Photo by Alexis Quiroz on Unsplash
The 6-day plan, rearranged for 5 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.3 to 1.5 kilometers a day, and 392.2 kilometers by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A stepped pyramid over the tomb of the ruler Pakal, found inside it in the twentieth century. Climb the neighboring steps for the view over the forest, and check ahead on whether the inside can be visited.
Go when Morning, as soon as the site opens.
Local tip The jungle is hot and humid by midday, so be there early. Bring water and insect repellent, and check ahead on whether the inside can be visited.
A large complex of courtyards, galleries and rooms with a tall tower, the heart of the city. Walk the galleries and look at the carved stucco on the walls. A cool rest in the shade of the passageways.
Go when Midday, in the shade of the galleries.
Local tip Look at the carved stucco on the walls and climb the tower if it is open. Stay on the marked paths.
Grilled corn, sliced fruit with lime and chile, and a cold drink from the stalls near the entrance.
Local tip Fruit with lime and chile is a local way to cool down.
Three temples on terraces across a small stream, with carved panels that give the group its names. Walk the path through the forest between them, and listen for howler monkeys in the trees.
Go when Afternoon, when the groups have thinned.
Local tip The path to the group is shaded and cool. Listen for howler monkeys in the trees, and keep your voice low.
Grilled fish with rice, fried plantain and a salad, a supper by the jungle after the long road.
Local tip Order a cold fruit drink and eat early, since the day began early.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A waterfall that drops into a round pool in the forest, with a path that leads behind the falling water. Go early, while it is cool, and take care on the wet stones.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip Walk behind the falling water, and take care on the wet stones. Check ahead on swimming in the pool.
A house museum once lived in by an archaeologist and a photographer, now devoted to the Lacandon Maya and their rainforest, with a library, a garden and rooms of photographs and objects. A calm, indoor rest in the cool of the afternoon.
Go when Afternoon, as a calm rest.
Local tip Take the walk through the house and the garden. Check ahead on the opening and on any guided visits.
Steamed maize parcels with a filling of chicken, pork or herbs and cheese, wrapped in leaves.
Local tip Peel the leaf and eat the tamale on its own, with a spoon of salsa.
The town's daily market, with fruit, vegetables, cheese, tortillas and household goods. Walk through slowly, ask before photographing anyone and buy a little something to eat from a stall.
Go when Afternoon, when the stalls are busy.
Local tip Walk through slowly, taste something from a stall and ask before photographing anyone. Keep your bag in front.
A warm soup of bread, vegetables and sweet spices, a traditional dish of the state.
Local tip A good dish for a cold night in the highlands.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The cathedral on the main plaza, with a painted baroque front and a gilded interior. Sit on a bench in the plaza first and watch the town wake up, then step in. Stay quiet during services.
Go when Morning, when the plaza is calm.
Local tip It is a working church, so stay quiet and cover your shoulders. Sit in the plaza for a while before you go in.
A baroque church with a richly carved front, from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a market of weavers and sellers of textiles and amber in the plaza beside it. Look closely at the cloth, and ask about the patterns.
Go when Midday, with time for the market beside it.
Local tip Look at the carved front, then walk the market slowly. Ask about the pattern on a piece of cloth before you buy it, and buy from the weaver where you can.
A pedestrian street of cafes, galleries and small shops that runs east to the hill church of Guadalupe. Walk it as the lights come on, and climb the steps at the end for a view over the roofs.
Go when Early evening, as the lights come on (about 6:20 PM).
Local tip Walk the whole street to the church and back, and stop for a coffee grown in the mountains. Take a warm layer, since it cools quickly.
A plate of local cheese and thin strips of cured meat with warm tortillas and salsa, a taste of the highlands.
Local tip Ask which cheese is from nearby, and try a small piece of each.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A Tzotzil Maya town in the hills, with a church that is a living place of worship, with no pews, pine needles on the floor and candles everywhere. Go with a local guide, follow the rules posted at the door, and do not take photographs inside, which are not allowed.
Go when Morning, with a local guide.
Local tip The church is a place of worship, not a sight. Follow the rules posted at the door, do not take photographs inside, and ask before photographing anyone in the town.
A market town on the high road to the jungle, a good place for breakfast and to stretch your legs. Look in the market for the cheese of the region, and fill your water bottle.
Go when Morning, for breakfast and the market.
Local tip Fill your water bottle, buy some cheese and stretch your legs. Ask a local about the road ahead before you go on.
Fresh fruit, grilled corn and fried snacks from the stalls beside the cascades.
Local tip Eat from a stall that looks busy, and keep your hands clean.
A river that tumbles down a series of cascades and pools in the forest. Walk the paths above the water, and swim only where it is marked as fine; the currents can be strong. After rain the water runs brown, so do not count on the blue.
Go when Midday, with time to walk the paths.
Local tip The water runs brown after rain, so do not count on the blue. Swim only where it is marked as fine, and watch the currents and the slippery rocks.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A colonial town on a river, with a sixteenth-century brick fountain called La Pila, a plaza of arcades and the landing for the canyon boats. Walk the plaza and look at the fountain before the boats.
Go when Morning, before the boats.
Local tip Look at the brick fountain and walk the plaza. The town holds a large fiesta in January, so ask your host about the dates.
A deep canyon cut by a river, with walls that rise close to a kilometre above the water. Go by boat from the landing in Chiapa de Corzo, with a licensed boatman, and look for herons, spider monkeys and crocodiles on the banks.
Go when Late morning, when the light reaches the walls.
Local tip Go by boat with a licensed boatman and wear the life jacket you are given. Take a hat, water and sunscreen, since there is little shade.
Fried or grilled fish from the river with rice and salad, and a cold drink made from ground maize and cocoa.
Local tip The cold maize drink is a local habit, and a cooling one in the heat.
A Tzotzil Maya village known for its embroidered cloth, in bright flowers on dark backgrounds, and for its flower growing. Visit a family weaving cooperative with your guide, and buy directly from the weaver if you wish.
Go when Midday, with your guide.
Local tip Visit a family weaving cooperative and ask about the patterns. Buy directly from the weaver if you wish, and ask before taking photographs.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to March and December are the most comfortable months for walking around San Cristóbal de las Casas. This plan is built for november to March, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in San Cristóbal de las Casas, planned for november to March. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 0.3 to 1.5 kilometers a day, and 392.2 kilometers by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
6 days of slow eating in OaxacaAbout 440 km away
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3 days of mole, tiles and a pyramid in Puebla and CholulaAbout 650 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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