Day1: Fly from US to Cancun, stay in Hilton Spa and Resort in Cancun.
Day2: Cancun -> Tulum -> Coba -> stay in Hotel Chichen Itza (Piste) at night.
1.Tulum is small town about 120 km (80 miles) south of Cancun, best known for its ruins, which overlook turquoise colored waters and soft sandy beaches on the Caribbean coast.
2.Ticket to Tulum is 48 peso. Parking is 40 peso. Open daily 8AM-5PM.
3.Coba is 168km (105 miles) SW of Cancun, 40 km NW of Tulum.
4.Parking in Coba is 40 peso, ticket is 48 peso. Open Daily 8AM-5PM.
5.You must pass Valladolid. And then head to Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is about 120 miles away from Cancun along HWY 180 in about 3 hours if go directly. But from Valladolid, only 40KM away. You can take either toll road or freeway.
6.If have interesting, can take Light and Sound Show (Sonido y Luz) at night, start at 7pm. Parking is 10 peso each entrance, not each day/trip. Pay 50 peso for night show, exchange to a day pass on next day by adding 48 peso second day. Or, if no night show, you will pay 98 peso for a day pass. Night show is covered in your day pass no matter you go or not.
7.Time table:
7.1From Cancun -> Tulum, hwy 307 S or W, 120km, about 1.5 hours.
7.2In Tulum, 1-2 hours.
7.3From Tulum -> Coba, left hwy 307, 40km NW of Tulum, take a country rd, about 1 hour.
7.4In Coba, 1-2 hours.
7.5From Coba -> Valladolid, hwy 180, 40km. About 0.5 hour.
7.6From Valladolid ->Chichen Itza, Cuota 180 W, 40 km, About 0.5 hour.
7.7Total is about 7 hours today from hotel to hotel.
Day3: Visit Chichen Itza, then head to Merida at noon. Stay at Merida.
1.Chichen Itza is open 8AM – 5PM. Parking is 10 pesos. Entrance fee is 88 peso, free on Sundays to Mexican only.
2.Tour El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcan), no climbing, and then, simply follow the map, walk as much as you can.
3.Take hwy 180 towards west. You next stop is Merida. Toll road to Merida is 65 peso for passenger car. Speed limit is 110KM/h. Only 60km on toll road, you will merge back to freeway 180. It’s about 120km (75 miles) west on Route 180 from Chichen Itza to Merida。
4.Freeway 180 will turn into Calle 65 (65 st.), try to make a right turn onto St. 60, which will take you to Hyatt if you stay there.
5.Downtown is located on Calle 56 & Calle 60. East of the central plaza, is Cathedral de San Ildefonso; South of the plaza is Casa de Montejo; North of the plaza is Palacio de Gobierno with free tour on weekday.
6.If you arrive on weekend, you probably can catch weekend market and open-air concert in downtown at night.
7.Time Table:
7.1In Chichen Itza, 4 hours.
7.2From Chizhen Itza -> Merida, 120 km. take 180 W 60 km Cuota + 60km hwy, about 1.5 hours.
7.3In Merida, check in hotel, lunch, snap. 2-3 hours.
7.4City tour of Merida for the rest of the day and enjoy the dinner there.
7.5Total is about 6-10 hours depend on how long you want stay in Merida downtown.
Day4: Stop on your way back along the coast road.
1.Leave Merida at earlier morning, head to Dzibilchalun. It’s a nice Mayan Ruins but avoid to get there on Monday as the Museum closed on Monday.
2.Head to Progreso for Flamingo. Head North or East along Hwy26. Along the coast Hwy 27 to Telchac Puerto (Telchac Port). Along this way, you would be able to have chance see Flamingo from the Uaymitun Tower. Pay attention after left Progreso about 20 minutes, it’s on your right hand side. It’s a Tower. You will know what it is once you’re there.
3.Continue on this way, follow the sign to Dzemul. See you would be lucky to see Flamingo on this road. If not, not surprised. Continue and head to Xcambo.
4.After this, you should be in 2-3 PM, check your map, continue your way, till you see freeway 176, turn left head to east. You need drive about 120KM in 176, toward Tizimin, then turn right, head south on freeway 295, 40KM, which will take you to Valladolid.
5.When you close Valladolid, you will see the sign, very clearly, take you onto toll road, toward Cancun.
6.You need continue on this road about 153KM, speed limit is 110KM/h, but you can keep on 130km/h no problem at all.
7.BE SURE take off 180 by direction to Airport, not Cancun, no matter you want go back to airport or hotel area, they are the same direction. The direction of Cancun will take you to downtown Cancun and VERY hard to find a way back to hotel area or airport.
8.Stay at Hilton Golf & Spa Cancun for the night.
9.Time Table:
9.1From Merida -> Dzibilchalun, 8km, about 20 minutes.
9.2In Dzibilchalun, about 1-2 hour.
9.3From Dzibilchalun-> Progreso, about 33km, 20 minutes.
9.4In Progreso, 1 hour.
9.5From Progreso to Uaymitun, 20 minutes.
9.6In Uaymitun, about 20 minutes.
9.7From Uaymitun to Xcambo, about 20 minutes.
9.8In Xcambo, about 10 minutes.
9.9From Xcambo to Valladolid intersection, 180km, about 1.5 hour
9.10From Valladolid back to Cancun, 153km, about 1.5 hour, including the gas time.
9.11Total for today about 10 hours depend on traffic.
Day4 (Alter or extend to be Day5): Visit Uxmal then head back to Valladolid or Cancun.
1.8AM head to Uxmal.
2.Take about 2 hours in this site.
3.Take hwy 180 back Merida and then east to Valladolid, back to Cancun and return car.
4.From Valladolid back to Cancun, Cuota is 153 km, 195 peso.
5.Time Table:
a.From Merida -> Uxmal, 80 km, take hwy 180 (or local 261), about 1 hour.
b.In Uxmal, 2 hours.
c.From Uxmal -> Merida -> Valladolid, 240km, hwy + Cuota 180, about 3 hours.
d.Merida city tour for about 2-3 hours or In Valladolid, 2 hours for lunch and city tour.
e.From Valladolid -> Cancun, 160km, take Cuota 180, about 1.5 hours
f.Total is about 8.5-10.5 for today.
Day 5 (or alter Day6) Stay in Cancun Hilton Golf & Spa Resort on the day and fly back US at night.
1.From Cancun downtown or hotel area to airport, will take about 0.5-1 hour, take bus, $9. Must have reservation, otherwise, Taxi is your only choice, 270 peso.
Tips: Rental, PLEASE DO NOT GO WITH Caribbean Rent a Car or American Rent a Car, they will cheat you for sure. I was cheated by them and I didn’t get the refund they promised. If you flight is in normal hour, go with Budget or Thrifty, they have a reasonable deal. If you arrive extremely late, after 11PM, then you only can go with either Avis or Hertz, they’re expensive on insurance, but they’re very good company, no CHEATING at all. They’re the world wide knowing BIG rental company and fully trustable. They’re the real one can make you WORRY FREE.Based on my experience, driving in Cancun and Yucatan area, is very simply, so you can try to reserve your car from cheaphotel.com, they have no different on the daily rate with Avis or Hertz, but they get your insurance from a American insurance company, not rental car company, which is only $9.99 per day, not like Avis will run US$28.99 or Hertz will run US$39.99 per day for LDW only. If you want all covered insurance, it can run up to US$70 per day, which is only for insurance. And, as you should already know, your insurance in US, NOT cover in Mexico. And, most credit card, also refuse to cover the rental insurance in Mexico as well. Mexico is an expensive insured county. But this type of reservation, only suggested to whom have confidence on your driving. Only work to REAL good drive, with risk. J If you really want worry free, prepare to rent your car from the rental company you have credit with, expect to pay about $60 - $90 per day for an intermediate size. But, economic or compact will be 1/3 cheaper.