IVAE Studios family sessions in Cancun start at 295 USD with no deposit; for families we recommend The Chapter, 60 minutes and 35 photos for 475 USD. We priced one real week, July 10 to 17, 2027. With United fares from Chicago, seven nights all-inclusive, a private airport transfer, Visitax, a day at Xcaret and a family photo session, two parents and two kids came to about $7,692 at the value level, $8,782 mid-range and $13,479 for luxury; two parents and four kids came to about $12,606, $14,039 and $20,672. The kids paid full airfare and Visitax, a reduced or free resort rate, and three quarters of the adult price at Xcaret.
Most Cancun budgets are written for two adults. Families ask us something else: what does the week cost with the kids on the booking? So we priced one real week in July 2027, line by line, on the airline's, the resorts' and the park's own websites, for families of four and six, at three levels.
The Week We Priced
- DatesSaturday, July 10 to Saturday, July 17, 2027, seven nights
- Family of fourTwo adults, kids aged 6 and 9
- Family of sixTwo adults, kids aged 4, 6, 9 and 11
- FlightsUnited nonstop from Chicago O'Hare
- ResortsTwo Hilton all-inclusives near Cancun
- CheckedNovember 14, 2026
We priced every resort level on Hilton's own site, so the child rules and taxes compare like for like. Value is Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort, on the Cancun to Tulum highway outside the Hotel Zone; mid-range is Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe All-Inclusive Resort, on Kukulcan Boulevard in the Hotel Zone; luxury is the same resort's Enclave section, with beachfront suites and lounge access.
Prices move daily, so read this as a dated snapshot, not a quote. Flying from another city? Swap in your own fares. Coming from Canada? Our guide to a family trip from Canada to Cancun covers that side of the planning.
Family of Four: Three Budgets
| Line | Value | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights, 4 round trips from Chicago | $2,808Basic Economy, $702 each | $3,208Standard Economy, $802 each | $4,180Business, $1,045 each |
| Resort, 7 nights all-inclusive, taxes in | $3,752.70Hilton Cancun, Sunset View room | $4,403.00Mar Caribe, Resort View room | $7,693.98Mar Caribe, Enclave Beachfront Suite |
| Airport transfers, round trip | $124Private van | $94Private van | $178Luxury SUV |
| Visitax, 4 people | about $63 | about $63 | about $63 |
| Xcaret, 2 adults and 2 kids | $469.35 | $469.35 | $469.35 |
| Family photo session | $475The Chapter | $545The Story | $895The Heirloom |
| Total | about $7,692 | about $8,782 | about $13,479 |
That is about $275, $314 and $481 per person per night. Flights and the resort are more than four fifths of every column, so shop those hardest.
Family of Six: Three Budgets
| Line | Value | Mid-range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights, 6 round trips from Chicago | $4,212Basic Economy, $702 each | $4,812Standard Economy, $802 each | $6,372Business, $1,062 each |
| Resort, 7 nights all-inclusive, taxes in | $7,130.90Hilton Cancun, connecting Sunset View rooms | $7,924.00Mar Caribe, two Resort View rooms | $12,562.62Mar Caribe, Enclave two-bedroom suite |
| Airport transfers, round trip | $124Private van | $94Private van | $178Luxury SUV |
| Visitax, 6 people | about $95 | about $95 | about $95 |
| Xcaret, 2 adults, 3 kids, 1 under 5 | $569.92 | $569.92 | $569.92 |
| Family photo session | $475The Chapter | $545The Story | $895The Heirloom |
| Total | about $12,606 | about $14,039 | about $20,672 |
Standard rooms at both resorts sleep four. So the value column uses Hilton Cancun's connecting Sunset View rooms, listed as sleeping six, and the mid-range column two Resort View rooms with one adult and two kids in each, on the Kids & Teens Stay Free rate, which covers one child per registered adult, up to two per room, at $566 a night per room. The luxury column is one Enclave beachfront suite with two bedrooms that sleeps eight, on the Resort Credit Offer, because the kids-stay-free rate did not show for four kids in one suite. Per person per night: about $300, $334 and $492.
What the Kids Actually Add
How each line treated the children on our dates:
- Flights. United showed the same per-person fare for the kids as for the adults, so in the family of four they are half the airfare: $1,604 of $3,208 in the mid-range column.
- Resort. At Hilton Cancun, the Sunset View room for two adults was $356.10 a night; with the 6- and 9-year-old it was $536.10, so the kids added $180 a night, $1,260 for the week. Hilton quotes these resorts per person, children included, and anyone 5 or older left off the booking is charged at check-in, so list every child.
- Xcaret. Adults are 12 and older. Children 5 to 11 pay three quarters of the adult price, $100.57 against $134.10 online, and kids 4 and under get in free.
- Visitax. There is no child rate: the official site says all foreign tourists must pay.
- Transfers. Priced per vehicle, and the company we used lists child seats as free on request, in limited number.
- Photos. We charge per session, not per person.
Where Each Number Comes From
Flights. On November 14, 2026 we searched United's site for the nonstop from Chicago O'Hare leaving at 10:33 am on July 10, returning July 17. Per-person round trips started at $702 in Basic Economy (non-refundable, no changes, no carry-on bag), $802 in Standard Economy (one carry-on) and $1,045 in Business for four travelers, $1,062 for six. Checked bags cost extra in economy.
Resorts. Rates come from Hilton's booking pages for Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort and Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe, checked November 14, 2026, with taxes included in every total. Hilton Cancun's Early Booking Offer can be changed or cancelled up to 60 days before arrival; the Mar Caribe rates in our tables can be changed or cancelled until June 26, 2027, 14 days before arrival. Planning photos at the first resort? See our Hilton Cancun family photoshoot guide.
Transfers. Happy Shuttle Cancun listed these rates on November 14, 2026: a private van for 4 to 6 people to the Hotel Zone is $94 round trip, and a full-size luxury SUV for 4 to 6 is $178. Its private transfer page says each ride is one flat rate per vehicle, not per passenger. The company files Hilton Cancun under Puerto Morelos, where its van for 4 to 6 is $124 round trip. For taxis, Uber and car seats once you land, see our guide to getting around Cancun with kids.
Visitax. Article 51-Octies of Quintana Roo's fee law, as last amended on December 16, 2025, charges each foreign visitor 2.5 UMA, the unit Mexican law uses for fees. With the UMA at 117.31 pesos from February 1, 2026, according to INEGI, that is about 293 pesos, or about $15.75 at the 18.6188 pesos per dollar that Mexico's official gazette published for November 13, 2026. The UMA is updated every year, so the 2027 amount will follow the new value. You pay at visitax.gob.mx; more in our Visitax guide for families.
Xcaret. On November 14, 2026 the Xcaret price guide listed the park at $149 per adult, or $134.10 online, and the park's ticket page gives that price for purchases made at least seven days ahead, with 25% off for kids 5 to 11 and free entry for toddlers 0 to 4. Its quote tool gave $469.35 for two adults and two kids aged 5 to 11, and $569.92 for two adults, three kids and one under 5. See our guide to Xcaret parks with kids.
Meals out. An all-inclusive rate covers meals, snacks and drinks at the resort, so we left restaurants out; dinners outside go on top.
Where the Photo Session Fits
This is the one line we set ourselves. Our collections run from 295 to 895 USD. The Chapter, the one we recommend for families, is 60 minutes, 35 photos and one look for 475 USD. The Story is 75 minutes, 50 photos and two looks for 545 USD, and The Heirloom is 90 minutes with the full edited gallery and two looks for 895 USD. There is no deposit: you pay at the end of the session, by card or in cash, and moving up to a bigger collection costs only the difference.
You get a sneak peek within 24 hours and your private gallery in 1 to 3 business days, with unlimited downloads and print rights. Some resorts charge a fee for an outside photographer; it is paid to the hotel, and we confirm your resort's rule before the session. Our team, led by Vianey Díaz, brings more than 20 years of photography experience and has photographed thousands of families and couples; since IVAE Studios opened in 2023 we have delivered more than 500 sessions, rated 5.0 across 75 Google reviews.
“They did the best job of photographing 14 people with 5 littles under 10 years old.”
Stephanie F., Google review
See all six collections on our photography prices page and how a family session runs on our Cancun family photographer page, or book online for 6:30, 7:00 or 7:30 am or 5:00 or 5:30 pm; other times by WhatsApp.
Ways to Lower the Total
- Take the early rate if your dates are firm. At Hilton Cancun the Early Booking Offer was $536.10 a night against $689 for the flexible rate.
- Look for a kids-stay-free rate, like the one at Mar Caribe.
- Buy park tickets online at least seven days ahead: $134.10 instead of $149 per adult at Xcaret.
- Fly Basic Economy only if you can skip carry-ons. It saved $100 per person on our flight.
- Share one vehicle. Six people pay the same $94 to the Hotel Zone as four.