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El Rey archaeological site, Cancún

Itinerary · Cancún · Mexico

7 days in Cancún

A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Cancún, not crossing it.

Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team

Photo: Xe3osc, CC BY-SA 3.0

Quick answer

7 days is enough to see Cancún's highlights at a comfortable pace. Day 1: Playa Delfines (El Mirador) and Museo Maya de Cancún and San Miguelito. Day 2: El Rey archaeological site and Punta Nizuc snorkelling. Day 3: MUSA Underwater Museum of Art and Isla Mujeres. Base yourself in Northern Hotel Zone.

Key facts

Days
7
Sights covered
12
Day trips
2
Best base
Northern Hotel Zone
Book ahead
Swimming with whale sharks and Coco Bongo

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Playa Delfines (El Mirador) and Museo Maya de Cancún and San Miguelito

    Playa Delfines (El Mirador) and Museo Maya de Cancún and San Miguelito, then Coco Bongo in the evening.

    1. Morning

      Playa Delfines (El Mirador)

      Southern Hotel Zone · 2–3 hours · free.

    2. Late morning

      Museo Maya de Cancún and San Miguelito

      Southern Hotel Zone · 1.5–2 hours · low cost.

    3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cochinita pibil

      Downtown taquerías and market fondas, mostly in the morning; popular places often sell out by early afternoon.

    4. Evening

      Coco Bongo

      Arrive early; queues build fast at weekends and the show runs late into the night.

  2. Day 2: El Rey archaeological site and Punta Nizuc snorkelling

    El Rey archaeological site and Punta Nizuc snorkelling, then Parque de las Palapas in the evening.

    1. Morning

      El Rey archaeological site

      Southern Hotel Zone · 45 minutes · low cost.

    2. Late morning

      Punta Nizuc snorkelling

      Southern Hotel Zone · 2 hours · mid-priced.

    3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sopa de lima

      Yucatecan restaurants downtown and in Mercado 28, and many Hotel Zone menus.

    4. Evening

      Parque de las Palapas

      Come after sunset when the stalls are busiest, then walk to nearby Avenida Yaxchilán for dinner or a drink.

  3. Day 3: MUSA Underwater Museum of Art and Isla Mujeres

    MUSA Underwater Museum of Art and Isla Mujeres, then Punta Cancún (Party Center) in the evening.

    1. Morning

      MUSA Underwater Museum of Art

      Bahía de Mujeres · 2–3 hours · mid-priced.

    2. Late morning

      Isla Mujeres

      Isla Mujeres · Full day · low cost.

    3. Lunch

      Lunch: Poc chuc

      Yucatecan restaurants downtown and around Parque de las Palapas.

    4. Evening

      Punta Cancún (Party Center)

      Coco Bongo and other big clubs, bars with open-bar deals and late-night food around km 9.

  4. Day 4: Day trip to Chichén Itzá

    About 2.5–3 hours by car or bus each way. Getting there: Car, ADO bus or organised tour.

    1. Morning

      Travel to Chichén Itzá

      About 2.5–3 hours by car or bus (Car, ADO bus or organised tour); about 200 km.

    2. Day

      Chichén Itzá

      Arrive at opening to beat the heat and the tour buses, and combine it with a swim in a cenote and lunch in Valladolid.

    3. Evening

      Back in Cancún

      Dinner: try Panuchos and salbutes.

  5. Day 5: Swimming with whale sharks and Playa Chac Mool and Playa Gaviota Azul

    Swimming with whale sharks and Playa Chac Mool and Playa Gaviota Azul, then Downtown Cancún in the evening.

    1. Morning

      Swimming with whale sharks

      Caribbean Sea · Full day · expensive. Book with a licensed operator in advance; trips leave very early and can be cancelled in rough seas.

    2. Late morning

      Playa Chac Mool and Playa Gaviota Azul

      Punta Cancún · 2 hours · free.

    3. Lunch

      Lunch: Panuchos and salbutes

      Evening stalls in Parque de las Palapas and loncherías across downtown.

    4. Evening

      Downtown Cancún

      Local bars, live music and late restaurants around Avenida Yaxchilán and Parque de las Palapas.

  6. Day 6: Day trip to Tulum

    About 2 hours by car or bus each way. Getting there: Car, ADO bus or organised tour.

    1. Morning

      Travel to Tulum

      About 2 hours by car or bus (Car, ADO bus or organised tour); about 130 km.

    2. Day

      Tulum

      The town nearby has boutique hotels and beach clubs, and cenotes such as Gran Cenote are a short ride inland.

    3. Evening

      Back in Cancún

      Dinner: try Tikin xic.

  7. Day 7: Playa Langosta and Playa Tortugas and Isla Contoy

    Playa Langosta and Playa Tortugas and Isla Contoy, then Isla Mujeres town in the evening.

    1. Morning

      Playa Langosta and Playa Tortugas

      Northern Hotel Zone · Half a day · free.

    2. Late morning

      Isla Contoy

      Isla Contoy · Full day · expensive. Only licensed operators can land on the island and numbers are limited each day; book a tour a few days ahead.

    3. Lunch

      Lunch: Tikin xic

      Beach restaurants on Isla Mujeres and seafood restaurants in Cancún.

    4. Evening

      Isla Mujeres town

      Laid-back bars and beach clubs near Playa Norte and along Avenida Hidalgo.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Swimming with whale sharks, Coco Bongo and Isla Contoy before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 7 nights, Northern Hotel Zone keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Southern Hotel Zone ($$$$) suits luxury, couples, beach and families. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 36–48 hours of visiting over 7 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in December to 13.4 hours in June.

More or fewer days

Questions travellers ask

+Is 7 days enough in Cancún?

7 days is enough to see Cancún's highlights at a comfortable pace. How many days Cancún needs.

+What should I book before visiting Cancún?

Swimming with whale sharks, Coco Bongo and Isla Contoy.