7-Day Mexico Tour Packages
Could you fit Mexico's soul into a week? Explore Teotihuacan's pyramids imagining them in their prime, discover Puebla's charm, visit Oaxaca's Alebrijes artisans who make those crazy colorful animals, join a cooking class learning real Oaxacan food, tour Chichen Itza and swim in cenotes, wander colonial Valladolid, explore Uxmal and Kabah ruins, then collapse in Tulum. Mexico's artistic heart concentrated.
Insider tips: Recommended 7-day Mexico tour itineraries
Compiled by
NadineMexico travel expert at TourRadar
7 Days in Central Mexico, incl. Mexico City and Oaxaca
Mexican art and architecture tour visits three major cities. Two days in Mexico City exploring Frida Kahlo Museum, three days between Puebla and Teotihuacán pyramids, finishing with two days discovering Oaxaca's markets and artisan workshops. Includes daily breakfast and expert guides.
- Days 1-2
Mexico City
Begin your adventure in Mexico's bustling capital. Book Frida Kahlo Museum tickets ahead of time - "Tickets are limited and not sold in-person." While there, explore the surrounding Coyoacán neighborhood. Visit the Zócalo early in the morning before the crowds show up. Plan about 3 hours for the National Anthropology Museum to see everything properly.
- Day 3
Mexico City to Puebla
Get to Teotihuacan by 8 AM to avoid crowds and heat. The site has minimal shade, so bring water and sunscreen. After your visit, it's a 2-3 hour drive to Puebla. A recent visitor noted: "Getting to see these ancient pyramids and then ending in beautiful Puebla made for an incredible contrast of Mexico's past and present."
- Day 4
Puebla
Spend a full day exploring this UNESCO World Heritage city. Visit the local talavera pottery workshops - your hotel can point you to the best ones. Try the famous mole poblano for dinner. One traveler suggests: "Don't miss the lucha libre wrestling match at night—it's unexpectedly entertaining and a true local experience."
- Day 5
Puebla to Oaxaca
The 5-6 hour drive to Oaxaca goes through mountain roads. If you get motion sickness, sit up front and bring medication. Once you arrive, check out the markets and visit an Alebrijes workshop to see how these colorful wooden figures are made. A visitor shared: "The artisan demonstration was fascinating—seeing how they carve and paint these intricate figures really makes you appreciate the craft."
- Days 6-7
Oaxaca
Known for its food scene, Oaxaca needs time to properly explore. Take a morning cooking class to learn about mole (book ahead, costs about $60). Walk around the historic center and consider a trip to Hierve el Agua, the petrified waterfall. Keep in mind it's a rough 1.5-hour drive each way. One traveler noted: "I wish I had an extra day in Oaxaca—the allotted time wasn't enough to fully explore the food scene and surrounding sites."
7 Day Riviera Maya Itinerary, incl. Cancun and Tulum
Mexican coastal adventure featuring Cancun's beaches, UNESCO-listed Chichen Itza pyramids, Tulum's coastline, and Playa del Carmen's 5th Avenue. Includes 6 nights' accommodation, guided tours, and convenient transfers between locations.
- Day 1
Cancun
Your Riviera Maya journey begins in Cancun. The trip from the airport to the hotel zone typically takes 30 minutes but can hit an hour during busy afternoon traffic. Try to book morning flights since Cancun's airport gets packed after 2 PM with much longer immigration lines.
- Day 2
Chichen Itza Day Trip
Leave at 7 AM for Chichen Itza. The drive takes 2.5 hours each way but starting early helps you avoid the worst heat. "Our guide Frank was fantastic and really brought the history to life. The site gets incredibly hot by 11 AM, so bring plenty of water and a hat." Your tour includes lunch and a refreshing stop at a cenote to escape the Yucatan heat.
- Day 3
Cancun to Tulum
Take the ADO bus to Tulum from downtown Cancun. The ride is about 2 hours but add 30 minutes for your taxi to the bus station from the hotel zone. You'll need to choose between staying in Tulum's beach zone or town area. The beach is more scenic but costs more and taxis between the areas cost about $15 per trip.
- Day 4
Tulum
Visit the Tulum ruins when they open at 8 AM to beat the crowds. A recent visitor shared: "The early morning view of the ruins against the Caribbean Sea was breathtaking, but by 11 AM it became unbearably hot and crowded." Bike rentals cost around $10 per day and give you the freedom to find hidden cenotes and beach clubs along the coast.
- Day 5
Tulum to Playa del Carmen
The bus to Playa del Carmen takes about an hour. You can walk to most hotels from the centrally located ADO station near 5th Avenue. The bus stations often lack English-speaking staff so arrive 30 minutes early with your confirmation number ready.
- Day 6
Playa del Carmen
Take time to explore 5th Avenue and local beaches. The best beach spots are between Calle 2 and Calle 14 where you'll find wider sand and less seaweed. According to locals: "The best snorkeling is at Calle 28, but get there before 10 AM when the water is calmest."
- Day 7
Return to Cancun
Plan about an hour for the trip back to Cancun airport from Playa del Carmen. Book an afternoon flight to avoid morning traffic on Highway 307. Get to the airport 3 hours before international flights since security lines can get long especially during peak season.
Capitals of Mexico
The cultural route through central Mexico winds from Mexico City's Zócalo to Guadalajara's Mundo Cuervo distillery. Colonial gems like Pátzcuaro and UNESCO-listed Morelia await, with stays at Casa Blanca hotel. Daily continental breakfast and one traditional Mexican dinner included for approx. $120 per day.
Mexico 7 Day Tour Packages You'll Love
Mexico City to Oaxaca: Pottery & Aztec Pyramids
Riviera Maya Adventure 7D/6N
Capitals of Mexico
Mexico Yucatan Loop
Yucatan Quintana Roo Experience
Journeys: Mexico's Day of the Dead in Oaxaca National Geographic Journeys
Monarch Butterfly Tour in Mexico
Discover the heart and soul of Mexico - 7 days
Best of Mexico City & Oaxaca: Food, History, Culture & Artisans (7 days)
Geluxe: Central Mexico: Oaxaca to Mexico City (from Oaxaca to Mexico City)
What people love about 7-day Mexico tours
- Mexico City to Oaxaca: Pottery & Aztec Pyramids
While I mostly enjoyed my trip, there were a few issues that interfered with full enjoyment. I arrived in Mexico City one night ahead and when I went to my room, I saw it had a king sized bed. I called the front desk immediately to ask about this, since I was traveling as a single and was supposed to be sharing a room. The desk clerk, the same one who had checked me in, told me there's no mistake. I explained again and she became impatient, insisting this is how it was booked. The next night, after returning from a longer than expected round trip walk to a restaurant for dinner (and drinks) with the group, I was told I had to pack up (once I was told there was no mistake (I had unpacked quite a bit) and it would have to be tonight. I am an older person, was very tired and the walk had been a long one. I have foot and ankle problems and was having some pain after the walk which had been described as just a few blocks but was much longer. I checked with my roommate now that I knew who she was. She had also been there a day early. All of this could have been resolved the day before or earlier on this day. So I ended up staying in the room and paying the full cost for 3 nights, in addition to what I had paid for the trip including a room. There was no acknowledgement from the same hotel clerk who in fact was rude, and certainly no apology. The tour guide was not particularly understanding either. The "planned roommate" and I made the decision together. In Puebla I again paid for an individual room on top of what I'd already paid for the trip. When we arrived in Oaxaca we decided that we would share the room as planned. The room was not shareable for 2 strangers. There was no AC, no window, and the toilet was just a couple of feet away from one of the beds. The safe was broken. It was claustrophobic. After much confusion and negotiation with the desk staff ( a very helpful man), the roommate decided to go to another hotel and I had to pay extra. But the lack of appreciation for this situation and the changing plans that often didn't match what he'd said before, created a lack of trust in our tour guide and left us feeling frustrated and for me, exhausted. The other issues that I should mention for the sake of future travelers with this group, were the distances that we walked. I specifically asked before booking the trip about what the walking and terrain would be like so that I could decide if this was for me. I was told that walking would be fairly limited. But our guide had specific places, especially food markets where we frequently ate, that seemed like there was some sort of connection. Though we enjoyed these types of food places for a while, we eventually spoke up about wanting a different experience, especially in restaurants. The Pyramids were wonderful but I wish I had known how difficult they'd be for me to navigate. It didn't seem to me that our guide was under any understanding that there were limitations for some of us. But in the end I managed it all even if it meant going down the steps sitting down. Finally, one of my biggest frustrations was in the guide himself. There was much that was good, but his constant referencing to the superiority of the Spanish over the civilizations in Mexico, as well as some totally wrong characterizations and outdated wording about what occurred when the Spanish arrived was so off-putting for me, a student of history and anthropology, that I simply wandered away during these long lectures designed to uphold his own Spanish identity. I also got a sense of where he stood on certain aspects of politics, race and immigration in the US where I have lived since 1968. He believed that he knew more about it than I did and there were shades of racist ideology that let me know where he stood. I enjoyed meeting the people in the group, the transportation between cities was fine, and I have tons of amazing pictures. I would have like more options for a single person to do on free days but even that was satisfying. The guide was a nice man, informative in certain ways, funny and mostly a seemingly decent person, but the issues I've laid out here need to be taken into consideration.
- Yucatan Quintana Roo Experience
I hesitate beetween okay and good score. Good overview of maya civilization, very interesting. Some of typical towns like Merida was good to discover. But too much time lost beetween steps, long time passed to travel by bus. The bus was always confortable. 3 of 4 hotels we spent one or two nights were inacceptable regarding 3 stars annonced. Some night prices around 35 euros by checking on site, so not the quality we expect for the tour price. Only Reforma hotel in Merida was typical and charming. First hotel in Cancun was in a bad quarter. Last hotel Melina in playa del Carmen was horrible, and I didn't find at all my room similar to the internet pictures, so strange, I wouldn't tell my worst enemy to sleep in that kind of place. In addition hot water is an hasardous things in the 4 hotels. Globaly for this trip, many many extra paiements. And too much similar temples we visited. Some beaches we saw are so nice and clean and safe. Mexican yucatan nature, tropical plants are very interesting. Mexican tourist workers aren't the most kind of the World. But common people are gently. To extend the trip by our own funds, we added a day in the famous xcaret Park, we recommand that because of the main great evening show about popular mexican History. For a next time to Travel , I would prefer know the hotel choices before pay.
- Monarch Butterfly Tour in Mexico
You take this tour for the butterfly experience. Even though environmental factors made this year a lesser year the experience was awesome. The first sight we went to had no live butterflies. The scheduled second sight had no butterflies but they found us a place that had a lot of butterflies. To see so many butterflies was great. This tour is much less expensive than so many other options. The food, accommodations and tour guide/driver were very good. To get to the butterflies is a pretty significant hike at altitude, so make sure you can handle the physical demands. This tour also included anthropology and archeology components that were not our interest area. If you are booking for next year, ask questions about the number of butterflies relative to previous years and I would avoid the last weeks as the butterflies sometimes leave early, as they did this year.