Mexico Family Holiday

7 Days
From CAD 1492 Was CAD 1990
Best Rate
Guarantee
Trip Type
Small Group
Activity Level
Light

Rating

Experience Overview

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 Yokdzonot; 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.

Highlights

  • 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 on a pibil feast baked underground.
  • Swim in the crystal-clear fresh waters of a cenote, one of many that some say were formed by the same asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Trip Details

Product CodeProduct Code: 2460

Tour TypeTour Type: Small Group

AccommodationAccommodation: Moderate

TransportTransport: Private Mini Bus

Guide LanguageGuide Language: English

Travel StylesTravel Styles: Family

Supplier CodeSupplier Code: QMFA

StartStarts: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

FinishFinishes: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

DurationDuration: 7 days

DeparturesDepartures: Guaranteed

Physical RatingPhysical rating: Light

Includes

Meals: Breakfasts (6), Lunch (2), Dinner (1)
Accommodation: Hotels (6 nights)

Price

Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD 1492 (CAD 213 /day)

Itinerary

1
Day 1: Playa del Carmen

Welcome to Playa del Carmen, Mexico! A great destination for families, you may like to arrive early and explore the local area and some of the many activities on offer. Go snorkelling among the mangroves, relax on white sandy beaches or perhaps take a ferry across to Cozumel to experience some of the fantastic diving on offer. At 5pm you'll meet your group leader for an important welcome meeting at the hotel before heading to a nearby restaurant for an included dinner and the opportunity to get to know the other families travelling in your group.

Accommodation:

  • Hacienda Maria Bonita or similar (Number of Nights: 1)

2
Day 2: Tulum Day trip

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 (incl. entrance & national park fee - no guide)

Accommodation:

  • Hacienda Maria Bonita or similar (Number of Nights: 1)

3
Day 3: Izamal

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

Accommodation:

  • Hotel Tuul or similar (Number of Nights: 1)

4
Day 4: Merida

Today it's onwards towards Merida, the vibrant capital of the state of Yutacan.  Merida bridges very different cultures, which can perhaps be best absorbed from the city’s focal point – the Plaza de la Independencia. Here you are surrounded by colonial-era buildings, many of which were built with 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. Delicious! This rest of the day is free for you to enjoy as you like. 

Included Activities:

  • Merida – leader led orientation walk

Accommodation:

  • Hotel Dolores Alba or similar (Number of Nights: 1)

5
Day 5: Merida

After breakfast, we 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 and herons. The area is well-known as the first stop of the migratory path of birds heading from North to Central America. If visiting at the right time, you're likely to witness thousands of flamingos painting a pink streak across the landscape. A truly magnificent sight especially with the coconut trees lining the shore of the beachhes nearby. 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

Accommodation:

  • Hotel Dolores Alba or similar (Number of Nights: 1)

6
Day 6: Playa del Carmen

This morning we 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 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. Today you will also get the chance to cool off and swim in one of the many hidden cenotes – natural sinkholes created when underground limestone collapses and exposes the groundwater beneath, which are dotted all over the Yucatan peninsula. 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, the same one also believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. What makes the cenote we visit so special, apart from the lush greenery that surrounds it, is that it was developed by a group of local Mayan women as a sustainable and communally owned source of employment for people in their local community. 

Included Activities:

  • Chichen Itza - Home-cooked pibil lunch
  • Yokdzonot - Cenote visit and swim
  • Chichen Itza - Archaeological site (entrance fee, no guide)

Accommodation:

  • Hacienda Maria Bonita or similar (Number of Nights: 1)

7
Day 7: Playa del Carmen

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.

Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.

In Business Since 1989

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