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Chichen-itza & Cenote Private Tour
Badge of ExcellenceChichen Itza, Mexico
- 9 hours
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Avoid the hassles of a group excursion and opt for a personalized visit to two of the most important attractions in the Riviera Maya: the pre-Columbian archaeological site of Chichén Itzá and a Mayan pool or cenote. Enjoy a comfortable transfer by air-conditioned vehicle from the airport or hotel, plus a delicious all-inclusive lunch, along with expert commentary at each stop.
- A full-day private tour of Chichen-Itza and a Mayan cenote
- Avoid the crowds and enjoy a tailored travel experience, unique to your party
- Listen to history-filled commentary and stories as you tour the ruins
- Tours include admission to Chichen-Itza, vehicle transfers, and a lunch buffet
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Lunch
- Water and snacks
- Pick up Cancun Area 35 usd
- Pick up North Playa del Carmen - Puerto Morelos 25 USD extra pp. Toll road fee
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Start time
06:00 AM
Pickup details
pick up in cancun 35 usd per person pick up puerto morelos 25 usd per person
What To Expect
Chichen Itza
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Operated by Carey Tours Riviera Maya
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.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Reviews
5.0
119 reviews
Chris_L, Apr 2024
Our tour was incredible. Ulysis was an amazing guide. He picked us up at our hotel, had us in line at each location just before they opened to avoid lines and crowds, and he had key insights knowledge about the culture/history. He was very knowledgeable and was a super fun tour guide. We had a blast with him.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your positive review, I'm glad you enjoyed our tour, it will be a pleasure to welcome you again
wmbarthfamily, Feb 2024
This was a fantastic trip and one I would take again!
There are a few negatives I'll discuss but I'll point out those are from a pricing and transparency viewpoint rather than an overall service experience viewpoint.
Our guide, Limbert, called us the day before and checked in with us to verify pickup time at our hotel. Since this is a full day tour we started at 6:30 and he was there right on time with a smile and a well maintained and clean car to get us started. I rode up front which made for a fantastic trip over the next 2 hours as it was easy to talk to him. He easily discussed the historic periods from thousands of years ago to modern day as well as some of the changes we were seeing around us (new rail lines, developments, etc).
The only downside to this part of the trip was the additional tolls we had to pay for use of the interstate. It came out to about $20 each was and we really had to read the fine print on the package to see that this was part of the "excluded costs". Another potential negative was the credit card machines were down on the way out there but fortunately we had pesos on hand. This is a pricing and transparency issue and not something we associate with Limbert.
We stopped at a local coffee shop on the way there to enjoy some of the Spanish architecture and stretch out legs. It had rained the night before so there was a great atmosphere around the cafe with the quiet waters rolling into the interior water garden. We jumped back in the car and were at Chichen-Itza a few minutes later.
Limbert parked us right next to the gate (for a quick departure once we were done) and purchased park admission tickets for us all. The buses were rolling in right behind us and we were fortunate to use the restrooms and head in before the crowds really started.
We couldn't have had better weather since there was some cloud cover but not too much. Sunscreen is a must regardless of the weather and good walking shoes will make this a much more enjoyable event. The grounds are a LOT more spread out than you're really led to believe and there's a lot to see. This is where we were really glad to have Limbert. His understanding of the history, geography, periods observes, iconography and ease of discussion made our time there absolutely fantastic. There was so much I didn't know about this historic site that he spoke of with ease, ranging from the different uses of color through time periods to what they meant for historians. We flowed through the ruins learning a lot and being actively engaged every step of the way. I'm sure I could have spent another day there but our 2 hours were well spent and went extremely quickly.
Afterwards my wife and I were both tired and contemplated skipping the cenote tour. But we opted to push through and were glad we did. Limbert got us out of the now-congested parking area and down the road just a few minutes to the cenote and a restaurant called Selva Maya. The buffet they had laid out for everyone was delightful. Fresh fruits and vegetables, well prepared meats and a small selection of deserts were greatly appreciated by all three of us. I personally could have eaten a lot more of the locally prepared pork cutlets but thankfully needed to take the cenote tour into consideration.
The restaurant and cenote are both in the same complex so a quick trip to the restroom and changing area was only about 100 feet. There were lockers for us to put our gear in and keys on lanyards to keep them secure. The stairs down to the cenote were well maintained and lined with non-slid pads. The open air cenote was cool and refreshing, and I believe they said went down to a depth of about 140 feet. There was an "artificial" waterfall made by pumping the water up and back over the edge, but it was tastefully done. There were only a few other people in there at the same time so I can't complain about any of it.
After getting cleaned up we got back in the car and Limbert drove us the 2 hours back to Playa del Carmen. We napped knowing he had everything well in hand.
All told, this was an expensive tour but one that was very nice to have the personal touch applied to. If you can get Limbert by all means do so. He was so well versed and engaging we truly felt like the only people around for much of the trip.
Justin_D, Jan 2024
Ulises made the experience, give that guy a raise!
He was incredibly insightful into the Mayan culture and the history behind it, he seemed more like the friendliest college professor you've ever met than a tour guide. Ask for him if you book this!
Richard_B, Dec 2023
Simple fantastic. Alex made our private tour an amazing experience.
Getting up early is very worthwhile. It meant we had Chichen-itza to ourselves. Add in walking around in the cooler morning air. Amazing.
We left passing the massive queues and headed to the cenote. Again we had the place to ourselves for about 20 minutes. Swimming around the cenote without the hum of the crowds was enchanting.
And lunch.. we were the only people in the buffet hall.
A great tour. Highly recommended.
Barbgal, Nov 2023
Alex was a fabulous and knowledgeable tour guide!!
He made the history of Chichen Itza come to life.
Steve_S, Apr 2023
Our guide, Limbert, was very knowledgeable of Chichen Itza. He could answer our many questions. He explained what the stone carvings and iconography were, what they meant and why they were import to the Mayans. We left, thanks to Limbert, knowing who the Mayans were and what was important to them.
Elizabeth_S, Dec 2022
I can't remember the name of our guide but he was so personable and matched our energy. You can tell he has a real passion for his homeland and the best ways to experience it. We had our cenote to ourselves, which was the worth the price alone. He showed us around Chichen and had very in depth answers. We finished with a nice lunch, some of the best mole I've ever had. You can't go wrong with this one, great experience.
Ryan_B, Nov 2022
My wife and I really had a great tour - just the two of us. It seems pricy at first, but in the end I feel it was very worth it. The tour starts really early! So be ready to be picked up as early as 6am.
Though that part of it was not my favorite, I soon found out that it was very worth the early departure. The drive is long - about 2 hrs 15 min (each way). We rode in a VW sedan that had decent AC. If we had left later, there was a good chance of traffic, buses showing up and it being packed, and the temps being hotter later. We had Daniel as our guide - he was incredibly knowledgeable on Chichen Itza, Mayan history in general, Mexican history, and politics. My wife is a teacher and has had sections of her curriculum that went over Mayan history - this was for middle school so she only skimmed the surface. There was a lot she was learning from Daniel, including some history and differences as well as correlations with other cavillations over the past 3500 years. To see the towers and have an in-person perspective of the size of buildings, the complexity of the stars and calendar and ingenuity that went into their city and culture is absolutely fascinating. Going through Chichen-Itza was like being a part of a well produced documentary. In Chichen-Itza there were a ton of market tables with locals selling their trinkets - so bring some peso (though they will apparently take USD) and maybe a bag with room if you are interested in buying anything.
Daniel was more than happy to spend however much time we wanted at the site, and stopping for whatever we wanted. It is really great to be able to move at our own pace and be catered to the things we were most interested in.
When we first arrived there might have been maybe a hundred people there
- not many for how large the place is. But when we left there was probably a thousand or more - busses were arriving!
Afterwards we drove back and on the way we stopped at the Cenote. Its not just a hole in the ground and there's a stairs or ladder. This place was setup to be touristy - but again, we arrived early and there were no lines. The cenote is beautiful, and comfortable to swim in. Bring your shorts! There are lockers, a shower area, changing rooms. They require life jackets, so don't worry if you can't swim. We then ate their on the property. I think it was my favorite "mexican" meal I had while staying in Cancun. Soooo good!
Great all around experience!
Thank you Daniel for making it so.
brenden_r, Sep 2022
Our tour guide, Johnny, was the best! Super knowledgeable and informative. We were so glad we did the private tour early in the morning. The cenote swim and lunch were great as well.
Sophie_D, Aug 2022
Perfecto was the best tour guide! My boyfriend and I loved absolutely every second of it! The whole day was so informative and fun and it was set at our own pace which made it even better! From being picked up from our hotel in Tulum to the drinks and meals included it is the most worthwhile expense!
From $270.00
Price varies by group size
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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