8 days on a trip in Oaxaca and Playa del Carmen

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If you are looking for a trip to Mexico but don’t know where to go, here is an idea for a trip to Oaxaca and Playa del Carmen. An eight-day trip where you will be able to understand the beauties that these states have for you.

On your trip to Oaxaca, you will have a tour of the city to know its history, streets, and culture. While on your journey to Playa del Carmen, you can enjoy its beaches and take a short walk through Tulum.

Let these two states make you fall in love with their beauty, culture, and delicious food. Then, in your free time, we can give you recommendations of places to visit or activities to do. Enjoy your trip to Oaxaca and Playa Del Carmen.

With Rutopia, you can enjoy these eight days of discovering Oaxaca and Playa del Carmen. Book your trip here.

Day Highlights Place
1 Arrival in Oaxaca, Free Time in Oaxaca Oaxaca
2 Historical Tour of Oaxaca City Oaxaca
3 Archeology and handicrafts in Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec Oaxaca
4 Oaxaca to Playa del Carmen by Oaxaca International Airport (OAX), Free Day in Playa del Carmen Oaxaca to Playa del Carmen
5 Classic Tulum Bike Tour with guided visit to Archeological Site of Tulum Playa del Carmen
6 Río Secreto: The Mayan Underworld Playa del Carmen
7 Free Day in Playa del Carmen Playa del Carmen
8 Playa del Carmen to Cancun, Departure Playa del Carmen to Cancún

Oaxaca tripDay 1: Arrival in Oaxaca, Free Time in Oaxaca

Transfer from Oaxaca International Airport to Oaxaca. Enjoy your trip in Oaxaca.
Arriving in Oaxaca, you will enjoy your free time. It is recommended to visit some museums such as the Textile Museum or the Museum of Cultures, with exciting exhibitions.

Visit the Ethnobotanical Garden, or enjoy a mezcalería in an outdoor café. Have a lovely afternoon in a café and enjoy the traditional chocolate drinks that Oaxaca has to offer.

In the evening, head into town for a drink at a trendy bar and then have a cup of esquite banquetero back at the hotel.

Oaxaca trip

Day 2: Historical Tour of Oaxaca

Spend some time exploring Oaxaca in your trip on a guided city tour as you discover this city’s rich cultural, historical, and gastronomic offerings.

The tour includes visits to the 16th-century Aqueduct, Garcia Vigil Street, and the Seminary of the Holy Cross. The latter studied both Benito Juarez and Porfirio Diaz, known as the hero of the French intervention and president for 31 years.

Further on, you will find the house where Juarez spent his adolescence, as well as the temple of Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

Afterward, you will arrive at the temple of Santo Domingo, home of the museum of cultures and the site that holds the treasure of the Seventh Tomb of Monte Alban. Don’t miss its impressive baroque decoration. Likewise, visit the Novo-Hispanic mansions on Alcalá Street, the Cathedral, and the Plaza de la Constitución with its authentic art nouveau kiosk and its colorful markets full of delicious aromas and flavors.

Oaxaca tripDay 3: Archaeology and handicrafts in Monte Albán, Arrazola, Cuilapam and Coyotepec

On your trip through Oaxaca, get ready for a morning full of archaeological sites, history, and Oaxacan handicrafts. First, you will visit the archaeological site of Monte Alban, the cradle of the Zapotec civilization.

The tour continues to the community of Arrazola, known for its alebrijes carving and painting workshops. Later, you will visit the ancient convent of Santiago Cuilapam. Finally, the trip ends in Coyotepec, where Doña Rosa is waiting to show you her black clay workshop.

Oaxaca tripDay 4: Oaxaca to Playa del Carmen via Oaxaca International Airport (OAX), Free day in Playa del Carmen

After a short drive to Oaxaca, you will transfer to Playa Del Carmen.

You will have a day at leisure to explore and get to know Playa del Carmen. Known for being in the heart of the Riviera Maya, it is teeming with various marine life, white sandy beaches, and impressive underwater caverns such as cenotes and rivers.

Suppose you like your trip to Oaxaca and Playa Del Carmen. Request your trip now

Day 5: Classic bike tour of Tulum with a guided visit to the archaeological site of Tulum.

You will ride quiet roads and forest trails through town to see the variety of natural, cultural, and historical attractions this town is famous for.

You will also dive into a refreshing cenote, learn about Mayan traditions and beliefs, the art of native beekeeping, and where to find the best tacos, mojitos, ice cream, and music in town.

Day 6: Rio Secreto: The Mayan underworld

Rio Secreto is a nature reserve located just minutes from Playa del Carmen.

You will have the opportunity to explore one of the greatest wonders of the natural world: one of the largest subway river systems in the world. Here, the history of the planet is written in thousands of geological formations. In addition, you can learn and connect with the culture as you swim and refresh yourself in its delicious freshwaters.

As you make your way through the caves, your guide will explain the history of the features and formations of this geological library.

Day 7: Free day in Playa del Carmen

A free day to explore the city of Playa del Carmen. You can stroll the streets, go to a bar, or relax on the beach. In the evening, we will recommend a local restaurant for you to enjoy the last dinner of your trip.

Day 8: From Playa del Carmen to Cancun for departure

You will be transferred from your hotel to the Cancun International Airport.
It is a 1 hour and 3-minute drive, where you will pass through Yucatecan villages and see a bit of the Caribbean Sea.

We hope you enjoyed your trip to Oaxaca and Playa del Carmen and liked the activities. Oaxaca has many histories and historical places to visit; fill yourself with its culture and delicious hot chocolate. In contrast, Playa del Carmen will make you connect with nature and give you some time to enjoy its delightful weather.

This itinerary is designed for you to enjoy a trip to Oaxaca and Playa del Carmen at your leisure and with our recommendations. Suppose you are interested in a trip like this and know what other activities these states offer. Then, tell us your travel idea here.

 

More than 1500 travelers, 5 stars in Tripadvisor

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Victoria O.

September, 2022
Two Weeks in Mexico
Seamless transfers, excellent hotels particularly in Mexico city and Puebla, combined with various cultural and food tours. Particular highlights were the cultural/food tours in Mexico city and Puebla (also including the anthropology museum in Mexico city), and the rural tours in Oaxaca where we visited textile workshops, mescal producers and participated in a cooking class using traditional equipment. Also, although we didn't need it, the on call remote assistance was reassuring. I would definitely recommend Rutopia.
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Kris S.

April, 2022
Enjoyed using Rutopia
Enjoyed using Rutopia (Marisol and Melina) to plan my trip to Mexico. Marisol helped me figure out the best options fand booked everything. Melina was my in country support. Rutopia (the company through Kim Kim) is great and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take the burden out of vacation planning. My son and I truly enjoyed the trip knowing everything was taken care of and we just had to have fun. Thanks!
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Melissa W.

July, 2022
Adventures in the Yucatán!
Such an amazing time in the Yucatán! Between floating in the mangroves to visiting Chichén Itzá to spending a whole day on the beach in El Cuyo, I couldn’t have planned a better trip without their help. Thank you so much for an unforgettable birthday vacation!! Simply amazing! Don’t think twice about having them help you plan your next vacation!
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Cat839

April, 2022
Great experience with this agency, totally recommend!
Great experience with this agency. Our tour in Mexico was perfect and organised with great passion and precision. Special thanks to Mel (our direct contact during the trip) for being super responsive and to Jorge Barbosa (our tour guide in Mexico City). Totally recommend this tour operator!
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Sue G

June, 2022
Mayan Site Tour in Yucatan Penninsula Mexico
Rutopia did an outstanding job with the arrangement and execution of a 9 day tour of Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. We provided Rutopia with the general parameters of the trip we wanted and they suggested an itinerary. After our approval, they set up the hotels, transportation within Mexico, and site tours. The hotels were good quality, and all of the drivers and tour guides showed up on time. We were very impressed with the quality of the tour guides and learned a lot on the trip. Jorge handled setting up the itinerary, and Melina handled the execution of the trip and was readily available via WhatsApp throughout the trip for any questions or issues. Melina was particularly helpful in changing our transportation arrangements to the airport at the last minute per our request. I would recommend Rutopia and would use them again for future trips.
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Varadarajan

July, 2022
Fantastic Will do it again
My wife and I had a fantastic holiday in Mexico thanks to Marisol, Ana, Teresa and their colleagues & partners. The entire itinerary and arrangements were put together in less than 4 days. What we really liked about Marisol & her team was that they were only a message or a phone call away for any query/suggestion, etc. The trip was bespoke to the extent that Rutopia had kept in mind about our interests, food habits & executed bookings, tours. They were also very flexible in catering to last minute changes/requests. The team took upon them to ensure that our entire trip was comfortable & safe by taking care of even small stuff that one normally finds out post getting to a place. We would definitely like to use their services again!!
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Elena R.

April, 2022
A literally perfect trip to the Yucatan peninsula
Tom and I knew we wanted to go to Mexico. We knew we wanted a little bit of culture, some wildlife, and maybe a splash in the ocean. That's it. With the vague and minimal information we gave them, Rutopia was able to put together a perfect trip for us. We had a flawless itinerary. It's so clear that Rutopia really cares about the communities (animals and humans) in Mexico. Everything we did and everywhere we stayed felt like they were helping us experience Mexico as authentically and respectfully as possible. It's almost impossible to pick a highlight, but top of the list has to be the day we shared with Enrique, a Mayan host who was unbelievably generous with us. He shared the community gardens, including history and background about the families that live in Nuevo Durango and other nearby communities. He showed us the neighborhood cenotes, Punta Laguna, Uma Nojoch Keej (a wildlife reserve), and more. We picked and prepared the plants as Enrique and his wife Blanca showed us the best way to cook them (and rescued us when we were pricked by the nopales!). We saw howler monkeys and spider monkeys in the wild which was very cool. That had to be the very best day, but every day was amazing. Sian Ka'an reserve was lovely, the Mayan ruins were spectacular, the snorkeling in Puerto Morelos was fabulous, the bicycle cenote tour was jaw'droppingly gorgeous. I'm waxing superlative but it really all was like a dream. Beyond the activities, the scheduling and pace was perfect for us. We felt like we really made the most of our six days, but with enough downtime to explore and enjoy at our leisure. From picking up our car at the airport to finding our accommodation, the logistics were very smooth at every interaction. Special shoutout to Melina who pretty much instantly helped us when we had any questions about the trip. We've never used a travel planning service like this before. But after this trip, we'll never go back to the old way!
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David

July, 2022
Journey to Mexico City, Cholula and Cuetzalan
We had a wonderful time. We started out in Mexico City with a 2 day tour filled with museums, food, and beautiful sights. We then went on to Cholula to experience the culture in a smaller town, see a local market, and eat traditional food. We finished the tour in a small town called Cuetzalan, where most people speak an indigenous language. All of our guides were great. Thank you for a memorable vacation!
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DaniEla

March, 2022
Just wonderful!
We had an amazing trip excellent organized by Jorge and supervised by Melina from Rutopia. We spent 10 days in Mexico, starting in Ciudad de Mexico where we visited the amazing Teotihuacan and then we flew to Yucatan for the amazing sites of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Ek Balam, Tulum, Merida, Valladolid and the great Island Holbox. The trip was perfectly organized, the hotels were very good, and the guides were carefully chosen. We highly recommend Rutopia and especially Jorge!
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Bikø J

November, 2021
Chiapas, Neri and her family
I traveled to Chiapas for an ecotourism experience with Rutopia and I liked it very much, the team responds very quickly to all questions and accompany the traveler throughout the experience, I missed my flight and they were very flexible to accommodate the entire itinerary, My destination was the lakes of Tziscao, where I was received by Neri with his family in very nice cabins next to a lake with incredible views and a magnificent tranquility, with them you make experiences of beekeeping and coffee and tours to nearby lakes, Montebello is a must! 100% recommended.
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Alexhcros1500

March, 2021
Super local agency
We have worked with Rutopia for several tours in Mexico in the Yucatán and Chiapas and we have never been disappointed. Authentic experiences, with locals, in magical places and off the beaten tourist track. Our contact Marisol was always super available and responsive, understanding and anticipating our desires. And she speaks very good French. I highly recommend Rutopia!
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Mikel D

April, 2021
The best moment lived in Mexico
We were traveling as a group of friends with nothing organized. We like to improvise and be able to find alternative plans to the conventional tourist routes. We arrived in Puerto Escondido - Mexico's paradise - and started looking for options. A Mexican friend recommended us to contact Rutopia and we did. We explained our way of traveling - which they quickly understood - and in a few hours they came to us with a perfect selection of activities. We chose one of them and the next day we found ourselves galloping through beautiful hills, crossing a small lagoon in canoes, bathing on an unspoiled beach at sunset and sipping freshly picked coconuts with some mezcal. We had dinner in the only hut on the beach, eating fish that had been caught that day from the lagoon. Then we went to see the luminescence of the placton with paddle canoes until we were surprised by one of the biggest and reddest moons I have ever seen in my life. We ended up sleeping in bamboo huts a few meters from the waves. There were no more than 5 huts on the miles of beach that we could see. And at ALL times with an exquisite treatment - sympathy, kindness and attention. This is just one of the plans we booked with Rutopia, which definitely changed the course of our trip. Without a doubt, I would repeat this experience in any place I would like to visit in Mexico. Viva Mexico!
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Claudia A

September, 2020
Super organization, great accommodations and nice team
The trip was perfectly organized, we were always exclusive or in very small groups and had freedom to do our own activities. All accommodations were fantastic and sustainable, the food almost always local and very good, we could always fill our Rutopia water bottles and travel as plastic free as possible. We were met at the airport and had assistance getting a rental car. After that, we traveled independently but had our fixed dates and reservations with Rutopia. It was the perfect mix!
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pascalrichard0304

March, 2020
Circuit in Yucatan
Discovering wonderful and surprising sites, Mayan communities with an unforgettable welcome, breathtaking landscapes, a very pleasant climate in the middle of March...and smiling people! A big thank you to Rutopia and his team for the elaboration of this ideal circuit, alternating nature, city life, simplicity and comfort. Thanks to Mélina for the follow-up during our trip. We don't speak Spanish well enough, and we appreciated having a French-speaking contact person who could be reached if necessary. We still have a lot to discover and hope to come back very soon, and with Rutopia without hesitation!
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Sabrina N

March, 2020
Perfect
For those who don't like to manage logistics like hotels, rental cars, activities. And above all, to have someone who speaks fluent French that we can reach at any time for the unexpected... You are in the right place! Thank you to Chloe for the preparation of our trip, to Melina our Ariadne's thread and Teresa for her welcome and help at the arrival and departure. A big thank you to Enrique and Blanca from Nuevo-Durango for their welcome, their smiles, their family, a lot of emotions at the time to leave you. Thanks to Mémo for your teaching of Mexican customs (Sian Ka'an) The Yucatan is a magnificent region. And the population is very pleasant. Only downside Holbox... Too much dust, too much smell of fuel oil, too much tourist. I will keep in memory these wonderful moments!
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