Six-day trip itinerary to the state of Chiapas which includes San Cristobal del las Casas, Chipa de Corzo, Palenque, Tonina, and El Cañón del Sumidero.
Table of Contents
About This Trip
Traveling to Chiapas had long been on my bucket list of things to do. The state has a lot to offer, including two amazing pueblos mágicos and the archaeological site of Palenque which ranks in my top 10. You can read more about our road trip through the state in the blog post at the link below.
For this trip we landed in Mexico City, rented a car, drove by Orizaba & Cordoba in the state of Veracruz, and spent a night in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz (a UNESCO site). The next day we headed to San Cristobal de las Casas directly, no stops.
This was a great adventure for us, but if you want to shorten the drive my recommendation is to find a flight directly to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas and start from there. Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the state so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a flight.
Itinerary
Day 1: San Cristobal de las Casas
Transportation: We drove our rental car from Mexico City, via Veracruz, to San Cristobal de las Casas.
Lodging: We stayed at Hotel Diego de Mazariegos. The hotel was nice and the style fits the town. The rooms were fairly average, though. The location was good—just a few blocks away from the main square.
Getting Around: Mainly walked around the town of San Cristobal de las Casas.
Attractions: Take a day to explore the churches, main square, and the food of this pueblo mágico. We had tamales and tascalate at Doña Ame once each of the two days we spent here. Be sure to visit the Templo de Santo Domingo and the Church of Guadalupe.
Day 2: Chamula & Mayan Burial Grounds
Transportation: You will need a car or a local guide to get there.
Lodging: This was just a day trip for us. We returned to San Cristobal at the end of the day.
Attractions: The town of Chamula and the burial grounds of Romerillo are for those who are into thrills. This is definitely a visit off the beaten path.
Day 3 & 4: Palenque and Tonina
Transportation: We drove our rental car from San Cristobal de las Casas to our hotel near Palenque. This road is for intermediate/advanced drivers. I recommend driving during the day time only. The road is very curvy, so it’s slow speed and will take about 5.5 hours to get there. A nice benefit of driving during the day is the amazing views along the way. Also note that some small communities are controlled by the indigenous groups. There’s a stop point along the way in which all cars need to pay a small fee.
Lodging: We stayed in a hotel which was just a couple of kilometers from the entrance to Palenque named Chan-Kah Resort Village. This was a nice combination of conform and cabin experience.
Attractions: With this route, you get to visit Palenque, which is in my top 10 archaeological sites in Mexico. Along the way, there are also stops in the various waterfalls. Furthermore, we stopped in Tonina, which is a well kept secret archaeological site. You could count in one hand the number of tourists. Lastly, there are several places in which people are making delicious food along the way.
Day 5: Chiapa de Corzo and Cañón del Sumidero
Transportation: We left our hotel near Palenque very early in the morning. It was about 6.5 hours of driving. We made it to Chiapa de Corzo in time to enjoy the evening.
Lodging: We stayed at La Ceiba Hotel. It has its own parking, so that was convenient. Breakfast in the hotel was good, with a nice view of its patio.
Attractions: Chiapa de Corzo is a small town with a lot of charm, and very peaceful. We enjoyed walking there, and shopping at the small shops around the square. This is a good place to stay in to visit the Cañón del Sumidero, since the boat ports are nearby. The Cañón del Sumidero is a must for any Chiapas itinerary.
Day 6: Drive Back to Mexico City
Transportation: Recommended again to leave early. The pit stop in Tuxtla Gutiérrez was great to check out the view point of the canyon from the top, rather than from the water level.
I hope find this Chiapas itinerary useful for planning your next trip to Mexico. Be sure to check out my other itineraries for other locations in Mexico.