Puerto Vallarta
The Full Trip Breakdown: A private villa. 10 paying adults plus the kids. Five nights of great food, unforgettable experiences and family time — here’s what we did, what it cost and how we made it happen
The Trip at a Glance
📍 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
👨👩👧👦 10 paying adults + the kids
🏡 Private 8-bedroom villa
🌙 5 nights
👨🍳 Private chef + bartender
🚤 Private boat + excursions
One of the biggest lessons from this trip: traveling together can make experiences that look out of reach much more attainable.
The Stay
Instead of booking separate hotel rooms, we stayed together in a private 8-bedroom villa with a chef and bartender. It gave the family a place to eat, relax and spend time together — while allowing us to share many of the major costs.
Villa: $1,500/night total
5 nights: $7,500
Food & beverages: approximately $3,000
Staff gratuity: approximately $1,500–$1,700
With 10 paying adults, sharing the major expenses changed the economics of the trip significantly.
More Than Just a Place to Stay
Having a chef and bartender was a big part of the experience. Instead of taking the entire family out for every meal, we were able to enjoy home-cooked authentic Mexican cuisine together at the villa
Private Boat & Adventure Day
We spent the day exploring Puerto Vallarta by private boat, including Quimixto waterfall, Las Animas and Majahuitas. It was one of the highlights of the trip and gave the family a chance to experience Puerto Vallarta beyond the villa.
Private boat & excursion: approximately $760 total
Lunch: approximately $25 per person
Live Entertainment
Some of our favorite moments happened right at the villa. We brought in a mariachi group for a private performance, turning an evening at the house into one of the most memorable nights of the trip.
Mariachi: approximately $1,000 total
Private performance: approximately 2 hours
What Did It Actually Cost?
Here’s what we spent on the major shared expenses for our five-night Puerto Vallarta family trip, split among 10 paying adults.
THE STAY
Villa — 5 nights: $7,500
Staff gratuity: approx. $1,500–$1,700
FOOD & TRANSPORTATION
Food & beverages: approx. $3,000
Round-trip transportation: approx. $340
EXPERIENCES
Private boat & excursions: approx. $760
Mariachi: approx. $1,000
TOTAL SHARED COST: approx.
$14,100-$14,300
split 10 ways: approx. $1,410-1,430 per paying adult
How We Did It
We work regular jobs. We have bills, responsibilities and families. Travel doesn’t just happen — we plan for it
PLAN AHEAD
We choose trips early enough to budget, plan and spread expenses over time.
TRAVEL TOGETHER
Sharing accommodations, transportation and experiences can dramatically change what a trip costs each traveler.
MAKE EVERYDAY SPENDING WORK HARDER
We use travel rewards and points strategically when it makes financial sense — using everyday purchases we’d make anyway and paying balances responsibly.
The goal isn’t to spend more so you can travel. It’s to get more from money you’re already spending.
More Than the Numbers
The villa was incredible. The food and excursions were memorable. But that’s not really why we travel.
It’s about spending time together, experiencing something new and creating memories that last longer than the trip.