Playa del Carmen Itinerary: A 5-Day Full Itinerary

If you’re looking for a five-day fun itinerary to Playa del Carmen, you’re in the right place! Minimize your search for things to do, places to eat, and where to stay with this travel itinerary guide. This itinerary will take you through everything my husband and I did on our five-day vacation with our friends. If you’re not much of a planner and want to take the stress away, this completed five-day Playa del Carmen itinerary is for you. Although you don’t need many days in Playa del Carmen to have a great time, spending three or four days in this excellent Mexico city will do, too!

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distance from Cancun To Playa del Carmen

So many people have never heard of Playa del Carmen, which I find very shocking. The city sits between Cancun and Tulum, making it an excellent option for both-day trips. You can even take a ferry over to Cozumel. So, how far is Playa del Carmen from Cancun? Playa del Carmen is a 45-minute drive away, located along the Caribbean in Quintana Roo, Mexico, and is known for its beaches, reefs, and nightlife. This is one of the many reasons Playa del Carmen is great for adventurous travelers and vacationers looking to visit somewhere other than Cancun. The biggest question I think most travelers want to know -is Playa del Carmen better than Cancun? It boils down to your personal preference.

Cancun is an excellent option for those looking to lay on the beach, soak up the sun, and enjoy a few excursions. Or those who love all-inclusive resorts and have no plans to leave their favorite beach spot. On the other hand, if you want to be in action and love exploring the nightlife, local restaurants, and easy access to local beaches, I highly recommend Playa del Carmen.

Is Playa del Carmen Safe?

Before we deep dive into everything you can do in Playa del Carmen, you might wonder how safe is Playa del Carmen. To answer your question, yes, this city is relatively safe, but with anything, it’s important to use your better judgment while there. While spending time in Playa del Carmen, you want to leave anything valuable at home. Please don’t carry around anything flashy while traveling. Another safety precaution to be aware of is your alcohol intake. If traveling solo, never leave your drinks unattended, and never accept a drink from a stranger. Although the locals in Playa del Carmen are often friendly, you can never be too safe. Always check your surroundings and use common sense when things don’t feel right.

The Best Time to Visit Playa del Carmen

What is the best time and month to visit Playa del Carmen? Like most travelers, you want to spend five days in Playa del Carmen, fulfilling your itinerary with warm, beautiful weather. Of course, you want to avoid the hurricane season, which falls between June and November, and the rainy season, which usually runs from June through October. For an enjoyable vacation, you want to visit Playa del Carmen when the temperatures are the most pleasant, typically in January and February, with temps running about 80 degrees during the day. To beat the crowd, try visiting Playa in October and November.

Is Playa del Carmen Expensive?

Everyone’s budget is different, and planning your trip to Playa del Carmen can be as expensive or inexpensive as you would like. Besides your flight accommodations, your next most significant cost is your hotel or resort. I will share our hotel later in this blog post, so keep reading. The food in Playa del Carmen can be very cheap since you can easily find a taco stand and local bars to eat at. This tip is important to those who are going the non-all-inclusive route.

If you’re like us and plan to stay near the 5th Avenue area, the restaurants nearby can be expensive. Read more to learn more about 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen. But not all is lost; there are local spots near 10th Avenue to 30th Avenue that are much less expensive. Your itinerary to Playa del Carmen may include entertainment and excursions, but trust me, you don’t have to do much to have an awesome time. If you’re on a budget, my biggest advice is to purchase your excursions a couple of days before leaving for your trip.

Is Playa del Carmen Worth Visiting?

The most frequently asked question I received after returning from Playa del Carmen was whether the city was worth visiting. And the answer is yes, it is! If you’re looking to party, head over to 5th Avenue, and if you’re looking to relax and soak up the sun, you can do that too. It all depends on what type of itinerary you’re planning. If you’re looking for a more laid-back vacation, ride to Tulum. Overall, you will find the right vacation vibe in Playa del Carmen.

5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen

As I mentioned previously, 5th Avenue is one of the most popular locations in Playa del Carmen. This hot spot is a must-see, stretching several miles of the stunning Caribbean coastline. 5th Avenue allows pedestrians to walk and offers various activities, dining options, and accommodations to suit every budget. Let’s dive into some things you can do, places to eat, and where to stay near 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen.

Shopping on 5th Avenue

One of the main attractions of 5th Avenue is its shopping scene. I’m sure you’re not traveling to Mexico to shop, but hear me out. This area has high-end boutiques, local markets, and a wide range of other shops that offer everything from clothing to accessories to souvenirs. Regardless of your shopping style, 5th Avenue has it all. If shopping the streets isn’t on your itinerary to Playa del Carmen, there is no need to worry; other options exist.

Nightlife on 5th Avenue

If you’re not much of a shopper, 5th Avenue has more to offer with a vibrant nightlife. When the sun sets, the streets come alive with music, fun, and an array of bars and clubs for all. It doesn’t matter if your night consists of a laid-back beachfront cocktail lounge or a lively dance club; there are plenty of options to keep the party going well into the wee hours of the morning.

Dining Options

When it comes to dining, 5th Avenue offers an abundance of options. From authentic Mexican street food to international cuisine, there is literally something for everyone. If you’re a seafood lover, you will enjoy traditional Mexican dishes like tacos and ceviche. But if you’re open to exploring other dining options, you can try the fusion restaurants that offer a blend of flavors worldwide. With so many dining options, 5th Avenue will guarantee any traveler a memorable dining experience.

Here are a few dining options you can add to your itinerary:

• El Fogon
• La Parilla
• Carboncitos
• Los Aguachiles
• La Cueva del Chango

Day 1- Getting To Playa del Carmen

We arrived at the Cancun International Airport roughly around 11:30 a.m. on a warm Saturday in July. After going through customs and grabbing our bags, we departed for our Playa del Carmen hotel. The ride from Cancun to Playa was filled with drinking Mexican beer and conversation. Summer in Mexico is brutally hot, but we still enjoyed our five days in Playa del Carmen despite the hot temps. If you’re like us and enjoy your space with your party, I recommend booking a private transportation service. Once our flights were booked, we emailed the hotel to reserve a private transfer. The hotel arranged a private roundtrip service with a company called Dantia from Cancun International Airport to our hotel. The service from Dantia was amazing! When planning your itinerary to Playa del Carmen, ensure proper transportation. It’s so much easier to make arrangements with your hotel before your arrival.

Other Ways You Can Travel to Playa del Carmen

There are several ways you can get to Playa del Carmen from Cancun. Here are a few:

• Taxi Service
• The ado bus line
• Private transfer
• Rent a car

Once we arrived at our hotel, we headed to the rooftop to enjoy a few cocktails and lunch while we waited for our room to become available. The location of where you stay is important, and there are endless options of hotels and resorts in Playa del Carmen; you shouldn’t have a hard time finding lodging that fits your needs.

Since we wanted to take advantage of the restaurant scene and nightlife this time, we decided on a non-all-inclusive hotel. If you’re looking for a non-all-inclusive option in Playa del Carmen, I share all the deets about our stay in this blog post, The Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House Hotel. Since the Thompson Main House Hotel is in the downtown area, we were able to walk and explore the area on foot like a local.

Regarding accommodation, Playa del Carmen’s 5th Avenue caters to a wide range of budgets and preferences, from luxurious beachfront resorts with breathtaking views to cozy boutique hotels tucked away in the side streets. No matter what your taste in hotels is, Playa del Carmen offers a wide variety. Most of these offer amenities such as swimming pools, spa services, and easy access to the beach to ensure that each guest has a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

Mexico is inexpensive; however, if you’re looking for a travel card to earn points on future travel, I highly recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. It has been a lifesaver when saving money on travel. They offer 60,000 bonus points when you sign up and spend $4,000 on purchases.

Drinking The Water In Mexico

If this is your first time traveling to Mexico, you mustn’t drink the water there. When dining at restaurants, ask for sparkling or bottled water; most restaurants will have either. This also goes for brushing your teeth in your hotel. My husband and I used the in-room bottled water and purchased a few extras from a convenient local store. The water distribution system in Mexico is said to be contaminated en route to the tap. Although the distribution system can be contaminated, the ice is made from filtered water and is perfect for cocktails and sodas.

Our First Night Playa del Carmen

We decided to eat dinner at a local restaurant called Ilios, where we celebrated our friends’ 19th anniversary. The restaurant’s ambiance was immaculate but beware of the prices and suggestive gratuity. If you’re traveling with friends, the restaurant will not separate checks. The food was delicious and plentiful, and at the end of our dining experience, we could smash plates into a trunk. We all enjoyed the plate smashing more than we would care to admit! This was an unbelievable experience that helped start the excitement of our trip. It’s best to reserve your table early to avoid a long wait. We booked our reservation through the OpenTable app, which most restaurants in Playa del Carmen use. After eating dinner, we did what most excited couples do; we headed to the street for walking and exploring.

Day 2- Day Trip To Cozumel from Playa del Carmen

Plan to include a day trip to Cozumel from Playa del Carmen in your itinerary. The great thing about Playa del Carmen is that it’s just a ferry ride from Cozumel, Mexico! There was no way we would visit Playa del Carmen and not Cozumel! When it comes to visiting Cozumel, you’ll need to take a ferry ride over. There are two ferry options- Winjet and Ultramar.

The two have no significant difference; it’s a matter of preference. Although the Ultramar ferry departs from Cozumel at 8:00 p.m., you can gain an extra hour with Winjet, which departs from Cozumel at 9:00 p.m., giving you more time to spend in Cozumel. Both ferries run every hour and are less than two blocks from the main square and Playa Plazacar. Our goal for visiting Cozumel was to enjoy a full day at the beach since the seaweed in Playa del Carmen wouldn’t allow us to soak up the sun. Here are a few options if you want to do things in Cozumel.

• Private Jeep Tour
• Parasailing in Paradise
• Cozumel Food Tour
• Cozumel Mr Sancho’s Beach Club

We decided on a day pass to a local beach, where we took advantage of the all-inclusive meal and cocktail options. This beach club was our only option since we arrived in Cozumel later and couldn’t enter Mr. Sancho’s Beach Club. I’ve heard great things about Mr. Sancho’s Beach Club, so I was bummed when I couldn’t go.

Day 3- Playa del Carmen Rooftop and 5th Avenue

Our day three was filled with more walking the town and eating. We decided to hang out at the Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House rooftop pool to soak up the sun while drinking cocktails. This was more enjoyable than walking 5th Avenue! If you’re less interested in walking and sightseeing, add a day of poolside relaxation to your itinerary. This was one of our must-dos because although we love a packed, eventful itinerary, a relaxing day doing nothing is also needed. We reserved a cabana for the day and enjoyed swimming and nap-taking by the pool. After relaxing at the pool, we headed to our dinner reservation for the evening. If you need dinner ideas, I wrote a Travel Guide to Playa del Carmen; you can grab all my thoughts and recommendations there.

Day 4- Day Trip to Tulum From Playa del Carmen

Like Cozumel, we couldn’t leave Playa del Carmen without visiting Tulum. So how far is Playa del Carmen from Tulum? Tulum is about 40 miles from Playa del Carmen, making it easy to take a day trip there. Hearing stories from others who have visited Tulum but bypassed Playa del Carmen amazes me. Visiting Tulum was something that we did not want to miss out on. Because we knew we wanted to maximize our time in Tulum, we reserved a private driver who took us to Tulum and remained at every destination. He was an excellent driver!

Since there were specific stops we wanted to make and things we wanted to see, we decided to create our own Tulum itinerary tour. We booked our private driver through our hotel, which cost us $290 (USD). Not bad for three couples. This included a time of 8 hours, water, beer, and our tour stops. Once we returned to Playa del Carmen, we took an evening nap and headed for dinner afterward.

Tulum Tour Stops

• Tulum Archaeological Site (Ruins)
• Ven A La Luz- QROO 15, Tulum Beach, Q.R., Mexico
• Lunch- Taboo Beach Club
• Cenote- Casa Tortuga Tulum

How To Get To Tulum From Playa del Carmen

Of course, the easiest way to get to Tulum is by car. You can drive from Playa del Carmen to Tulum by taking the main highway south. This option is especially doable for travelers who are renting a vehicle.

Another way to get to Tulum from Playa del Carmen is by bus. There are frequent bus services operating between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. ADO and other bus companies offer comfortable and affordable transportation. Taking this route will take you about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Have you ever heard of Colectivo? If not, colectivos are shared minivans that operate along the Rivera Maya. They are a popular and cost-effective option for traveling between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. You can find them at the main transportation hubs in Playa del Carmen.

Taxi or private shuttle services are available for hire and can provide a convenient and direct way to travel between the two cities. Again, the private option is what we use, and I highly recommend it.

Day 5-Last Night In Playa del Carmen

On our last and final day in Playa del Carmen, we took advantage of booking a two-hour massage and hanging out with our friends. Our massage was booked with Magic Hands Spa, and you can find them a block from the Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House. My husband and I aren’t new to massages, but a two-hour massage was just what we needed. We took advantage of the two-hour couples massage and paid $110 USD for both of us! Although we would have loved to hear the sounds of the ocean while getting our massage, the ladies at Magic Hands Spa near downtown Playa del Carmen were amazing. If you don’t have WhatsApp, I highly recommend you download it. We mostly used this to communicate with our driver, tour leaders, and all other accommodations in Playa del Carmen.

After meeting with our friends and grabbing lunch at one of the local restaurants near 5th Avenue, we returned to our room for a quick nap and nighttime attire change. I am no travel agent, but I was so happy when I stumbled upon this R&B and Hip Hop rooftop event—called the Juke Joint. The Juke Joint occurs on the IT Hotel’s rooftop every Wednesday night. While scrolling TikTok one evening, I discovered this local vibe and knew we had to stop by. While there, we met incredible people who moved from the U.S. to Playa del Carmen and shared their love for the city. We enjoyed hearing their stories so much that my husband and I started researching the cost of living there! After dancing the night away, we returned to 5th Avenue for more nighttime fun and food.

Other Things To Do

If you’re looking for other nightlife options besides the many clubs in Playa del Carmen, here are a few you can choose from:

• Wine Tasting at La Casa del Agua
• Comedy Night
• Live Music
• Cirque du Soleil

Our Final Day Recap

Usually, on the last day of our couples’ trip, we grab brunch and chat before returning to the airport. We met our friends for breakfast and discussed our next destination. Here is what I’ve learned about Playa del Carmen: this city is a whole vibe! What I mean about a vibe is that you have endless things to do and not enough time to do them. My husband and I would love to visit again to explore and eat more local foods. I hope this five-day itinerary helps you plan your trip to Playa del Carmen. Don’t forget to check out other Mexico destinations I have shared.