Base in Mérida and ride buses to Uxmal, yellow Izamal, Chichén Itzá with cenotes and Valladolid, and Celestún's flamingos. Best in the Nov–Jan dry season.
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- Day 19 am – 4:45 pm · 5 stops
- 9 am 1Plaza Grande, Cathedral & Palacio de Gobierno muralsMérida
Mérida's main square is the natural starting point: the 16th-century Catedral de San Ildefonso on one side and the Palacio de Gobierno on another, whose stairwell and upstairs hall hold Fernando Castro Pacheco's huge murals of Maya and Yucatecan history. Free; the Palacio is open daily 8:00–21:00 (Zona Turística listing) and there's a tourism desk at its entrance (Posta). Tip: go early before the heat, and come back after dark when the square is lit. Advice from Mérida Living and Will Fly For Food.
4 min walk · 300 m - 10:45 am 2Brunch at La Chaya Maya (Santa Lucía)Mérida
A Mérida classic for Yucatecan cooking in a colonial house by Parque Santa Lucía, open daily 7:00–22:00. Order papadzules, huevos motuleños or cochinita pibil, plus agua de chaya. Mid-range; the 'Sabores yucatecos' sampler plate was about MXN 169 when Mochileando por el Mundo ate there. Tip: this is the Calle 57 branch; a second branch is a block away on Calle 55. Recommended first-hand by Will Fly For Food and Mochileando por el Mundo.
14 min walk · 1.1 km - 12:15 pm 3Stroll Paseo de MontejoMérida
Mérida's grand boulevard of henequen-boom mansions runs north from the Santa Ana neighbourhood. Walking it is free. Tip: stop at Dulcería y Sorbetería Colón for a coconut champola (sorbet float). Advice from Will Fly For Food and Mérida Living.
3 min walk · 0 m - 1:30 pm 4Taxi or app ride to the Gran Museo del Mundo MayaMérida
The museum is about 6 km north at the far end of Calle 60, too far to walk in the midday heat. A taxi or app ride takes about 15–20 minutes; fares vary, so agree the price or check the app first.
10 min by train or taxi · 6.3 km - 2 pm 5Gran Museo del Mundo MayaMérida
The best primer for the ruins you'll see this week, covering Maya life from the past to today. Open Wednesday–Monday 9:00–17:00 and closed Tuesdays (ADN40). General admission is MXN 200 (about US$11); Mexican nationals pay less. Tip: don't start the trip on a Tuesday, or swap this day with another. Recommended by Mérida Living and Lonely Planet.
- Day 29 am – 8:30 pm · 4 stops
- 9 am 6SUR bus to Uxmal from the ADO Centro Histórico terminalMérida
Second-class SUR buses leave from the ADO terminal on Calle 69 at about 9:00 and 12:00 (Adventures of A+K; The Bamboo Traveler found a 9:05 departure). Buy at the ADO counter, about 1.5 hours via Umán and Muna; the bus drops you on the highway a 5-minute walk from the ticket office. The fare is a few dozen pesos each way. Tip: get there 30 minutes early and check the bay, because the bus can be in a different bay than the one you're told. Seats fill up.
31 min by train or taxi · 69 km - 10:30 am 7Uxmal and the Pyramid of the MagicianUxmal
The jewel of the Puuc style: the oval Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle and the Governor's Palace, with their intricate stone mosaics. Open daily 8:00–17:00, last entry 16:00 (INAH). The foreigner fee is MXN 586 (about US$32), combining the INAH and state Patronato CULTUR fees (Diario de Yucatán, Por Esto). Sunday free entry applies only to Mexicans and residents with ID, so foreigners pay every day. Tip: the classic photo of the Magician is from behind it, at the Bird Quadrangle (Explored by Marta), and there's little shade after 11:00 (Mérida Living). Bring water and cash in case card readers fail. With a car, add Kabah, Sayil and Labná on the Ruta Puuc; by bus, Uxmal alone fills the day.
3 min walk · 0 m - 3 pm 8SUR bus back to MéridaUxmal
Flag the return bus from the highway stop across from the entrance. Adventures of A+K found departures around 15:00 and 17:00, and both they and The Bamboo Traveler found buses running late. Pay the driver in cash if you only have a one-way ticket. Tip: if you miss it, take a taxi to Muna and a colectivo on to Mérida (A+K).
31 min by train or taxi · 69 km - 7 pm 9Plaza Grande by nightMérida
Back in Centro, the square comes alive after dark with families, the lit-up cathedral and street snacks. The Palacio de Gobierno murals stay open until 21:00 if you missed them on Day 1 (Zona Turística). On a Sunday the square hosts Mérida en Domingo, a food market with kibis, polcanes and marquesitas, open 11:00–21:00 (Will Fly For Food). Free.
- Day 38 am – 4:15 pm · 5 stops
- 8 am 10Oriente bus to IzamalMérida
Second-class buses to Izamal leave about hourly from the terminal on Calle 67 between 50 and 52 (México Desconocido). The fare is about MXN 45 (Mexico Travel & Leisure) and the trip takes 1.5–2 hours with stops (The Bamboo Traveler). You arrive a couple of blocks from the convent. Tip: buy your return at Izamal's Oriente station, which The Bamboo Traveler found more comfortable.
28 min by train or taxi · 62 km - 10 am 11Convento de San Antonio de PaduaIzamal
This 16th-century Franciscan convent is the heart of the yellow town, with one of the largest enclosed atriums in the Americas, built on top of a Maya platform. Visiting the atrium is free. It's a working church, and we couldn't confirm posted opening hours, so visit in daytime and dress respectfully. Tip: if the heat gets to you, take a horse-drawn carriage around town; Mexico Travel & Leisure quotes MXN 300–400. Recommended by Mérida Living and Explored by Marta.
5 min walk · 400 m - 11:15 am 12Climb the Kinich Kak Mo pyramidIzamal
One of the largest pyramids in the Yucatán by volume, three blocks from the convent, with views over the yellow town. Free, open daily 8:00–17:00 (Zona Turística; The Bamboo Traveler and Mérida Living also note free entry). Tip: the steps are uneven, so wear shoes with grip. Climbing it, and Itzamatul nearby, is recommended by Explored by Marta.
3 min walk · 150 m - 12:30 pm 13Lunch at KinichIzamal
Izamal's best-known restaurant for traditional Yucatecan food, with handmade tortillas and dishes like poc chuc and cochinita. Open daily from late morning to 19:00 (OpenTable). Mains run about MXN 150–250 (Mexico Travel & Leisure), and recent diners call the food excellent but service can be slow. Recommended first-hand by The Bamboo Traveler and Explored by Marta. Tip: try the yellow-corn ice cream in town afterwards (Explored by Marta).
6 min walk · 400 m - 2:30 pm 14Oriente bus back to MéridaIzamal
Buses run back about hourly, about MXN 45 and 1.5–2 hours. Tip: take an early-afternoon bus to have a free evening in Mérida before tomorrow's early start.
- Day 47:15 am – 8:45 pm · 7 stops
- 7:15 am 15Early ADO bus to Chichén ItzáMérida
First-class ADO buses take about 2 hours. The Bamboo Traveler found departures at 7:15, 9:30 and noon, and Mexico Travel & Leisure quotes MXN 100–160 one way. Some older guides still name the CAME terminal, but CAME has closed and ADO now runs from the Centro Histórico terminal on Calle 69. Tip: take the earliest bus and check ado.com.mx the day before. With a car, Mérida Living says leave by 6:45 to be at the gate for the 8:00 opening.
52 min by train or taxi · 115 km - 9:15 am 16Chichén ItzáTinum
A New Seven Wonders site: El Castillo, the Great Ball Court and the Sacred Cenote. Open daily 8:00–17:00 (INAH). Foreign visitors now pay one combined INAH + Patronato CULTUR ticket of MXN 697 (about US$38) at a single window (Diario de Yucatán), with parking extra if you drive. Sunday free entry is only for Mexican nationals, so Sundays are the most crowded day for everyone. Tip: tour buses arrive around 10:30 (Mexico Travel & Leisure), so head straight to El Castillo first. Guides are available at the entrance (Explored by Marta).
8 min by train or taxi · 3.1 km - 12:45 pm 17Swim in Cenote Ik KilTinum
An open, vine-draped sinkhole about 3 km from Chichén Itzá: a short taxi ride from the ruins' taxi rank (agree the fare first). Open daily 9:00–17:00. Entry was about MXN 200 including life jacket and locker when Jonny Melon visited (Mexico Travel & Leisure says MXN 180); cash only. Tip: rinse off in the showers first, and expect it busiest in the early afternoon when tour groups arrive. Recommended by Jonny Melon and Explored by Marta.
3 min walk · 0 m - 2:15 pm 18Colectivo or Oriente bus to ValladolidTinum
Flag an eastbound Oriente second-class bus or a colectivo on Highway 180 outside the cenote. Jonny Melon reports about 20 Oriente buses a day and colectivos for about MXN 35, which end on Calle 39 near Valladolid's ADO station. It takes about 45 minutes.
37 min by train or taxi · 37 km - 3:30 pm 19Cenote Zací in townValladolid
A huge, half-covered cenote right in town, a few blocks from the main square. The town raised entry to MXN 150 for adults (Diario de Yucatán), and it's open roughly 8:30–17:30 (Audiala). Tip: if you have a spare morning in Valladolid, Cenote Suytun (open 9:00–17:00, MXN 120, about 15 minutes away by taxi) is the photogenic cave with the light beam, best at midday (Jonny Melon). Zací is recommended by Explored by Marta and Mexico Travel & Leisure.
6 min walk · 500 m - 4:45 pm 20Early dinner around Parque Principal & Calzada de los FrailesValladolid
Walk the pastel Calzada de los Frailes toward the San Bernardino convent, then eat near the main square: longaniza de Valladolid, sopa de lima, and marquesitas or churros from the square's stalls (Explored by Marta, Mexico Travel & Leisure, Mérida Living). Tip: Explored by Marta liked the El Tigrillo taco stand. Budget about MXN 150–300 per person.
4 min walk · 350 m - 6:15 pm 21ADO bus back to MéridaValladolid
Valladolid's ADO station on Calle 39 is about 2 blocks from the main square. The Bamboo Traveler found evening first-class departures at 18:15, 19:52, 20:15 and 22:22, about MXN 200–250. Buy your seat when you arrive in town. The Tren Maya also links Valladolid and Mérida (Mérida Living); check its booking site for times.
- Day 58 am – 9 pm · 4 stops
- 8 am 22Oriente bus to CelestúnMérida
The Bamboo Traveler's 8:00 bus from this terminal arrived at 10:35. Yucatán Today quotes about MXN 72 and 2.5 hours, or a faster combi van from Calle 67 x 48 for about MXN 60. The bus stops across from Celestún's square, a few blocks from the beach. Tip: ask the driver to let you off at the bridge if you want the dock there.
37 min by train or taxi · 80 km - 10:45 am 23Flamingo boat tour, then fish on the beachCelestún
Boats from the Ría Celestún biosphere reserve take you to the flamingo flocks, through a mangrove tunnel and to a freshwater spring for a swim, in about 1–2 hours. Flamingo numbers peak from about November to February/March (Mérida Living, The Bamboo Traveler). Tours are priced per boat, about MXN 2,500–3,000 for 6–8 people (Mexico Travel & Leisure, Explored by Marta). Bring cash and share a boat to split the cost; arriving 10:00–14:00 makes it easier to join a group. Boats leave from the beach or the dock by the bridge at the town entrance (Yucatán Today, The Bamboo Traveler). Afterwards eat fried fish or ceviche at a palapa on the sand.
8 min by train or taxi · 1.7 km - 3 pm 24Bus back to MéridaCelestún
Second-class buses leave regularly from the centre of town and return to the Noreste/Oriente terminal, not the ADO station (The Bamboo Traveler). Tip: the driver will often drop you near your hotel if you ask.
37 min by train or taxi · 81 km - 7:30 pm 25Farewell dinner at La Chaya MayaMérida
Come back for the dishes you skipped at brunch: relleno negro, lomitos de Valladolid or a mucbil pollo (Will Fly For Food, Mochileando por el Mundo). Open until 22:00. Tip: Parque Santa Lucía across the street often has free evening music, so stroll there afterwards.