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Latest update: 20 January 2026
Explore the Yucatán Peninsula and the Quintana Roo region in Mexico in a classic Volkswagen van for three days: living the dream! Here’s a quick practical itinerary of a mini road trip.
With the VW van through Mexico
In Tulum, I rent an old Volkswagen van with two friends. Although our experience is certainly not flawless (check this blog about our adventure), I am very excited about this way of traveling. We can go wherever we want and are not dependent on expensive tours. We visit the region’s highlights at our leisure and sleep every night in the van, which has room for four. But between you and me, I would stay in it with a maximum of three people. It is quite a challenge to fit all the luggage and three people. And, there are only three seats in the van if you want to eat, drink or chill.
Itinerary for 3 days Yucatán and Quintana Roo
Our itinerary is as follows:
Day 1:
- Depart from Pacha Tulum, our hotel in Tulum
- Overnight camping at the lake at the Cobá ruins.
Day 2:
- Visit Coba ruins.
- Visit Chichén Itzá.
- Overnight at the Xkopek Camping in Valladolid (update 2023: seems closed now)
Day 3:
- Visit Ek’ Balam, including a cenote.
- Visit X’Keken cenote.
- Overnight at Camping Chavez in Tulum (you pay per person, plus for the van. That’s quite expensive, but so is almost everything in Tulum.)
Day 4:
- Return bus.
Endless route options
In theory, it is possible to visit the Cobá ruins on day 1, so you still have time left for another cenote (a natural sinkhole), for example. Unfortunately, we were unlucky, so we failed. The owner of the Volkswagen van, Martin, also has a lot of tips for lovely places, from sights to campsites and restaurants to nice chill spots. There is just too much to see and do!
Tip! If you have time, drive north to the pink lakes of Las Coloradas.
Driving in Mexico
In general, there is little traffic on the road. The roads in this part (Quintana Roo, Yucatán) of Mexico are pretty good. However, always be aware of some potholes and poorly marked speed bumps, especially while driving at night.
Choose your mode of transport: van or rental car
You can, of course, do this road trip with a regular rental car, but the van is pretty awesome for a few days. Martin rents out the Volkswagen vans through his website. Or rent a car via DiscoverCars.
More Mexico inspiration?
Helpful links for your Mexico trip
- Accommodation. All-time favorite: Booking.com. Book hostels via Hostelworld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide, Tiqets, and Viator. ‘Free’ walking tours are available at Freetour and GuruWalk. And for bike tours, try Baja Bikes.
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars.
- Bus. Book buses in Belize through Busbud, Omio, or 12Go.
- Guide books. I love the practical guides by Lonely Planet, for sale on Amazon.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Visa. Make sure you have the right documentation to travel to Mexico. iVisa can help you out.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Be sure to check Trip and Kiwi.
- Yoga retreat. Or, try a yoga retreat in Mexico!
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First published: February 2018 The article has been updated since.
