Guided tour of Ek' Balam and Valladolid with cenote and lunch

Excursions & day trips

Cancun, Mexico

from 11 reviews

4.7/5

Free Cancellation

Language: English , Italian

Mobile voucher accepted

Duration:2 hours

Instant Confirmation

Guided Tour

e-Voucher

Group Tour

Do this because

You'll head into the jungle to visit what's left of the ancient Mayan city of Ek' Balam

This trip includes a swim stop at a cenote, a kind of natural freshwater pool unique to Mexico

Chocolate-making, obsidian-crafting and mezcal-tasting are all part of the agenda

The tour wraps up in Valladolid, a small, colourful town that's one of the Yucatan's prettiest parts

You'll follow an expert local guide around this patch of Mexico, so they'll give you the lowdown

What to expect

Get a close-up look at Maya history and traditions on this off-the-beaten-track tour. You'll visit the ancient Maya city of Ek' Balam – the most recent to be opened to the public – as well as Yalcoba to swim in the cenote and a stop in Valladolid. We'll start the adventure with a guided visit of Ek' Balam, which translates as ‘Black Jaguar.' The site has more than 40 structures and its walls formed a maze, while the main pyramid, known as the Acropolis, has a well-preserved entrance surrounded by the open jaws and fangs of a jaguar. It's bigger than even El Castillo at Chichen Itzá. Best of all, you can climb to the top – which few Maya sites allow.Afterwards, we'll head to Yalcoba where you can try your hand at chocolate-making and learn how to craft obsidian at a workshop. After a tequila and mezcal tasting you'll have time to enjoy the crystalline cenote, then tuck into a tasty buffet lunch of typical regional dishes. Lastly, we'll have a quick stop in central Valladolid, a city known for its art and architecture and a picture-perfect medley of colourful colonial buildings and historic churches.

What's included

Transport

Guide

Admission fees

Buffet

Local delicacy tasting

What to remember

There's a MXN 45.00 fee for using video cameras at the archaeological site

Order of route subject to change

Tour is guided in German

Pickups are available from Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen hotels. If you don't see the option to add a hotel for pickup, please provide the details at the checkout.

Bring biodegradable insect repellent

Bring bathing gear and sunblock

Bring suitable footwear

Not suitable for guests with reduced mobility

Drinks not included

Provider

TUI MEXICANA SA DE CV

Booking Fee

Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.

Cancellation Fee

Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins

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Reviews

Excellent

4.7/5

Based on 12 reviews from verified customers

All ratings (11)

Excellent (9)

82%

Great (3)

27%

Average (0)

Poor (0)

Bad (0)

Cheryl Pennington

August 2024

From United States of America

Traveled as With family - 34 years old

Great

Great day , well organised and informative experiences well worth the day out

Elisa

June 2024

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 23 years old

Great

Ek Balam is an underrated beautiful gem that is absolutely worth seeing. The guide was kind and knowledgeable, kept us fed and refreshed with drinks and snacks. The bus was small and uncomfortable with little room for the legs for such a long journey. We didn't see the cenote because it was election day, but it was something guides knew in advance, could have planned an alternative instead. Had lunch in a different restaurant as a consequence and food was really poor.

Nick

April 2024

From United Kingdom

Traveled as With family - 45 years old

Excellent

Fantastic experience. Learnt a lot about the culture and history of the Mayans and Mexicans. The group was a good size, about 10 people plus guide. Good transportation. Very informative guide. Good refreshments and great tour of the Mayan Temple at Ek Balaam and a great swim and meal at the cenote. What an experience. A lot of travel, probably for hours on the coach but such a unique and memorable experience.

Emma and Matt

March 2024

From United States of America

Traveled as As a couple - 33 years old

Excellent

All was good, didn't get to do chocolate making or obsidian workshop as advertised

Mike

February 2024

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 12 years old

Excellent

Ek Balam is a fantastic experience. The early start to the excursion is worth it to be one of the first groups in to the site to climb the pyramid. Beautiful views from the top of Ek Balam. The cenotes swim is good and the surrounding shops, tequila tasting and buffet were good. Overall a great experience if you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of Chicinitza

The Jays

January 2024

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 33 years old

Excellent

Am excellent day had by all ! Despite an early start really grateful that we did get there early as we virtually had the place to ourselves! Only when we left the place was itbeginning to fill up..so thank Tui! Loved the cenote venue and meal and the last stop at Valladalod where we got to see,an authentic Mexican town. Our guide Chang was excellent very informative and kept us safe ..thank you Chang! Thoroughly recommend the day to anyone thinking about going. Ps left hotel at 0650 got back 545

Lou

November 2023

From United States of America

Traveled as As a couple - 26 years old

Excellent

I would recommend this trip, guide was informative and happy to answer our questions and the driver kept us supplied with cold drinks and snacks. The ruins were great and being able to climb up the temple was a bonus but you need to be careful on the way down! The cenote was probably one of the most amazing things we've ever seen absolutely beautiful, there was no pushy sales people either so you felt free to browse. The only thing I would say is either longer in the town or skip it completely

Nicola P

October 2023

From United Kingdom

Traveled as As a couple - 28 years old

Great

The cenote swimming was the best part of the tour. Ek Balam was good to see but quite small so didn’t spend as long there as expected. The guide was knowledgeable about the history though. The shopping part at the cenote complex felt a little contrived and there wasn’t really anything to buy that you couldn’t get elsewhere in resort. It was also very overpriced. The stop in Valedolid was very short and pretty pointless. Literally a toilet stop.

June Craig

October 2023

From United Kingdom

Traveled as With family - 51 years old

Excellent

Tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Made our day with his lovely personality. Did not enjoy the half hour stop off at the last location. Felt it was a waste of tome

Fiona

August 2023

From United Kingdom

Traveled as With family - 37 years old

Excellent

The excursion was very varied and our guide was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and engaging - we learned a lot about Mexican history and culture from him. The cenote was an amazing experience, as was Ek Balam. The only thing that would have improved the day would have been a little longer in Valladolid. Altogether a very memorable day and I would highly recommend this excursion.

HJ

July 2023

From United States of America

Traveled as With family - 42 years old

Excellent

Went to Ek Balam and Valladolid. Luna was our driver and Lalo our guide from Cancun Adventures. Lalo did an excellent job of giving us a clear and informative tour at Ek Balam, just the right amount of information but willing to go into greater depth to answer any questions. Whole tour was relaxed and we were well supplied with food and drink by Luna our driver. Cenote was amazing, excellent food there and enjoyed Valladolid and tequila factory. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Aleks

June 2023

From United States of America

Traveled as As a couple - 15 years old

Excellent

Ek Balam is amazing????I highly recommend visiting this place. In addition to the archaeological zone, we visited the town of Valladolid and the beautiful cenote. The meals during the trip were very good. the only downside was too little free time in Ek Balam

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