9-day itinerary
9 Days in Mexico
Mexico City, Oaxaca & Tulum
Mexico dazzles food and beach lovers with smoky mole kitchens in Oaxaca, world-class tacos in Mexico City, and the turquoise Caribbean waters of Tulum all in one unforgettable journey. Nine days is just enough time to eat your way through three iconic destinations and still catch a sunset over ancient ruins.
Morning: Land at Benito Juárez Airport, take the Metro Line 5 to the city centre for under €0.30, and check into a boutique hotel in Colonia Roma.
Afternoon: Shake off jet lag with a walk through Parque México and a long lunch at El Turix, ordering the slow-roasted cochinita pibil tacos that melt in your mouth.
Evening: Sip natural wine and share tostadas at Contramar's sister spot Eno, then stroll the lamp-lit streets of Condesa before an early night.
Morning: Start at Mercado de Medellín for a breakfast of freshly made tamales and café de olla, then visit the stunning Palacio de Bellas Artes to admire its Diego Rivera murals.
Afternoon: Spend two hours at the Museo Nacional de Antropología — the Aztec Sun Stone room alone is worth the €4 entry — then take a taxi to the Tlatelolco market ruins.
Evening: Book ahead for dinner at Pujol, chef Enrique Olvera's legendary restaurant, and order the mole madre aged for over 1,500 days.
Morning: Take an Uber to Xochimilco and hire a colourful trajinera boat to drift through the ancient Aztec canals while vendors paddle up selling quesadillas and cold beers.
Afternoon: Head to Mercado de Jamaica for a sensory overload of tropical flowers and fruit, then cab it to Coyoacán to visit Frida Kahlo's La Casa Azul museum.
Evening: Join the queue at El Vilsito, a tyre repair shop by day and legendary al pastor taquería by night, and eat under neon lights on the street.
Morning: Take an early Aeromexico or VivaAerobus flight to Oaxaca (1 hour, book ahead for ~€60), check into a colonial guesthouse near the Zócalo, and walk the historic centre.
Afternoon: Spend the afternoon at Mercado Benito Juárez tasting chapulines (grasshoppers), memelas, and freshly pressed tejate cacao drink before visiting the striking Santo Domingo church.
Evening: Have your first proper mole negro at Casa Oaxaca restaurant on García Vigil, pairing it with a smoky espadín mezcal served in a clay copita.
Morning: Rise early for the spectacular Tuesday or Friday market in Tlacolula village (45 min by colectivo for €1), where indigenous Zapotec vendors sell textiles, cheeses, and barbacoa.
Afternoon: Visit a traditional palenque mezcal distillery in the Valles Centrales — El Rey Zapoteco near Matatlán offers a free tour and tasting of ancestral tobaziche and tobalá agave spirits.
Evening: Dinner at Los Danzantes on Macedonio Alcalá for their exquisite Oaxacan tasting menu, followed by live banda music echoing off the cathedral walls on the Zócalo.
Morning: Catch the 8 AM colectivo to Monte Albán (€2 each way) and spend two hours exploring the pre-Columbian Zapotec city perched dramatically on a flattened mountain above the valley.
Afternoon: Return to the city and take a chocolate-making class at Chocolate Mayordomo's workshop — you'll grind cacao, chilli, and cinnamon on a traditional stone metate.
Evening: Enjoy a final Oaxacan dinner at Itanoní, a humble tortillería restaurant serving heirloom corn tlayudas with Oaxacan string cheese, black beans, and cured meats.
Morning: Fly from Oaxaca via Mexico City to Cancún (book as one ticket), then take the ADO bus directly to Tulum town (2 hours, €8) and check into a jungle cabana or beach hotel.
Afternoon: Rent a bicycle (€8/day) — the only sensible way to get around Tulum — and ride along the beach road to the stunning cliff-top archaeological zone overlooking turquoise water.
Evening: Watch the sunset from the rooftop of Batey, a mojito bar in Tulum town, then dine on fresh ceviche and grilled fish tacos at La Eufemia in the pueblo.
Morning: Hire a local guide to take you to Cenote Calavera and the semi-open Gran Cenote (arrive before 10 AM before tour buses arrive) for snorkelling in impossibly clear freshwater.
Afternoon: Drive 30 minutes south by colectivo to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve for a lazy boat tour through turquoise lagoons spotting manatees, flamingos, and ancient Mayan canals.
Evening: Splurge on dinner at Hartwood, the legendary wood-fire restaurant on the beach road, where the menu changes nightly depending on what fishermen and farmers deliver that morning.
Morning: Take one final sunrise swim at Playa Paraíso — widely considered the most beautiful beach in Tulum — with a coffee and pastry from the beach shack before packing up.
Afternoon: Stop at Mercado Tulum in the pueblo for last-minute gifts of local honey, achiote paste, and Oaxacan chocolate before catching the ADO bus back to Cancún airport.
Evening: Board your flight home with sand still between your toes, a bag full of mezcal, and a serious craving for al pastor tacos that won't be satisfied until your next trip.
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