Chichen Itza from Playa: Cenote, Valladolid & Mayan lunch

One day covers the pyramid, the cenote, the colonial town and the kitchen

This full-day tour from Playa combines Chichen Itza's main structures with a cenote swim, a Mayan cooking demonstration and lunch in Kaua, a stop in Valladolid, and transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with a bilingual guide. The tour runs 12 to 13 hours and includes the guide, water, lunch and the zip line at the cenote. Archaeological entry and cenote admission are paid separately at boarding. Hotel pickup is available on the Bilingual option. The Meeting Point option requires you to arrive at a designated location.

Step-by-step itinerary

Chichen Itza, Mayan cuisine, cenote, Valladolid

• Visit Chichen Itza archaeological site
• Tour Temple of Kukulkán and Ball Game
• Enjoy Mayan cuisine demonstration in Kaua
• Have buffet lunch at Kaua restaurant
• Swim and relax at Cenote Nool Ha
• Use life jacket and zip line at cenote
• Panoramic visit to Valladolid town

The experience

If you land in Playa with a full day ahead, this tour fills it without you arranging transport or deciding what to see. You're picked up from your hotel or a meeting point and driven inland to Chichen Itza, where a bilingual guide walks you through the Temple of Kukulkán, the Ball Game and the ceremonial spaces that shaped Mayan astronomy and architecture. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese or French depending on the group.

After the ruins, you stop in Kaua for a demonstration of regional Mayan cooking using local ingredients: a moment to see how the food works before you sit down to a buffet lunch. Then comes the cenote: Cenote Nool Ha is a natural pool where you swim, wear a life jacket and use the included zip line to cross the water. It's the physical break the day needs after the walking and the heat of the archaeological site.

On the way back to Playa, you make a short panoramic stop in Valladolid, one of the colonial towns that define the Yucatan landscape: colonial architecture, traditional streets, the kind of place that photographs well but moves fast. The whole loop takes 12 to 13 hours from pickup to drop-off. Water is provided during the drive. Bring sunscreen, a hat and shoes that work in water.

What’s included

• Certified bilingual guide in English, Spanish, Portuguese or French.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• two bottles of water during the tour.
• buffet lunch with Mayan cuisine demonstration in Kaua.
• cenote swim with life jacket and zip line at Cenote Nool Ha.
• panoramic stop in Valladolid.

Options for this experience

3 options

Meeting point pickupGuide in English or Spanish · 07:00Meeting point pickup: You must travel to the assigned meeting point. We will try to locate the one closest to you.

Bilingual hotel pickupGuide in English or Spanish · 07:00Pickup from Riviera Maya Hotel is included

Tour with PLUS PackageGuide in 4 languages · 07:00Pickup from Riviera Maya Hotel with the PLUS Package: Includes a boxed lunch with a baguette or croissant, an energy bar, a pack of 5 drinks, and either 1 organic repellent or sunblock, plus lockers in the cenote. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 12h–13h, runs every day at 07:00, from US$ 29 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00Another time? ›

GroupUp to 5004 private ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Ekinox Tours

Is this one for you?Choose hotel pickup if you want to start from your room without navigating to a meeting point. The Meeting Point option works if you're comfortable getting yourself to a central location and prefer a lower price. Either way, the fixed itinerary and included transport mean you move through five stops (the pyramid, the kitchen, the cenote, the colonial town and back) without building the day yourself.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I see at Chichen Itza on this tour?

Chichen Itza is one of the 7 new wonders of the world and one of Mexico's most important archaeological sites. The guide takes you through the Temple of Kukulkán, the Ball Game and other ceremonial spaces that show the astronomical, architectural and cultural legacy of Mayan civilization.

Is the cenote swim included, or do I pay extra?

The cenote swim at Cenote Nool Ha is included: you get the use of a life jacket and the zip line across the water at no extra cost. Cenote entry itself is paid separately when you board the vehicle: 47 USD for adults, 20 USD for children.

How does the Mayan cuisine demonstration work?

In Kaua, a local cook shows you how regional Mayan dishes are made using traditional ingredients and flavors of Yucatan. After the demonstration, you sit down to a buffet lunch in the restaurant. Drinks are not included and are ordered separately.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the tour, or is pickup included?

Pickup depends on which option you choose at checkout. The Hotel Pickup option includes collection from your accommodation. The Meeting Point option requires you to arrive at a designated location in Playa. Both options are available.

What's included in the tour price and what do I pay for separately?

The tour includes the certified bilingual guide, air-conditioned transport, water during the drive, lunch at Kaua, and the cenote swim with life jacket and zip line. You pay separately for archaeological entry to Chichen Itza (47 USD adults, 20 USD children) and cenote admission (same rates), both due when you board.

How long is the whole day, and what time does it start?

The tour runs 12 to 13 hours from pickup to drop-off. Exact start time depends on your hotel location or the meeting point. Confirm the pickup window when you book.