Merida Tours
Ek Balam, Valladolid and Cenote Private Tour
5

Ek Balam, Valladolid and Cenote Private Tour

By Merida Elite
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 3-99
Duration: 8–10 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More


  • Private transportation
  • Bilingual guide since pick you up at your hotel
  • Lunch
  • On board cooler with beers, sodas and bottled water
  • Entry/Admission - Ek Balam
  • Entry/Admission - Valladolid
  • Entry/Admission - Cenote Saamal
What's not included
  • Gratuities


Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.
    Pickup details
    • Vacation rentals Pick up not available for hotels located in Cancun and Riviera Maya
    Hotel pickup offered
    During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.
      Airport pickup offered
      During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included airports.
      • Rejon Airport, Merida Mexico
      Port pickup offered
      During checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.
      • Puerto Progreso
      End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

        • Not wheelchair accessible
        • Pushchair accessible
        • Infant seats available
        If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 56603P4

        • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
        • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
        • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
        • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
        • Most travellers can participate
        • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

        • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

        If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 56603P4

        From
        C$289.63
        per adult (price varies by group size)
        Select date and travellers

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        About the operator
        Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
        • Merida Elite
          75
          Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
          Joined in July 2017
        • AlexBloomington_IN
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Excellent airport transfer experience
          I used Merida Elite for round-trip transfer from Merida airport to my Merida hotel. Everything went completely smoothly; my flight in was long delayed but their driver was waiting for me, and the driver was at the arranged time on the way back. Both were friendly and helpful. What impressed me most was the company's professonalism and communication. I had questions before arrival that they answered promptly and clearly, and when I needed to reschedule my return the process was totally smooth and their clear confirmations were reassuring. I recommend them highly.
          Written July 12, 2024
        • ashleydJ3320QQ
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          A meaningful experience full of history
          Vicente is such an amazing guide. His vast knowledge of Mayan history was such a gift. My daughter (16) and I (mom) felt so taken care of by Vicente and Alejandro the driver. They always made sure we had snacks and water, and even provided us with a chilled cloth for our faces after touring Uxmal in sweltering heat. The private tour allows you to go at your own desired pace. Uxmal was an amazing site and allows you to be up close and personal with the ruins. Choco Story is a bit of a museum feel with an animal sanctuary added. The chocolate ceremony and tasting was very nice. Lunch was also delicious at a nearby restaurant. We cannot thank Vicente and Alex enough for our incredible day trip! So worth every penny!
          Written June 16, 2024
        • MCM_Spokane
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Seamless Round Trip Transport
          Our experience with this transport company was perfect. Our driver was there to meet us with a sign at the airport. He was friendly, reliable and wonderful. Benito came to pick us up and gave us some excellent information about the City, its history and its culture.. Both drivers were so professional. They were early and absolutely wonderful to deal with. I highly recommend this company for airport transport.
          Written May 30, 2024
        • 658mabelb
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Our first visit to Yucatan
          This was our family reunion just my siblings and me. It was their first time in Mexico and our first time visiting La Peninsula de Yucatan. Vicente (our tour guide) and Aby (our driver) made the difference. It was a hot Yucatecan day and they brought a cooler with water, pop and snacks. We were told a lot of information from the Mayan culture and specifics on Chichén Itzá. From picking us up at the hotel to lunch and bringing us back to the hotel we felt safe, welcomed and eager to come back with these gentlemen in our next visit to Yucatan. I highly recommend Vicente and Abi they are just awesome.
          Written April 20, 2024
        • Janie J
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Lovely Conversation, Wonderful Ride!!
          The pickup at Hotel was early and prompt. Gentleman was very cheerful and friendly. We conversed as old friends, as he proudly talked about his beloved Merida.
          Written March 14, 2024
        • om310
          0 contributions
          2.0 of 5 bubbles
          A big letdown
          We had booked this Mayapan Private tour for 2 of us, for 2nd March. The Mayapan Archeological site has been closed since November 2023. Yet this agency booked the tour. They let us know the previous evening that because of Mayapan closure they will take us to Izmal instead. It was too late for making other plans. The guide and driver were busy talking throughout the journey, amongst themselves, no interaction with us. The Homun Ceynotes tour was ok. The Horse Drawn cart is mentioned in the tour, but these have long been discontinued. Please update the Tour description. We got shortchanged on Mayapan. They should have Not booked the tour or informed us while booking so that we could have used our day in a more productive manner. Probably with a different agency.
          Written March 9, 2024
        • travelinjohnson
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Excellent service, communication and quality ride to and from the airport
          We booked a round trip from Merida airport to our centro located hotel. Confirmations were received and at arrival, we got a phone call confirming where to meet our driver. We then needed to alter our departure schedule and it was easily done, with a text confirmation. The drivers were courteous, and drove safely through the challenging streets of central Merida. We could have saved a few pesos with a taxi, but a pre-planned and ready-to-go transfer was worth it.
          Written February 13, 2024
        • DigitalCreator
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great time! Thank you!
          The booking was easy and clear, all questions were answered and arrangements for pick up was easily sorted out. Driver Alex and guide Vicente arrived on time and were friendly and immediately offered us refreshments for the long drive ahead. Along the way we were told the story of the re-discovering of the ruins and some of the colonial history... showing us pictures of the early drawings and photos of the restoration efforts. At the site he told us of the Inca and Mayan people and the mystics and legends they followed. Very informative and descriptive guide! Next came cold towels, more drinks and snacks and a short drive to Cenote Ik Kil. Lunch buffet was small, but adequate. Definitely enough to eat and was tasty.. try the "monkey blood drink" tart and refreshing (no actual monkey though) Cenote was BEAUTIFUL! Clear water, not too crowded. Magical.
          Written January 21, 2024
        • Sarah H
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Awesome place
          It was an incredible experience! Definitely glad we opted for a private tour! Beautiful place and Vincente was so knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with!!
          Written January 5, 2024
        • Span_pro
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Very personable, very professional, highly recommended
          This was an extremely well-run tour. They came to pick us up promptly. Carlos, our guide, spoke excellent English for those of us who needed it, and smoothly went back and forth between English and Spanish. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the Maya and about Chichen Itza in particular. Since we were less interested in swimming in a cenote as part of the tour, he allowed us extra time at the archaeological site, and so we were able to cover more ground, going to both the main site that everyone sees, but also going to through the woods to the Caracol area. He gave us details that we didn't know (even though we are pretty knowledgeable about Maya history and archaeology), and also was personable and answered all of our questions. When we returned to the car, hot and sweaty, he and the driver were there with snacks, cold drinks, and cold wet towels to meet us. We then went to one of the cenotes for lunch and took a few pictures (again, swimming was an option that we turned down) and came back to the hotel. This was not an inexpensive tour, but if you have a group (there were five of us), it was actually quite reasonably priced. Added benefits: we already had tickets, and so didn't have to wait in line, and we got in early before all of hordes of tour buses. What a line was waiting to get in as we were just leaving! All in all, an excellent tour by a company I would very much recommend.
          Written December 28, 2023
        • marymU1797SP
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Chichen Itza and Cenote Tour
          Went on a private tour with my family of five; cost around $150 USD per person. Vicente was our guide, and Alex was our driver. Alex and Vicente picked us up at our AirBNB in Merida and drove us to Chichen Itza (1.5 hour drive). Alex was a great driver, and Vicente gave us a wonderful history lesson of the region. The access road to Chichen Itza (appx one mile) was lined on both sides with vendor stalls selling trinkets and carvings. Since we were on a tour bus, we were able to park at the entrance and avoid walking past the stalls. Inside the grounds, there were hundreds of vendor stalls selling the same trinkets. The vendor stalls are interfused with the ancient temple grounds, which gave it a feeling of being a flea market rather than a sacred site. The vendors hold up trinkets and yell out, "One Dollar." If you give a dollar and take the trinket, the vendor will tell you that it's a dollar to look at the trinket and then demand more money to purchase it. If you try to give it back, they will refuse. Vicente led us around to the temples and playing field, stopping at various points to show us things we certainly would have missed without a guide. He also told us more about the history and customs of the temples. We spent about two hours at Chichen Itza before going to a cenote. At the cenote site, we had a buffet lunch and swim in the water. The lunch was decent, but nothing to write home about. It was easy to get into the cenote water, after making it down several flights of stone steps. The water was a great temperature: not too cold and not too hot. Overall it was a wonderful adventure. Highly recommend this tour company!!
          Written December 26, 2023
        • Elizabeth073
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          What a great day!
          Our guide, Vicente, was great. He was knowledgeable and gave us good information but was also aware when we were ready to move on. We won’t soon forget this trip. Chichen Itza is amazing, and the cenote was beautiful and refreshing. The buffet was fine, nothing special. Another local restaurant with better food would make this tour perfect.
          Written November 22, 2023
        • H8292MQhowardr
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Great tour.
          Good transport. Guide really knew his history & covered many things. Great lunch. Very happy with the tour.
          Written November 13, 2023
        • John P
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Excellent tour
          Excellent private tour. Early departure from our Merida hotel helped beat the crowds that eventually appear at Chichen Itza. Our half-Mayan guide, Raul, spoke excellent English and gave an interesting presentation on Mayan cosmology, culture and traditions on the ride there. His explanations of the symbology represented in the reliefs on the pyramids, temples and other structures really enhanced the experience of visiting the ruins of this magnificent Mayan city. After a buffet lunch of Yucatán cuisine, we got to enjoy a refreshing dip in the cool waters of the Ik-Kil Cenote, again one step ahead of the crowds of visitors to follow. Roger, our driver, skillfully navigated our return trip to Merida by a different route that passed through several small villages established around cenotes.
          Written October 28, 2023
        • paulbA4030CW
          0 contributions
          5.0 of 5 bubbles
          Chichen Itza and Ik Kil cenote - a great experience
          Had a great experience. Our guide, Vicente, was very knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and history of the site. We learned a lot. They picked us up in their van at our hotel in Merida, and it was about a 2-hr drive. Vicente spent most of the drive answering our (my) questions about the history of the Mayan culture. All tickets including lunch was covered, and having that covered in advance enabled us to skip a fairly long line at the entrance to Chichen Itza. We went on a Friday and there were quite a few tourists at the site, but it's a large area with lots of ruins so people were spread out. We left Merida at 7am and arrived at Chichen Itza around 9am. I'm glad we decided to go fairly early. Vicente did a great job describing the different structures, and explaining the glyphs and carvings. The Ik Kil cenote was a great experience as well. It was a little touristy, but had nice accommodations with dressing room, lockers, life vests, and restaurant and bar, and the cenote itself is awesome! We ate lunch at the restaurant at the cenote (covered in the cost) - it was buffet style and was ok, but you go for the cenote experience, not for the food. The water in the cenote was cool and refreshing on a hot summer day! Overall, it was a great experience!
          Written September 4, 2023
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        Ek Balam, Valladolid and Cenote Private Tour provided by Merida Elite

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