you’d imagine. I still recommend visiting Tulum, especially the ruins but a tip would be to visit some cenotes instead of the beaches.
I visited Mexico in April 2019.
