Cancun

Chichen Itza Early Access, Cenote, Tequila & traditional lunch

Cancún, Mexico

From $56.00

Price varies by group size

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Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance.
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Audio Guides
Kid-Friendly
Likely To Sell Out
Unique Experiences
  • 11 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Your admission ticket lets you enter the archaeological site first so you can explore in cooler temperatures without the crowds. Enjoy a buffet lunch, and swim in a cenote. Experience one of the New Seven Wonders of the World with this early access tour of Chichen Itza.
  • Be the first group of the day at Chichen Itza with this early access tour
  • Early morning entry to the world wonder means you’ll beat the heat and the crowds
  • Enjoy a mix of guided sightseeing and free time to explore at your own pace
  • Recover energy and taste the Mexican food with the buffet lunch included

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

See and gain more insight than most visitors with a private guide and unique direct entry.

What's Included

  • Hotel pick up (if option selected)
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Toll Road
  • Buffet Lunch
  • Professional Guide
  • Entrance to Cenote
  • Tequila Tasting
  • Chichen Itza tax (35 USD per adult, 5 USD per child)
  • Life Vest at the cenote
  • Drinks

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Meeting points

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Pickup points

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

The pick ups will start approximately at 4am. The exact pick up place and time will be confirmed the day before the tour

What To Expect

Travel to Chichen Itza for early direct access to the ruins. Follow your guide through the UNESCO World Heritage Site before most of the crowds arrive, allowing up-close access and a more tranquil experience.

Purchase your ticket and head inside through a direct entry to learn about the important role that this well-preserved site played in Mayan civilization between AD 600 and 1200 from your expert guide. Listen to your guide's explanation of how this pre-Colombian settlement was an important destination for pilgrimages and a center of worship for the Mayan people, which is still considered sacred today.

Visit the Temple of Kukulkan, the Temple of the Jaguars, the Temple of the Warriors and the Observatory. Hear about the meaning of the staircases, stone carvings, platforms, pyramids, and ball courts according to the mythology and cosmology of the ancient Mayan people.

Visit the untouched archaeological site of Yaxunah, following a local Mayan guide through the jungle. Here, learn about the hidden secrets and unnamed pyramids of the site as well as information about the Mayan community.

Then, enjoy a delicious Mexican Buffet with vegetarian options, and finish your day swimming in a sacred cenote.

Cancun

4 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Chichen Itza

2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

El Castillo (Pass By)

Hotel Real del Mayab

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Cenote Saamal

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • It is recommended that you bring comfortable walking shoes and camera
  • An additional fee is required for the use of video camera at the site. The fee depending on the device and must be paid directly on site on the day of the tour
  • All visitors to Chichen Itza need to pay a local tax of 35 USD per adult, 5 USD per child.
  • We care about your safety and we guarantee a safe route by toll road to Chichen Itza.
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 35 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:Do I need to bring my confirmation / ticket?

A:Please bring your ID and your voucher (printed or digital).

Dec 2020

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Kristen_S
Very informative and amazing tour! Danny the bus tour guide is great! May have rambled a bit, but otherwise provided lots of insight and details. Rodrigo the tour guide at Chichen Itza is wonderful - funny, knowledgeable, and gives lots of tips. I recommend the early tour to avoid the mid-day heat and crowds. Only negative part was the shuttle van we had to take after bus to get us to our resort. Driver drove very fast, jerky, and it was a scary 20 minutes. A little more time at the cenote would have been nice as well. But cenote visit and buffet lunch were both awesome.

Reviews

4.5
2,842 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 2,842 reviews
Marco is the MAN
Diego_A, Jun 2023
Not only is Marco knowledgeable but he’s passionate when it comes to Mayan history. He studied this in college for all four years. He’s also a sneaky good photographer who knew tricks that even impressed my 15-year old girl. We did the early tour and although it was an early wake up, we beat the crowds. It was still hot but tolerable and it would’ve been much worse later in the day. The cenotes are a giant sink hole and they’re breathtaking. Make sure you have pesos to rent a locker and mandatory life jackets. The restaurant at the cenote is buffet and the local cuisine and service were impressive. It’s a long bus ride so bring a phone charger. They have usb ports on the bus.
Great Tour but logistics/communication needs work
Daniel_F, Jun 2023
Primary reason we choose this trip was because of the stated start time of 4am. I messaged the company using their Whatsapp number and asked for information about the tour and schedule. They were very vague and just said our tour was confirmed and that will receive an email the day before with the updates. The day before the trip (5/28), we receive a message that they will be picking us up at 5:35am. Not the 4am stated time. So that was a surprise and pretty messed up our schedule that we planned around the 4am start time. Not sure why we need to wait until the day before to be told this information. The day of the trip (5/29), we get up, get ready and head outside and wait for the transportation. It's raining in the morning so 5:35am passes and we don't see any transportation. I message the Whatsapp number and asked if the trip is still going to happen. I don't get a response for about 10min so now I'm thinking something is wrong. Sure enough, they tell me the transport had mechanical problems and had to go back. We have to wait another 30min. Around 6am the transport arrives, and the guys says they just notified him about 15min ago and he had to double back to pick us up. Which is not the info we were told before. When then go to a random gas station where we combine into a bigger bus and go on our way. The tour guides, Esther and Rodrigo were excellent. They told us the history, explained the local culture, tried to teach us some Mayan words and overall attempted to keep the group engaged. They let us know the times we'll be splitting up and when to meet back at the bus. Chichen Itza was great, and Rodrigo was very nice. He gave us some history and actually explained to use in his way. I have a feeling that all guides are secretive with their information, so it felt like we're getting the inside scope. Plus he carried actual photos of what he wanted to show us instead of carrying around an iPad which you can't see in the sun, and I saw other guides not pass around. Unfortunately, the tour didn't include the 30min stop at Valladolid as mentioned in the description. Not really sure what happened but it wasn't a stop for us on the tour which was a bummer. Would have really liked to have a stop to walk around and go into shops and stuff. Maybe grab some snacks or local foods. Another bummer was the cenote. The water a lot murkier than thought and it was more of a play spot than a place to relax and float. Also, really wish they included the cost we needed to pay for the life vest and lockers at the cenote. Overall, the tour/trip was nice. A bit hectic in the morning but pretty relaxing once we started. Although our plans in the evening were cut short I still think it's worth it. All you really need for this trip is good water/hiking shoes, swim shorts, towel and change of clothes after the cenote. The sun was really strong even at 9am so wear lots of sunscreen when at Chichen Itza. You'll end up washing it off before you get into the cenote.
This is the tour you want
Duane_W, Jun 2023
Wow, I cannot say enough good things. The whole experience blew me away. The place itself is amazing. Meeting a Mayan shaman and swimming in a cenote incredible. However, what I learned and enjoyed most came only from the knowledge of the guide on this trip.
Rodrigo was great!!! Overall 5 stars
Marisa_E, May 2023
Rodrigo (cat) was an amazing tour guide! Definitely made the tour what it was! He was extremely intelligent and informative. We loved learning about Maya culture and Chichen Itza. The early access was 100% worth it. We beat the crowds and heat! Most of our pictures look like we are the only ones there. The cenote was an amazing additional experience. The water was so cool and felt great after a hot morning. It was a long day (16 hours) from our hotel in tulum but overall it was definitely worth it.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Dear Marisa_E We are very happy knowing that you had a blast with Rodrigo! Thanks a lot for taking the time to rate us, we sincerely appreciate it. Mariana, Amigo tours
Incredible experience - Marco is amazing
Bethany_S, May 2023
We had a fantastic trip and Marco made it really interesting and entertaining. The best way we could’ve hoped to see Chichén Itzá. We’d recommend to anyone - it’s worth the early start!
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Bethany_S We are pleased to know how much you enjoyed this adventure! Thanks for your preference, it means a lot to us. Mariana, Amigo tours
Best experience!
YunWei_C, May 2023
Marco gave us a great experience to Chichen Itza! He picked us up on time and shared some fun facts during the drive to the site. The early access was definitely the best choice to avoid huge throngs and heat！The Cenote was also amazing! It’s beautiful and jumping into the water was a refresh after the walk at Chichen Itza! Highly recommended this tour and thank you Marco for being a great guide!
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear YunWei_C Marco will be pleased to know how much you enjoyed this experience, it was a pleasure to share it with you! Mariana, Amigo tours
LOOK NO FURTHER. You have found your tour
Henry_C, May 2023
Incredible day!! Best advice is DO THE EARLY ACCESS. You beat the crowds, the heat and if you are lucky, you get Marco as your tour guide. He was a great source of knowledge and he took the best Instagram pictures.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Henry_C We are so pleased knowing how much you enjoyed the day during the trip! We look forward to sharing another great experience with you. Mariana, Amigo tours
Great experience!
Arnab_R, May 2023
Marco was hilarious and super informative. We went through the crowds ahead of the other groups which allowed us to beat crowds and take lovely pictures. The cenote was super fun and I only wished we had more time. Do keep track of your pick up location especially if you are doing the shared tour. They will transfer you to bigger bus from the hotel pick up.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Arnab_R We are so pleased knowing how much you enjoyed the day during the trip! We look forward to sharing another great experience with you. Mariana, Amigo tours
Perfect tour.
Frank_D, May 2023
Marco perfect tourguide. Early start but that way we had a nice view of chichen itza. Good information about history Maya by Marco.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Frank_D Marco will be delighted to get your feedback, thank you so much for taking the time to post a review, it really means a lot to us. Mariana, Amigo tours
Pretty good but long trip
Kami_S, May 2023
Despite the early start (which was totally worth it) this was a great day trip. We were picked up from our hotel in Tulum, which we had no issues with. The van arrived exactly on time, then transferred onto a coach bus which was comfy and air conditioned. Unfortunately the van/bus have to meet in Cancun, which made the drive so long. The trip for us was 14 hours long when the advertisement says 11! We met Marco on the bus, our guide for this whole trip. He had a great humour throughout and made the trip very interesting. His english was great so we understood everything. He gave nice tips for pictures and he even took fun pictures for us! He was letting us know throughout where we were and how soon things were going to be happening. After chichen itza we made our way to a cenote, a 25min drive. Our guide let us explore the gift shop while he was getting tickets. At this cenote, the wristband ticket gave access to swim in the cenote and eat at the buffet. Fair warning your stomach may be upset for a few days, but otherwise average food. The time in the cenote was enough but it was rushed to include lunch as well. There was also no tequilla tasting as advertised! Overall it was a great experience, definitely recommend this service for the price to go see chichen itza. The early start is 100% worth it to beat the crowds since we got there at open time and could see hoards arriving as we left.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Kami_S Thanks for letting us know your opinion about the tour, we are sorry that it was not perfect but we are glad that you enjoyed it despite the flaws. Hope to see you on a next adventure! Mariana, Amigo tours
Excellent Tour!
Karen_J, May 2023
With early access we beat the crowds. Marco was super interesting and passionate about the Mayan culture. The main transportation was comfortable and we were able to nap. The cenote swim was refreshing.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Karen_J We love to know that the early access was worth it! Hope to see you soon once again to share another great adventure. Mariana, Amigo tours
A must!
Joy_K, May 2023
My husband and I had the most amazing experience! Our tour guides Rodrigo and Marco were so knowledgeable and made the experience incredible! I can’t say enough good things about our day.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Joy We love to know how much you and your husband enjoyed the day with our team! Thanks for trusting Amigo tours, it was a pleasure to be at your service. Mariana, Amigo tours
Great day!
NICOLE_O, May 2023
Marco was so friendly & informative. We can see his love of his culture & how he enjoys sharing his knowledge to make us feel appreciative of his cultures history. The tour timing worked out perfectly. It all moved along smoothly. My son really enjoyed swimming in the senote. The food was so so. The best part of the trip was visiting Chichen Itza. It was our 2nd time in many years & it was very sad not to be able to climb but we certainly understand why. Wish more people appreciated the honor of visiting such a place. Thank you for todays memory.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Nicole Marco will love to get your feedback, thanks for taking the time to rate us, it truly means a lot to us! Mariana, Amigo tours
Fantastic experience, best to get there early.
Christopher_C, May 2023
Going early is by far the best way to see this amazing historic site. You are in the city before anyone else and before the heat of the day. The guide (Marko) was fantastic. We had a nice lunch and swimming in the cenote was a magical experience. Would highly recommend the whole day. Everywhere we went we were beating the crowds who followed us, normally arriving just as we moved to the next stop!
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Christopher_C We are so pleased knowing that you enjoyed the day so much! It was a pleasure to be at your service. Mariana, Amigo tours
Mundos Sardinas
John_D, May 2023
Nightmare minivan transfer. 5 hours of travel from Play del Carmen with almost 2 hours in mom's old minivan. 15 in a Toyota without working seatbelts. Sardine city.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear John We deeply regret to know you had an unsatisfactory experience with us, thanks for letting us know your opinion, it really means a lot to us. Mariana, Amigo tours
Disappointed
Cara_S, May 2023
Unfortunately I do not recommend using Amigo Tours. The transportation was very uncomfortable for traveling 3.5 hours to and from our excursion. It was not a typical bus. We felt every bump and it made us feel sick. THE tour stated tequilla tasting and we did not have a tequilla tasting experience. When we actually visited the desired cenote, we barely had time to enjoy it. It was a complete rush with not enough time to change and get into the water. It was very disappointing because it is so beautiful we wanted to be able to really take in the beauty. Instead we were rushed and worried to make it back to the bus in time. To travel 3.5 hours is a long way to not have enough time to enjoy the excursion. The lunch was mediocre at best. The staff at the cenote were rude and visibally annoyed and unkind. They were not welcoming to tourists. The store to shop in by the cenote was overpriced and a tourist trap. We did enjoy Chichen Itsa. We could have found a different form of travel to get there and we could have visited the cenote on our own and have as much time as we wanted to enjoy it. Go with a different tour company or go on your own. We used viator for a snorkel and cenotel experience. Ocean Tours was the company. Tbey were wonderful and I highly recommend. Unfortunately when you book with viator, you do not know the company that will be running the tour until you are booked. Moving forward I would use viator again but ask them not to book us with the above mentioned company. We would ask for Ocean Tours.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Cara Thank you very much for taking the time to share your opinion with us, we really care a lot to hear from you. We are sorry that the experience was not 5 stars, we will do our best to keep improving. Mariana, Amigo tours
Definitely go for it!
Alex_N, May 2023
Loved the stories and history provided by the tour guide, she was great and made the experience memorable!
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Alex We sincerely appreciate your comment, thank for letting us know how much you enjoyed the day with us! Mariana, Amigo tours
Your company cancelled
Ben_L, May 2023
Contacted by the tour company 20 hrs before start that they needed to cancel. Still have not received a refund, wouldn’t recommend tours through this company
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Ben_L We are truly sorry about the inconvenience. The refunds usually get reflected on the customer´s accounts a few days later after requesting them, so we kindly ask you to be patient towards this situation. If you need further assistance please contact us at aux_calidad@amigotours.com. Thank you so much. Mariana, Amigo tours
Great guides and driver, frustrating logistics, not true hotel pick up
nicolacostelloe, May 2023
If we were just rating the guides and the driver we would give 5/5 as all of these were excellent. However, we did have logistics issues with the tour which unfortunately had a big impact on our experience overall. Firstly, our tour was cancelled and rearranged for the following day but we didn’t get an explanation for this. Luckily we were still able to attend. We paid extra to be collected from our hotel in Akumal and were told the day before that we couldn’t be picked up from reception so were given an alternative location. This was a 20 minute walk away and we were expected to do this in the dark to arrive by 4.30am. Not explained at time of booking and far from ideal. The first vehicle we got into was a shuttle service which took us to a petrol station where we then changed onto the main vehicle. Not a massive issue but not explained to us. The guide Daniel and driver Manuel on the main vehicle were good, the bus was comfortable with great air con and very clean. We felt very safe at all times with Manuel’s driving, We arrived at Chichen Itza in good time and then met another guide, Rodrigo, who was excellent at taking us around the site. He gave great tips for photos and was very passionate and informative. The restaurant we were taken too had good food but was so uncomfortably hot as it is not air conditioned. They don’t allow you to even drink your own water in there which was very disappointing. I didn’t stay long enough to finish my meal as it was just too hot there. The shop is the same temperature. We really enjoyed the cenote trip and the facilities are decent. The drive back was also fine and we were taken to another shuttle but this time combined with more hotel drop offs so it was very late when we got back. Also not explained to us and we had had enough by this point so felt a bit frustrated. It’s also worth noting that the tour doesn’t provide you with any water at all so make sure you bring plenty of your own as well as pesos for drinks at the restaurant, life jacket and locker fee at cenote and any snacks or tips.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear nicolacostelloe Thanks for taking the time to rate us. We are sorry that the beginning of the activity was not perfect, however, we try our best to create a good experience for our guests. Pick-up at some hotels is not possible and this is stated on the website, there is a list of hotels where we can do pick-ups, if the hotel is not listed then we must ask you to move to the nearest meeting point. Thanks for your understanding and for giving us a chance. Mariana, Amigo tours
Wouldn’t Recommend
Olivia_C, May 2023
I was not very impressed with this tour. We started by being picked up 15 mins early from our hotel, so thankfully we were already there and waiting. We assumed that because we were staying in the Mayan Rivera past playa del Carmen that we would be taken to playa del Carmen and then head to chichen itza from there, but the shuttle took us all the way to Cancun and dropped us off at this strange gas station with no bathroom. The bus was nice (and did have a bathroom) and had air conditioning, but it was not strong enough to keep up with the heat. You are basically forced to sit in your designated seats. Our tour guide was Daniel and I found he just didn’t give us any sort of magical or enticing experience. He went over some interesting Mayan history but it was not presented in an engaging way. We had 2 hours at chichen itza and he gave a good presentation but had all these tiny little pictures on his phone he was showing us, which were hard to see. All the other guides had large, printed photos to show regarding the history of the pyramid. The cenote was very cool and so refreshing, but the buffet lunch was HORRIBLE and made my partner unwell. After such a long morning we didn’t eat until 1pm and it was barely edible, and I am not typically picky when it comes to food. After heading all the way back to Cancun we transferred back to the shuttle, and drove all the way back to playa del Carmen. We got back at 5:45ish, so it was about a 13 hour day. Gave the tour two stars because the cenote and chichen itza were beautiful. Everything else was unfavourable.
Response from Host, May 2023
Dear Olivia_C, we are very sorry to know you did not enjoy the tour, we will review these points with management, thank you for joining us! Ivana, Amigo Tours
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