Seven-day itinerary
- Mérida on foot. The historic center (a Historic Monuments Zone since 1982, according to INAH), Plaza Grande, the cathedral and Paseo de Montejo.
- Chichén Itzá, Izamal and Valladolid. Valladolid is a Pueblo Mágico close to Chichén Itzá.
- Cenote day. Santa Bárbara (Homún) or Hacienda Mucuyché.
- Uxmal and the Puuc route with private transport.
- Flamingos. Celestún (closer) or Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos (further, more than 200 kilometers according to the state table).
- A short coast day. Isla Columpios and Progreso, or Sisal.
- The Caribbean. Bacalar, Isla Mujeres or Tulum.
How to order the days
The state tourism guide points out that travel times make any schedule a plan rather than a guaranteed timetable. So it's smart to:
- Alternate long days (Chichén Itzá, Las Coloradas, the Caribbean) with short ones (cenotes, coast).
- Put the Caribbean day after a quiet day.
- Keep a spare "wildcard" day in case it rains or you're tired.
Evenings in Mérida
Many day trips get back to Mérida by mid-afternoon, so your evenings are free for the city. The city government publishes a weekly cultural program and events like the Biciruta, with daytime and evening routes that change by schedule. The Palacio Cantón on Paseo de Montejo hosts temporary exhibitions and public events.
Budget and booking
Over a week, day trips are the biggest part of the budget after accommodation. Check what each tour includes (lunch, entry fees, boat) and what's extra. For groups of 4 or more, booking from this page gives you a per-person coupon on Bacalar, Isla Mujeres and Tulum, usually the priciest days of the week.
Fun facts
- Valladolid, a Pueblo Mágico, is close to both Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam.
- Río Lagartos is about 215 kilometers from Mérida, according to the state guide.
- Mérida's Biciruta has both daytime and evening routes.
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
Transfers · 10.5 h
Transfer to Uxmal and Yaxcopoil
The Puuc route at your own pace, with the van waiting
from $2,550 MXN per vehicle
Nature · 12 h
Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos
Genuinely pink lagoons, and flamingos in the estuary
from $1,400 MXN per person
See itinerary
7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · daily
- 7:00 AM Departure from the office — Almost three hours to the north coast, with a stop halfway.
- 9:50 AM Las Coloradas — A guided walk beside the pink, white and orange pools of the salt works. No swimming: it is a protected area.
- 11:00 AM Cancunito beach — A rustic beach inside the reserve, calm water and hardly anyone around.
- 12:30 PM Boat ride through the estuary — Channels through the mangroves, flamingo watching areas, crocodiles in their habitat and the mineral mud bath.
- 2:15 PM Lunch in Río Lagartos — Fresh fish, ceviche, octopus or tikin xic on the waterfront of the fishing village.
- 4:15 PM Back to Mérida — Nearly four hours back, arriving around eight.
Included: Transport, Guide, Boat ride, Lunch from a set menu
Not included: Las Coloradas entrance, 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
Frequently asked questions
Is a week too long for Yucatán?
It's ideal: enough for the city, ruins, cenotes, the coast and a Caribbean day without rushing.
Are there one-week packages with accommodation?
Mary Tours offers day trips and transfers; you choose your own accommodation in Mérida.
Which day should I keep free?
One mid-week, to rest or make up a trip if it rains.
How far is Las Coloradas?
More than 200 kilometers from Mérida according to the state table; it's a long day.
