Chichén Itzá Tour with Cenote Xunáan, Valladolid & Lunch





Description
Spend the day exploring the well-preserved ruins at Chichén Itzá, gaze up at the steps of the Kukulkan Pyramid, and go for a refreshing swim in a spectacular underground cenote. Stop by the charming colonial city of Valladolid, and enjoy a tasty lunch along the way. Head into the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula to discover a sparkling, picturesque cenote cavern pond at Xunáan. Dive into the cool, clear water. Recharge with a tasty buffet lunch of Yucatecan specialties before heading to the region's main historic attraction. Upon arrival at Chichen Itza, embark on a comprehensive guided tour that immerses you in the archaeological site's most breathtaking landmarks. Catch your reflection in the Cenote Sagrado sacrificial pond, the Temple of the Warriors, and the Observatory, which dates back over 1,000 years. On your way back, make a stop at the main square of Valladolid and admire its colonial architecture.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Step back in time as you explore the legendary ruins of Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Led by an expert guide, uncover the secrets of the awe-inspiring Kukulkan Pyramid, the Great Ball Court, and the ancient Observatory. Learn about the incredible ingenuity of the Maya civilization and imagine life in this vibrant hub over 1,000 years ago.
Visit the breathtaking Cenote Xunáan. Surrounded by lush jungle, this sparkling underground pool invites you to take a refreshing swim in its crystal-clear waters. As you relax, your guide will share fascinating insights about how these enchanting freshwater caverns are formed.
Visit the charming city of Valladolid. Stroll through its historic main square, marvel at the 16th-century San Gervasio Church, and soak in the town's colonial charm before returning to your hotel.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children 3 and younger are complimentary.
- Hotel pickup is available from most Cancun and Riviera Maya hotels. Please arrange pickup from your hotel or a nearby location when you call to confirm your reservation.
- You will receive confirmation of your exact pick-up time when you call to confirm your reservation. Please be ready and waiting in your hotel lobby 15 minutes prior to your scheduled pick-up time.
- You must contact Chichen Itza Sightseeing at least 24 hours before your activity date to confirm your reservation and arrange transportation.
- Pickup from Costa Mujeres hotels is only available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Please make sure to select one of these days if you are staying in Costa Mujeres.
Reviews(203)
Our guide and his whole group were excellent
Be warned this is a very long trip! We were picked up at 0650 and didn't get back to the hotel until 2100. Keep this is mind because you're only provided lunch which we had at 1130. We were starving when we got back. Also be prepared to buy lots of water. It didn't help that other guests on the trip were incredibly inconsiderate with keeping to timings set by the tour staff. This is no fault of the tour crew. The tour itself was great. The cenote was great fun and beautiful. Chichen Itza is also awesome to see. I don't think Valladoid was necessary for the trip. The team on board were also lovely. Thanks for a great (but very hot) day.
I cannot recommend this excursion enough! If you are on the fence about booking a Chichen Itza and cenote tour, just do it. It is a long day, but it is incredibly well-organized and worth every penny.Our tour guides, Gustavo and can't remove the other guides name, sorry,were fantastic—funny, engaging, and deeply knowledgeable about Mayan history. Swimming in the cenote was the absolute highlight of the trip. The water is stunningly clear. A huge thank you to the team for taking such great care of us. If you want to dive deep into Mayan culture and see one of the wonders of the world, this is the tour to book! I highly recommend bringing cash in case cards don't work!!
Excellent staff and knowledge of the history and sights we saw coupled with good facilities and experience.
An absolute disgrace Unnecessary stops here there and everywhere The all you can drink and buffet is borderline a scam, as its part of your time at the centote. Spent 5 minutes in the cenote and just about had enough time for one plate of food and one small glass of beer. When you finally get to chichen itza after 7 hours they tell you to be back at the bus in 45 minutes. We Spent longer stopping at gift shops and toilets. I'd nearly dispute this charge on my credit card it was that bad. At the end they hand out feedback forms that presumably go in the bin, so that you dont go to the effort of leaving this review. Refund me and ill delete this. Wasters.
I went into this tour with low expectations, and we were still disappointed by a few things. First off, it took me 3 times to get in contact with the tour company to confirm my pick up time, which ended up being 7:50. They informed me that we had to be ready 10 minutes before at our hotel lobby. We waited half an hour for someone to finally get us, but then the tour company employee made us walk to a meeting point. Why offer the hotel pick-up option if you just made us go to a meeting point on Fifth Avenue? From this moment on, I knew the tour was going downhill. Our first stop ended up not being Chichén Itzá, but rather a quaint colonial town called Valladolid. I found the cathedral stunning; however, the stop was only 25 minutes long. They immediately brought us to a tequila shop for a tasting, and the workers there hounded my partner and I about buying tequila and silver. It tainted my experience, and it made me feel really uncomfortable. Once we left Valladolid, we headed towards Cenote Xunaan. Our tour guide, Manuel—though enthusiastic, nice, and funny—gave us a whole blurb about his Mayan culture, and how we'd get these Mayan birth calendars and horoscopes like him. It ended up being 550MXN each, and the final product looked so inauthentic. Plus, they got my birthday wrong. Once we got to Xunaan, the place was beautifully arranged. We got to see a shaman perform some ritual, which was interesting; but after we had 20 minutes to browse the gift shop. Right away, an employee tried to convince me to buy what was supposed to be a real obsidian bracelet for 1000MXN and, of course, more tequila. She was nice about it, but I just felt compelled to buy something overpriced. I got chocolate, earrings, and shot glasses... but again, it was too expensive. All the fees we had to pay made going to the cenote less entertaining. It was beautiful, but the time to swim was limited and again, you had to rent life jackets for 90MXN. At least, the weather was perfect for swimming. We then had the Mexican buffet we were promised in the itinerary, which was probably my least favourite part of this tour. I forgot drinks weren't included in the package, so after accidentally grabbing a water, one of the restaurant workers aggressively checked my bracelet and said it wasn't part of my package. After I left, he made sure that I paid (which I did in coins), and was so strict about it. I'm fine with paying, but at least be more polite about it. The food was also meh.... our resort had much BETTER Mexican food. After the cenote, we finally made way to what we were the most excited about: Chichén Itzá. Our tour guide gave us some solid tips, but then promoted bug spray for the mosquitos, which they sold for 200MXN. On the bus, they charged us $80USD for my partner and I for the entrance fee, but when I looked at the ticket at the heritage site, the actual cost ended up being $45 Canadian Dollars. So, again, we were fooled into paying more. I did enjoy Chichén Itzá the most. The tour guide was informative, but I honestly wanted more time there. We were only at the site for 2 hours, not 3 like the listing stated. Plus, entering the site was wild because all the vendors try to get your attention and sell, essentially, the same things. Maybe I would've purchased a souvenir there if I hadn't been hounded all morning and afternoon already by the tour guides and the cenote/Valladolid vendors. Anyway, my partner and I did enjoy this part of the tour the most despite everything. Another good thing was that our driver, Jorge, was super fast! We got to Playa Del Carmen under two hours, but this was the cherry on top because guess what?! We had to get off the bus with our tour guide to wait for ANOTHER bus to bring us to Fifth Avenue.... we were dropped off at some random street across a gas station, and we waited for 15 minutes. This left me even more stressed because we weren't familiar with the area, and we had a dinner reservation to get to at 9pm. It was 8 something when the bus finally got us. This was all after tipping the tour company generously. I'm honestly really upset by this experience because Chichen Itza was supposed to be a highlight from this trip. Although everyone was nice, I'm not happy with all the upselling and scams. I get everyone has to make a living in Mexico because I also come from a place facing the same conditions, but this was excessive. I definitely won't be doing this tour again, and if anything, book a private tour or maybe book an excursion with your resort.
We really enjoyed the guide in French. He explained the site very well. At the cenotes we ate well everything was well organized
What they do not share with you is how much extra money you need for this! They stop at expensive shops for you to use the bathroom, and the stores hound you to buy.! Then they do not tell you to bring bug replant, and you can buy from them to avoid malaria!!! Then they ask for feedback and look at response in front of you! They bring tip basket and stand by your seat until you make a deposit… very unprofessional in my opinion…
This tour was amazing!! Long day but so worth it!!! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly we had an amazing time, would recommend!
This tour was amazing!!! Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. It's a long day but so worth it. I recommend it



