What goes on every trip
- Water (one bottle per person).
- A hat and sunglasses: CENAPRED, Mexico's disaster prevention center, recommends them for the heat, along with sunscreen.
- Biodegradable sunscreen.
- Light, pale clothing, as Mexico's health ministry recommends.
- Cash for entry fees, drinks and shopping.
- ID.
By type of tour
| Type | Add |
|---|---|
| Archaeological sites (Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Tulum) | Comfortable closed shoes; cash for entry if it isn't included |
| Cenotes (Santa Bárbara, Mucuyché, Homún) | Swimsuit on, towel, water shoes, a bag for wet clothes, a dry change |
| Boats and mangroves (Celestún, Río Lagartos, Sisal) | Waterproof phone pouch, insect repellent, clothes you don't mind muddy if there's a mud bath |
| Caribbean (Bacalar, Isla Mujeres, Tulum) | A light sweater for the early start, motion-sickness tablets if needed, a change of clothes for the ride back |
| Maya Train | Valid official ID to board |
Chichén Itzá rules worth knowing
INAH's visitor information for Chichén Itzá states that food is not allowed inside the archaeological zone, nor are pets or smoking, and that professional photography equipment requires authorization. The site has parking and restrooms. Eat beforehand or wait for the tour lunch, which on the classic route comes after the visit.
Rules can vary between sites; check each site's official information.
Better left at the hotel
- Jewelry and valuables you don't need.
- Non-biodegradable sunscreens and tanning oils: many cenotes don't allow them.
- Drones, unless you have the site's permission.
Fun facts
- Food and pets aren't allowed inside Chichén Itzá.
- Professional photography equipment needs authorization at Chichén Itzá.
- Many cenotes only allow biodegradable sunscreen.
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
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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
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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.
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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.
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Not included: Drinks
Frequently asked questions
Can you bring food into Chichén Itzá?
No. INAH's visitor information says food is not allowed inside the archaeological zone.
What shoes should I wear to a cenote?
Water shoes or non-slip sandals: stairs and rocks are often wet.
Do I need a sweater?
For trips that leave before dawn, like Bacalar or Isla Mujeres, a light sweater is welcome in the van.
What do I need for the Maya Train?
A valid official ID to board.
