5 Day Mexico Itinerary for When You Need a Freakin' a Break

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Sometimes, you just need a freakin' break. And that's totally okay! According to a Deloitte survey, 77% of respondents said they had experienced at least one episode of burnout. One of the best ways to cure burnout is to take a break from your work, open yourself up to new experiences, and reconnect with yourself. Ya girl gets burnt out on a regular basis (#overachieverprobs) and I found that travel is one of the best ways to get me back into a good spot. If you live in the United States, Mexico is a short flight away with many airports offering direct flights to the Yucatan Peninsula. That's where this 5 Day Mexico Itinerary will take you!

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Traveling to Mexico

The big international airports in the Yucatan are in Cancun and Cozumel (with one in Tulum coming in 2023!). For this itinerary, it is easiest to fly into Cancun. Most direct flights from the US are under 4 hours, which makes traveling to your relaxing vacation a breeze!

To get from Cancun to Tulum and the surrounding areas, you will need to either hire a taxi, rent a car, or arrange a transfer with your hotel. We chose to arrange a transfer with our hotel, which ended up being rather expensive and we had to wait over an hour after we arrived to get going. You can negotiate rates with taxis and transfer companies on arrival, so I would recommend doing that if you aren't renting a car. Make sure to agree on the rate with your driver BEFORE you get in the car. And shop around to get competing prices!

Things to Know About Mexico (specifically the Yucatan Peninsula)

General:

Mexico appears to be attempting to become a more eco-tourism destination but it still has a ways to go. Consider skipping sunscreen or only using reef safe before going into the water and opting for shade or UV resistant clothing to save the reefs! The abundance of beautiful cenotes and reefs will thank you 🤍

Major Cities in the Yucatan Peninsula:

Cancun, Cozumel, Tulum, Akumal, Valladolid, Playa del Carmen

Money Stuff:

The currency is the Mexico Peso, but USD is widely accepted. Make sure to bring cash (we almost forgot and Andrew had to run to the ATM at about 4 in the morning before we left!) but don’t stress about changing USD to Peso unless you find somewhere that doesn’t actually accept USD.

Languages:

Speaking some Spanish is helpful, but you can get away with English most of the time. If you want to practice or fine tune your Spanish skills, a 5 day Mexico Itinerary is the perfect time!

Safety:

I felt very safe at our all inclusive resort. They had a ton of security and lots of people working at all hours. Every other resort we went to around there was the same. Staying in Tulum Center might be different depending on the location, so read reviews of any hotel you decide to stay at there!

lacey stands next to a green street sign that reads follow that dream in front of a store by tulum beach

Lacey at the Follow That Dream sign near Tulum Beach

Where to Stay on a 5 Day Mexico Itinerary

All Inclusive Resorts

We stayed at Bahia Principe Sian Ka'an in Akumal, and it was my first time staying at an all inclusive resort! I really liked the idea of being truly able to take a break from thinking about where to eat, getting from place to place, and being able to kick back and relax if I wanted to. We stayed in a Penthouse Suite which also had a hot tub! It was an amazing addition and perfect to soak in after a long day of exploring. We loved going out at night after the stars had come out too and relaxing under the night sky!

I also loved how intimate the property felt. You are able to also visit the other Bahia Principe resorts (they take you via golf carts!) and Sian Ka'an was definitely my favorite out of all of them. Everywhere you went you were surrounded by the lush jungle! I felt like I was truly away from the world walking through the resort.

However, the food was not as great as I was hoping for a 5 Star resort. Everything was smothered in butter or oil, which is not great if you try to maintain a healthy diet like me! However, the fresh fruit and sushi were amazing so I loaded up my plate with those every time! At night, the on site fine dining restaurants had gluten free options for me, so that was an added bonus!

Also, some of the excursions we wanted to do were more expensive. We either had to arrange pickup with the tour company (usually from one of the other bigger Bahia Principe resorts nearby) or the concierge would call a taxi for you ($$$). The hotel can arrange tours for you as well, but you don't have as much control over which companies they pair with. So if you want to choose companies that are more eco-friendly, you want to book separately.

Summary of Pros and Cons at All Inclusive Resorts

So, pros of staying at an all inclusive resort: don't have to think about anything, safe and luxurious place to stay, you know how much you will spend on food + lodging up front, and free alcohol

cons: food may not be fantastic, more expensive to get to excursions/cenotes/Tulum, and they are farther away from popular spots

a neon sign outside a shop in tulum beach reads your vibe attracts your tribe

Staying outside Tulum vs in Tulum on a 5 Day Mexico Itinerary

If you chose to stay outside of Tulum at an all inclusive resort, you definitely get an added safety bonus. The gates were tightly controlled to each resort we went to, and they kept a log of visitors too. As I mentioned above, it does take longer and cost more to get to more popular spots in the area. So if you are really interested in being close to the most popular spots, and plan on following this 5 Day Mexico Itinerary closely, you might want to skip the all inclusive resorts.

We didn't stay in Tulum, so what I am about to say is what I have heard from other people who visited. The more Westernized parts of Tulum are nice and fairly safe, however there have been shootings of tourists in Tulum over the past few years. These are not directly targeted attacks, but usually due to tourists caught in the crossfire. As with any destination, keep your eyes open, valuables hidden, and listen to your intuition!

So TLDR: if you are an anxious traveler and/or just want a freakin' break, stay at an all inclusive resort outside of Tulum

5 Day Mexico Itinerary Breakdown

Mexico is a wonderful country with so many places to explore. This itinerary covers the lower Yucatan Peninsula. My recommendation for anxious travelers is to travel slower, and this 5 Day Mexico Itinerary is low key and doesn't involve much moving around!

Day 1: Arrival + Beach Time

a white sign spells love sitting on top of the sand facing the blue ocean. the human sized letters take up a lot of space and a woman stands on one end

When you fly into Cancun, you will have to drive to your resort (see above for more info). If you get there mid day like we did, check into your hotel and head to the beach to kick off your freakin' break!

Make sure to bring a hat, UV resistant clothing/coverup, sunglasses, and a good book! The resorts usually have beach chairs, loungers, umbrellas, and a bar right on the beach so you can kick back and relax.

Our resort scheduled dinners for us, so we headed back to our rooms to change and spent the rest of our evening in our rooftop hot tub. Talk about a relaxing first day!

Day 2: Cenote Jardin del Eden + Cenote Azul

Cenote Jardin del Eden

I did a lot of research on the cenotes I wanted to see before we went. I looked for less popular/touristy ones so I would be able to relax even more. They all get quite busy mid day, so if you really want to avoid the crowds, go early in the morning or late in the afternoon!

You are expected to shower before going to the cenotes. You are also NOT allowed to wear sunscreen. That is because sunscreen damages the biosphere in the water and disrupts the ecosystem. Opt for UV resistant clothing when you are out of the water to avoid sunburn!

My favorite of the trip was Cenote Jardin del Eden. It truly looked like the Garden of Eden to me! So lush and quiet and definitely the place to go for snorkeling (especially scuba diving if you are certified!).

We went to Cenote Azul afterwards and by that time it was fairly busy. Cenote Azul has smaller pools spread throughout the complex which is what really appealed to me. If you wander through the jungle, you might get lucky like we did and stumble upon one you can have all to yourself!

the pristine clear blue waters in a small cenote surrounded by lush palms and gray rocks. it is peaceful and tranquil

Small Pool at Cenote Azul

Day 3: Cenote Calavera + Spa Day

Visiting Cenote Calavera is a holey experience. It is literally 3 holes in the ground shaped like a skull (now do you get my joke?). You can jump off the edges into the water or climb down a giant ladder. It is super instagrammable and you can find pictures of it all over! I also loved the murals at the entrance and the colorful chairs and hammocks spread out around the holes. This was the busiest cenote we went to by far. Again, off peak hours are your friend if you want to avoid the crowds!

Cenote Calavera was the farthest cenote from our resort because it was right outside of Tulum. If you are interested in checking out Tulum, you could easily explore it after you visit Calavera.

And no freakin' break vacation is complete without a spa day IMHO. Our resort had an on site spa where Andrew and I got a couples aromatherapy massage. Afterwards you can hang out in your rooftop hot tub until it is time for dinner!

the vibrant rainbow entrance to cenote calavera on 5 day mexico itinerary is a must do

a small two story building covered in vibrant colorful murals depict a black jaguar, dancing couple, and rainbow colors

vibrant murals line the walls in cenote calavera. the mural depicts a jaguar prawling through the jungle towards at green and blue tucan.

a white and rainbow colored pyramid at the front entrance to cenote calavera. the vibrant colors form animals trailing down the pyramid.

cenote calavera mid day has many people jumping off the sides of the holes into the deep blue water below. this fun activitiy is perfect to add to a 5 day mexico itinerary

Day 4: Snorkeling Excursion

There are so many snorkeling excursions, so you can pick one from a website like Expedia, Viator, and TripAdvisor or you can ask your resort to arrange one for you. Most will pick you up from your resort and take you to a meeting point where you will boat to snorkeling spots. We opted for a half day tour, but you could do a full day excursion as well.

If you do go snorkeling, please use reef safe sunscreens or skip it all together to protect the coral! On our excursion, I noticed there were so many corals already starting to bleach (we also happened to be there on the day we had Earth Hour 2022, which made me extra conscious and extra sad). If you snorkel around Akumal, you have a high chance of seeing sea turtles and rays! We were lucky and saw two huge rays swimming not too far away.

After our excursion, we rested in our room before heading out for some sunset/golden hour beach time.

a sea turtle beneath the waves in the gulf of mexico's blueish green crystal clear waters

Sea turtle beneath the water

Day 5: Tulum Jungle Gym, Tulum Beach, Tulum Archaeological Zone

If you love working out, you will LOVE the Tulum Jungle Gym. It is straight out of the Flintstones! I loved that everything there was made from natural materials like bamboo and stone. It was right on the beach, so like workout with a view! They do have a capacity limit, so we ended up having to wait about 20 minutes before going in. There are a lot of people who go just to take pictures as well. At the time of writing, the cost to enter was 30 USD per person. Totally worth it to get the coolest workout of your life!

Pro tip: you have to walk into the Ahau Hotel and out to the beach to get to the gym. There is no street access!

a wooden sign posted on the truck of a palm tree displays directions to the tulum jungle gym

a wooden motivational sign hangs on bamboo above weights made from stone and bamboo at the tulum jungle gym. you have to visit on a 5 day mexico itinerary!

You definitely should spend some time on Tulum Beach while you are there. The white sand and crystal clear waters were amazing!

Next, walk to the Follow That Dream sign (you can find the exact location on Google Maps or search for Lolita Lolita) to get a photo for the 'Gram. And if you have trash PLEASE do not leave it scattered around the sign. We saw piles of bottles from people who stood in line to get their photo there. Respect nature and leave no trace wherever you go!

The Tulum Archaeological Zone was honestly one of the best ruins I have ever seen. I loved that the ruins were perched high up on the cliffs overlooking the gorgeous ocean. You can go with a guide (and there will be plenty of people trying to sell you one once you pull into the parking lots) or you can walk around by yourself. You can swim or hang out on the beach below the ruins as well!

ancient mayan ruins made from crumbling gray stone at the tulum archaelogical zone a must see on a 5 day mexico itinerary

a low trees bare brances cover the sky to create a tunnel effect against the bright blue sky

one of the main ruins in gray stone at the tulum archaelogical zone is roped off. the ruins have dozens of stairs leading up to a temple

a stone temple sits against the bright blue sky with a lone palm tree off to the right

the views from the cliffs where the ruins sit high above a white sand beach with endless views of the blue ocean

waves lap against the sheer cliffs where the tulum mayan ruins sit high above the water. a white sand beach leads to lush palm plants all the way up the cliffs. the tulum archaelogical zone is a must see on a 5 day mexico itinerary

Day 6: Departure

The Cancun airport is busy and with so many people flying back to the US, we decided to get there extra early. Remember to plan extra time because it takes over 90 minutes to get to the Cancun Airport from the Tulum area!

the white sand beach at tulum beach stretches into the distance while the clear blue waters crash on to the shore. beach clubs and loungers line the sand intot he distance. tulum beach is a must see on a 5 day mexico itinerary

Tulum Beach by the Tulum Jungle Gym

5 Day Mexico Itinerary Final Thoughts

This 5 Day Mexico Itinerary is perfect for when you are starting to feel burnout creeping in or in the dead of winter when your body is begging for some sunshine and sea therapy. Make sure to bookmark or pin this page to remember later!

If you aren't feeling the beach but are feeling some serious nature time, check out my 6 Day Costa Rica Itinerary!

PS - Sharing is caring. If you enjoyed this, share with a friend and start planning some R&R together!