Quick verdict: Mexico is North America’s best backpacker destination — Mexico City + Oaxaca + Yucatan. $35/day comfortable. Cheap food + culture + variety.
6 best backpacking spots in Mexico
Mexico City (Roma Norte)
Capital backpack
$15-40/night. Roma + Condesa + Coyoacan. Best food city in LatAm. Day trips Teotihuacan.
Oaxaca City
Cultural backpack
$15-40/night. Best Mexican food. Day of the Dead (Oct 31-Nov 2) is bucket-list.
San Cristobal de las Casas
Highland backpack
$15-35/night. Mountain town in Chiapas. Highland Mayan culture. Hidden gem.
Palenque + Yucatan
Ruins backpack
$15-50/night. Mayan ruins + cenotes + Tulum + Chichen Itza overland route.
Puerto Escondido
Pacific backpack
$15-50/night. Surf coast + beach hostels. Cheaper than Tulum/Cancun.
Holbox Island
Mellow island
$25-60/night. Car-free island. Whale shark season May-September. Quieter Caribbean.
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Updated 2026. Some links on Packzup are affiliate links.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.