Are you planning to go on an exciting vacation? Looking for a travel destination where you can seek all sorts of experiences? Then this 5-day Cabo San Lucas itinerary will help you plan a perfect vacation.
With a perfect blend of coastal beauty and luxurious beach resorts, Cabo is a sinful bachelorette destination located on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. It’s one of the most popular cities in the country, boasting exciting touristic opportunities and fun. What makes this city unique is its beautiful location. Nestled right down the southernmost tip of Mexico, Cabo sits perfectly away from the hustle & bustle of city life. It isn’t as crowded as Mexico City and Cancun but still attracts most visitors during the peak season.
Cabo acts as an ideal weekend destination for party-lovers. With nightclubs, bar scenes, and Mexican gastronomy flowing into the city’s roots, there’s a lot to explore and discover within. And to help you discover the best of Cabo San Lucas, we curated this short but full of adventurous itinerary. With our in-depth travel tips, exploration site suggestions, and accommodation ideas – you’ll find our 5-day Cabo itinerary perfect for your exploration!
Travel Tip: Cabo is often referred to as ‘Los Cabos’ too. In fact, there are many sub-districts within the Los Cabos Municipality of Baja California state that have name Cabo. You’d often find visitors referring to this place as ‘Cabo San Lucas’ and ‘San Jose del Cabo’.
Overview of 5 Day Cabo Itinerary
Cabo is one of the beloved holiday destinations of Mexico. It’s a fun-loving city that spreads its charm through beautiful experiences. To make you fulfil your time in this lively city, we designed a flexible vacation that can match your travel requirements. Yes, five days in Cabo may seem short, but then you’d have plenty of time to spend and explore attractions. Most activities involve discovering the city’s landmarks and coastal-side beaches.
Furthermore, we’ve also suggested some top-rated activities that complement our 5-day Cabo itinerary. With the added recommendations, you’d also have the flexibility to extend your stay. This will also help you discover the true hidden sights of Cabo at its best.
Here’s a quick glance at your 5 Day Cabo Itinerary –
Day 1: Arrive in Cabo and spend a day at the beach
Day 2: Day-Trip to Todos Santos or Sierra de la Laguna
Day 3: Visit Cabo Pulmo National Park
Day 4: Visit Downtown Cabo
Day 5: Depart Cabo
Detailed 5 Day Cabo Itinerary
Day 1 | Arrive in Cabo
Welcome to paradisical land of Cabo San Lucas! Upon your arrival, check in to your hotel, freshen up and opt to explore the surrounding area on your own.
Today, you’ll be exploring the major highlights of Cabo. From spending a relaxing time at Medano Beach to sailing over the crystal blue waters to see Land’s End arch, you’ll pretty much get familiar with what Cabo has to offer during your vacation.
Spend some time at Medano Beach
Medano Beach is the heart and soul of Cabo San Lucas. Bustling with day-trippers, vacationers, honeymooners, and party-lovers, this beach has been a home-side paradise for all sorts of travellers. Medano Beach is only meant for one thing, and that’s ‘relaxation’. If you’ve had jet lag, there’s no better recovery spot than taking a nice nap under a shade at Medano. With a couple of drinks and a nice Mexican lunch, you could possibly have the best start to your Cabo vacation. And if relaxation isn’t your thing, you could always have a go at parasailing or jet skiing at Medano Beach.
Visit Land’s End arch & Lover’s Beach
I recommend taking up this guided tour to The Arch and Lover’s Beach late in the afternoon. This half-day excursion is one of the top-rated tours of Cabo and takes you on a short yet special journey to unravel the beauty of Los Cabos. Head out on a water taxi to marvel at the famous Arch, and then kayak or snorkel to see aquatic marine life in action. You’ll also go past the colonies of sea lions, which is a wonderful sight. Later, head to Lover’s Beach to gaze at the rugged rock formations that line up the shore. You can also opt to snorkel here to spot some rare marine species underwater.
Go Sailing on a Pirate Ship
Have you ever dreamt of sailing across the oceans on a pirate ship? Well, this could definitely come true with the help of this unique activity – Sunset Pirate Ship Cruise. As you sail through the harsh waves of the Sea of Cortez, be prepared to take in loads of fun and adventures on the ship. From live performances done by rowdy pirates to classic musical shows, enjoy delicious meals, a bevvy of cocktails, and local beers. This is certainly one of the best activities to try out in Cabo.
Day 2 | Full-Day Excursion
Today, you’ll have the choice to either have a full-day excursion to Sierra de la Laguna mountains or the famous beach town of Todos Santos. I’m keeping both the options here, so that you could choose the one that suits your travel vacation. Many travellers don’t prefer hiking during leisure trip and that’s why its best to recommend an alternative in place.
The Sierra de la Laguna Mountain range is a majestic experience for those who are adventure junkies. From varied difficulty hikes serving different panoramic views to dense wilderness that house amazing animal species, the Sierra mountains is a diverse range of canyons, dry plains and dramatic cliffs. The area has been attracting visitors from all over the world due to its vastness and abundant opportunities to hike and camp. Apart from the adventure side of it, the Sierra de la Laguna is home to two important Mexican species – purple heads (Calypte costae) and Xantus hummingbirds (Hylocharis xantusii). If lucky, you’d be able to spot them on your hike!
On the other hand, those looking to visit Todos Santos won’t be disappointed with its laidback lifestyle. This small beach town has been home to only 5,000 inhabitants, but its still considered to be one of the most unspolit gems of Mexico. The town’s natural beauty, its cultural atmosphere, and great hospitality keeps alive the traditional roots. When it comes to exploring Todos Santos, there’s a lot to discover in this pretty town.
The foremost thing you need to do is walk around the historical center. You’d be simply amazed by the beautiful architecture and colonial-styled buildings lining-up next to each other. Along with its structures, you’d surely admire the lively markets, local craft shops and galleries housing up the historical centre. The next place you do not want to miss, is the famous Punta Lobos Beach. It’s an excellent spot to surf and sunbathe, as there is barely any tourists crowding up this beach. Alternatively, you can also spend some at Cerritos Beach.
Travel Tip: If you want to take your excursion a little further, I highly recommend visiting Playa Balandra which is 1.5 hour drive north of Todos Santos. Playa Balandra has been regarded as the country’s most beautiful beach featuring striking views, stunning tones, and amazing surfing opportunities.
Day 3 | Visit Cabo Pulmo National Park
Cabo Pulmo National Park is the highlight of your short 5-day Cabo itinerary. This gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage site is set amidst a beautiful area fringed by lush-green forests, picturesque mountains, and far-fetched coastal views. The Cabo Pulmo Park is also a marine national park, housing rich aquatic wildlife and biodiversity that greatly rivals the likes of the Galapagos and Great Barrier Reef.
Cabo Pulmo National Park is located across the East Cape of Baja California Sur, which is very close to the other Mexican cities. Despite its proximity, the entire national park is unspoiled with crowded tourists and daily activities. However, on weekends you’d find most day-trippers exploring the national park’s hiking trails and snorkelling sites.
While I recommend exploring the national park on your own, you wouldn’t want to miss out on experiencing these activities at Cabo Pulmo –
Explore Diving Sites: The Cabo Pulmo National Park has gained tremendous fame for its various diving spots. You can find some of the best diving sites here, and you’re often treated with marine life, such as sharks, sea turtles, and jackfish.
Go Snorkelling: Like diving, snorkelling is another popular adventure here at Cabo Pulmo. You don’t need an expert to come along and guide you, as you can simply wander off on your own. However, if you still need one – you can get yourself a guided snorkelling experience. Some of the best sites to snorkel include visiting El Arbelito, Las Navajas, and El Rinconcito & El Rincon.
Day 4 | Explore Downtown Cabo
A trip to Cabo San Lucas feels purely incomplete if you don’t visit Downtown Cabo. It’s one of the liveliest hubs of the city, boasting fascinating Mexican cuisine, traditional art and culture, museums, rowdy nightlife, trendy bars and pubs, and much more. For shopping lovers, Downtown Cabo is nothing but bliss. Most markets in this part of the city offer budgeted souvenirs and items to tourists travelling. This ultimately places one of the cheapest places to grab something you love!
Downtown Cabo is pretty much yours to explore! This is where you have the flexibility to choose how you want to spend your time. Moreover, if you want my advice – I would ideally suggest you indulge in their innovative fusion food. From traditional eatery shops to family-oriented restaurants, Downtown Cabo hosts a wonderfully rich environment for those who’d love to indulge in authentic regional food.
If you’re unsure what to try while food hopping across the stalls, then make a note to try these special classics – Chilaquiles, Pozole, Tacos al pastor, Chiles en nogada, and Enchiladas. You’d find these almost anywhere in Downtown Cabo.
Alternatively, if you’re a party animal, Downtown Cabo won’t disappoint you with its raw nightlife scenes. Live music performances and popular band shows are a thing here; you’d find these events almost anywhere. Especially places like Cabo Blue and Cabo Lounge. Faraway is known to host some popular names during their events.
Day 5 | Depart Cabo
This marks the end of your 5-day Cabo itinerary. If you wish to extend your stay even further, then check our below-recommended options. These tours are highly-rated amongst travellers and are often included in Cabo San Lucas packages.
Accommodation for 5 days in Cabo
From beach-side resorts and luxurious villas to city centre hotels and apartments, Cabo San Lucas is home to plenty of accommodation options. The first thing you need to do is to plan your stay well, as the bookings for Cabos’ best properties often gets sold out quickly. Its important to do a good research on hotels and resorts that offer better rates for particular seasons. I’d highly recommend checking out Tripadvisor, as they give you a detailed comparison rate offered by different hotel booking engines. You can then make a wise decision of saving up a lot by booking the cheapest one.
The second thing you need to consider for your 5 day Cabo itinerary is – where you want to be located for 5 days. For example, Palmilla and Pedregal is a super cozy, friendly neighbourhood with tons of options for all budget/mid-budget travellers. Pederegal is more closer to the Pacific Coast, and thus landmarks like Land’s End arch & Lover’s Beach can be at your nearest vicinity. I’d also ideally suggest you to choose one particular property for your entire stay. This way you can be a lot closer to the action happening in Cabo San Lucas.
Further Readings & Resources
Galapagos – 5 Day Galapagos Itinerary: Ultimate Guide (+Map, Tips)
California – 10 Day California Road Trip: One Epic California Itinerary
Sedona – Phoenix to Sedona: Top Things to Do + Sedona Itinerary
Yellowstone – Yellowstone Itinerary: How to Spend an Ideal Time in Yellowstone
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