✓ Verified experienceIsla Holbox · Playa del Carmen · Tulum · Bacalar · Back to Cancún · Cancún · Return
13 days
The trip in one paragraph
Mexico with 2 couples — Holbox, Playa del Carmen, Tulum & Cancún (12 days)
12 days for 2 couples split between quiet nature (Holbox), nightlife and food (Playa del Carmen, Tulum), and a Mexican New Year's Eve — flights, stays and transfers verified in real time.
Day 1 / 13
Arrival & total calm
Wed Dec 23Wed Dec 23
Isla Holbox
Arrival & total calm
Flight YOW→CUN, then a private transfer to Chiquilá (~2h drive) and a ferry (25 min) to Holbox — a car-free island with sand streets and golf carts. Check-in, first sunset at Punta Cocos, a light dinner. No aggressive nightlife here: this is the decompression chamber of the trip.
Thu Dec 24
Isla Holbox
Boat, flamingos & Nochebuena
Boat trip to Isla Pájaros (bird reserve, flamingos in season) and the sandbars of Punta Mosquito. In the evening: Nochebuena — the real Mexican Christmas Eve dinner happens on the 24th, at Ser Esencia or Piedrasanta. After dinner: a night swim in the bay to see the bioluminescent plankton.
Fri Dec 25
Playa del Carmen
Transfer & a quiet day
Ferry + ~3h drive (bypassing Cancún), arriving in Playa in the afternoon. December 25th is a quiet day in Mexico — check-in, an evening walk on Quinta Avenida.
Sat Dec 26
Playa del Carmen
Cozumel
Ferry (45 min) — snorkeling on the Palancar reef, among the most beautiful in Mexico. Back in the late afternoon, a free evening on Quinta Avenida.
Sun Dec 27
Playa del Carmen
Quinta Avenida & last night in town
A day at Mamita's Beach Club or Kool Beach, shops and the market on Quinta in the afternoon. Last evening: dinner then cocktails on a rooftop (Fives, Rooftop 28 or Alessia Rooftop) before heading up to Tulum.
Mon Dec 28
Tulum
Transfer via Akumal
Akumal sits right on the Playa→Tulum route: a morning stop to swim with the turtles, then a 30-min drive to the Airbnb (La Veleta / Aldea Zama area — private pool, 2 bedrooms). End the day at a beach club for sunset.
Tue Dec 29
Tulum
Ruins & Sian Ka'an
Tulum's archaeological site right at opening (8am) — the only Mayan ruins facing the sea. In the afternoon: a boat trip through the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, near-empty canals and lagoons.
Wed Dec 30
Tulum
Muyil & quiet cenotes
Muyil ruins in the morning (a Mayan site deep in the jungle, almost no tourists) then Gran Cenote or Cenote Calavera for a swim. Evening: dinner at Gitano or Casa Jaguar — jungle-lounge vibe, mezcal cocktails, live music.
Thu Dec 31
Tulum
New Year's Eve
A quiet beach day. Evening options: Zamna Festival (electronic music, jungle night), Papaya Playa/Gitano/Vagalume (beach dinner show), or Quinta Avenida in Playa (free, street party). Fireworks on the beach at midnight.
Fri Jan 1
Bacalar
Transfer to Bacalar
A quiet morning in Tulum, then an ADO shuttle (~2h50) to Bacalar. Check-in at Villa Corsario — Suite Fragata, Loft Jungle Lagoon — on the shores of the Laguna de los Siete Colores. A swim in the lagoon at the end of the day.
Sat Jan 2
Back to Cancún
Bacalar → Cancún
A morning in Bacalar (lagoon, kayaking or a boat tour on the Canal de los Piratas), then an ADO shuttle to Cancún (~5h) in the afternoon. Check-in, a low-key evening.
Sun Jan 3
Cancún
Beach & one last big night
Taxi/shuttle to the Hotel Zone for the beach (Playa Delfines), or a trip to Isla Mujeres (the Airbnb is downtown). Evening: dinner at Lorenzillo's or Puerto Madero (lagoon view), then a big club (Mandala, Palazzo) to close out the trip.
Mon Jan 4
Return
Flight home
Transfer to CUN airport, flight back to Ottawa.
The real budget
What this trip actually cost.
Total per person
0~$3,229–3,829/person
Flight, real lodging and transfers included (Bacalar: transfers estimated) — $13,532 to $15,132 CAD for the 2 couples
Flight YOW–CUN (nonstop)
Porter Airlines, round trip NONSTOP (Dec 23–Jan 4), carry-on generally included: ≈ $1,015/person ($4,058 for 4, booked direct with Porter). Baggage-free, the cheapest basic fare (online travel agency, Air Transat codeshare) drops to ≈ $962/person ($3,846 for 4), with no carry-on or checked bag included. Google Flights rates this as a typical price (usual range $2,800-6,600 for 4). Checked Aug 10, 2026 — stable vs. Jul 29 (+1%).
≈ $1,015/person
Lodging (5 cities)
Holbox $670.44 + Playa $523.75 + Tulum $741.54 + Bacalar $218.75 + Cancún $383.69 — real confirmed prices
~$635/person
Ground transport
7 transfers (Cancún–Holbox, Holbox–Playa, Playa–Tulum, Tulum–Bacalar, Bacalar–Cancún, Cancún–airport) — 2 Bacalar legs are estimates (tickets not kept)
~$279/person
Food, activities, outings
$115–135/day/person on average × 11 full days
~$1,300–1,500/person
New Year's Eve (Dec 31)
Free on Quinta Avenida, or $200–400+ for Zamna/Papaya Playa/Gitano
$0–400+/person
ESTIMATED TOTAL
Flight, real lodging and transfers included (Bacalar: transfers estimated) — $13,532 to $15,132 CAD for the 2 couples
~$3,229–3,829/person
5 Airbnbs, each with its own feel.
6 routes, from cheapest to most comfortable.
1. Cancún Airport → Holbox (via Chiquilá)
Private shuttle (vehicle) ~$220 US/vehicle
2–2.5 h
2. Holbox → Playa del Carmen
Combined ticket (ferry + shuttle) ~$37–40 US/person
~2 h 30
3. Playa del Carmen → Tulum
Colectivo (shared van) ~$2.90 US
~1 h 30
4. Tulum → Bacalar
ADO shuttle (bus) ~$21–25 US/person
~2 h 50
5. Bacalar → Cancún
ADO shuttle (bus) ~$35–45 US/person
~5–5 h 30
6. Cancún (downtown) → Airport (flight day)
Private taxi, pre-booked online ~$34–45 US/vehicle
25–35 min
Tried, paid, rated.
Every address below was visited during the trip. The contacts are the ones used to book.
Isla Holbox4 addresses
Ser Esencia$$$$
Av. Damero (Calle Igualdad), Holbox — à l'hôtel Ser Casasandra
+52 984 115 9219 · reservations@casasandra.com
Piedrasanta$$$
Paseo Kuká esq. Jurel, Holbox
+52 984 217 3219 · contactoholboxpiedrasanta@gmail.com
Luuma$$$
Av. Damero 310, Holbox
+52 984 133 9518
Las Panchas$$
Calle Esmedregal, Holbox
Facebook/Instagram @las_panchas_restaurante
Playa del Carmen5 addresses
Alux Restaurant$$$
Av. Benito Juárez 217, Playa del Carmen
+52 984 206 1401 · aluxrestaurant.com
La Cueva del Chango$$
Calle 38 entre 5ta Av. y el mar, Playa del Carmen
(984) 147 0271
Fives Rooftop$$$
10 Av. Norte, Centro, Playa del Carmen
+52 984 242 0293 · info@fivesrooftop.com
Rooftop 28 (The Reef 28)$$$
1a Av. Nte & Calle 28 Nte, Playa del Carmen
+52 984 206 5150
Alessia Rooftop (Thompson Hotel)$$$$
Calle 12 Norte S/N, Playa del Carmen
+52 844 823 8100
Tulum7 addresses
Hartwood$$$
Carretera Tulum–Boca Paila Km 7,6
reservations@hartwoodtulum.com (résa via site uniquement)
Arca$$$
Carretera Tulum–Boca Paila Km 7,6
+52 984 177 2231 · arcatulum.com
Posada Margherita$$$
Carretera Tulum–Boca Paila Km 4,5
+52 984 801 8493 · reservation@posadamargherita.com
Gitano Jungle Lounge$$$
Carretera Tulum–Boca Paila Km 7,5
+52 984 745 9068 · events@gitano.com
Casa Jaguar$$
Carretera Tulum–Boca Paila Km 7,5
+52 998 222 2749
Batey Mojito Bar$
Calle Centauro Sur 7, Tulum Centro
Repérable à la Coccinelle verte garée devant
Taquería Honorio$
Satélite Sur S/N, Tulum
+52 984 134 8731
Cancún4 addresses
Lorenzillo's$$$
Blvd. Kukulcán Km 10,5, Zona Hotelera
+52 998 883 1254 · lorenzillos.com.mx
Puerto Madero$$$
Blvd. Kukulcán Km 14,1, Zona Hotelera
+52 998 885 2829
Mandala$$$
Blvd. Kukulcán Km 9,5, Zona Hotelera
mandalatickets.com/cancun
Palazzo$$$
Blvd. Kukulcán Km 9, Zona Hotelera
mandalatickets.com/cancun/disco/palazzo
Replay this trip on your dates.
Duplicate the itinerary, drop a stop, shift New Year's Eve. The prices and contacts stay.