Grand Circuit

Fly into Cancún and take ADO bus to Mérida (4 hours). Check in and acclimatise to the colonial capital that will bookend your journey.

• Fly into Cancún (CUN)
• ADO bus to Mérida (4 hours, ~US$18)
• Evening: Mérida's Plaza Grande

Stay: Mérida

Early ADO bus from Mérida (6:30 AM, 1.5 hours) to arrive at Chichén Itzá at opening (8 AM). Hire a licensed guide at the entrance for a 2.5-hour tour covering El Castillo, the Great Ball Court, the Observatory, and the Sacred Cenote. Continue to Valladolid by bus (30 min) and swim in Cenote Zací in the afternoon.

• Early ADO to Chichén Itzá
• 2.5-hour guided tour
• Afternoon: Valladolid and Cenote Zací

Stay: Valladolid

Rent a car or book a Puuc Route tour from Mérida (80 km south). Uxmal is the finest example of the Puuc architectural style — the Magician's Pyramid and the Governor's Palace are extraordinary. If time allows, continue to the smaller Puuc sites of Kabah, Sayil, and Labná. Return to Mérida before dark.

• Drive or tour to Uxmal (80 km south of Mérida)
• 3–4 hours at Uxmal
• Optional: Puuc Route (Kabah, Sayil)
• Return to Mérida

Stay: Mérida

ADO bus Mérida → Campeche (2.5 hours) for a brief stop at this walled colonial city, then continue to Palenque (5 hours). Long travel day — arrive in time for dinner.

• ADO bus: Mérida → Campeche (2.5 hours)
• Walk Campeche's fortified walls and historic centre (2 hours)
• ADO bus: Campeche → Palenque (5 hours)

Stay: Palenque town

Getting there: Total travel: ~8 hours including the Campeche stop. An overnight bus from Mérida is an alternative.

Full day at Palenque — one of the most beautiful Maya sites in existence. The Temple of the Inscriptions houses the tomb of Pakal the Great, one of Maya archaeology's defining discoveries. The Palace, with its unique four-story tower, and the Group of the Crosses temples complete a stunning complex set against jungle waterfalls. Afternoon visit to Misol-Há waterfall (20 km).

• 8:00 AM: taxi to Palenque ruins
• Temple of the Inscriptions, the Palace, Group of the Crosses
• Afternoon: Misol-Há waterfall

Stay: Palenque town

Combi from Palenque to Frontera Corozal (3 hours), then a boat up the Usumacinta River to Yaxchilán ruins — one of the most powerful Classic Maya cities, accessible only by water. Spend half a day at the site: carved stone lintels, howler monkeys in the canopy, and jungle so dense it muffles every sound. Then the most memorable border crossing on La Ruta Maya: a dugout boat back across the Usumacinta from Frontera Corozal to Bethel, Guatemala, navigating through jungle past cliffs and birds. Complete immigration at Bethel, then van onward to Flores (3–4 hours total).

• Combi to Frontera Corozal (3 hours)
• Boat to Yaxchilán (half day)
• Cross Usumacinta to Bethel, Guatemala
• Transfer to Flores

Stay: Flores

Pre-dawn minibus from Flores (4:30 AM, 1.5 hours) to reach Tikal at sunrise. Tikal is the most spectacular Maya city — Temple IV, the tallest pre-Columbian structure in the Americas, emerges above the jungle canopy as the howler monkeys call at dawn. Spend 5–6 hours exploring with a licensed guide, return to Flores in the afternoon.

• 4:30 AM: minibus to Tikal
• Full guided tour with dawn at Temple IV
• Return to Flores

Stay: Flores

All-day shuttle from Flores to Antigua (~10 hours). Passes through Guatemala City. Arrive in the evening.

• Full-day shuttle Flores → Antigua
• Arrive evening

Stay: Antigua

Getting there: Flores → Antigua shuttle: ~US$30–35. A long but comfortable day.

A full day in Antigua to explore the ruins of Santiago Cathedral, visit jade and textile markets, and optionally hike Volcán Pacaya (4 hours return, requires a guide).

• Cathedral ruins and jade market
• Optional: Volcán Pacaya hike (4 hours)
• Afternoon: cafés and colonial streets

Stay: Antigua

Shuttle Antigua to Copán Ruinas via El Florido border (6–7 hours). Arrive in Copán Ruinas and explore the town.

• Morning shuttle to Copán Ruinas (6–7 hours)
• El Florido border crossing
• Evening: explore Copán Ruinas town

Stay: Copán Ruinas

Full day at Copán — arguably the most artistically accomplished of all Maya sites. The Hieroglyphic Stairway contains the longest Maya inscription ever found. The stelae in the Great Plaza are carved with extraordinary portrait detail. Visit the Tunnel Tour to see temples buried under later construction. Afternoon at the Copán Sculpture Museum.

• Full day at Copán ruins
• Hieroglyphic Stairway, Great Plaza, Tunnel Tour
• Copán Sculpture Museum

Stay: Copán Ruinas

Bus or shuttle from Copán Ruinas west through Honduras to the El Salvador border (3–4 hours), then onward to Santa Ana or San Salvador. El Salvador is the least-visited country on La Ruta Maya — Tazumal and San Andrés are the main sites.

• Morning bus west through Honduras to El Salvador border
• Border crossing into El Salvador
• Arrive Santa Ana or San Salvador

Stay: Santa Ana or San Salvador

Getting there: CA-4 agreement: Honduras and El Salvador share entry. No visa needed for most passports.

Visit Tazumal — El Salvador's most impressive Maya site, part of the Chalchuapa archaeological complex. Though smaller than Mexico or Guatemala sites, Tazumal's stepped pyramid and small museum provide insight into the Maya presence in El Salvador and its connections to the wider network.

• Visit Tazumal ruins (Chalchuapa, 1.5 hours from Santa Ana)
• Chalchuapa regional museum
• Afternoon: pupusas in Santa Ana's central market

Stay: Santa Ana or San Salvador

Long transit day: bus or shuttle east through El Salvador and Guatemala to Belize City (12–14 hours including a stop in Guatemala City). Alternatively, fly San Salvador → Belize City (1.5 hours, via LATAM or Avianca). The flight is strongly recommended if budget allows.

• Recommended: fly San Salvador → Belize City (1.5 hours)
• Alternative: long overland route through Guatemala

Stay: Belize City or San Ignacio

Getting there: The flight saves an exhausting overland transit. LATAM and Avianca serve this route.

Bus or shuttle from Belize City to San Ignacio (2 hours). Visit Xunantunich ruins (2 km from San Ignacio town, reached by hand-cranked ferry across the Mopan River — a wonderfully local experience). The El Castillo pyramid offers sweeping views across the Mopan Valley into Guatemala. Afternoon in the town's Saturday market (if applicable) or canoe on the Macal River.

• Bus Belize City → San Ignacio (2 hours)
• Afternoon: Xunantunich via hand-cranked ferry

Stay: San Ignacio

Guided tour from San Ignacio to Caracol (80 km, 2.5 hours on a mountain road). Caracol was the largest Maya city in Belize and defeated Tikal in 562 AD — a victory recorded on a 'Star War' monument. The jungle setting is spectacular and wildlife is abundant. Return to San Ignacio in the afternoon.

• 7:00 AM: guided tour departs San Ignacio
• Full day at Caracol
• Return to San Ignacio

Stay: San Ignacio

Bus from San Ignacio to Belize City (2 hours), then water taxi to Caye Caulker (45 minutes). Two nights on the cayes for rest and snorkelling before the return to Mexico.

• Bus San Ignacio → Belize City
• Water taxi to Caye Caulker
• Afternoon: snorkelling, swimming, relaxing

Stay: Caye Caulker

Rest day on the cayes. Optional: full-day snorkelling tour to the Belize Barrier Reef or to Shark Ray Alley.

• Snorkelling at the Barrier Reef or Split
• Seafood lunch: lobster (in season) or fresh barracuda
• Afternoon: hammock, swimming

Stay: Caye Caulker

Water taxi back to Belize City, then express bus to Chetumal (Mexico) via the northern border (3 hours). Stop at Bacalar — the 'Lake of Seven Colours' — for the night, a stunning turquoise lake in southern Quintana Roo.

• Water taxi Caye Caulker → Belize City
• Express bus Belize City → Chetumal border
• Mexico entry at Santa Elena border
• Bacalar: swim in the lake at sunset

Stay: Bacalar

Getting there: Bacalar is a hidden gem — the lake is extraordinary. One night minimum.

Bus from Bacalar to Tulum (2 hours). Visit Tulum ruins in the afternoon. Final Caribbean evening.

• Bus Bacalar → Tulum (2 hours)
• Afternoon: Tulum ruins
• Evening: beach dinner

Stay: Tulum

Colectivo or ADO bus from Tulum to Cancún airport (1.5–2 hours). The Grand Circuit is complete.

• Morning: final cenote swim (Dos Ojos or Gran Cenote)
• Colectivo/ADO to Cancún airport
• Depart

Getting there: Allow 3 hours before your flight for the Tulum–Cancún transfer.