From Cancún · Riviera Maya
Day trips from Cancún
Mayan ruins by the sea and deep in the jungle, cenotes for swimming, white-sand islands and colonial towns: from Cancún, the Yucatán Peninsula offers day trips so you don’t have to repeat the same beach.
Updated 20 October 2026 · How we make our guides
Islands and coast
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MexicoIsla Mujeres
Twenty minutes away by ferry: Playa Norte, turquoise water and the island explored by golf cart.
What to see in Isla Mujeres -
MexicoPlaya del Carmen
Fifth Avenue, beaches and the ferry to Cozumel, an hour away by road.
What to see in Playa del Carmen -
MexicoTulum
Mayan ruins on a cliff above the Caribbean and cenotes nearby, about two hours away.
What to see in Tulum -
MexicoHolbox
A car-free island with sandy streets and whale sharks in summer. It is about three hours away including the ferry: better to stay the night.
Whale sharks, June to September
What to see in Holbox
Mayan ruins and colonial towns
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MexicoChichén Itzá
The pyramid of Kukulcán and one of the most impressive Mayan cities, a World Heritage Site, about two and a half hours away.
What to see in Chichén Itzá -
MexicoValladolid
A colonial town of colourful houses with cenotes on the outskirts, which combines well with Chichén Itzá.
What to see in Valladolid -
MexicoBacalar
The Lagoon of Seven Colours, with blue and turquoise water. It is about four hours away: better with a night there.
What to see in Bacalar
Frequently asked questions
What day trips can you take from Cancún?
Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Chichén Itzá and Valladolid in a day; and Holbox or Bacalar better with a night.
How do you get to Chichén Itzá from Cancún?
By car, in about two and a half hours, or on an organised tour that usually includes a cenote and Valladolid. Arrive early, before the heat and the groups.
When is the best time to go?
December to April, in the dry season. June to November is hurricane season, and in summer more sargassum reaches some beaches.
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Reviewed 20 October 2026. Dates and seasonal warnings: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.
Cover photo: Daniel Schwen (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.