Day trips from Cancún: Maya cities and cenotes

Cancún is a long strip of hotels on the sea, and most of what people come to the peninsula for is a drive away: the Maya cities of Chichén Itzá, Tulum, Cobá and Ek Balam, the colonial town of Valladolid, and the cenotes, freshwater sinkholes in the jungle. Here is what each of our five involves.

One day, and the famous one: Chichén Itzá, with a cenote and Valladolid. One day, and less time in the car: Tulum and Cobá, about two hours each way.

The five, side by side

Trip	Length	Leaves	Price
Chichén Itzá, a Cenote and Valladolid: Private Day Trip from Cancún	12h	07:00	from €560
Tulum and Cobá Private Day Trip from Cancún	10h	07:00	from €520
Ek Balam, Cenote X'Canché and Valladolid: Private Day Trip from Cancún	10h	07:00	from €490
Puerto Morelos and the Cenote Route: Private Half-Day Tour from Cancún	5h	07:00	from €290
Cancún: Private Tour of the Hotel Zone, the Maya Museum and Downtown	4h	07:00	from €120

Prices are starting prices and depend on the size of your group.

How to choose

You want the famous one

Chichén Itzá. Twelve hours, the longest day here, with about three hours on the road each way: El Castillo, the great ball court and the Temple of the Warriors, a swim in a cenote nearby, and the colonial streets of Valladolid on the way home. Climbing El Castillo has not been allowed since 2006. Yucatán is on a different clock from Cancún; your driver works to Cancún time all day.

You want ruins by the sea

Tulum and Cobá. Ten hours: the walled town of Tulum on its cliff above the Caribbean, then Cobá in the jungle, where bicycles can be hired between the groups of buildings and Nohoch Mul is one of the tallest pyramids on the peninsula. Bring a swimsuit if you want to swim at Tulum's beach.

You want a pyramid you can climb, and fewer people

Ek Balam. Ten hours: a walled Maya city in the forest whose Acropolis can still be climbed, with a rope to hold, then Cenote X'Canché beside it and an afternoon in Valladolid. Usually quieter than Chichén Itzá. The climb is steep, and not for anyone with a fear of heights.

You want to swim

Puerto Morelos and the cenote route. Five hours, at 07:00 or 13:00: the pier and the leaning lighthouse of the fishing village, then two cenotes in the jungle, one open to the sky or under a rock roof. Good with children: most cenotes have shallow areas and life jackets for hire.

You only have half a day

Cancún itself. Four hours, at 07:00 or 13:00: Playa Delfines at the southern end of the Hotel Zone, the Maya Museum and the small site of San Miguelito behind it, then Mercado 28 and the main square downtown. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Four things worth knowing before you book

Entrances are paid on the day

The price covers the private vehicle, the driver, fuel, tolls and parking. Site entrances (two separate tickets at Chichén Itzá), the cenotes, bicycles at Cobá and lunch are paid on the day. Each cenote charges its own entry, in cash.

Bring a hat and a swimsuit

The sites have little shade: bring a hat, sun cream and water. Most of these days have a swim in them somewhere, so pack a swimsuit and a towel, and biodegradable sun cream for the cenotes.

Private costs less than you think for a group

A coach seat is cheap for one person and stops being cheap at four. Our prices are by group size, not per seat: up to four of you share one car at one price, and the price only steps up when you need a van. And you are not waiting for forty strangers at every stop.

You can change your mind

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up, refunded in full. If the date stops working, message us and we will do our best to move you to another day.