Top Mexico Budget Trips & Packages In 2025/2026

Highlights

• Spend three days exploring the island paradise of Caye Caulker – munch on barbecued lobster, snorkel around a coral reef, nap under palm trees, go kayaking or just kick back with a couple of worry-free beach days.
• See some of the most significant remnants of the ancient Maya civilisation – plus an array of local wildlife, including coatis and howler monkeys – during a guided tour of Tikal National Park.
• Get to know contemporary Maya life during a homestay in San Juan La Laguna – a lakeside village where you can share meals and conversation with a local family and see how they harvest their local medicinal plants.
• Wander between stalls of rainbow handicrafts, fruits and flowers in the popular and colourful Chichicastenango Market.
• Cruise up the Rio Dulce to your waterfront jungle lodge, where you’ll head out on a birdwatching walk and relax while the sounds of nature fill the air.

Highlights

• Explore the stunning Maya temples of Palenque and stroll through Chichen Itza, with local experts at both sites explaining their storied history.
• Visit the community of San Pedro Tlahuac, home to Nahuatl descendants, and enjoy a lunch made with produce picked fresh from a chinampa farm.
• Wander market stalls, relax in public parks and sample the enticing Mexican eats of Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca.
• Escape the Mexican heat in the highlands of San Cristobal de las Casas and explore surrounding villages where traditional customs and roots are thriving.
• Share Yucatecan specialties with locals then finish off your journey in the beachside hub of Playa del Carmen.

Highlights

• Kick off your adventure with a taco crawl in Mexico City – your chance to try the authentic version of one of the most popular dishes in the world.
• Get hands on with a market visit and cooking class with a local chef in Oaxaca and learn about a signature Mexican drink at a mezcal tasting session.
• Visit the community of San Pedro Tlahuac, where Nahuatl descendants preserve traditions from pre-Columbian times, including chinampa farming, fiestas and ceremonies from ancient days.
• Dig into the culture and history of Mexico during a walking tour of Mexico City’s historical centre and a visit to the ancient Mitla ruins.
• Get to the source of some of the nation's most iconic foods, including churros, barbacoa, tamales, tortillas, elotes and mole.

Highlights

• Wander the UNESCO World Heritage site of Teotihuacan and see the archaeological site’s ruins that predate the Aztec Empire by more than 1000 years.
• Visit a local black pottery studio and learn about the secret history of this artform – watch a demonstration using this ‘pottery of the night’ and support the locals who hold this tradition in such high regard.
• Tour the colourful local markets of Oaxaca. Follow your nose to find the Pasillo de las Carnes Asadas, choose your favourites and load it up with guacamole, salsa and fresh tortillas for a classic Oaxacan lunch.
• Soak up a full free day in Oaxaca to explore the city at your own pace, take a cooking class or venture into the countryside to see some local villages and mezcal distilleries.
• See the ancient ruins of Monte Alban – a UNESCO World Heritage site that tells the story of the Olmec, Zapotec and Mixtec peoples.

Highlights

• Gaze in wonder at the jungle-shrouded limestone temples of Tikal, one of the most impressive Mayan sites in the whole of Central America, as howler monkeys call from the canopy.
• Relax and recharge on the white sands of Caye Caulker, a tiny Belizean island made for beach BBQs, snorkel trips and lazy afternoons spent swinging in a hammock.
• Explore Livingston: a one-of-a-kind riverside town where the local culture is heavily influenced by the Afro-Caribbean Garifuna population.
• Walk along cobblestone streets and shop for local handicrafts in the tiny inland island town of Flores.
• Dig deeper into Mayan history – visiting lesser-known ruins and a mystical Mayan cave complex – around San Ignacio, a vibrant market town near the Belize-Guatemala border.

Highlights

• Revel in the beach vibes of Playa del Carmen.
• Explore ancient Maya ruins and pyramids at Tulum and Chichen Itza.
• Discover the charm of Merida’s leafy plazas, captivating museums and vibrant city streets.
• Meet local Maya families and learn how to make your own tortillas and dine on a pibil feast baked underground.
• Swim in the crystal-clear fresh waters of a cenote, one of many that some say were formed by the same asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Highlights

• The stars of this trip are the dramatic and varied landscapes of lush Central America. Active volcanoes, ancient ruins, idyllic beaches and emerald jungles – this trip has got you covered.
• Escape the Mexican heat in the highlands of San Cristobal de las Casas. This old-world town is surrounded by indigenous villages that have retained their traditional customs and roots.
• Get to know contemporary Maya life during a homestay in San Juan La Laguna, a village sitting on the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, where you can share meals and conversation with a local family.
• Clear sea perfect for swimming, shacks serving cold cerveza and sandy shores covered in starfish are waiting in Panama's Bocas del Toro, where you spend three nights on Isla Colon.
• Hike, cycle or zip-line through the steamy cloud forests of Monteverde in Costa Rica – there’s so many ways to experience the lush canopies and unique Central American wildlife.

Highlights

• Cruise around Bacalar’s Lake of Seven Colours during a boat tour, leaping into the stunning blue water for refreshing swims along the way.
• Escape the crowds and take a refreshing dip at Yokdzonot, a lesser-known cenote in the heart of the Yucatan managed by the local Maya community.
• Travel to Tulum and explore the archaeological site of Mayan ruins with a local guide. Then, enjoy some free time to find the best snorkelling spots or local bars.
• Experience Chichen Itza – one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Your tour of the ancient ruins includes a visit to the nearby Piste community and a traditional lunch.
• Sip zingy margaritas, munch on local cuisine and soak up as much culture and history as you can in Merida, Yucatan’s charismatic capital.