Mexico Travel Guide: 5 Cities, Costs and Itineraries

Overview

Mexico is big enough that treating it as one destination is a mistake. Mexico City sits at 2,240 metres in a mild highland valley, Oaxaca is colonial hill country three hundred kilometres south, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun are humid coastal resort towns on opposite oceans, and Guadalajara is its own mid-size metropolis with a tequila region at its doorstep. None of these five are a short drive from each other, so plan around domestic flights, not a rental car doing the whole trip. On safety: Canada's travel advisory for Mexico is state-by-state, not blanket, and it says so explicitly. A handful of northern and Pacific-coast states carry a stronger caution level because of cartel-related violence, and none of the five cities in this guide are in that group. Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and Cancun's tourist zones see heavy visitor traffic and the standard advice that applies to any big-city trip: watch your belongings, use licensed taxis or apps, don't flash cash or jewellery, and know where you are at night. That's a different risk profile than the cartel-conflict areas that make headlines, and conflating the two does the country a disservice. Go in informed, not scared.

Best time to visit

Depends heavily on which of these five cities. Roughly November through April is the dry season nationwide and the safest bet overall. June through November is hurricane season on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, which hits Puerto Vallarta and Cancun directly. Mexico City's highland climate is mild almost year-round; the Yucatan gets brutally hot and humid April through August.

Nov-Apr

Dry season across most of the country. Best overall window for all five cities, and peak pricing to match, especially over the December holidays.

Early Nov

Day of the Dead falls around Nov 1-2. Oaxaca and Mexico City draw huge crowds for it; book months ahead if that's the draw.

May-Jun

Hot and dry before the rains start. Mexico City stays pleasant; Yucatan heat and humidity are already building toward miserable.

Jun-Nov

Hurricane season on both coasts. Puerto Vallarta and Cancun see afternoon storms and real hurricane risk, worst Aug-Oct. Prices drop, but check forecasts before booking non-refundable stays.

Jul-Aug

Rainy season inland too, usually short afternoon downpours rather than all-day washouts in Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Guadalajara.

Dec

Dry, mild, and the most expensive month everywhere thanks to Christmas and New Year's demand, especially the coasts.

Visa

Canadian passport holders do not need a visa for tourist stays under 180 days, but this is not the same as visa-free entry with no paperwork: you still need an FMM (Forma Migratoria Multiple) tourist card. Arriving by air, it's usually issued digitally and the cost is typically bundled into your airfare. Arriving by land, you fill it out at the border and pay a fee separately unless your stay is under 7 days. Keep the FMM (or its digital confirmation) for your entire trip, you may be asked for it on departure. Your passport should be valid for the full length of your stay; airlines sometimes apply stricter validity rules than Mexico itself, so check with your carrier. The current exact FMM fee and the online FMMD portal process could not be verified against gob.mx or INM directly (both blocked automated access); check before you go at inm.gob.mx or with your airline.

Money

Currency: MXN. Widely accepted in hotels, mid-range and upscale restaurants, and chain stores across all five cities. Cash still rules for street food, markets, small tiendas, local buses, and tips, so carry MXN in small bills. Cancun and Puerto Vallarta's resort zones sometimes quote and accept USD directly, at a worse exchange rate than paying in pesos. 10-15% at sit-down restaurants is standard and often not included on the bill, so check before doubling up. Round up for taxis, tip a few pesos for bag handling at hotels, and small amounts for street food or market stalls are appreciated but not expected.

Getting around

These five cities are not close together. The practical way to link them is domestic flights: Volaris, Aeromexico, and VivaAerobus fly Mexico City, Cancun, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, and Guadalajara on frequent, cheap routes, and covering all five by road would eat most of a trip. First-class intercity buses are a real alternative for some routes rather than a downgrade: ADO runs the south and east (Mexico City to Oaxaca, and around the Yucatan), while ETN and Primera Plus cover the west, including Guadalajara. These buses are comfortable, reclining, and often cheaper and only a bit slower than flying short-haul. There is no useful long-distance passenger rail in Mexico; don't plan around trains. Within each city, ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to get around and generally safer than hailing a taxi off the street.

Connectivity

eSIM is the easiest option for a short trip: Airalo, Holafly, and similar providers sell Mexico plans that activate on arrival with no need to find a local SIM counter. If you want a physical SIM, Telcel has the best coverage nationwide including more remote stretches; AT&T Mexico and Movistar also work fine in all five cities. Wifi is reliable in hotels and cafes in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Puerto Vallarta's tourist areas; it's patchier in parts of Oaxaca and less central Cancun accommodation, so don't count on it exclusively.

Where to go

Frequently asked questions