Chichen Itza, Cenote and Ek Balam Tour with Lunch from Valladolid

We did this tour with my mom, and it was truly worth it. From the very first moment, Javier was very kind and attentive, helping us with the reservation and waiting for us to make the payment before starting the tour. Our guide was José, whom we especially recommend. Throughout the tour, he explained the history and culture of the Maya in a very interesting way, accompanying his stories with images that helped to better understand each site we visited. We visited Chichén Itzá, the Oxmán cenote, and Ek Balam, and at each place, we received detailed information and enough time to explore and enjoy. A great advantage is departing from Valladolid, as it allows for an early arrival at Chichén Itzá and exploring the archaeological site with much fewer people and less heat, making the experience much more pleasant. Ek Balam was one of the great surprises of the day: an impressive site, less crowded, and with incredible views. The Oxmán cenote was also spectacular, ideal for refreshing after the visit to the ruins. Without a doubt, we recommend this tour to those who want to learn about Maya history, enjoy incredible landscapes, and have a more tranquil and authentic experience than mass excursions.

Truly, I could not imagine a better way to experience these sites. Detailed review and walk-thru below but here's a TL;DR version: As long as you've got comfy shoes on, this is a perfect tour. Gilberto was a phenomenal tour guide: knowledgeable, a great story teller, funny, personable, and well-connected. The cenote is a perfect break in the middle of the day between two of the most incredible sites you'll ever see. What are you waiting for!? Book this tour!! FULL DETAILS BELOW BOOKING: We booked our trip directly through MexiGo's email. We sent them what trip we wanted (GoArchaeology) and when. They promptly replied with a PayPal link and pickup details. Efficient, and easy. We would have *maybe* liked a confirmation email the week of our tour, but that's ok. PICKUP/TRANSPORT: Gilberto showed up right at our hotel exactly when the email told us he'd be there. We had an Air-Conditioned sprinter van with extra water, some snacks, and umbrellas to block out the sun. It was comfy and nice to cool off in between stops. GUIDE: Gilberto was a highlight of our trip. Honestly could not imagine getting this tour from anyone else. He has personal and familial connections to Mayan history that made seeing the ruins through his eyes much more special. Smart, charming, fun, informative, everything you'd want in a guide. Cannot recommend him enough! RUN OF THE DAY: The tour starts early, but dang it is WORTH IT. We were one of the first groups at Chichen Itza (arrived around 8am) and to be able to feel like we had the ruins to ourselves was surreal. I saw some threads saying Chichen is overrated or not worth the effort. Those people are WRONG. Get yourself a great MexiGo guide and you will love it. Gilberto even gave us a class on Mayan Math when we were visiting the ruins of the observatory. I'm a nerd and it was awesome. You will see and learn about all the most significant buildings on the complex, not just the big one. Gilberto also provided some time to explore on our own, buy souvenirs, and take photos. We were at Chichen for ~3.5ish hours total. Bring water. After Chichen Itza, we got back in the van and drove to the Oxman cenote to go swimming. It was stunning (pics below) and a great way to cool off after being in the sun. If you do the GoChichen tour, this is where Gilberto takes you back to your hotel. We did GoArchaelogy which includes a lunch buffet by the cenote as well. Post-lunch, we got back in the van and headed to Ek Balam, just north of Valladolid. By this point, we were quite tired and had been walking a TON, but Ek Balam was definitely a unique experience. You can climb up the ruins and see things much closer up than you can at Chichen Itza. I'm definitely glad we went but it was tiring at the end of a long day. If you're not used to hiking a lot or are traveling with kids, I might opt for the shorter tour and book Ek Balam on a separate day. Gilberto dropped us back at our hotel around 5pm. All in all, it was a very full day, but worth every minute and every penny! COST: The price of the tours are 100% worth it. Gilberto alone was a fantastic guide but that the price covers lunch and the cenote as well makes it a no brainer. You will have to pay separate admission to the historical sites, so factor that into your decision making if you're on a tight budget - each site is ~700MXN (~40 USD) per person, so another $80ish to see both. The sites are visibly focused on conservation and reinvesting the money to make visiting the Yucatan a better experience, so I feel they're both worth the price. ALL IN ALL: Incredible way to see a world wonder and experience some of the Yucatan's majesty. A true 5 star tour, we loved it, just make sure you've got comfy shoes!

10/10 would recommend this tour. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and spoke basically fluent English. Getting to Chichen Itza early was great, lunch was surprisingly really good, the Cenote was one of the nicer ones, and ending the day at Ek’Balam was a great way to end a very long day. You will learn so much about Mayan culture, swim in a beautiful Cenote, and if you’re lucky, Jose will be your guide and answer any and all questions you might have!

Had an amazing experience on this tour. Gilberto was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about the culture and architecture. The balance and pacing of the tour was excellent too -- we did a lot, but nothing felt rushed and the rest/relaxation time was appreciated (didn't feel like it was taking away anything).

My husband and I did the Go Monkey and Go Archaeology tours with Gilberto, it was an incredible experience! He was very knowledgeable and really made our trip special. We cant say enough positive things about him & the tours, would recommend to anyone considering. This is definitely worth it!!!

It is an amazing experience. Jose is very knowledgeable and authentic. The tour takes you to the most important sightseeings near Valladolid. It was a small group of five. We strongly recommend.

We had the most amazing time on our tour to Chichen Itza, Cénote Oxman, and Ek Balam! Jose was the best tour guide. He was so engaging, knowledgeable, friendly, and organized. My husband and I ended up having a private tour with him and the whole experience was perfect. We met Jose at their location (short walk from Valladolid ADO bus station in town). We took a comfortable, air conditioned van. Jose brought cold, filtered water and snacks for the trip. Our first stop was Chichen Itza and we arrived early morning and beat all the big crowds. Jose provided incredible insight and history of the Mayan culture. We knew the best places to take pictures and was our personal guide through the immense and impressive area. Next, we went to Cenote Oxman and it was the highlight of the trip. The cenote was absolutely beautiful and felt like you were stepping into a different world. We swam, used the rope swing, while Jose kept watch over our belongings. We enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch at the cenote after our swim. Finally, we drove to Ek Balam and we loved being able to climb and walk amongst the ruins. Jose provided a wonderful tour with in-depth details of the history and culture. We highly recommend this tour and Jose was the perfect guide! Thank you so much for providing the best part of our trip!!

Our trip with Jose was absolutely amazing. He’s very knowledgeable and had additional materials to show us about the ruins. We thought it would be much to see both Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, but it was absolutely worth it - Ek Balam is less crowded, some pyramids are climbable and the view from the top is amazing. We also loved the fact that Jose is and speaks Maya - it was a nice experience hearing him speak it with people at the sightseeing locations!

Excellent tour, well worth the time and cost. Our guide picked us up right on time from our hotel and we spent the morning at Chichen Itza before it got sooo busy. He was so knowledgeable and friendly - wonderful experience with him! I will say that if you have sensory challenges - bring earplugs! Chichen Itza is basically a flea market for local vendors and many of them sell and demo jaguar call toys, this was unexpected and somewhat of -_- for us! Chichen Itza was very interesting though and our guide's explanations really contributed to my experience! The cenote was DEFINITELY the high point though (we got rained out of Ek Balam!), beautiful blue water - adorable friendly catfish and emerald and sapphire motmots flying overhead - it was like taking a swim in a studio ghibli movie scene! The lunch was good too and very welcome! As noted above, we unfortunately got rather rained out of Ek Balam, but I would 100% go back to explore and learn more. Our guide really helped us stay dry AND SAFE! and was an absolute champ on the drive home that was a bit white knuckled!

It was extraordinary. Our guide was amazing, friendly, and knew a lot about the culture and history of the sites. He was really professional. We really enjoyed it.