17 days in Mexico City & Cancun Itinerary

Breathtakingly large, Mexico City provides a home for almost 9 million people living in nearly 1,700 distinct neighborhoods.

Deepen your sense of the past at sights like Zona Arqueologica Teotihuacan and Historic Center (Centro Historico). Give yourself a bit of retail therapy at Coyoacan and The Shops at Downtown. Venture out of the city with trips to Cuernavaca (Archaeological Zone of Xochicalco & Robert Brady Museum). There's lots more to do: examine the collection at Museo Nacional de Antropologia, explore the historical opulence of Chapultepec Castle, steep yourself in history at Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe, and delve into the distant past at Museo del Templo Mayor.

To see other places to visit, reviews, where to stay, and other tourist information, you can read our Mexico City online trip maker .

Use the Route module to find suitable travel options from your home destination to Mexico City. In October, daily temperatures in Mexico City can reach 26°C, while at night they dip to 14°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 15th (Tue) early enough to travel to Cancun.

Few destinations in Mexico dazzle visitors quite like Cancun, a modern resort town filled with glitzy hotels sitting on picturesque and well-developed Caribbean beaches.

Satisfy your inner culture vulture at La Isla Shopping Village and Gaston Charo Art Gallery Playa del Carmen. Relax by the water at Akumal Beach and Playa Tortugas. Change things up with these side-trips from Cancun: Isla Mujeres (Punta Sur & Playa Norte), Puerto Morelos (Spas & Tequila Factory Cancun) and Playa del Carmen (Scuba & Snorkeling, Quinta Avenida, & more). There's lots more to do: tour the pleasant surroundings at Playa Delfines, pause for some serene contemplation at Parroquia de Cristo Resucitado, tee off at Moon Palace Golf Course, and get a taste of the local shopping with Kukulcan Plaza.

To see reviews, ratings, photos, and tourist information, you can read our Cancun travel planning tool .

Traveling by flight from Mexico City to Cancun takes 5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of bus and flight; or drive. You'll lose 1 hour traveling from Mexico City to Cancun due to the time zone difference. Plan for somewhat warmer temperatures traveling from Mexico City in October, with highs in Cancun at 35°C and lows at 26°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 25th (Fri) early enough to travel back home.