Chichen Itza Day Trip from Cancun with Cenote Swim & Valladolid

So. There are many tours to choose from. We were told our pick up was 650am. Early. We waited there untill 710 before I called the tour operator to see what was up. All the phone options when I called were in spanish which I don't speak and I ended up hanging up. I very promptly recieved a text message in English asking if I need help explained the situation and they told me to go back to my room and the bus would come at 830 instead. Dissapointing because I could have slept longer and I was exhausted from the day before. But was happy about less time.on the bus. Anyway when we got on the bus they had saved my wife and I two seats together which was very nice of them. Our tour guides were Gabriel and Carlos and these guys were pros. Both knew a great deal about Mayan history and culture. It was a pleasure to hear both of them speak and they kept my attention for the whole bus ride there with interesting info and facts. Loved these guys. We stopped at a Mayan village(more like resort) where you can get some verified authentic souvenirs. They also gave advice on which souvenirs wouldn't be allowed back into our country which I neglected to listen to, wish me luck at the border. (Thick wood with termites holes, which I put in my bnb freezer) Lunch was buffet style but they serve you like a cafeteria which is a bonus so you only have to worry about the cooks touch your food and not everyone on the bus. Food was fresh good and cooked on a wood fire. Lunch was fairly early in the day, make sure to bring food for the bus ride back or get something when you stop to see the church. Like all other tours they're gonna try and sell you something on the bus. Last tours was a diamond package for booze and other perks this one was different. They pulled at your heart strings with personalized souvenirs. After listening to Gabriel I just couldn't resist getting my very own Mayan birth certificate which I plan to frame and put on my wall. It's beautiful. My wife also got one but clearly did not feel the same way about what we bought as I did. Kept saying it was very expensive paper, about 40cdn each. So you will decide what it is worth to you. Chicken itza is one of the wonders of the world and is absolutely worth seeing. I'm sure seeing it had varying impacts on people but for me this is why I came to mexico. Carlos provided our tour and was so great that I filmed the whole time he spoke. It was like having my own documentary that I normally would just watch on you tube. I could have spent all day there but the time is limited to two hours one hour free time, which my time is limited in mexico as was my time at chichen itza. There's lots of vendors surrounding the perimeter and they are ready to haggle. Trying buying multiple items from one vendor to get a better deal, but look around before committing to the first one. Did I say chichen itza is amazing? After this your will be drenched in sweat but the bus has good ac and your off to the cenotex2. Cenotes were very nice. You have to pay to rent a life jacket and they are mandatory. 60pesos. Somewhere along the way a slight hustle begins. They had a mayan on the bus to teach you some mayan words and share a shot of a sacred mayan drink. They then present you with bottles of the drink that they have taped your partys picture on that the mayan gentleman wants you to buy. While the drink was good and i paid alot of money for paper the price was too high for less then a mickey of scared mayan beverage. It was good and tasty though. My advice take a photo of the bottle and give it back. They did not apply pressure to buy and were very kind. Quick stop to see the church and your headed back to cancun. Bus was quiet on the way home most people slept. It's a long day in the heat but not as long as other trips ive taken. I would do this again with the same guides if I could. Oh and don't forget, like most tours there will be a tax from the Mexican government, i am told they are to see the sites and that booking company does not charge during your booking. This is the same as other tours I've taken. Bring lots of water. I went through five liters and a gatorade. I think I still got a little heat exhaustion but maybe it's just my canadian blood not being able to handle the heat. I want to give 4.5 stars because of them making me get up to early but at the same time was glad not to be in the bus the extra time. The guides were 6 stars.

Great value for the money. We were a family of three looking for a good tour of Chichen Itza and more. Spent a good time in Chichen Itza, but could have used more time there. Cenotes were great too visit especially after the heat at Chitzen Itza, but again, more time there would have been better. Visit to merchant area was too long (but tacos at restaurant were amazing!) and visit to Villodad was too short and rushed - should be cut out of tour so people can get back to hotel earlier and in time for dinner. But all-in-all a good trip. Should have visited site earlier before tourist rush and max heat. Tour guides amazing and informative.

Feb 10, 2023. Loved the trip to Chichen Itzá, Cenotes and Valladolid! They were right on time to pick us up at our hotel. The tour guides Gabriel and Carlos did an excellent job explaining relevant facts and “telling” the story of the maya civilization on the road and before we arrive to the pyramids. Gabriel did an excellent job explaining everything in both languages (English and Spanish) which to me is not that easy. I personally learned a lot about the Mayan civilization and Gabriel was able to answer additional questions I had. Very knowledgeable. The Cenotes were amazing, the water, the place it was a great experience. I feel that this was not just a tour but rather someone telling me about his family history. Food was average and people at the restaurant were not very kind, but I guess this is not totally in their hands. As for Valladolid, it was nice to see the city for a couple of minutes, perhaps there’s need to be more time or just not stop. Overall I had a very good experience and will recommend this tour to others.

Chichen Itsa was great but this trip is more about spending money than local culture. Was picked up promptly but little communication so had no idea what was happening. Travelled for about an hour, picking a few others on the way. Then was dropped at a ‘transportation’ place where you had to join a long queue in a shop to get your wrist bands before changing to a coach. Again was on this for about an hour before any communication about the day. First stop was great, cenote but be prepared in order to have a swim you have to have a life jacket and possibly a locker. Both of which are extra. You then head to a local village and hear about all the products they sell. You get a blessing from the Mayan medic and then have half hour to look around the shops which is full of ‘made in China’ tut. Very commercialised. Not forgetting you are told about the Mayan calendar and are given the opportunity to buy a personalised birth certificate. Before you go to have lunch, you have the obligatory photo, which once back on the bus they show bottles of alcohol with your photo on the label (extra). Lunch is an experience, which is fine unless you are a vegetarian. The plates are put on the shelf alongside the meat! Chichen itsa was good, approx 2 hrs with info provided by the tour guide. On the way back, you stop at another shopping experience to buy local foods or chocolate. No communication on the way back so no idea how long journey was going to be or expected eta. The last straw was when just before we were due to transfer to another vehicle the tour guide came up and said, ‘sorry, there are only 2 seats left (we needed 3) can you squeeze onto 2, because everyone is tired and it will delay things otherwise’. He then tried to justify the reason for the lack of seats because a bus had broken down on the way back from the airport. No, the fact was the company had messed up. The buses only hold so many people and they clearly had miscalculated. By this time we were tired and hungry so reluctantly agreed. We were unable to wear seatbelts and were advised by the tour guide that one of us could sit on a cool box! Overall a disappointing trip, needs to focus more on culture and less on shopping.

Very professional informative team, everything is very planned and taken care of. Thank you for the wonderful experience to take home

Carlos from 8 wonder tours was our tour guide and he made the long drive from Cancun to Chichen Itza entertaining and educational! He continued sharing his knowledge at Chichen Itza, painting a picture in our minds of what the Mayans did back then, hundreds of years ago. Some tour guides just state facts one after the other, but Carlos made a story out of it. His father was also a tour guide and told us how it used to be before Chichen Itza became a wonder of the world. The Cenote was fantastic and a much needed refreshing dip after the heat in Chichen Itza. Bring wet shoes or flip flops if you don’t want to walk barefoot in the Cenote changing rooms, showers, and around the Cenote itself. Going down to the Cenote is slippery and they’re around 90 ish steps so if you have mobility issues, you might not be able to go for a swim. The final stop was Valladolid, which has a beautiful town square but we could only be there for about 25 minutes. Tour buses can’t park around the square for too long so there’s no place to root while the visitors go and explore. I could have done without the city, but I suppose if it’s on the way back to Cancun, might as well go check it out. And definitely go have a snack somewhere around the square because by the time you get back to Cancun and dropped off, it’s going to be late!