Chichen Itza de Playa del Carmen et de la Riviera Maya ! Fête de la culture

The transportation was ok, we waited for 45 minutes in a gas station without any information, then we went to a cenote which it was cool, after the cenote, we went to meet mayan people, they had different stations, like 5, in every station they asked for tip, two steps later, more tip, they posed for "free" pictures, but asked for tip, we did the free tequila tasting but it was mostly to sell you tequila, they walked you through a souvenir shop and they follow you to sell you stuff, they tried to sell me a cleansing and an oil that smelled like mint, but they said it wasn't, for $1000 pesos about $60, didn't asked how much for the cleansing. Finally we went to the included lunch, I saw all kinds of foods walking throughthe restaurant, but they told us we were in a separate area, in that area our lunch was, white Rice, runny beans, mash potatoes, scrambled eggs, and a choice of tacos. When we thought we were leaving because we were in the van, a guy came to do a toast, he gave us a tiny little bit of passion fruit with agave, then they tried to sell you a bottle of it. IN THE VAN! I almost forgot, the entire area is very humble until you get to their restaurant, that's a different story. We got picked up at 7 am got home at 8:30 pm and that's the only included meal. We got to Chichen Itza, beautiful place except for all the vendors around, and outside the pyramids, is a constant harassment, this is why I called it paparazzi, and don't forget to save tip for your driver!

It is a long day, but well worth it. There are enough stops & toilet breaks to break it up. Make sure you have a good breakfast or take a few snacks and water as lunch is a few hours after the start. Our trip was on a large bus from Playa Del Carmen with a few others joining the bus from a minibus (van) at a petrol (gas) station. The air-con blasted a bit so might be worth taking a sweater just for the journey itself. Our trip had a Mexican guide who spoke great English and he spoke for almost all of the outward journey with some great info about the Mayan culture. And was mostly silent on the return journey to let people sleep as it was getting dark and we were tired. And in particular I found the history of their counting system and calendar fascinating (and even earnt myself a cold beer with a correct calculation :) ). They offer you the chance to buy your own dedicated Mayan "birth certificate" which a handful of people on the bus chose to do. Expect to see plenty of hawkers trying to sell you stuff, but easy to dismiss politely. The pyramid is well worth the trip and despite having lots of people around, the site is large enough to allow plenty of opportunity to get your personal photos/selfies. The Cenote where we swam was also a great bonus (and the water is less cold than the mandatory shower you have to take first). But you can decline the whole thing and sit at the snack bar - or access the large Cenote just for photos which requires a life jacket (as steep & slippery steps to get down and the ledge is slippery) - but there is also a smaller Cenote at the lunch stop where you can take some photos without going anywhere near the water or paying for a lifejacket. The lunch stop was a welcome break and the food ok - wuith spicy and non-spicy options. Depending on the level of trip you have paid for, you may or may not have drinks included but you can purchase some if not. We stopped in a Mayan village which was very interesting. They showed us some of their carvings which were exquisite and ceremonies. And we had a multiple tequila tasting (I loved the Mango - note bottles are $39US at the airport duty free or $49 in PDC) We also stopped in Valladolid which is a very picturesque town with numerous coloured facades and a great central square. We only had 30 minutes there but i think a couple of hours or more would be worth it if you have more flexibility. Overall a fabulous day out.

You havé to eat at stops because you havé lunch at 3h30 which is a non sensé when you had breakfast at 6

The bad: Pickups took almost 2 hours which was very frustrating as we were on the first pick up at 7am. We arrived at 6:45 as instructed, but the pick up was late around 7:15. We proceeded to stop at about 5-6 places not far away. The company should really consider limiting to 1 or 2 spots to save time. We were hoping to get some sleep on the way, but the guides insisted on doing a lecture on the microphone for about and hour and a half straight, delivered with a somewhat belittling tone as though speaking to a group of 6th grade students on a field trip. He took a long time to explain very simple ideas - like we should be grateful, we’re spoiled, rich, ignorant city-folk, etc. It was a bit unusual, and frustrating that it prevented us from sleeping. This continued in between stops. I think their intention is to be informative but the tone is way off. They also try to get you to buy things along the way as well. There were some bright spots. They did a good job of explaining expectations for the trip, and do/don’ts. However we ended up waiting an extra 30 mins for 2 people who were late coming back to the bus which was annoying. The meal took place at a sort of “cultural center” which is basically a large gift shop. They presented a Mayan blessing and explained that corn is gluten free (as it that were surprising) and some objects made from obsidian. It seemed they were killing time before it was our turn to eat. This part was WAY longer than necessary and they allotted 20 mins for us to shoo in the store followed by about 30 mins in the hot sun waiting for our turn to eat. The food was ok all things considered. A couple tips: bring some cash / coins for things like using public bathrooms, buying souvenirs. The locker rental at the cenote is not included but you can avoid it and leave most of your stuff on the bus. There is a place to drop your towels/flip flops before descending to the pool. Bring snacks and water. I was able to buy some empanadas for breakfast at the gas station where they stopped to consolidate buses. Also pack plenty of patience (and noise cancelling headphones) Be prepared to return around 8pm or so.

Time spent on bus is more than advertised, about 7hrs total. Bus waited 1/2 hr at one stop for two people, should have left if they weren't ready. Guide was good, Mayan ruins were amazing. In hindsight would not have bought a package that includes cenote visit. Added too much time.

The visit was amazing!!! The place is unforgettable. However, in the other hand. Couple of things couple be better. 1. They pick up us a little bit late. 2. Not too organized. It take us with one place, one car to another, and always is something extra($$). 3. The restaurant and food it was not good at all. 100% not recommended. One thing we really highly recommend is our guide person, very professional and knowledgeable. Jimmy is excellent, he explained and have a lot of patience. Kudos to him. Transportation was good. Except the time.

Our guide Victor was excellent. So knowledgable and funny. He brought energy to the day which was a very hot summer day.