Multi-Day Routes Starting From Cancún

Cancún is a handy starting point for longer loops across the Yucatán Peninsula. This page sets out four routes, from a single night away up to five days, using the ferry, the Tren Maya and the road. All fares are 2026 figures in pesos, and several moved during the year, so treat them as planning numbers.

Route 1: three days, city, island and pyramid

  • Day 1, Cancún. Choose between the MUSA sculptures from a boat and the Museo Maya de Cancún with the San Miguelito ruins, which sit together at Km 16.5.
  • Day 2, Isla Mujeres. The Ultramar ferry from Puerto Juárez costs about 580 MXN round trip for a foreign adult and crosses in 20 to 30 minutes. Playa Norte and Punta Sur fill the day.
  • Day 3, Chichén Itzá. The ruins are about 200 km inland. Gates are open 08:00 to 16:00, and the single ticket costs 697 MXN for a foreign adult. Confirm the site is open before you set off, because it closed for about 13 days in 2026.

Route 2: four to five days on the Tren Maya

The Cancún Airport station is on Highway 180, and a free connecting bus serves it. Reported 2026 foreign fares are about 232 MXN to Playa del Carmen, about 620 MXN to Chichén Itzá and about 977 MXN to Mérida Teya. The Chichén Itzá journey takes about 2 hours 15 minutes.

A workable sequence runs like this:

  • Day 1. Train to Chichén Itzá and tour the ruins.
  • Night 1. Stay in Valladolid.
  • Day 2. Visit Cobá. Entry was about 209 MXN for foreign adults.
  • Day 3. Continue to Tulum, where the fee is roughly 200 to 300 MXN after the July 2026 change.
  • Day 4 or 5. Return to Cancún by road or train.

Transfers between stations and ruins are extra, so add them to the budget. The fare for the Chichén Itzá leg is described in a Posta report on Tren Maya prices .

Route 3: one night on Holbox

Holbox sits beyond the Chiquilá ferry dock. The boat ride is brief, whereas the drive from Cancún to Chiquilá is the long part of the journey, so sleep on the island. Whale-shark trips run only from 15 May to 17 September, using licensed boats. Nobody may touch the animals, and a sighting is never promised.

Route 4: one night on Isla Mujeres

Sleeping on the island lets you see Punta Sur and Playa Norte after the day-trippers have left. A daytime golf cart costs about 1,300 MXN. Sargassum can reach Playa Norte in any month, even though it is usually among the cleanest beaches in the area.

Limits and logistics

  • No road or ferry leads from Cancún to the Bahamas or Central America, so keep onward plans inside the Yucatán Peninsula.
  • Cozumel is a two-leg trip: go first to Playa del Carmen, about an hour south, then take the Ultramar crossing of 40 to 45 minutes.
  • Visitax is paid once when you enter Quintana Roo, about 285 MXN (about US$15), at visitax.gob.mx .
  • Hurricane season lasts through the end of November. Look at the National Hurricane Center and Mexico’s SMN before you book non-refundable stays.
  • Agree a taxi fare before you get in, or use a registered taxi.

Read more: day trips from Cancún , a 6-day plan and a 7-day plan . Rooms can be compared on Booking.com .