Maya ruins
- Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid: the classic full day, with a cenote. Chichén Itzá is a World Heritage Site since 1988, about 115 km east of Mérida according to INAH. Read the guide.
- Chichén Itzá by Maya Train: the Mérida–Izamal leg by train. Read the guide.
- Uxmal and Yaxcopoil: Puuc architecture by private transfer. Read the guide.
- Tulum: the walled city above the Caribbean, with cenotes. Read the guide.
Cenotes
- Santa Bárbara (Homún): four different cenotes by bike, inside the Ring of Cenotes reserve. Read the guide.
- Hacienda Mucuyché: two cenotes joined by a channel at a former henequen estate. Read the guide.
- Izamal and cenotes: the yellow town plus a swim. Read the guide.
Nature and flamingos
- Celestún: a biosphere reserve where flamingos gather most from November to February, according to CONANP. Read the guide.
- Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos: pink salt pools and Mexico's main flamingo nesting site. Read the guide.
- Sisal: kayaking through mangroves in a historic port. Read the guide.
Beaches and the Caribbean
- North Coast and Isla Columpios: sandbanks, dunes and Progreso, home to the world's longest pier according to Guinness. Read the guide.
- Bacalar: the seven-color freshwater lagoon. Read the guide.
- Isla Mujeres: reef snorkeling and Playa Norte. Read the guide.
- Holbox: a car-free island, by private transfer. Read the guide.
How to choose and book
Short on time? Pick one theme and one nearby trip; save the long Caribbean days for when you have at least four or five days in Mérida. Every Mary Tours trip leaves from its office in Mérida's historic center and returns the same day, with certified guides in Spanish and English. You reserve on WhatsApp with at least 50% of the price, payable by card, PayPal, Revolut or bank transfer. Bookings from this page are for groups of 4 or more, and Bacalar, Isla Mujeres and Tulum come with a per-person coupon.
Fun facts
- Chichén Itzá has been a World Heritage Site since 1988.
- Ría Lagartos is Mexico's main flamingo nesting site.
- The Progreso pier is listed by Guinness as the world's longest.
Related tours
Archaeology · 11 h
Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid
Four stops in one day, and none of them rushed
from $1,200 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Izamal. The guide uses the drive to set up what comes next.
- 9:00 AM San Antonio de Padua Convent — The story of the 16th-century Franciscan convent told in its atrium, then free time to walk the yellow town.
- 11:15 AM Chichén Itzá — Guided walk through the Temple of Kukulkán, the Sacred Cenote, the Ball Court, the Tzompantli and the Jaguars and Eagles platform.
- 1:45 PM Regional lunch in Kaua — Buffet of Yucatecan dishes: cochinita, relleno negro, lime soup and meat-free options.
- 3:00 PM Selva Maya cenote — The swim lands exactly when the sun is at its worst. Changing rooms and showers on site.
- 4:20 PM Valladolid — Francisco Cantón Rosado park with its original railings, the church of San Servacio and the murals in the town hall.
- 8:00 PM Back in Mérida — We drop you off where the day started.
Included: Air-conditioned transport, General culture guide, Regional buffet lunch
Not included: Chichén Itzá entrance, Cenote entrance, Drinks
Cenotes · 7 h
The four cenotes of Santa Bárbara
Four different cenotes and a lunch made by hand
from $1,450 MXN per person
See itinerary
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 10:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour on the road to Homún, through the ring of cenotes.
- 11:00 AM Cascabel cenote — Closed, cave type. You descend inside and the water sits in half-light: the most striking of the four.
- 11:30 AM Chaksikín cenote — Semi-open. You go down between limestone walls painted with Maya-themed murals.
- 12:00 PM Xooch cenote — Semi-open, with a shaft of light that falls straight onto the water mid-morning.
- 12:30 PM Pool Cocom cenote — Open and surrounded by vegetation. You swim along a channel out to the wide part.
- 1:30 PM Regional lunch — Home cooking with hand-made tortillas. Plenty of time to eat without rushing.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — An hour back, arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Certified guide, Entry to all four cenotes, Regional lunch
Not included: Drinks with lunch
Nature · 9 h
Celestún and the pink flamingos
The largest flamingo colony in North America
from $1,600 MXN per person
See itinerary
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM · daily
- 8:00 AM Departure from the office — An hour and a half west, out to the port.
- 9:30 AM Boat ride — Flamingo and bird watching, the mangrove tunnel, the freshwater spring and the Maya bath on the sandbar.
- 11:00 AM Lunch by the beach — Fish, octopus or shrimp from the gulf, at a table facing the sea.
- 1:00 PM Free time on the beach — Almost three hours to swim, walk the shore or do nothing at all.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — Arriving around five.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
Not included: Drinks
Coupon −$300 MXN per personCaribbean · 17 h
Bacalar, the lagoon of seven colours
Seventeen hours for water that changes colour every metre
from $2,800 MXN per person
See itinerary
5:00 AM – 10:00 PM · daily
- 4:45 AM Boarding — We leave from the downtown office. If your accommodation is on the way, we collect you there — agreed beforehand on WhatsApp.
- 5:30 AM Drive to José María Morelos — Two hours. Fifteen minutes there for toilets and to stretch your legs.
- 7:30 AM Drive to Bacalar — Two and a half hours more, now crossing into Quintana Roo.
- 10:15 AM Boat trip on the lagoon — Pirates’ Channel, Cenote Negro, Cenote Esmeralda and Bird Island, with an explanation of the stromatolites and the ecosystem.
- 12:15 PM Lunch — Lunch in the town, beside the lagoon.
- 1:30 PM Bacalar magic town — Three and a half hours free: the San Felipe fort, the square, the piers, the cafés and the crafts.
- 5:00 PM Back to Mérida — Five hours back, with a stop halfway. Arriving around ten.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat trip, Lunch
Not included: Drinks
Coupon −$300 MXN per personCaribbean · 17 h
Isla Mujeres
Playa Norte, which makes every list for a reason
from $2,500 MXN per person
See itinerary
5:00 AM – 10:00 PM · daily
- 4:45 AM Boarding — We leave from the downtown office. If your accommodation is on the way, we collect you there — agreed beforehand on WhatsApp.
- 5:30 AM Drive to Valladolid — Two hours on the motorway, with a fifteen-minute stop.
- 7:45 AM Drive to Puerto Juárez — Two more hours to the pier in Cancún.
- 10:00 AM Isla Mujeres — Sailing the Caribbean, snorkelling at the reef with gear included, a stop at Playa Norte, buffet lunch at the beach club and free time in town.
- 6:00 PM Back to Mérida — Four hours back, with a stop halfway.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat transfer, Snorkelling gear, Lunch
Not included: Environmental tax, Shopping on the island, Extra drinks
Coupon −$300 MXN per personCaribbean · 14 h
Tulum and the Casa Tortuga cenotes
The only Maya city built facing the Caribbean
from $2,500 MXN per person
See itinerary
6:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 6:00 AM Boarding — We leave from the downtown office. If your accommodation is on the way, we collect you there — agreed beforehand on WhatsApp.
- 6:30 AM Motorway to the rest stop — An hour and three quarters, with fifteen minutes for toilets and something light.
- 8:30 AM On to Tulum — An hour and a half more to the Quintana Roo coast.
- 10:00 AM Tulum archaeological site — Guided visit to the walled city: El Castillo, the Temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the Descending God, with the sea behind.
- 12:15 PM Casa Tortuga cenotes and lunch — Four cenotes of different kinds, with a guided route, trails and changing rooms. Lunch is on site.
- 4:00 PM Back to Mérida — Four hours back, with a stop halfway.
Included: Guide accredited by the Ministry of Tourism, Round-trip transport, Lunch, Cenote entry
Not included: Tulum archaeological site entrance, Drinks
Frequently asked questions
What's the best day trip from Mérida?
For a first visit, Chichén Itzá with Izamal and Valladolid; for swimming, the Santa Bárbara cenotes; for nature, Celestún.
Can you visit the Caribbean in a day from Mérida?
Yes: Bacalar, Isla Mujeres and Tulum all run as day trips, though they're long days.
Do tours have English-speaking guides?
Mary Tours works with certified guides in Spanish and English.
How do I book?
Use the booking button on this page; it opens WhatsApp with your request, and availability is confirmed the same day.
