Multi-Day Trips Around Cancún and the Riviera Maya

Route ideas at a glance

  • 3 days: Cancún, Isla Mujeres, Chichén Itzá
  • 4 to 5 days: Tren Maya loop through Chichén Itzá, Valladolid, Cobá and Tulum
  • 1 night: Holbox
  • 1 night: Isla Mujeres

All fares are 2026 figures, and some changed during the year.

Three-day plan

Spend day one in Cancún itself, choosing between the MUSA sculptures by boat and the Museo Maya de Cancún with the San Miguelito ruins (Km 16.5). Day two goes to Isla Mujeres: the Ultramar crossing from Puerto Juárez takes 20 to 30 minutes and costs about 580 MXN round trip for foreign adults. Day three is Chichén Itzá, roughly 200 km inland. Gates open 08:00 to 16:00, a ticket costs 697 MXN, and an early start helps. Check that the site is open before you set out.

Four to five days on the Tren Maya

Board at the Cancún Airport station on Highway 180, where a free connecting bus runs. Reported 2026 fares for foreigners are about 620 MXN to Chichén Itzá (about 2 hours 15 minutes) and about 977 MXN to Mérida Teya. A sensible loop is Chichén Itzá, a night in Valladolid, then Cobá and Tulum. Budget for the station-to-ruins transfers, which cost extra. Tulum is roughly 200 to 300 MXN and Cobá about 209 MXN. The fare to Chichén Itzá is described in this Posta report .

One night on Holbox

Holbox sits past the Chiquilá ferry dock. The water crossing is short and the road to Chiquilá takes the time, so stay overnight. Whale-shark tours run 15 May to 17 September on licensed boats, and no touching is allowed.

One night on Isla Mujeres

An overnight lets you reach Punta Sur and Playa Norte after the day boats have gone home. A golf cart is about 1,300 MXN for the day. Playa Norte is typically among the cleanest beaches, though sargassum has arrived in every month of 2026.

Things to know

  • No road or ferry joins Cancún to the Bahamas or Central America.
  • Cozumel requires travel to Playa del Carmen first (about an hour south), then a 40 to 45 minute crossing.
  • Visitax is paid once, around 285 MXN (about US$15), at visitax.gob.mx .
  • Hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November.
  • Agree taxi fares before getting in, or use a registered taxi.

Read more: day trips from Cancún , the 3-day itinerary and the 5-day itinerary . Search lodging on Booking.com .