Overview & Highlights
The Yucatán peninsula has a decent road network suiting independent drivers who want flexibility to explore the multitude of Mayan ruins and colonial towns. Car and hotels are pre-booked.
Mexico is ideal for independent exploration by self-drive car hire, particularly in the Yucatán peninsula and along the Caribbean coast. Your point-to-point itinerary planned out for you, with hotel reservations made in advance and maps provided, so you can explore the Mayan ruins and colonial towns at leisure..
Here, you’ll find vestiges of the once supreme Maya civilisation. Sites replete with temples and pyramids festooned with sacred carvings were, once abandoned, swallowed up by a rapacious jungle but are now gradually being revealed. The best known sites, Chichén Itzá, Uxmal and Tulum are easily accessible; smaller, less well-known sites are always close to minor roads and with your own car you can explore at will.
You’ll also visit graceful Spanish colonial towns with their friendly Maya inhabitants. Markets, restaurants and entertainments flourish here.
At your beach hotel base on the soft-sand Caribbean coast at tranquil Tulum village there is time to laze on the beach and take part in water sports or visit nearby resort towns.
Outline itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Cancún, collect hire car.
Day 2
Drive to Mayan archaeological site at Chichén Itzá. Overnight.
Day 3
Drive to Mérida, lively colonial and Mayan city; 3 nights.
Day 4
At leisure in the city or optional drive to Uxmal.
Day 5
At leisure or drive to Celestún on the Gulf coast.
Day 6
Drive to Campeche; 2 nights.
Day 7
At leisure in this Spanish colonial city.
Day 8
Drive to Xpujil; 2 nights.
Day 9
Visit local Mayan sites and Calakmul.
Day 10
Drive to Tulum on the Caribbean coast; 3 nights.
Days 11-12
At leisure on the beach in the shadow of Tulum ruins; optional trips in the vicinity.
Day 13
Drive to Cancún and drop off car at airport; take international flight home.
Things to do
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Accommodation
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What our clients say
97% of our clients rated their experience with us as Excellent or Good.
Very efficient with the booking process and very helpful with his service throughout. Adam was always prompt and helpful in answering all our questions prior to departure.
IR, London
Tailor made holiday
Our specialists have been expertly crafting award-winning tailor-made holidays to Latin America for 40 years. We would be delighted to create a truly personalised trip which perfectly matches your wishes and requirements.
Lina Fuller - Travel Consultant
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
Inspired by this trip
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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Sophie Barber - Travel Consultant
Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia.
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Hannah Donaldson - Travel Consultant
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is an invaluable part of our Group Tours team.
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Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Consultant
Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our Sales team.
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Lina Fuller - Travel Consultant
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
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Ben Line - Travel Consultant
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Manager of the Tailor-made Department.
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Evie Oswald - Travel Consultant
It’s hard to believe that Evie has had time to cram so much in to her life so far. Having lived as a child in the Americas and Europe she found herself immediately attracted to Latin America.
