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Chichen Itza Day Trip from Riviera Maya

Name: Chichen Itza Day Trip from Riviera Maya
Brand: Cancun Vacation Experts
SKU: 3206PCMCHI_01
Price: 69.99 USD
Rating: 4.0 (74 reviews)

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

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Riviera Maya & the Yucatan Cozumel Tulum Cancun Costa Maya Merida Ambergris Caye Belize City Hopkins San Pedro Sula Grand Cayman Panajachel San Pedro La Laguna The Cayes Central Highlands

12 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Immerse yourself in the atmospheric splendor of Chichen Itza on a full-day tour from Playa del Carmen. Discover the secrets of the ancient capital of Mayan civilization as an informative guide provides captivating commentary on your comprehensive tour of the site. Refresh in the crystal clear waters of a submerged cenote for an adventurous addition to your experience. Conclude your day with a fulfilling buffet lunch and a visit to the colonial town of Valladolid.

Day trip to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen
Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site and see its intriguing temples with a knowledgeable guide
Explore the sacred cenote, the ball court, the Kukulcan Pyramid, and other landmarks
Stop and swim at a beautiful cenote near Chichen Itza
Enjoy a buffet-style lunch featuring Mayan cuisine
Pickup and drop-off at most Playa del Carmen hotels included

What's Included

Certified guide
Brief visit to colonial Valladolid
Lunch
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Visit to cenote
Bottled water

Gratuities
Optional drinks
State Tax applies Per Access of 400 MXP or its equivalent in 20 USD

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Meeting points

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Pickup points

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Start time

08:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

In case you cannot find your hotel please contact our Call Center team to provide a pick-up time or to assign the nearest meeting point.

What To Expect

Greet your guide at your Playa del Carmen hotel and begin your journey to one of the world’s most significant archeological sights. Relax during a scenic drive to Chichen Itza before stopping at a spectacular cenote.

Disembark your vehicle at either the Ikil or Hubiku cenote and descend into the atmospheric depths of the subterranean sinkhole. Watch as iridescent natural light dances upon the water’s surface and learn the origin of the word ‘cenote’, which translates from Mayan as ‘collapsed cave.’ Plunge into the inviting waters and feel fish tickle your feet as you swim and splash.

Arrive at Chichen Itza and split into smaller groups for an intimate tour with your personal guide. Wander the site and listen as your guide unravels Mayan mysteries and fascinating facts.

Gaze at the iconic Kukulcan Pyramid, also known as El Castillo, and marvel at the symmetry and skillful craftsmanship of the structure. Learn about how the structure was built according to astronomical research, and discover why the 365 steps represent each day of the solar ear. Listen to the calls of exotic birds as you wander through lush vegetation and peer at a cenote with great sacrificial significance.

Visit the colossal ball court to learn of ancient athletic events and decipher elaborate murals that depict Mayan scenes. Discover the mystifying acoustics of the ball court before hearing gruesome stories of decapitations during football games.

After your guide has concluded the informative commentary, wander the ruins at your own pace during some relaxed free time. Return to your vehicle and journey to a local restaurant for a delicious buffet lunch; feast upon local specialties like fresh fish, spiced rice and tender meat.

After enjoying a typical Mayan meal, stop at the colonial "magic town" of Valladolid for a quick tour.

Then, relax during the return journey to your Playa del Carmen hotel.

Riviera Maya

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Cenote Saamal

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Chichen Itza

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Valladolid

25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Riviera Maya

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children ages 3 years and under are free, but seats are subject to availability; they may have to ride on parents' laps if seats are not available
Operated by a multilingual guide

It is recommended that you wear or bring comfortable lightweight clothing, walking shoes or sneakers, a hat, sunglasses, biodegradable sunblock, a swimsuit, towel and change of dry clothing
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 55 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.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Sara_R

Wonderfull trip with perfect tour guide. Window to interesting piece of Mexican history. Great guide team capable to explain history as well as technicalities of the pyramids. Gonzalo is the best! Highly recommended!

Reviews

4.0

74 reviews

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

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 74 reviews

Good tour, could improve logistics

Vanessa_B, Jan 2023

The tour is nice, but could be a bit more organized as the pickup spots are crowded with people going in multiple directions. More info could be added. Also lots of sale opportunities from locals. Other than that the tour does take you to nice spots and the cenote after walking in the heat of Chichen Itza is a great way to get refreshed.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you very much for sharing with us your experience in this wonderful tour. We hope you have been able to fully enjoy the adventure and we will gladly send your comments to continue improving and provide you with the best experience.

The guides were very kind...

Jennifer_S, Jan 2023

The guides were very kind and knowledgeable. It was a great day. A bit too long but good. Would of skipped the cenote and town at the end

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience during this incredible tour. We will send your kind comments to your guide. We hope you have taken with you an incredible experience.

Nice value

Samir_Q, Jun 2022

Was a smooth trip for the price and the number of stops. A bit of a long day about 12-13 hours. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and helpful the whole way.

Response from Host, Jun 2022

Thank you very much for your comments, it is nice to hear that you expend a very good day on this trip. The tour is long but it is worth it.

Great tour

Sara_R, May 2022

Very nice tour

thomas_s, Mar 2022

The guides, Francisco and David, were excellent. They were fluent in English and Spanish and highly knowledgeable about the history of the ruins, Mayan culture and Mexico generally. They also did a great job at herding us from place to place in friendly but firm manner.

Request Gonzalo

Fred_T, Jan 2022

Gonzalo was very informative and interesting thoroughly enjoyed him! Felt I was rushed on my visit to Villadolid

Response from Host, Jan 2022

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with others

A ton of fun

Josh_C, Aug 2021

We had a fantastic day touring these locations. It seems like a long day when you read the description, and it is, but this tour is absolutely jam-packed with activities. We were certainly never bored! We also had a fantastic guide, Victor, who kept everything running safely and smoothly. All said, we had a blast! Time well spent.

Response from Host, Sep 2021

Awesome! it´s good to know you enjoyed this full day trip,The distance is the only thing we can't fight with but we do have the activities fitting the needs for this tour. We hope to have you back soon

Scam

Gabrielle_B, May 2021

I asked your representative to give me the total about for 3 people, everything included. After I paid $200.00 I was forced ti pay $75.00 more. I have booked with this company for years, well, no more!

2 travelers found this review helpful

No show for pick up

Brooke_B, Sep 2020

The operator didn’t pick me up at my hotel, which was part of the package. Needless to say, I didn’t go and want a refund.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Great cultural experience!

David_W, Dec 2019

We enjoyed the tour. Did the 3 for 1 tour (Chichen Itza, cenote and shopping). We liked Chichen Itza but would skip the other stops as the day is way too long. It was about 13 hours from Playa del Carmen. About 6 hours on bus.

Response from Host, Dec 2019

Thank for writing your experience we will verify the time expend in each stop to guarantee a better experience.

Misleading & Disappointing

JoseE_B, Jun 2019

First Cancun Vacation Experts telling you the experience include certain things and then you find out it does not. When you ask about it. Nobody knows anything. They tell you it includes lunch but yet the charge you the drinks at a high rate. It was a huge group the experience took forever around 14-15hr. They are always in a rush. Rushing everyone. Almost to the point of harassment.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Marco, our guide was Amazing, maybe...

Miguel V, Jun 2018

Marco, our guide was Amazing, maybe little hard to follow in the explannation, because is switching from spannish to english. Other than that, we maybe need some more time in Chichen Itza and the Cenote and less time in other places.

1 traveler found this review helpful

This was an informative and...

Elizabeth L, Apr 2018

This was an informative and immersive tour. Our guide Martin was very knowledgeable. He explained a lot of things to us on our way to Chichen Itza. However, he had to say everything in both English and Spanish which slowed things down a bit. We got picked up exactly at the time we were given and after a few stops to pick up other people and a bathroom/snacks stop, we were on our way. First stop was Valladolid, a colonial-era town, which was fun to see and walk around. Next stop was a Mayan co-op, with authentic but on the more expensive side souvenirs. A demonstration on the making of corn tortillas and a type of Mayan BBQ followed. Then we had lunch which was a decent buffet drinks were extra. Here you had the opportunity to purchase a personalized Mayan birth certificate for 370 pesos. We then drove to Chichen Itza. Things are kind of chaotic at the entrance so stick with the group. It's a short walk to the archaeological site, but the weather is much hotter than on the coast. We then split into an English-speaking and a Spanish-speaking group. We walked around for a bit more than an hour. The El Castillo pyramid is really cool, and Martin showed us some neat tricks regarding the acoustics of it. Afterwards, we toured a sacrificial building and a ballgame court. We then had 40min to walk around by ourselves take pictures, buy souvenirs, see the cenote that's a short walk North of the pyramid. I wish we were given a bit more free time. Then we went back to the bus, and drove to a really scenic cenote that's closeby. It was very crowded, but it's so pretty to see and swim in. The amount of time we were given here was reasonable. We then headed back to the van and drove to Playa. My suggestion would be to spend less time at the co-op and instead be given extra time at Chichen Itza.

Guides good, lunch ok, but seriously...

Lavon B, Mar 2018

Guides good, lunch ok, but seriously do yourself a favor and just take the ADO As then have 4 hr at Chichen Itza. Tour only 2 hr, guide talks for 1 hr in one way place. Can only see a little of site. Big regret. Wasted time at shopping area, useless 30 min stop at the colonial town.

2 travelers found this review helpful

Our tour guide Martin was amazing...

Mark_S, Feb 2018

Our tour guide Martin was amazing. He is very knowledgeable and patient. He has been a multilingual tour guide for 27 years, and it shows. This tour is important to see and feel some of the beginnings of our current civilization. It is amazing to see where so much of our current technology actually started.

Amazing experience to see this...

Bent R, Feb 2018

Amazing experience to see this place. Very clever and helpful guides. But the trip lasted from 8:20 to 21:30, 13 hours, though it was scheduled 7-9 hours. More than 4 hours driving home by bus. And, we would rather have had more time in Chichen Itza, instead of the shop with lunch.

We took a day trip to Chichen Itza...

Olga Z, Jan 2018

We took a day trip to Chichen Itza last week. We were met promptly by our guide Martin near Senior Frog nearby Cancun ferry dock we took a ferry from Cozumel. First stop was at Valladolid, a small colonial village. We only received about 30 minutes to take the pictures by the local church. Afterwards, we took off to another town where we were promised lunch. Following the demonstration of how tortillas and local meal dish are made, it took nearly an hour of waiting for lunch to be served. Appeared that it was nothing but a plot to get tourists to buy overpriced souvenirs at the local shop while they are waiting for food. Finally, we were served buffet style food. Bottled water and soda had to be purchased separately. We then headed to Chichen Itza itself. Martin handed our group over to another guide and our group had to join another large group. It was difficult to hear the guide as they were so many people. Following about a 1 hour long guided tour, we only had about 45 minutes to explore Chichen Itza independently. Goes without saying, not much can be accomplished in that short amount of time. Lastly, we were taken to the cenote nearby. Again, we were told that we only have 45munutes. 45 minutes to get to the dressing room, change, take a shower, wait in line to get into the cenote, swim in the cenote, walk back to the dressing room, and change into dry clothes? Obviously, we did not even attempt to. We were dropped off at Senior Frog at around 8pm as promised. In short...the tour is affordable, but they tried to squeeze in too many activities into it. We would be far happier with having an extra hour to explore Chichen Itza and cenote, then see how tortillas are made as well as be kept waiting for food in hopes that we would impulsively purchase souvenirs.

This tour was amazing!!! Our guide...

Kirsten P, Jan 2018

This tour was amazing!!! Our guide Carlos was so nice and had a wealth of knowledge. Our driver Eduardo was also very helpful. Prepare for a full day. We got our moneys worth.

I had a great time on this tour. Tour...

askarjunior, Jan 2018

I had a great time on this tour. Tour guide Miriam was friendly and helpful.

We saw a lot in the scheduled time...

deird_is, Jan 2018

We saw a lot in the scheduled time. The stop for lunch and shopping was much better than a tour taken previously with another company.

A must if you are in Cancun. I...

Adelaida C, Dec 2017

A must if you are in Cancun. I learned so much on this tour thanks to our knowledgeable guide. I have a friend who visited on his own a couple years ago without a tour and when I got back and was telling him about it he was bummed he missed so much by not getting a professional tour.

We had a great time on this tour...

natillias, Dec 2017

We had a great time on this tour! Our guides, Liz and Gerardo, were really enthusiastic and knowledgable. The journey to Chichen Itza is very long from Playa del Carmen approximately 2:30/3 hours each way so do go prepared! Absolutely loved both Chichen Itza and the Cenote we visited. Truly amazing!

This trip was amazing to see the...

Cyndi, Nov 2017

This trip was amazing to see the ruins and hear the history of the Mayan and Aztec people!! Definitely a must do when you are in the Cancun area!

Chicken itza was definitely worth...

Alistair M, Oct 2017

Chicken itza was definitely worth visiting, tour guide was good. Swim in the natural pool also good food, buffet included at the stop was basic. Quite a bit of time wasted during pickups at multiple hotels, but coach was very comfortable. Could have missed out the stops at the local village on the way and the gift shop

My granddaughter, two sisters and I...

Linda M, Aug 2017

My granddaughter, two sisters and I loved our trip to Chichen Itza. It was one of the highlights to our seven night trip to Playa del Carmen. We weren't sure we should book a tour online before we left or wait until we got there. Glad we made the arrangements beforehand. All we had to do was confirm our reservation at our hotel with a Viator representative. We were picked up in front of our hotel at the time we were told we would. Loved that we were picked up in an air conditioned van with just two other couples and the tour guide. Stopped a couple of times to visit a small Mexican city of Valledolid for pictures and then again for souvenir shopping. Our favorite stop was to swim in a Cenote and have lunch and then of course learning all about Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza was my 21 year old granddaughter's favorite part of our seven night Mexican adventure.

This was a well organized tour-a...

Anita M, Jul 2017

This was a well organized tour-a full 12 hours. We had multiple stops, and the majority are worth it because of the variety. The tour guides-our's was Alexis-were great. He gave us multiple options and choices. I would have liked to spend more time at the cenote-a unique experience and wouldn't mind if we cut out the stop to Villalodos. Having quick access into Chichen Itza is a plus, as it is very crowded there. Pick up and drop off were very clear and punctual. I liked having a mix of guided tours and free time at each stop. The lunch buffet at the cenote was excellent. Overall, definitely worth the cost if you are interested in learning more about mayan culture.

Pick up was on time. Ricardo was our...

David C, Jun 2017

Pick up was on time. Ricardo was our guide and he was very entertaining and clear with his directions and information. He was very knowledgeable and educational. The town was neat to stop at but I must say 2 hours didn't seem enough at the cenote. By the time we were let go inside it ended up being almost an hour and a half and with changing into and out of swim clothes it didn't leave much time to swim and eat. Seemed rushed. If your comfortable wearing swim clothes the whole day even at the ruins that may save you some time there. The cenote is 200 ft deep and they don't take credit cards so if you need a life vest you will need to bring 16 USA or peso equivalent with you per person. I didn't know this and my 7 year old was fining it hard to keeping above water for a long period. They have a rope but people hang out there.The buffet was very much ok. Nothing bad or great, it was fuel for the body that's about it. The ruins themselves were magical. Very interesting place. The negative about the ruins is the hundreds of vendors who hound you like vulchers. It Detracted from the experience and seemed disrespectful to the Mayan people. We were explained by our tour guide this is a result of the corrupt government there. When we visited in 1998 none of this was there and it was peaceful. Now it seems like a fair or circus. I still think it is very much worth seeing. The vendors circle the area inside the archeological site but you can keep inside and still enjoy yourself.

I booked this trip as couldnt wait...

Zie, Jun 2017

I booked this trip as couldnt wait to visit whilst in Mexico. This was my one must do item. I agreed the pick up time with the local tour operator before I left the UK. I was told to be there 10 mins before and agreed the confirmed pick up. Off I went to Mexico all excited for my holiday. Then the bad bits.. I was at the pickup point 20 mins before the agreed time. There were lots of excited guests all going off on different trips. My pickup time arrived. All the other guests excited went off on their trips and we were still sat there. its ok I said, its only just our pickup time now, you know what these things are like. However, 30 mins went by, still no pickup. By which time we were the last ones sat there. I rang the local tour operator to find out what was going on, which I have just had my phone bill in and cost me 12!! They could hardly speak English and took ages to explain what I wanted. I then got put on hold for ages. Eventually the man came back to tell me that the van was at the pickup point waiting for me. I assured him no van was at the agreed pickup point, he said hang on again. Then the van turned up. He said it should be there. I told him it just pulled in. Off we go, now lets hope the day gets better. Well sort of. The 2 tour guides spoke Spanish as the first language and then English as a second language. We were made to feel like second class citizens. I would have booked a private tour if I had known it was going to be like that. 1 of the tour guides regularly had jokes in Spanish and everyone laughing, then when he repeated in English was very basic info. The other tour guide to give him his dues was trying to at least explain what he said that the Spanish. Luckily when we arrived at Chicken Itza he was the tour guide that took the English speaking guests off. The only good point is that chichen itza itself is amazing and a must see. I am very disappointed with the whole experience. I have used Viator loads of times with my last company and had never been disappointed. I am also off to Monaco in November and will be looking for another company this time. I contacted Viator directly to raise my concerns before making my review public but they didnt bother to reply, so here it is.

Fantastic tour! Ricardo our guide...

Camille, Jun 2017

Fantastic tour! Ricardo our guide was amazing. Tour starts with a short stop in Vallaloid, then a stop at a Mayan shop, then lunch and a dip in a beautiful Cenote and then finally a tour of the ruins of Chichen Itza. Really enjoyed chichen itza. It is a long day (and drive) but it is worth it!

Ik Kil Cenote and Chichen Itza were...

Heidi_T, May 2017

Ik Kil Cenote and Chichen Itza were beautiful and amazing. However, the driver was over a half hour late picking us up from the resort. One we were finally picked up, we were taken to a a corner convenience store, waited for at least 15-20 minutes, and then were picked up by a large travel bus. We had about 15 minutes to explore Valladolid, which gave enough time to look briefly in the cathedral there, and go into one small shop, before being rushed to the next location, a souvenir shop. Then we waited there for another 15-20 minutes until we could finally leave for Ik Kil Cenote. Once we arrived there, we had a short time to eat lunch in a throng of people, then had about an hour to swim in the cenote. We rushed back to the bus, then left for Chichen Itza. Once we arrived there, we had about 2 hours to spend at Chichen Itza, then left for the 3 hour ride back. The whole trip we heard a toddler crying and screaming it's head off, and the shopping trips were a complete waste of the money I paid for the trip, because you could buy the same things in Playa Del Carmen and from the vendors in our resort. I didn't pay to shop, I paid to swim in a Cenote and check out Chichen Itza. Also, please DO NOT allow children under the age of 12 on these trips. I didn't pay money for an excursion so that I could hear somebody's child scream its head off the whole day! Thanks for ruining part of my vacation : Please make sure your drivers are on time, and there are no pointless shopping stops. It would have been a lot nicer to have more time to explore Valladolid, but we wasted that slot going to a stupid shop. Not thrilled at all. This was poorly run, and wasn't worth what we paid.

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