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Get beyond the beaches on a family-friendly Yucatan adventure

Take the kind of tropical holiday your kids will talk about for years on this 7-day Yucatan adventure that takes you from the sunny beaches to lush cenotes, lost ruins and bustling cities along the way. Discover the culture and history of the Maya at Chichen Itza and Tulum; take a dip in the turquoise waters of a cenote at Yaxunah; try your hand at tortilla-making with a Maya family and watch the flamingos paint the sky pink at the Celestun Bird Sanctuary. There’s so much more to Mexico than beaches and palm trees, and this family-friendly trip gets you to all of it.

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Terms & Conditions
Start
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Finish
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Destination
Mexico
Style
Original
Theme
Family
Code
QMFA
Physical rating
Ages
Min 5
Group size
Min 1, Max 16

Why you'll love this trip

  • Revel in the beach vibes of Playa del Carmen.

  • Explore ancient Maya ruins and pyramids at Tulum and Chichen Itza.

  • Discover the charm of Merida’s leafy plazas, captivating museums and vibrant city streets.

  • Meet local Maya families and learn how to make your own tortillas and dine of a pibil feast baked underground.

  • Swim in the crystal-clear fresh waters of cavernous cenotes that some say were formed by the same asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Is this trip right for you?

  • Mexico's tropical climate can get really hot and humid. Wear loose clothing and always carry plenty of water with you and stay hydrated, especially on walking tours.

  • Try to learn as many Spanish words as you can. Locals are very friendly, but also shy, so you'll need to make plenty of effort to break the ice. Attempting to communicate in Spanish is a great way of showing you care.

Travellers swimming in hate Cenotes, Mexico
Kid climbing ruins in Tulum, Mexico
Local vendor with her fruit in Izamal, Mexico
Flamingos at the Celestun Biosphere, Mexico
Colourful buildings of Merida at night, Mexico
Churro street food vendor, Mexico
Horse carts in Izamal, Mexico
Chicen Itza ruins, Mexico

Itinerary
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Welcome to Playa del Carmen, Mexico! Today is an arrival day and there are no activities planned until the welcome meeting at 5 pm this evening. Look out for a notice in the hotel reception for more details on this meeting. After the meeting, consider going out for an optional dinner at a nearby restaurant to get to know your fellow travellers.

If you’ve arrived early and have some time to kill, there’s plenty to see and do in Playa del Carmen. You and your family might like to spend some time snorkelling among the mangroves, diving into underground caverns or strolling along the white sandy beaches. For an adventure further afield, consider taking a ferry across to Cozumel and enjoying some of the famous reef diving it has to offer.
Meals Included
  • Dinner
Special Information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details for each member of your family. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Today, you’ll head down the coast for a daytrip to the Tulum archaeological site, the sprawling walled grounds of a well-preserved ancient Maya city backed by the Caribbean Sea. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya and stood at the height of its progress during the 13th and 15th centuries and stood for about 70 years after the Spanish occupation began. Get the lay of the land on a guided tour with your leader in the morning, and then spend the afternoon either at the beach or stay in town to perhaps rent some bikes and explore. Return to Playa del Carmen later in the day for a free evening to spend how you’d like.
Included Activities
  • Tulum - Archaeological Site (entrance fee, no guide)
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s driving time is approximately 2 hours total.

Head inland today to Izamal, stopping first at Laguna Chabela where you’ll meet a local Maya family with deep roots in this small town. On a tour of their farm, you and the kids will see what they grow and learn how they live off the land. You’ll even get the chance to learn how to make Coba-style tortillas and enjoy a traditional lunch.

Onwards to Izamal, you’ll pretty quickly understand why some call it the City of Yellow as you arrive among the many yellow ochre buildings. Take in the town on an orientation walk with your leader and enjoy some free time to explore the town further or have a swim at the hotel.
Included Activities
  • Laguna Chabela - Mayan homestead visit
  • Laguna Chavela - Tortilla making demonstration
  • Laguna Chavela - Home cooked lunch
  • Izamal - Leader-led orientation walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s driving time is approximately 3.5 hours.

Begin travelling towards Merida, the vibrant capital of the state of Yutacan. Along the way, make a stop at a freshwater cenote for a refreshing dip in a next-level swimming hole. There are hidden cenotes dotted all over the Yucatan peninsula – natural sinkholes created when underground limestone collapses and exposes the groundwater beneath. It’s believed that the peninsula’s vast network of sinkholes responsible for these cenotes is a result of an asteroid that crashed here over 66 million years ago. That asteroid is also believed to have wiped dinosaurs off Earth.

Merida bridges very different cultures, perhaps best absorbed from the city’s focal point – the Plaza de la Independencia, which is surrounded by colonial-era buildings, many of which built from stones from the Maya temples that were here before. Join your leader for an orientation walk and stop to buy some sweet marquesitas from a street vendor. Native to Merida, this crepe-like pastry is filled with caramel, jam, chocolate or cheese and rolled up like a taco.
Included Activities
  • Yaxunah - Cenote visit and swim
  • Merida – leader led orientation walk
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s driving time is approximately 1 hour.

In the morning travel west to the Gulf of Mexico coast and take a boat ride to visit the Celestun Bird Sanctuary and Biosphere reserve, home to vast flocks of flamingos, herons and more than 200 different bird species. Near the extensive beaches lined with coconut trees, you’re likely to witness the magnificent sight of thousands of flamingos painting a pink streak across the landscape. Once you return to Merida, you’ll have some free time to relax. Perhaps take a swim in the hotel pool or embark on one last walk around the town.
Included Activities
  • Merida - Celestun Biosphere Reserve tour
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Special Information
Today’s driving time is approximately 3 hours total.

Say farewell to Merida to make the return to Playa, but not without a stop at Chichen Itza, UNESCO World Heritage Site and possibly the most famous Maya temple site in all of Mexico. Marvel at the temple of Kukulkan standing high over the ruins, then explore the nearby ‘ball court’. Disputes were typically settled here by way of a ball game that only used the elbows, hips and wrists – stone carvings depicting violence suggest that it wasn’t a casual or friendly sport. After your visit, you and your family will get to know a local family over a special lunch in the town of Piste. Here you will enjoy a pibil feast, a traditional Maya style of cooking that involves wrapping food in banana leaves and barbecuing it underground.
Included Activities
  • Chichen Itza - Archaeological site
  • Chichen Itza - Home-cooked pibil lunch
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
Special Information
Today’s driving time to Chichen Itza is approximately 1.75 hours, and onwards to Playa del Carmen approximately 2.5 hours.

Today marks the final day of your Mexico adventure and you’re free to depart with your family at any time. If you need another day by the beach, consider booking additional accommodation. Alternatively, the airport in Cancun is approximately a 1-hour drive away and we can pre-book a departure transfer for you and your family.
Meals Included
  • Breakfast
Want to tailor this itinerary?

Meals

6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner

Transport

Private mini bus

Accommodation

Hotels (6 nights)

Included activities

  • Tulum - Archaeological Site (entrance fee, no guide)
  • Laguna Chabela - Mayan homestead visit
  • Laguna Chavela - Tortilla making demonstration
  • Laguna Chavela - Home cooked lunch
  • Izamal - Leader-led orientation walk
  • Yaxunah - Cenote visit and swim
  • Merida – leader led orientation walk
  • Merida - Celestun Biosphere Reserve tour
  • Chichen Itza - Archaeological site
  • Chichen Itza - Home-cooked pibil lunch

Dates & availability

Trip departures are unavailable.

There are currently no scheduled departures on our Mexico Family Holiday trip. If you are interested in other trips in the region visit one of the links below.

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Important notes

1. Please note that these trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you.
2. Minimum age: 5 years old. Please note that anyone aged under 18 must be accompanied by (and share accommodation with) a parent or legal guardian.
3. A discount of 10% applies on this trip to children 17 or younger at the time of travel.

Essential trip information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

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