If our time in Puerto Vallarta was a fever dream, I don’t want to wake up! What a surprise it was: Technicolor sunsets. Off-the-grid waterfalls. Horseback riding in the jungle. Beach massages and snorkeling adventures. The best Puerto Vallarta itinerary includes all this + beachside tacos + Michelin dining + a rooftop pool.
I know, right?
I’m an experienced Mexico traveler. I’ve been to Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende, Tecate, Tijuana, Cancun, Isla Holbox, Valle de Guadalupe wine country three times, and am headed to Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido soon.
So I can’t believe it took me this long to see Puerto Vallarta! I honestly didn’t get the appeal at first. Why would I visit a busy cruise port with cold Pacific ocean water? I hate crowds.
But my brother and his wife head to Puerto Vallarta every year so when they invited us on a trip with their friends and encouraged us to bring our friends, we were in! And it was truly an epic trip for all eight of us.
Three Day Puerto Vallarta Itinerary
Some of our group stayed for a week and some of us stayed for five days. I’m condensing the very best of our stay into a three day itinerary here…but honestly? You’ll be sad if you have to come home after just three days.
This itinerary includes a half day after your arrival, two full days, and a half day before you depart but can easily be adapted for more days.
If you do have more time, I also recommend extra beach days or time at the rooftop pool sipping margaritas as you watch the sun slip over the horizon.
Puerto Vallarta Travel Tips
• Navigating the Airport Exit- After you go through Customs, you’ll emerge into what’s affectionately called “the shark tank”. It’s essentially a hallway between Customs and the door to the airport that is lined with vendors selling timeshares and taxi/transportation services.
Keep walking and make no eye contact. It can feel a little overwhelming. Just keep walking and head towards the door.
There’s just one more obstacle to your freedom: the bag check area. Once you’ve retrieved your luggage (or even if you’ve carried on), you’ll stand in a line that puts your luggage through a security check.
It goes without saying: Do NOT bring drugs, vapes, or anything else that the Mexican government could consider nefarious or you will be stopped and detained here. The good news is that the baggage security line goes fast, even though it can look long!
• Catching a taxi. Yes, it’s safe to catch a taxi or Uber from the airport into town, ideally one which you’ve arranged via the taxi stand or Uber app. The fare depends upon the zone to which you’re heading.
Here’s the thing: You might get charged Gringo prices. The condo where we stayed offered a concierge service for a driver to meet us. The cost was going to be $200 USD for four people! That’s insanity.
We spent $20 USD (Zone 1: Hotel Zone, Conchas Chinas) by walking left out of the airport and over a bridge where our Uber met us. That is a 15-minute sweaty, humid walk with your luggage, however.
Next time, I’d probably follow my host’s advice to look for the Taxi Movil window in the airport lobby as you exit immigration. You pay at the window and take the receipt outsid,e where they flag down one of their taxis for you.
• Bring cash ahead of time. Cash is king here. Some taco places take only cash; it’s great for tips, taxi rides, massages on the beach, and vendors in the market. The easiest thing is to bring pesos with you. (We brought $500 USD for a week.)
We did end up hitting up an ATM for more cash. Our first attempt at an ATM was out of cash; we were successful at the second.
If you do use an ATM, be aware of potentially high fees. We always use our Charles Schwab ATM card which refunds any ATM fees worldwide to our account. Always request cash in the local currency at the ATM—pesos here—and not in US dollars, which will cost you more.
You can read more about how to avoid ATM fees and many other tried and true Mexico travel tips in my post on 24 practical Mexico tips you’ll need.
Where to Stay
Option 1: The Orchid in Conchas Chinas
This is one of my all-time favorite stays! This is the two-bedroom unit we stayed in, but you can find other smaller and larger condos at the Orchid on Airbnb.
The tap water in all units (and ice cubes!) is filtered, as is everything from the rooftop bar and restaurant so absolutely no concerns about getting sick here.
You could have a fantastic week in PV if you never left this place. Ocean views, a rooftop infinity pool, and a rooftop bar/restaurant with great food and prices make it hard to ever leave. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
The only downside is that it’s a 20- to 30-minute walk along the beach to Zona Romantica (or a 5-minute taxi ride).
Option 2: In Zona Romantica
We actually broke up our stay and moved to the Rivera del Rio Hotel in the Zona Romantica so we could try different accommodation options to recommend.
This hotel defies description! Just go look at the photos and you’ll see what I mean. It’s truly one of a kind, although not super upscale.
The pros: It’s centrally located for easy walkability of Old Town, offers an inclusive option for a delicious hot Mexican breakfast, has a rooftop pool, is budget-friendly, and incredibly unique.
The only con: It’s not The Orchid in Conchas Chinas!
Check price and availability of Rivera del Rio Hotel here.
Day 1 Beach or Pool Day
If you’ve arrived here mid-day, it’s time to slow down and enjoy the Mexican beach vibes.
If you’re staying at The Orchid as I recommend, you’ll need to go no further than your terrace—which offers unobstructed beach views—or up to the rooftop infinity pool, which includes a great casual open-air restaurant.
Put those margaritas and coconut shrimp on my tab, please!
If you’d like to cook, you can order directly online from a wide assortment of groceries at Pig Out Groceries.
We found this easy, convenient, and inexpensive for things like eggs, bacon, tortilla chips, and fresh ceviche. You can order through their WhatsApp menu before you even land, and just tell them where and when you want it delivered.
Otherwise, most people stop en route from the airport at a grocery store. (I hear some taxi drivers will even wait while you’re inside.) Personally, I think it’s easier to order from Pig Out!
That said, if you’re staying at The Orchid, there’s really no need. Everything delicious awaits at the rooftop restaurant, including coffee, lattes, and excellent Mexican breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The Orchid even has a cute little palapa bar just across the street at the beach that offers great drinks and appetizers!
Otherwise, if you’re staying in town at Rivera del Rio, they also have a tiny rooftop pool and bar with great views of Puerto Vallarta; it’s just not as swank as it is at The Orchid.
In either case, miles of gorgeous beach are easy to access for walking or sunning. You’ll find lots of Mexicans on vacation at Playa Los Muertos in town; The long, swimmable Camarones Beach, north of PV, is another option.
Ready for a Dinner Adventure?
Order up a taxi and prepare to go off-grid for dinner at Tony’s Hideaway in Mislamoya. It’s an unforgettable experience and definitely off the tourist grid.
You’d be forgiven if you felt a little worried as your taxi navigates narrow cobblestone roads in a tiny village up, up, up—seemingly in the middle of who knows where—but I promise you it’s going to be great! Plan on a 20-minute drive from Conchas Chinas.
This restaurant is essentially in a treehouse with a palapa roof, ocean views, and open air. There’s even a sandy floor!
The menu here? You can order from a menu, but I recommend you just ask Tony what’s fresh off the boat or looks good. The menu we ordered from looked like this:
We just let Tony order for us and everything was incredible! We had a seafood platter with lobster, guacamole with melted cheese on tortilla chips, and margaritas all around. YUM!
This is a family-run restaurant, and the owner, Tony, does the fishing here. Business has been slow lately, with fewer tourists trekking to his place here in Mislamoya.
Do him a solid and go check his place out. A truly unique and very authentic Mexican dining experience.
On another day, we also taxied up to Mislamoya for massages on the beach!
The massages are around $30 per hour plus tip. While the girls relaxed with massages, the boys watched the boats come into the cute little harbor. Highly recommended.
You could even plan an afternoon on the beach with massages and then head to Tony’s to save on taxi time.
Day 2: Snorkeling—Horseback Riding—Waterfall—Lunch on the Beach Adventure Day
One of the things that was really special about this trip for me was traveling with my brother, who knows Puerto Vallarta incredibly well. He did all the planning!
Since I’m always the one planning our trips around the globe, this was such a treat.
I really love spending my travel dollars with locals when I can, so when he said, “I know a guy with a boat”, I was in! (And now you’ll know a guy with a boat in Puerto Vallarta, too.)
For around $200 (plus tip), my brother’s friend Sergei and his son Emanuel offered us an all-day excursion on their panga (small open-air boat with an outboard motor) up and down the coast! It was completely up to us where and what we wanted to do.
Emanuel was our driver and just dropped us off and picked us up as requested. And what a day it was!
We met up at the marina in cute little Boca de Tomatlan, a fishing village about a 20-minute taxi drive from Zona Romantica. The coast here is gorgeous!
Our first stop was the little dock at Quimixto on the coast. The destination: Quimixto Waterfall and the little bar/restaurant in the jungle there.
We walked into the jungle until we met up with the guys offering horses for the rest of the trek up, after which we rode up on horseback.
These were very mellow horses and well-behaved, so no worries about any shenanigans if you’re not an experienced rider. (If you’re not into horses, you can also walk—not too arduous but uphill about 30 minutes—or even ATV it.)
When we arrived at the waterfall, there was someone to help us dismount and hang onto our horses while we went for a swim and relaxed in the shade with drinks.
After that, we were back on the boat for an absolutely stunning snorkeling experience. Emanuel maneuvered the panga into a little private cove (no big cruise ships or even day trippers here) to enjoy his secret snorkeling spot.
And I have to say, first, that as someone who is not a fan of cold ocean temps, I was shocked by how pleasant and warm the Pacific Ocean was here! Warmer than water in Hawaii, for sure.
Our visit here the last week of October was perfectly timed to miss the end of the rainy season but before the cooler temps cooled the ocean too much.
I’ve snorkeled all over the state of Hawaii and in French Polynesia, but I’ve never seen as many tropical fish as I did here. Just look at these!
After our snorkel, it was back on the panga to head to lunch right on the beach at Los Conos. The boat just pulled into the shallows, where we hopped off and waded over to the beach for beer, margaritas, Mexican seafood, and tacos.
Once we’d finished our boat day, Emanuel dropped us back off at the marina in Boca de Tomatlan.
Then, of course, it was back to The Orchid for more lounging around at the rooftop pool. (Can you tell that I could not get enough of this place?)
How to Book Your Waterfall-Boat Trip Adventure
If you’d like to plan a boat trip like this one with Sergei and his son Emmanuel, the best way to get in touch to reserve a day and confirm cost is via Emmanuel’s Facebook page. Just DM him with your request.
Tell him you were referred by me and my blog! (I don’t earn a commission. I’m just excited to send referrals their way.)
If you’d prefer to book an actual day trip through a tour company, there are also lots of options on Viator…like this highly rated one that includes a zipline, waterfalls, and speedboat adventure.
Check price and availability on the zipline waterfall adventure here.
Day 2 Dinner Is tacos, of course!
Did you even go to Mexico if you didn’t eat too many tacos?
I didn’t have a bad meal anywhere in Puerto Vallarta, nor did any of our group get sick. The host of our Orchid condo tells me that all the restaurants in town use filtered water. We ate raw salads, salsa, and vegetables all over town without incident.
This was also my experience on Isla Holbox. However, I did get ill in Mexico City once on street tacos, so your mileage may vary!
But I digress… back to street tacos.
Head directly to Pancho’s Takos in Zona Romantica, which bills itself as “the best tacos al carbon” (grilled meat) in P,V and they might not be wrong!
These guys are famou,s so expect a line down the street. However, they are very efficient. You’ll mark your order on a slip of paper while you wait and then be served when a table opens up.
Honestly, it’s such a tiny place with a tiny kitchen. I don’t know how they turn tables so fast!
While you’re waiting, check out the meat carver meticulously slicing the El Pastor! It’s a thing of beauty. (I don’t know how he does it all day in the heat.)
And don’t skimp on the Agua Fresca—free refills—which makes a delicious non-alcoholic break from beer and margaritas if you’re pacing yourself.
Day 3: Explore Zona Romantica
Start your day off on the Malecón.
This is the promenade along the coast here; it’s a 1.6-mile boardwalk. You’ll see lots of touristy shops and restaurants here, so I’d avoid those as I’ll point you to better spots in a minute!
When we were here—just a day before Day of the Dead—we saw so many amazing artworks and altars honoring this special event.
I love the idea of remembering loved ones who have passed away. Here in Mexico, it’s a community celebration where altars or gravestones are decorated with special things the loved one enjoyed.
There might be an earring, a ball of yarn, or a favorite snack. There’s often a glass of water in case they are thirsty!
And in the evening, it’s common for the community to gather around the graveyard, sharing stories, remembering, and generally enjoying a good time together. How wonderful is that?
But definitely amble up the beautiful Los Muertos Beach Pier while you’re in this area.
This pier was constructed in 2013 to replace an older wooden pier. It’s a metal sculpture that looks like the sail of a ship and offers great views of the Bay of Banderas.
Next, head over to Mercado Municipal Rio Cuale to shop for souvenirs.
This open-air market is impeccably clean! You’ll find dozens of vendors selling all manner of clothing, purses, table linens, and so much more.
It’s perfectly acceptable—and expected—that you’ll barter here. If you’ve never done it, I can tell you from my own experiences here in Mexico and Morocco that you just need to practice a little to get the feel for it.
No, you’re not here to steal the food out of the mouths of a poor local family with your demand for bargain basement prices. But you also don’t want to look like a “mark”. Negotiating is the way of the world in Mexico, so think of it as a cultural experience.
I suggest asking for the price of something you’re interested in and then offering half of that, which is your opening bid to find out what something’s really worth. Be willing to come up quite a bit if it’s something you’re set on taking home.
But don’t be afraid to walk away and think about it either. There’s likely to be another vendor a few stalls away also selling something similar, so you can do a price check there.
Then explore Old Town (also known as Zona Romantica).
We stopped for smoothies and a browse at A Page in the Sun, a cute little coffee shop and book store that stocks a nice selection of books in English as well as other languages.
After that, it was off to tour Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe).
This church was built between 1930 and 1940 and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was actually built on the original foundation of another chapel, also dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1901.
Her Feast Day, on December 12, is often celebrated locally with altars in homes surrounded by flowers and candles. Fireworks are lit here in the church on the days running up to this Feast Day.
It’s worth a visit!
Next up: Drinks, Snacks or Lunch
Not far from the cathedral is Casa Tradicional Cocina Mexicana, which makes an excellent stop for refreshments.
This place is definitely touristy, but the food is excellent. Sometimes you’ve gotta go anyways!
You’ll probably walk past a man playing music dressed in a native type headdress and costume as you are seated at your table.
Be sure to order the guacamole as it’s prepared tableside with roasted ingredients. And the margaritas include a seriously generous pour of tequila!
If you’re headed home today, then this concludes your Puerto Vallarta itinerary. However, if you have time for one last dinner, I have two fine dining suggestions for you for a strong finish to your trip.
Option 1: Book a dinner at D’Cortés. My brother has been here a number of times, and I can see why!
This is a contemporary, high-end spot with upscale, French-inspired international cuisine. You’ll find things like truffle pasta, cheese-crusted tacos, and excellent cocktails. Steve says their sea bass was the best he’s ever tasted!
Be sure to reserve ahead via their Instagram or WhatsApp as it’s a tiny spot and you don’t want to miss out. (In fact, double-check with your taxi driver that he knows where he’s headed, as they seem to have trouble finding this place.)
Option 2 for your last dinner: Reserve at The Iguana for open-air Michelin star dining.
The Iguana is located at Casa Kimberly, which used to be Elizabeth Taylor’s mansion but is today a high-end hotel with spa and tequila bar.
As you arrive, you’ll see the “kissing bridge” which joins Taylor’s former residence at Casa Kimberly to Richard Burton’s smaller place just below.
To be honest, I thought the food was better at D’Cortes (despite The Iguana’s 2024 Michelin recognition). However, the ambiance is worth it for the trip alone!
It’s an iconic spot with an open-air veranda for dining and gorgeous views across Puerto Vallarta.
And that’s a wrap on Puerto Vallarta!
Of all the places I’ve visited around the world, I’m so surprised to find that Puerto Vallarta is the one I’m most likely to return to.
I think part of the allure is that such a great Mexican experience is just a three-hour direct flight from San Diego…which counts for a lot!
But also that rooftop at The Orchid…
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