Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid Tour
Description
Explore Chichen Itza, an impressive Mayan archaeological complex. Visit a sacred sinkhole and enjoy a buffet meal. Get picked up from your hotel in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, or choose a convenient meeting point. Journey to one of the Yucatan Peninsula's most important monuments. Upon arrival, marvel at the step pyramid of Kukulcan, renowned for its shadowy serpent image created by equinox light. Experience an ancient cenote, part of a sacred underground river network to the Maya people. Indulge in a tasty buffet and take a leisurely stroll in Valladolid.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore the Wonder Before the Crowds One of the biggest advantages of this tour is our early arrival to Chichén Itzá, before most large tour buses reach the site. This allows you to explore the ancient city during the cooler morning hours, avoiding the intense heat and large crowds that arrive later in the day. Your certified bilingual guide will lead you through the most important areas of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, including El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcán), the Great Ball Court, and the Temple of the Warriors, while sharing fascinating stories about Maya astronomy, architecture, and culture. The guided portion lasts about 1 hour, followed by 1 hour of free time to walk around, take photos, and experience the magic of this New Seven Wonder of the World at your own pace. Total time at Chichén Itzá: approximately 2 hours.
Discover the stunning Cenote Saamal, a massive open-air cenote located inside the historic Hacienda Selva Maya. Surrounded by towering limestone walls, lush vegetation, and a small natural waterfall, its crystal-clear waters create one of the most breathtaking swimming spots in the Yucatán. Here you can swim, relax, or simply enjoy the atmosphere at your own pace. You’ll also have time to enjoy a buffet of traditional Yucatecan cuisine served inside the beautiful hacienda, offering a more authentic and comfortable experience than the typical roadside restaurant stops.
Our final stop is the beautiful town of Valladolid, one of the most charming colonial cities in the Yucatán Peninsula. Here you’ll enjoy free time to walk through the historic center, admire the colorful colonial buildings, and experience the relaxed atmosphere of a traditional Mexican town. The main square is surrounded by lively streets, local shops, and the iconic San Servacio Church, located right in the heart of the city. Valladolid is known for its vibrant colors, authentic culture, and laid-back charm, making it the perfect place to take photos, grab a coffee, or simply enjoy a pleasant stroll before returning.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
You can book this tour with a meeting point or hotel pickup (where available). ✅ Immediately after booking, our team will contact you to coordinate all details and make sure everything is clear and easy for you. We offer pickup from most hotels in: * Cancun Hotel Zone * Riviera Maya * Playa del Carmen * Tulum If you are staying at an Airbnb, boutique hotel, hostel, or condominium, we will assign a nearby and convenient meeting point. Common meeting points may include: * Hotel Oasis Smart (Cancun Downtown) * Quinta Alegría Shopping Mall (Playa del Carmen) * Super Aki Tulum Final pickup or meeting point is always confirmed after booking, based on your location. ⏰ Pickup time: usually between 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM Exact details are shared by email at least 48 hours before the tour. We maintain clear and constant communication before your tour, so you’ll always know where to be and when. The tour ends at the same location where pickup or meeting takes place.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The use of a life jacket is mandatory in the cenote
Reviews(25,375)
We took the tour on August 5, 2026. César is great. He knows his work; the history, key points of interests and engages you to be a traveler who learns about and appreciates new places instead of a tourist who merely ticks off lists and moves on. Weather is a part of the experience and usually rains come later at midday. Perhaps a slight adjustment in the itinerary would be more optimal; Chichen Itza, souvenir stop, cenote and finally Valladolid instead of doing the souvenir stop first.
Our 2nd time doing this tour but this time with our 2 daughters and boyfriends. Hugo the guide for the day was outstanding, along with the driver. A well planned trip, you get to see and understand about the Mayan history and culture. The Cenote is brilliant and all the family agreed that the restaraunt there served thes tacos we tasted all holidays. A great day out
Wow, what a fabulous experience! Cesar was a fantastic guide and host (hola hola Coca cola!) He was really knowledgeable and passionate about the Mayan culture. Captain was also a great coach driver and got us everywhere safely. Chichen Itza was something else! You always think of it as the one Temple that's always shown but it's so much more, we would have loved to have spent more time there and explored the other sites but it was extremely hot, definitely recommended hiring an umbrella. The cenote was MAGICAL! Beautiful fresh water and weeny little fish darting around. The kids loved jumping off of the platform. The buffet was also very nice. Drinks were a little on the expensive side but it's a tourist attraction so you can't really expect much else. The stop of Valladolid was short but it rained like nothing I've seen so we got back on the coach early. Very long day but absolutely worth it. Should also mention we had an unexpected first stop at a Mayan artisan place which was lovely.
Wow, what a fabulous experience! Cesar was a fantastic guide and host (hola hola Coca cola!) He was really knowledgeable and passionate about the Mayan culture. Captain was also a great coach driver and got us everywhere safely. Chichen Itza was something else! You always think of it as the one Temple that's always shown but it's so much more, we would have loved to have spent more time there and explored the other sites but it was extremely hot, definitely recommended hiring an umbrella. The cenote was MAGICAL! Beautiful fresh water and weeny little fish darting around. The kids loved jumping off of the platform. The buffet was also very nice. Drinks were a little on the expensive side but it's a tourist attraction so you can't really expect much else. The stop of Valladolid was short but it rained like nothing I've seen so we got back on the coach early. Very long day but absolutely worth it. Should also mention we had an unexpected first stop at a Mayan artisan place which was lovely.
Hi Cesar, A truly wonder of the world…highly recommended. Cesar is extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture and I enjoyed learning from him. I felt saved, bus ride was smooth; and an easy tour to do with the group. The cenote was just incredible. Overall an A+ Thank you so much to my tour team. Te amo México lindo y querido.
Let’s start with the positive aspects: - our guide Hugo was great - very passionate and knowledgeable and overall he did a great job - Chichen Itza is spectacular Now, what made us rate this experience poorly: - we had our pickup at 6:40. The description of the experience says it is so early so we can be at chichen itza among the first people to arrive. Instead, we first spent an hour in a "Mayan village", which was a synonym for a tourist trap, with the sole goal being to sell us expensive items. This part was never mentioned in the description of the tour on Viator by the way. - the guided portion of Chichen Itza only lasts a little less than an hour, so if you want to learn more about history I’d recommend taking another tour. - the Cenote was a nice experience, but expect it to be crowded and not very intimate. - the stop in Valladolid was done without any information about the city, and it includes a stop in a tequila store - the final drop off was at 7:30 pm, which makes the trip almost 13 hours (whereas it is advertised as 11 hours on Viator). So expect a very long day Other details just to inform others: - the tour is with about 35 people - there are changing rooms in the Cenote but no towels - we were staying in Isla Mujeres, with the first ferry at 6 am the tour was doable in case people want to do the same
Amazing experience! Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. Two hours was plenty of time at Chitzen Itza (it can be very very hot) and the Cenote was breathtaking. The food was delicious at the buffet as well. All in all, highly recommend!
As something to do while you are in the area Chichen Itzá is something you definitely must go and see. As it truly is amazing. However this trip in particular me and my partner felt like there was a lot of wasted time. For instance we got picked up by a mini bus and ended up waiting in it for 30mins on the side of a road before the main bus turned up to take us on the way to chichen itza. Then our tour guide seemed to be a tour guide alongside a sales rep. Constantly mentioning things to purchase at the first stop/break you have on the way to Chichén itza. And when we got to the Mayan town we went for the tequila tasting which was very good. But be careful with the prices. We needed up spending £147 on 3 100ml tequilas and 1 100ml Yumbab. So make sure to check the prices before buying anything because we didn’t. Also by the time you taste the tequila and make a purchase you are getting back on the bus to head home so you don’t end up actually looking around the town. Chicken itza itself was amazing and something definitely worth seeing but from our personal experience if we were to visit again we would go on a private tour to cut out the sales expeditions and wasted time.
Very fun would recommend to bring some spare cash for places that don’t take card throughout the day and to tip at the end of trip
Its good experience , I like to tell every traveler take the Viator guide tour , nice and secure, enjoyable.
