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Chichen Itza Tour: Explore Mayan Ruins & Cenote
4.6
266 Ratings
Playa del Carmen
Explore the rich Mayan history at Chichen Itza and Ekbalam ruins, and cool off with a refreshing swim in the Saama Cenote. Book your tour from Playa del Carmen now!
Explore the rich Mayan history at Chichen Itza and Ekbalam ruins, and cool off with a refreshing swim in the Saama Cenote. Book your tour from Playa del Carmen now!
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Chichen Itza - One of the most important archaeological sites in the world! Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, a “must do” tour when visiting Cancun. An expert guide will lead the way and share the exciting facts and folklore of Chichen Itza and the Mayan civilization. See the ball court,…
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Chichen Itza - One of the most important archaeological sites in the world! Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, a “must do” tour when visiting Cancun. An expert guide will lead the way and share the exciting facts and folklore of Chichen Itza and the Mayan civilization. See the ball court, the Temple of a Thousand Columns and of course, the imposing Kukulkan Pyramid.
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Cenote Saamal - Cenotes are unique to the Yucatan Peninsula, natural limestone sinkholes of incredible natural beauty that are perfect for a refreshing swim in a jungle oasis. Immerse yourself in the crystalline waters and admire the spectacular rock formations!
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Zona Arqueológica de Ek Balam - The Mayan ruins of Ek Balam may be less famous than Chichen Itza but they are spectacular! Climb the incredible Acropolis and admire the exceptional carvings and art of the ancient Maya that has been so well preserved and maintained and enjoy the view from the top.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Chichen Itza, Ekbalam and Cenote Saamal Admission
- Guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Bottled water
- Lunch
- Chichen Itza, Ekbalam and Cenote Saamal Admission
- Guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Taxes (66 usd pp)
- Drinks are not included if you choose the basic option.
- Gratuities
- Taxes (66 usd pp)
- Drinks are not included if you choose the basic option.
Additional Information
Embark on a distinct expedition of historical significance, embracing cultural wealth and mesmerizing nature with our Chichen Itza Saama Cenote and Ek Balam tour from Cancun. A knowledgeable tour guide will accompany you as you delve into the two Mayan archaeological locations and engage in a divine cenote swim. Round-trip transportation and lunch are…
Embark on a distinct expedition of historical significance, embracing cultural wealth and mesmerizing nature with our Chichen Itza Saama Cenote and Ek Balam tour from Cancun. A knowledgeable tour guide will accompany you as you delve into the two Mayan archaeological locations and engage in a divine cenote swim. Round-trip transportation and lunch are provided!
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- It is recommended that you bring sports shoes, sandals or flip flops, swimsuit, towel, sunglasses, hat, biodegradable sunscreen and mosquito repellent, a camera and Mexican Pesos in cash for expenses and tips
Location
Viva Mexico
5 Avenida Norte
7:00 AM
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(266 Ratings)
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Kaylee
Nov 10, 2025
4 Experiences in 1. Stunning archeological sites, a unique adventure to a Mayan Village with the bonus of learning about the pla - It was such a beautiful experience. Jose was so knowledgeable and both he and the driver represent what great service is about. You get 4 excursions in one really and learnings to top it off. Some things that I'd like to mention that I was not prepared for: bring a swim suit as you can experience swimming in a cenote for an extra charge. The Mayan tax on top of the excursions is $66 USD per person on top of your excursion (at time of this review), so would like to bring awareness to this if you are budgeting. Overall, very worth it for all that is included. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zs
Jun 5, 2025
Amazing trip - I absolutely loved this trip. Our tour guide Louis was great, funny, knowledgeable, always helpful. Our driver Erick drove fast and safely, he was also friendly and made sure we had enough water to stay hydrated. Everything happened on schedule, we all had an amazing day. Thank you Louis and Erick for making the tour more memorable. 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erik_t
May 29, 2025
Great day! - Absolutely amazing day! Our tour guides were very informative and went out of their way the entire day. Great way to see two different sites as well as a cenote. Would highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
María
May 15, 2025
I recommend tour. Guía José Luis - It was a very complete tour, they arrived on schedule to find us. The guide José Luis was very attentive and predisposed throughout. So is the driver. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julija_j
Apr 20, 2025
Fantastic tour with an exceptional guide - Loved the tour! Edwin the guide is a star! He is so knowledgeable and has a great ability to engage the audience, also with a sense of humour. The van was comfortable, and I loved the fact that the group size was intimate. When booking the tour, I felt it was rather overpriced, but as the amount of people was quite small, it definitely paid off. Loved all the cultural insights too!
Review provided by Viator
Stuart
Feb 26, 2025
Very impressive, a great afternoon. - A really enjoyable afternoon on a glorious day, an informative guide giving plenty of information on the site. A truly eye opening marvel to be seen.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Allison_m
Jun 30, 2025
This tour is a super long... - This tour is a super long day, but I think worth it if you want to be able to climb a Mayan ruin and see Chichén Itzá in the same day. The cenote is also refreshing after being in the heat. The whole tour took 14 hours (2 hours longer than advertised). Most of the day is spent on the bus, which we were aware of. We found the tour bus to be cramped compared to the other tours we took in Mexico and did not have enough air conditioning. I imagine the buses are not the same for each tour but FYI.
We were a little put off by how much time our guide spent trying to convince us to buy things in the Mayan village / the personalized Mayan horoscopes. We know lots of people are interested in souvenirs but we would have appreciated more of a focus on Mayan history and culture than just trying to get us to buy stuff. They also sort of forced us to take turns taking pictures with a Mayan soldier-dressed man in a loincloth and then when we were eating lunch they printed it and put it on a bottle of alcohol to sell to us (we don’t drink). We felt uncomfortable posing with the man and then printing it felt like a guilt trip to get us to buy something. Overall we accomplished our goal to see these ruins but the amount of time spent trying to get us to buy stuff detracted from the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Y8262yqrobertp
Jul 18, 2025
An independent company that tries. Good and Bad - I have left it a few weeks before writing this review to give a better perspective. At the time it was a bit of a nightmare. Please read all the review to get the full picture. I am a lone traveller looking for archaeology only. So this may not be relevant for all. I’ll start with:
Pros.
• Price – Excellent
• Hotel pick-up – Free
• Both Chichen Itza & Ek Balam
• Guide who knows and enjoys his work
• Teaching us on the long journey
Firstly, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam are a must if you have any interest in Archaeology. The price was the lowest by some way and no problem with a pick-up. The journey is long but wasn’t that bad as the guide was teaching us on the road. My archaeology knowledge of Mexico was limited, but I learned a lot on the journey.
Cons.
• Transport – 18 seater van with broken windows
• Cramped – no leg room
• Organisation and Timing – Below par
• Buffet - Mexican only
• Dubious State tax amount -
Firstly I start with the taxes. Most say entrance is included. This does not seem to be the case. Entrance fees and taxes for both seem to be 1209 pesos. All companies charge 1250 for just taxes. However I was charged 1340 pesos. Which I queried and was told that was the exchange rate (Not true) I had already checked. The lunch was included –That was a joke (Mexican only). Unfortunately I had a bit of a problem stomach so just wanted bread or something similar. So I didn’t get lunch even though I had apparently paid for it. As I don’t drink alcohol I didn’t pay for the drinks package (about $20). So, I didn’t get a coffee or water either so be warned. Due to bad timing I was on the bus for 15 hours. I believe some of the other passengers were travelling longer. However, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam are a must.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Theresa_g
Oct 23, 2025
Awful! - Spent less than an hour at Chitzenitza! This was such a disappointment… Only good thing was Jose our guide. Started off waiting over 30 minutes for a late passenger in our cramped rattle-wagon of a van. Ek Balam was fine, but It was downhill from there. We weren’t allowed to even LOOK AT the cenote without an extra $5 for a life jacket fee. EVEN IF YOU WERENT PLANNING ON SWIMMING! A number of us waited in the heat while the swimmers frolicked. Never being allowed to gaze on the magnificent water. Then, off to a tourist trap compound where we ate at a very basic/limited mexican buffet. Off to the ‘artisan stations’ then a WEIRD blessing ceremony by a fedora wearing ‘Shaman.’. Keep in mind, It was close to 3 pm and Chitzenitza closes at 4:00. Much to my horror, we were herded into a hard-sell gift shop. i expressed my concern about the looming closure of Chitzenitza to no avail. Yes, we finally got there, but it was sadly a rushed ordeal. I was sick with disappointment. By all means take another tour! Spending more time in a gift shop than A fabulous wonder of the world was criminal.
Review provided by Viator
Sarah
Apr 11, 2025
Worst experience - WORST experience for me and my friend:
- only saw Chichen Itza in the afternoon when it was super hot and crowded
- didn’t get water bottles for 4 hours
- no snacks at all
- were separated from the rest of the group at lunch because we didn’t have the extra drinks option
- the bus was completely dirty with water dropping on us
- almost got into an accident with another bus
- were forgotten to be dropped off on the way back and changed vehicles on the side of the highway
- were only home at 10:15pm when our hotel‘s restaurant was already closed
- spend AN HOUR before lunch at touristic shops and were encouraged to buy something to „support Mayan culture“
- 66 US dollars per person extra as taxes only mentioned in fine print
As two women traveling alone we felt really unsafe especially at drop off on the side of the highway. This was supposed to be a highlight for us but turned into a nightmare.
NEVER AGAIN TRIPADVISOR
Review provided by Tripadvisor
