Spend a day exploring ancient Maya cities and an underground pool on a full-day tour from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, and Ek Balam. Visiting both Maya sites offers the chance to experience the most iconic ruins in the Yucatan, then tour a lesser-visited gem with vivid frescoes and a fascinating history. This tour includes pickup and drop-off in Playa del Carmen, entrance fees, breakfast and lunch, and it’s limited to 15 people for a personalized experience.

Full-day Maya city and cenote tour
Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Learn about Maya history and culture
Swim in an underground pool
Breakfast and lunch included
All entrance fees included
Pickup and drop-off in Playa del Carmen

What's Included

Box Lunch with sandwhich, fruit, juice and sweet (Just with Plus option)
Lunch
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Bottled water
Chichen Itza, Ekbalam and Cenote Saamal Admission
Guide

Gratuities
Not included Yucatan State Tax Chichen and Ekbalam 48 USD per person. Must be paid at the check in
Life jacket rental it is mandatory for the swimming in the cenote. 3 USD per person in cash

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

La Bodeguita del Medio Playa del Carmen
5ta Avenida Calle 34 Norte Esq, Gonzalo Guerrero, 77720 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico
7:00 AM

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We offer pick up service in most hotels. In the event that your hotel does not have a pick-up service, we will let you know the closest meeting point the afternoon before the tour by sending a message to your telephone or a notification to the email address indicated in your reservation.

What To Expect

Get an early start on the day with pickup at your hotel then enjoy a light breakfast during the 113-mile (182-km) trip to Chichen Itza, an ancient Maya city that’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Upon arrival at Chichen Itza, tour the sprawling complex with the guide, beginning with the Kukulkan Castle: also known as The Pyramid, this dramatic temple is aligned with the seasons, and a feathered serpent appears in shadow during the equinoxes. Continue to the ball court and the rest of the site, including the astronomical observatory, “The Church,” and more.

Following your time at Chichen Itza, travel to the Cenote Hubikku, an underground pool that’s perfect for a cooling swim. This is one of the many caverns that dot the Yucatan’s limestone plateau, and it’s often illuminated by a shaft of clear sunlight.

The final stop of the day is Ek Balam, where you can climb the acropolis to follow painted scenes from the Maya underworld, see the astronomers’ reflecting pools, and learn about the re-discovery of the site. Ek Balam is a less-visited site that’s still surrounded by thick jungle, and offers an explorer’s experience of Yucatan archeology. This tour concludes with return transfer to Playa del Carmen, and drop-off at your hotel.

Chichen Itza

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Cenote Saamal

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Zona Arqueológica de Ek Balam

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
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
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 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.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

243 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 243 reviews

Amazing Tour

Aisha_S, Apr 2024

The cenote was amazing visiting the ruins was good as well. Nice bus ride great tour. We would recommend.

Great and great excursión!!!😎😄😂

mymorena_P, Apr 2024

The Marcela& Braulio ( driver and tour guide) they were wonderful we really had a good time. However, needed to clarify the fees is unclear since some passengers had a small breakfasts and drinks included in the payment that brought a lot unsatisfactorily between the passengers. All the changes it should be included in one payment. Hope the company resolved this inconvenience in order that anyone gets surprised. This company is so lucky to have a Marcela and Braulio to save the moments in this excursion. Thank you both of you for your dedication beyond your job. Take care and God blessed you

This and that

Myron_M, Apr 2024

The sales tax was unexpectedly high! Cost more than the trip.The trip and the driver and the guide where enjoyable!

Very good trip to Chichen itzá

Gisselle_C, Apr 2024

The trip was very good very good driver Marcela, and Braulio very friendly, the food was not great but in general the experience was pleasant.

No water, cold food

katherine_b, Mar 2024

Pros: you see all the sights listed. It was a small group. Cons: no water provided as advertised; NONE for a 12-hour tour in 85+ degree weather. Lunch buffet isn't until 3 in the afternoon. All the food was a cold! (Does anyone like cold tacos, cold refried beans and cold rice?) Our guide announced that two alcoholic drinks were included with our lunch; they were not. Our whole table got caught in the trap of having to pay what we were told was included. Website advertised a $3 required life vest fee at cenote--it was $5. Guide lost my husband's ticket to Chichen Itza. We watched our guide run around for 30 minutes looking to see where he might have dropped it. He kept asking us if we had it (we were never given it). I'm not sure if he ever found or just bought a new one. No way around the hundreds of other tourists visiting the same sights. LONG lines of vendors all selling the same tourist crap--while not harassing, definitely bothersome and a killjoy.

Great Experience

Blake_S, Mar 2024

Tour guide spoke great English and was a very gun person. Loved everything. Heads up to purchase souvenirs at Chichen Itza and not the first two. Asking prices for the same items at Chichen Itza were up to 50x cheaper. Some vendors at Chichen were selling hand crafting items for $1, big difference from them asking me to pay $40 at Ek Bulum for the same thing. Fun trip, save your money until Chichen Itza.

Enjoyed this tour

Donna_F, Mar 2024

We enjoyed this tour- relaxed pace and friendly guide (Braulio), and of course fantastic ruins to admire! The swim in the cenote at the end of the day was very refreshing.

Fun Experience!

Brent_D, Mar 2024

Great Tour! Our guides were great! Baulo(?) was very friendly and helpful and knowledgeable! Fabia (?) was the driver Ang got us to the destination quickly and safely. It was awesome! The food was Okay but not great. (Average). Our group was small and fun. Great day!

Everything went according...

Huy_T, Mar 2024

Everything went according to plan. If the cenote part could be skip, it would be perfecto; otherwise, its nothing there except a natural sinkhole

Awesome!

Keith_G, Mar 2024

Julio and our driver were awesome! Was the first excursion we did when we got here and was not disappointed at all. Be prepared for a 12-13 hour day with 6 hours of driving in air conditioned van, stopped at silver mine where we bought souvenirs and had a lunch, were also given a bagged meal with sandwich, fruit and juice. Stopped at cenote for a swim, a lot of people at this one and had a tourist area built around it. Ek Balam was awesome, got to climb a large building about 10 stories a look out over the area, steps are steep and uneven but very cool. Chiche nizea was the show though, so much astrological and mathematical aspects into the building area, pyramid was spectacular and ball court was huge. A LOT of souvenir stands in and out of walk into grounds, but a bucket list excursion for sure!

Communication a problem...

jane_b, Mar 2024

Communication a problem to start as hour late. Bumpy ride but wow. Patrick our guide was kind funny and knew so much. You must pay tax roughly £48. Lunch included. We had been up since 5.30 got back 8.45pm.

Excellent day!

NatalyV_P, Feb 2024

Excellent experience and knowledge from the tour guide. Great day, comfortable van. Good timing at the locations. Would recommend.

Perfect start for a Mayan Trip

LisaHeike_H, Feb 2024

Can’t remember the name of our guide, but his name started with a P and he was amazing. He was a Mayan descendant and told us a lot about the history, culture etc. Loved all three parts even though Ek Balam was the hightlight. It’s fast but the perfect way when you have limited time to see all the cool places.

Nice

Stefano_A, Jan 2024

Overall the trip was nice and the guide Patricio was polite and helpful. The sites are beautiful and the cenote was the cherry on top. The food quality and variety is low. I would have preferred not to have to listen to a promotion of the objects to buy in the shop near the restaurant, or how buying a small pyramid and putting it under the bed would stop people snoring. The driver Fabián was adding people on Facebook while driving.

Do not expect an english tour when booking small group tour.

Bernhard_N, Jan 2024

Great tour, nice guide with high amount of knowledge. But when you book an english tour, don't expect a real english guide. 80% Spanish, 20 % english. Small groups have only one guide which prefers to speak the language of the majority of guests. Some guests booked a Spanish tour, we booked an english, it was the same tour. So in terms of english explanations we got less than 50% of the information.

A dream adventure visiting the pyramids!!

Antonia_O, Dec 2023

Patricio was a magnificent, very charismatic and knowledgeable tour guide Definitely recommend it. The driver was also very good. The tour is around 12 hours, bring your good walking shoes as I did.

Nice day with a good guide

Maite_M, Nov 2023

I would’ve liked Less time in shops and the restaurant was not very nice! The guide was very nice and he knew a Lot! The cenote is spectacular And Ek Balam is impresive

Chichen Itza best!

Sarah_C, Sep 2023

Patrick was the perfect friend/host. Also the driver was very nice. We were treated with respect at all times. An excellent fun packed day out. Good value for money too, we were fed and watered well at all times! Thank you very much for a day I shall

Best tour for two ruins and cenote

Emily_P, Sep 2023

We were picked up on time at our hotel in Playa del Carmen. The tour started with Ek Balam and included a climb to the top of the steps. Next, we went for lunch and then Chichen Itza. We ended with a swim in Cenote Saamal. Patrick was an amazing guide and was highly knowledgeable about Ek Balam and Chichen Itza. The order of destinations made it enjoyable in the 33 degree celsius or more weather. He answered many of our questions and had a positive attitude throughout the entire tour keeping us engaged and entertained. Our driver Jose Miguel got our group to each destination swiftly and safely. Value for money is completely worth it. Highly recommend this tour and if you can request Patrick as a guide please do!

Great experience

JulianDobson, Jul 2023

Guide excellent Driver great Sites fantastic Lunch great Swim fantastic All in all great so would recommend

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