Yucatan Explorer

Tulum Agua Azul waterfalls 02, Palenque, Chiapas Campeche mariachis, Mexico Chichen Itza at night, Yucatan, Mexico Edzna Building Five Storeys, Campeche, Mexico Merida house, Yucatan, Mexico Palenque panorama, Chiapas, Mexico San Francisquito church cloister, Campeche, Mexico

Description

Beyond the beautiful beaches, Yucatan boasts an impressive cultural and historical heritage as the repository of treasures of Maya civilisation such as Palenque, Tulum, Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Travel back in time to appreciate the greatness of these ancient cities clawed back from the jungle, and discover the beauty of the colourful colonial cities of Merida and Campeche. Accommodation is in atmospheric properties, which enhances the trip’s magical experience.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Chichen Itza: Uncover the mysteries of Maya civilisation at this ancient archaeological site, dominated by the imposing Temple of Kukulkan.

Merida: Yucatan’s ‘White City’ is famed for the elegant tree-lined boulevards from the 19th century.

Uxmal: Catch sight of the Pyramid of the Magician in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, rising above the jungle canopy.

Palenque: Admire Palenque´s rich example of Mayan architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings.

Tulum: Offering direct sea views, Tulum was one of the most important trade cities of the Mayas.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS 

Day 1 Cancun

• Standard Hotel Category = Farfield Airport Cancun or similar 4*         

Day 2-3 Merida

• Standard Hotel Category = Mision Merida Panamericana, El Castellano or similar 4*

Day 4 Campeche

• Standard Hotel Category = Plaza Colonial, Mision Campeche or similar 4*

Day 5-6 Palenque

• Standard Hotel Category = Misión Palenque or similar 4*

Day 7 Chetumal

• Standard Hotel Category = Capital Plaza Chetumal or similar 4*

Category
Standard Hotel Category (Scheduled Tour) Meals as per program en, es, it
Price includes TOUR GUIDE: Operated with English-speaking licensed local guide on a shared basis Italian-speaking guide upon an additional cost (optional extra) ACCOMMODATION: 7 nights accommodation MEALS: 7 breakfasts TRANSPORT: Air-conditioned transportation with pickup/drop-off as indicated in the itinerary on a shared basis ENTRANCE FEES AND ACTIVITIES: All entrance fees and activities mentioned in the itinerary: Cenote, Chichen Itza, Merida City Tour, Uxmal, Cacao Museum, Campeche City Tour, Palenque, Becan, Bacalar photo stop and Tulum Price does not include Expenditures of a personal nature, drinks and meals if not stated explicitly in the programme Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Morelos, Mahahual and Chetumal environmental sanitation right tax (payable on spot) Optional tours Meals and beverages not mentioned in the quotation. International/domestic flight tickets or Mexican visa fees and local taxes Airport departure tax Personal expenses (telephone cost, internet, laundry) Gratuities for drivers and guides.

Program

Day 1:

ARRIVAL CANCUN
Upon arrival at Cancun International Airport, a Destination Services team member awaits you for pick-up and transfer to your hotel in Cancun.
Overnight in Cancun.

Day 2:

CANCUN – VALLADOLID - CENOTE - CHICHEN ITZA – MERIDA (400km – 5 hrs)
Pick up very early,we head towards Merida. On the way you can visit the Colonial city of Valladolid. This Magical Town will amaze you with its colonial architecture and the natural beauty of its cenote located in the center of the city.It also offers predominant cuisine of the region and a variety of handicrafts. Hubikú is an underground cenote with an entrance or eye in the ceiling. Fresh, deep and crystal clear water awaits you to swim. Continue to visit one of the most important archaeological sites of the Maya, Chichen Itza, known as one of the New Seven World Wonders. The legendary Maya city of Chichen Itza has been laboriously reclaimed from the jungle, giving you the chance to learn about the Maya and their civilisation as you admire the scale and detail of this ancient city. Behold the geometric perfection of the 25-metre-tall Temple of Kukulkan, popularly known as El Castillo (‘the Castle’). It was built both as a representation of the mystical Maya calendar and to reflect the optical illusion of a serpent snaking its way up or down the pyramid during the spring and autumn equinoxes. Then, admire the Great Ball Court, the largest of 13 discovered at the site, see the haunting Skull Platform, where the heads of human sacrifice victims and prisoners of war were impaled, and catch a glimpse of the Sacred Cenote, where sacrifice victims were dumped. Also extremely well-preserved are the Temple of the Warriors, the Ossuary, the Nunnery and adjacent Church, and the large observatory known as the Snail. After our visit, we continue to the `White City of Merida`, the capital of the state of Yucatan.
Overnight in Merida.

Day 3:

MERIDA
Enjoy a tasty breakfast and have the morning at leisure. Our recommendation is to join the optional tour to the biosphere Celestun. A transfer will be waiting to pick you up from the hotel lobby at 9:00 am. Then, after a leisurely two-hour ride, experience a leisurely day in Celestun, a nearby fishing village where you’ll spend some time in contact with nature and enjoying the beach. Take advantage of its beautiful pristine beaches with crystal-clear waters that are ideal for a swim. While working on your tan, you will also be able to watch the stunning pink flamingos that inhabit this region (Flamingos can be seen throughout the year, except in September and October due to the rains). Later in the day, hop onto a boat for a ride through the mangrove forests to observe the area’s extraordinary exotic nature. Throughout the day you will have plenty of free time to be on the beach, relax, swim or sunbathe, as well as to observe the local fauna and flora. Lastly, you will be taken to eat in a wonderful location overlooking the sea. Once the meal is over, you will be transferred back to Merida. In the afternoon join the guided city tour of Merida's historic downtown. Explore the Paseo de Montejo, where you will find a series of beautiful villas and palaces built in the 19th century. Enjoy the splendid Plaza Grande, home of the cathedral and the Casa de Los Montejo, built in the 16th century in the plateresque style and whose beautiful façade has become a symbol of the city. Also, admire the Government Palace and City Hall!.
Overnight in Merida.

Day 4:

MERIDA – UXMAL – CAMPECHE (250km – 3 hrs)
The delicious breakfast at the hotel is followed by exploring the ruins of another former Maya city clawed back from vegetation. Arrive at Uxmal and enjoy a guided tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, which, as you approach, comes into view rising above the canopy of the jungle. Unlike other Mayan cities, Uxmal was devoured by the rainforest after the Spaniards had arrived. The most famous structure is the 35-metre-tall Pyramid of the Magician, towering over the remarkably well-preserved Nunnery Quadrangle with its ornately carved interior and exterior walls. Across the central plaza, just beyond the ballgame court, is the Governor’s Palace with its elaborately decorated roof. At the southern end of the main complex is the Great Pyramid, of which only one side has been excavated with the other three still unclaimed from the bush. After this experience will you visit a Cacao Museum where the plant and its importance for the ancient Mayans will be explained. Continue to Campeche to your hotel for overnight.
Overnight in Campeche.

Day 5:

CAMPECHE – PALENQUE (360km – 4.5 hrs)
After breakfast at the hotel, set out to see Campeche on a panoramic tour of this historic coastal city, driving through the heart of the picturesque old town, with its pastel-coloured colonial houses, colonnaded arcades, and bell-gabled churches. Explore further by foot, seeing lovely sights such as ramparts of the old city walls and St Francis’ Cathedral. The state of preservation and quality of its architecture earned it the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue the journey to Palenque, a bastion of the Ch'ol Maya people, in the state of Chiapas. We are now in Mexico’s ‘deep south’, where the colourfully dressed descendants of the Maya can be seen everywhere, and their languages frequently heard on the streets and in the marketplaces. Check into your hotel and enjoy your evening.
Overnight in Palenque.

Day 6:

PALENQUE
For thousands of years, the Maya’s writ stretched across what are now the five southern Mexican states as well as all of Belize and Guatemala, and the eastern parts of both El Salvador and Honduras – until their civilisation mysteriously collapsed in the eighth and ninth centuries. It was during this period that the now ruined city of Palenque (or B'aakal as the ancient Maya called it) entered decline and was devoured by the jungle until it was encountered by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. In its heyday, Palenque was a sprawling city-state that spanned nearly 60 square kilometres,but archaeologists estimate that they have excavated only 5-10% of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. So far, more than 200 structures have been unearthed, with the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Palace, the Temple of the Count and the Temple of the Cross the most prominent. Enjoy exploring this ancient site on a guided tour. After, we set out on a visit to an incredible waterfall where you can appreciate Mexico’s natural beauty.
Overnight in Palenque.

Day 7:

PALENQUE – BECAN– CHETUMAL (500km – 6 hrs)
Depart Palenque after breakfast heading east, arriving at the archaeological site of Becan, an interesting ceremonial centre and city of the ancient Maya. Despite archaeologist efforts, this place is still full of mysteries - even the original name of the site is unknown. Take the opportunity to admire the site’s main structures before we continue our trip, arriving in the capital of the state of Quintana Roo, Chetumal the capital of the Quintana Roo state for overnight.
Overnight in Chetumal.

Day 8:

CHETUMAL – BACALAR – TULUM – DEPART CANCUN (380km – 5 hrs)
After a delectable breakfast, we drive to Cancun. Close to the city of Chetumal is the small town and lagoon of Bacalar, commonly known as the ‘Lagoon of Seven Colours’ due to the distinct shades of blue appeared in the water. We make a quick photo-stop here, before continuing north to the archaeological site of Tulum, one of the last cities built and inhibited by the Mayans. Tulum is perhaps one of the most visually impactful sites in Mexico, as it juxtaposes ancient ruins next to aqua coloured waters and white sand beaches. Continue to Cancun with drop-off at your selected extension hotel in Riviera Maya or Cancun or Drop off at to drop you off at Cancun airport. Airport Cancun. Late drop off at the airport. Guests that have the return flight on this day, will be earliest at 16:00 at the airport (do not book flight before 19:00 hrs).
Breakfast included.

Price includes

TOUR GUIDE:
Operated with English-speaking licensed local guide on a shared basis
Italian-speaking guide upon an additional cost (optional extra)

ACCOMMODATION:
7 nights accommodation

MEALS:
7 breakfasts

TRANSPORT:
Air-conditioned transportation with pickup/drop-off as indicated in the itinerary on a shared basis

ENTRANCE FEES AND ACTIVITIES:
All entrance fees and activities mentioned in the itinerary: Cenote, Chichen Itza, Merida City Tour, Uxmal, Cacao Museum, Campeche City Tour, Palenque, Becan, Bacalar photo stop and Tulum

Price does not include

Expenditures of a personal nature, drinks and meals if not stated explicitly in the programme
Playa del Carmen, Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Morelos, Mahahual and Chetumal environmental sanitation right tax (payable on spot)
Optional tours
Meals and beverages not mentioned in the quotation.
International/domestic flight tickets or Mexican visa fees and local taxes
Airport departure tax
Personal expenses (telephone cost, internet, laundry)
Gratuities for drivers and guides.

Itinerary

Accommodations provided in each place