“Worth it if you want immersive cultural learning with excellent local guides and varied landscapes. Think twice if you prefer independent travel at your own pace.”
- About £100/day across 33 days
- ~£3,836 all-in with a typical £532 flight from London (£116/day)
- We only rate a price against this trip's own history once we've tracked it for 21 days — no guessing before that.
- About average per day vs 4 similar trips (~£103/day)
- 4.6★ from 11 traveller reviews
Price movement, fill and the all-in cost come from our own daily tracking— not the operator’s feed. You book on TourRadar; the live price always applies there.
About this trip
Thirty-three days across Mexico, Belize and Guatemala, moving from city streets to jungle ruins to island beaches. You start in Mexico City, work through Oaxaca and the Yucatan, then cross borders overland into Belize's highlands and Guatemala's Lake Atitlan region.
The pace mixes culture and downtime: markets, ruins and Maya communities alongside proper beach stretches at Playa del Carmen and Caye Caulker where you can just surf and swim for a few days.
Getting between countries means long days on private and local transport and border crossings that need a bit of patience. It's part of the deal — this is a trip for people happy to travel rough at times in exchange for getting close to the places and people along the way.
What you'll do
- Eat your way through Mexico City's taco stalls
- Meet Nahuatl descendants and learn how they preserve their culture
- Explore the arts scene and markets of Oaxaca
- Visit the ruins of Chichen Itza and Tikal National Park
- Unwind on the beaches of Playa del Carmen and Caye Caulker
- Stay by Lake Atitlan and meet the keepers of the Maximon shrine
- Long overland travel days by private and local transport, plus border crossings that require patience
- Central America's climate is hot and humid — pack loose clothing and stay hydrated on walking days
- Learning a few Spanish phrases beforehand goes a long way, as English isn't widely spoken in some areas
Day by day
Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.
What's included
- Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
- Meals: 19 breakfasts, 7 lunches
- Activities: Mexico City - Leader-led Taco Crawl Mexico City - Leader-led orientation walk Mexico City - Gastromotiva (The Intrepid Foundation partner) visit (weekdays only) Puebla - Leader-led orientation walk Puebla - Visit to La Pasita Bar Tlahuac - Community Visit Oaxaca - Leader-led walking tour Oaxaca - Tule Tree, Teotitlan del Valle visit, mezcal distillery San Cristobal de Las Casas - Leader-led Orientation Walk San Juan Chamula - Maya Church (entrance fee) Palenque - Archaeological site (Guide, Transport & Entrance fee) Misol-Ha - Waterfall Visit Merida - Leader-led orientation walk Campeche - Leader-led Orientation Walk Playa del Carmen - Leader-led Orientation Walk Chichen Itza - Archaeological site with local guide Piste - Traditional Maya Family Lunch Playa del Carmen - Cenote Azul visit Bacalar - Beach club entry Caye Caulker - Leader-led orientation walk Caye Caulker - Cooking Class San Ignacio - Leader-led orientation walk Tikal National Park - Archaeological site (Entrance fee, Guide & Transport) Livingston - River boat trip to Garifuna town Livingston - Garifuna dance class San Andres Itzapa - San Simon shamanic ceremonies Western Highlands - Almolonga vegetable market Quetzaltenango - Chicken Bus Experience Chichicastenango market visit Lake Atitlan - Boat to Santiago Atitlan Santiago Atitlan - Shamanic Keepers of the Shrine of Maximon Antigua - Leader-led Orientation Walk
- Transport: Private vehicle, Local bus, Taxi, Shared Boat, Ferry, Chicken bus
- Accommodation: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available., This itinerary includes basic accommodation, meaning access to elevators can be limited. Often rooms will be located on higher levels and luggage will need to be carried up and down stairs. We recommend packing light for this reason. For more information, refer to the "Packing" section of the Essential Trip Information. Hotel (27 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Homestay (1 night)
- Activities: Other activities and services not included.
- Flights: International flights not included.
- Optional: Mexico City - Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) (entrance fee) (Closed Mondays) - MXN95 Mexico City - National Museum of Anthropology (entrance fee) (Closed Mondays) - MXN100 Mexico City - Frida Kahlo Museum (entrance fee) - MXN320 Mexico City - Metropolitan Cathedral (entrance fee) - Free Mexico City - Torre Latino 360° Lookout (entrance fee) - MXN200 Mexico City - Diego Rivera Murals in the Mural Museum (Entrance Fee) - MXN50 Mexico City - Teotihuacan Pyramids Urban Adventure - USD125 Puebla - Santo Domingo Church and Rosary Chapel (No entrance during mass) - Free Puebla - San Pedro Art Museum (entrance fee) - MXN50 Puebla - Cholula archaeological site (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays) (Entrance fee) - MXN100 Oaxaca - Monte Alban archaeological site (entrance fee) - MXN100 Oaxaca - Santo Domingo Cultural Centre (entrance fee) - MXN100 Oaxaca - Cooking class - MXN1500 San Cristobal de Las Casas - Amber Museum (entrance fee) - MXN55 Sumidero Canyon - Boat Excursion (entrance and transport) - MXN900 Merida - Uxmal Ruins tour (inc. shared transport and guide) - MXN2200 Merida - Las Coloradas Flamingo Tour (inc. shared transport and guide) - MXN1700 Merida - Fernando Garcia Ponce-Macay Contemporary Art Museum (entrance fee) - Free Playa del Carmen - Bicycle Rental (per day) - MXN260 Playa del Carmen - Ferry to Cozumel (Round-trip Ticket) - MXN600 Playa del Carmen - Half-day tour of Tulum Archaeological site (Entrance fee, Guide & Transport) - MXN1400 Bacalar - Lagoon of 7 Colours Boat Tour - MXN700 Caye Caulker - Manatee boat tour (Incl. transport & guide) - BZD254 Caye Caulker - Sunset Sailing - BZD126 Caye Caulker - Full day Catamaran snorkeling tour in Hol Chan Marine Reserve-(gear, guide and transport included) - USD120 Caye Caulker - Full day speed boat - (gear, guide and transport included) - USD120 Caye Caulker - Bicycle Rental (per day) - USD12 San Ignacio - Butterfly Farm (incl. transport) - BZD175 San Ignacio - Iguana Conservation Project (entrance fee) - BZD24 San Ignacio - Xunantunich Ruins entry - BZD20 San Ignacio - Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves (Incl. entry, guide, transport & lunch) - USD135 San Ignacio - Cave tubing (incl. entrance, guide & transport) - USD100 Rio Dulce - Natural Hot Springs (entrance fee and transport) - GTQ210 Rio Dulce - Quirigua Ruins (entrance fee) - GTQ90 Rio Dulce - San Felipe Fort (entrance fee) - GTQ85 Rio Dulce - Boat trip to Livingston (Price dependent on boat available & passengers) - GTQ263 San Juan La Laguna - Water taxi to Santiago (Return) - GTQ60 Antigua - Salsa-dance Lesson (per hour) - GTQ150 Antigua - Half Day local towns, coffee and craft beer tour - USD95 Antigua - Half Day Pacaya Volcano with lunch - USD115 Antigua - Acatenango Volcano Overnight Hike & Camp - USD170 Antigua - City Tour with lunch - USD70 Antigua - Chocolate-making workshop at ChocoMuseo - USD30
- Insurance: Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with Cover Genius to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).
How travellers rate it
Cheapest live departure per day, in £, recorded by our tracker since 18 Jul. Never a brochure “was” price.
Your free day in Mexico City
Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Mexico City — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).
Worth it if you want immersive cultural learning with excellent local guides and varied landscapes. Think twice if you prefer independent travel at your own pace.
- Local guides like Erhard, Aquilino, Gabriel and Andres were genuinely knowledgeable, passionate and went beyond standard.
- Strong mix of Mayan ruins, beaches, snorkelling, volcanoes and varied landscapes keeps 33 days engaging throughout.
- Lots of travelling involved; suits those comfortable with long travel days between sites, less ideal for slow explorers.
- Group format means structured itineraries with guide-led options rather than complete freedom to wander independently.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Sep is cheapest — from £3,305, about 41% below the priciest month (Jan).
Getting there
One-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown on Trip.com.
Hotels in Mexico City
View more accommodationLive prices via Booking.com & partners, booked on their site — separate from your tour. We may earn a commission; it never changes your price.
On a budget?
Hostels in Mexico City for the night before your tour · 4 Sept – 5 Sept
Booked on Hostelworld, separate from your tour. We may earn a commission — it never changes your price.
Common questions
How long is Central America Encompassed?
It's a 33-day trip. It starts in Mexico City and finishes in Antigua.
How much does Central America Encompassed cost?
The land price starts from £3,304 per person for the 33-day trip. You book on TourRadar, where the live price always applies.
What will Central America Encompassed really cost me all-in?
On top of the £3,304 land price, budget roughly £532 for a return flight from the UK — about £3,836 all-in before spending money. Most day-to-day meals out and optional activities are extra.
What's included in the price?
The price covers all your accommodation, 26 meals (19 breakfasts, 7 lunches), transport during the trip, a group leader/guide. Anything the operator lists as optional or not included — see the full breakdown on this page.
What's not included?
international flights and travel insurance (required) are not included, so factor them into your budget. We show typical flight costs and can point you to insurance on this page.
How big is the group?
Groups are capped at around 16 travellers — a small-group trip, mostly solo 18–35s travelling to meet people, not a coach tour.
When does Central America Encompassed run?
It runs across roughly 22 months of the year, so there's usually a departure to fit your dates. Check live availability and prices in the dates section above.
Sort the essentials
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