Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Yucatán, Belize and Tikal: the Maya Route
14 days from Mérida to Flores: Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Tulum at opening time, two nights on the Bacalar lagoon, the ATM cave from San Ignacio and Tikal from Flores, with no one-night stops.
14 days · Mérida to Guatemala City · up to 12 guests
On the Maya route Photo: VasenkaPhotography, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merida_Mexico_2012_-_Farmacias_Homeop%C3%A1ticas_Hern%C3%A1ndez.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 14 days, 13 nights
- Start and end
- Mérida to Guatemala City
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Most days have 2 to 4 hours on foot at Maya sites with steep, uneven steps, in heat and humidity. Day 10's ATM cave adds about 3 hours of wading, a short swim and scrambling underground, with a gentle cave canoe trip as the alternative. Day 13 at Tikal is about 8 to 10 km of walking on forest trails. Cenote swims and the Sian Ka'an float are in calm water with life jackets, and you can sit any of them out.
- Meals included
- 13 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 750 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Uxmal at its 8 am opening, with the Pyramid of the Magician and the Nunnery Quadrangle almost to ourselves
- Chichen Itza from Valladolid, through the gate at opening before the coaches arrive from the coast
- The white Maya roads of Cobá by bicycle, then a swim in an underground cenote
- Tulum's clifftop ruins above the Caribbean at opening, and floating a Maya canal in Sian Ka'an
- A full day on the Bacalar lagoon, the Lake of Seven Colours, with two nights by the water
- The ATM cave by headlamp with a licensed guide, or Barton Creek by canoe
- Yaxhá's lake view on the way into Guatemala, then Tikal from early morning with two nights in Flores
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 750 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Mérida
Mérida International Airport (MID) to the centro
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Mérida
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Mérida International Airport (MID), about 10 km south of the city.
Evening
Plan to land by about 4 pm so you reach the evening briefing; the exact latest arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall with your flight tracked, and it is about 20 minutes to a hotel in the centro, within walking distance of the Plaza Grande. Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state, was founded by the Spanish in 1542 on the Maya city of T'Hó, and the stones of its temples went into the cathedral that still faces the main square. At 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the fourteen days ahead, the three borders and who would like the ATM cave on day 10. Then we walk to the Plaza Grande as the colonial facades light up, and sit down together to a welcome dinner of Yucatecan cooking: sopa de lima, papadzules and cochinita pibil.
Included
- Pick-up at Mérida International Airport (MID)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk to the Plaza Grande
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the 6 pm briefing
Uxmal at opening, Mérida by late afternoon
Mérida to Uxmal and back, then a walk through the centro
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mérida
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave at about 6:45 am and drive south for about an hour and a quarter, into the low Puuc hills, to be at the gate of Uxmal when it opens at 8 am.
Morning
With a licensed local guide we have the site nearly to ourselves in the cool of the morning: the Pyramid of the Magician on its rounded base, the Nunnery Quadrangle with its stone lattices and serpents, and the Governor's Palace, its mosaic frieze of rain-god masks running nearly 100 m along the facade. Uxmal has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996, and it is a showcase of Puuc stonework, with mosaic frieze work.
Afternoon
We leave as the heat and the tour coaches build, have a sit-down lunch near the site and are back in Mérida by mid-afternoon to rest. At about 5 pm your guide walks the centro with you: the cathedral, the carved facade of the Casa de Montejo, the Palacio de Gobierno with Fernando Castro Pacheco's murals of Yucatán's history, and the mansions of the Paseo de Montejo.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Uxmal entry at opening with a licensed local guide
- Sit-down lunch near Uxmal
- Guided walk through Mérida's centro: the cathedral, the Casa de Montejo, the Palacio de Gobierno murals and the Paseo de Montejo
Easier option: Skip the late-afternoon walk and rest at the hotel; your guide can point you to the Plaza Grande later on your own.
More active option: Walk on with the guide to the Great Pyramid and the House of the Pigeons on the south side of Uxmal, about 1 km more.
Free time: Evening free in Mérida
Activity: About 2 hours on foot at Uxmal on uneven stone, with steep steps if you climb. The Pyramid of the Magician itself cannot be climbed.
A cenote, yellow Izamal and on to Valladolid
Mérida to a cenote near Homún, then Izamal and Valladolid
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Valladolid
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about an hour east to Homún, one of the villages on the ring of cenotes that traces the buried rim of the Chicxulub impact crater. We go early, before the tour vans, for a swim in a cenote where light falls through a hole in the cave roof onto clear, cool water. Then it is about an hour north to Izamal, the town painted egg-yolk yellow. Its Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua, finished in 1561, stands on top of a Maya platform, and its arcaded atrium is one of the largest in Mexico. Across town you can climb Kinich Kakmó, a broad pyramid still standing among the houses, for the view over the flat green land.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of Yucatecan dishes in Izamal. We reach Valladolid, a colonial town with a leafy main square, in the late afternoon, and your guide walks you along the Calzada de los Frailes to the convent of San Bernardino as the light goes gold.
Included
- Cenote swim near Homún
- Izamal: the convent of San Antonio de Padua and Kinich Kakmó with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Izamal
- Evening walk in Valladolid to the convent of San Bernardino
Easier option: Stay on the cenote platform or the steps instead of swimming; the light and the cave are the show.
More active option: Climb Kinich Kakmó in Izamal, a short steep scramble with a wide view from the top.
Free time: Evening free in Valladolid
Activity: Cenote steps can be steep and wet; life jackets are provided. Most cenotes ask you to shower and skip sunscreen before swimming.
Chichen Itza at opening
Valladolid to Chichen Itza and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Valladolid
- Drive about 1.5 h
Chichen Itza is about 40 minutes from Valladolid, which is why we sleep here. We leave at about 7:15 am and are at the gate for the 8 am opening, a couple of hours ahead of the coaches from Cancún and the Riviera Maya. We buy both the federal and the Yucatán state tickets in advance, so there are no queues or ticket sites to deal with. With a licensed local guide we walk the Great Plaza to El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulcán, then the Great Ball Court with its stone rings high on the walls, the Temple of the Warriors and the Group of a Thousand Columns, the Sacred Cenote and El Caracol, the round building the Maya used to follow Venus. Chichen Itza has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.
Afternoon
By late morning, when the site fills, we leave for a sit-down lunch and are back in Valladolid by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is free: Cenote Zací is a few blocks from the main square.
Included
- Chichen Itza entry at opening, both tickets, with a licensed local guide
- Sit-down lunch near Chichen Itza
Easier option: Rest in the shade by the Great Plaza while the group walks out to the Sacred Cenote and back, about 1 km less.
More active option: Walk out to the quieter southern group of buildings beyond El Caracol with the guide.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Valladolid
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on flat, sunny paths; bring a hat and water. Climbing El Castillo is not allowed. Departures avoid the spring equinox, when crowds at El Castillo peak.
Cobá by bicycle, then Tulum
Valladolid to Cobá, then Tulum
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tulum
- Drive about 2 h
We leave at 8 am and drive about an hour east through Chemax into Quintana Roo, where clocks go forward an hour. Cobá was a large Maya city spread through forest between shallow lakes, linked by raised white roads called sacbeob, one of which runs about 100 km west to Yaxuná. We arrive at opening and ride hired bicycles, or a tricycle taxi with a driver, along those forest paths between the building groups, stopping at the ball court, the carved stelae and Nohoch Mul, one of the tallest pyramids in the north of the peninsula. Climbing it has been closed in recent years; we confirm the rule before you travel.
Afternoon
Then a swim in one of the underground cenotes near Cobá, reached by wooden stairs into a cavern, and a sit-down lunch in the village by the lake. It is about 45 minutes on to Tulum, and we check in by mid-afternoon to a hotel in town, with the rest of the day free.
Included
- Cobá entry with your guide, with bicycle hire or a tricycle taxi
- Swim in an underground cenote near Cobá
- Sit-down lunch in Cobá village
Easier option: Ride in a tricycle taxi with a driver instead of cycling, and watch from the platform at the cenote.
More active option: Cycle the longer loop to the Macanxoc group of stelae with your guide.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Tulum
Activity: About 6 km by bicycle on flat forest tracks, at your own pace. Clocks go forward an hour when we enter Quintana Roo.
Tulum above the sea, and the Gran Cenote
Tulum town to the Tulum ruins, then the Gran Cenote
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tulum
- Drive about 30 min
Tulum's ruins open at 8 am and we are there for it, before the day trips from Cancún arrive. This was a walled Maya port, still busy when the first Spanish ships sailed past, and it is the one great site on the coast itself: El Castillo stands on a limestone cliff above a small beach, and the Temple of the Wind God looks down on a cove of turquoise water. Your guide shows you the Temple of the Frescoes, where traces of painted gods survive inside. The site sits inside a national park, and both fees are included. Iguanas sun themselves on the walls.
Morning
By mid-morning we drive a few minutes to the Gran Cenote, a half-open cavern with stalactites, where you can snorkel in clear water and often see small turtles in the open pool.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: the beaches below the ruins, a bicycle along the coast road, or a long lunch in town.
Included
- Tulum archaeological site at opening with your guide, with the national park fee
- Gran Cenote entry with snorkel gear
Optional experiences
- Cenote diving for certified divers, priced when you book
Easier option: Watch from the wooden platforms at the Gran Cenote, or go straight back to the hotel after the ruins.
More active option: Hire a bicycle in the afternoon and ride the coast road to the beaches south of the ruins.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2 hours on foot at the ruins in full sun; the Gran Cenote is about an hour in the water.
Muyil and the Sian Ka'an canal, south to Bacalar
Tulum to Muyil and the Sian Ka'an lagoons, then Bacalar
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Bacalar
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We check out after breakfast and drive about 25 minutes south to Muyil, one of the oldest Maya settlements on this coast, where a small temple pyramid rises from the forest at the edge of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. A boardwalk leads through mangrove and forest to the lagoon, where a community boat takes us across two lagoons into a narrow channel the Maya are said to have cut for their canoes. Here you slip into the water in a life jacket and let the current carry you along between the reeds, in water so clear you can see the sandy bottom.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the road south. Then it is about two and a quarter hours through forest and small towns to Bacalar, where we arrive in the late afternoon, when the lagoon shifts from turquoise to deep blue.
Evening
The evening is free by the water.
Included
- Muyil archaeological site with your guide
- Boat across the Sian Ka'an lagoons with a community guide, and the canal float
- Sit-down lunch on the road
- Drive to Bacalar
Easier option: Stay in the boat while others float; the boat follows the group down the channel.
More active option: Climb the observation tower on the Muyil boardwalk for the view over the reserve to the lagoon.
Free time: Evening free in Bacalar
Activity: The float is about 30 to 40 minutes in gentle current, with a life jacket. Bring swimwear and biodegradable sunscreen only.
A day on the Lake of Seven Colours
Bacalar lagoon by boat, then Bacalar town
- Breakfast
- Stay in Bacalar
- By boat
Laguna Bacalar is a long, narrow freshwater lagoon, fed by cenotes and so clear and shallow over white sand that it shows bands of colour from pale aqua to near black, which is why locals call it the Lake of Seven Colours.
Morning
In the morning, when the water is calmest, we go out on a boat for our group: past the deep, dark Cenote Negro, through the Canal de los Piratas that smugglers once used, around the Isla de los Pájaros, and to a shallow white-sand bank for a swim. Along the shore you see stromatolites, rock-like mounds built very slowly by microbes, among the oldest forms of life on Earth; the rule is to look and never stand on them. Back on land your guide takes you through the Fuerte de San Felipe, the 18th-century fort built against pirates, now a small museum.
Afternoon
The afternoon is entirely free: kayak, swim from a dock, or read in a hammock by the water.
Included
- Morning boat on the Bacalar lagoon for the group, with swim stops
- Fuerte de San Felipe museum with your guide
Optional experiences
- Museo de la Cultura Maya in Chetumal, about 40 minutes away (closed Mondays), with transport arranged by your guide
- Kayak or paddleboard hire
- We give a price for each when you book.
Easier option: Stay on the boat at the swim stops; the colours are clearest from the deck.
More active option: Paddle a kayak along the shore at sunrise before breakfast.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: The boat trip is about 3 hours with two swim stops in shallow water.
Across the border to Belize and San Ignacio
Bacalar to the Santa Elena border, Orange Walk and the Belize Zoo (via the Belize City bypass), then San Ignacio
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in San Ignacio
- Drive about 5 h
This is the one day that runs past our four-hour driving cap: about 290 km and about five hours of driving.
Evening
There is no town between Bacalar and the Cayo hills worth a night of its own, and crossing in one day keeps us in two-night bases. We leave at 7:30 am and are at the border near Chetumal in about 45 minutes. Your guide takes the group through Mexican exit and Belize entry, about an hour on foot with our bags, and our Belize vehicle and driver meet us on the other side. Belize is English-speaking and clocks go back an hour. We stop for coffee in Orange Walk among the sugar-cane fields, follow the Northern Highway south to the edge of Belize City and turn west on the George Price Highway to the Belize Zoo, which keeps only animals native to Belize, many of them rescued: jaguars, Baird's tapirs, harpy eagles and scarlet macaws. Lunch is a sit-down meal nearby. The last hour runs west past Belmopan to San Ignacio, above the Macal River, by about 4:30 pm, and we have dinner together.
Included
- Border crossing at Subteniente López and Santa Elena, with the formalities handled by your guide
- Coffee stop in Orange Walk
- The Belize Zoo with your guide
- Sit-down lunch near the zoo
- Dinner in San Ignacio
Easier option: Stay in the shade by the zoo entrance café after lunch rather than walking the full loop.
Activity: About 5 hours of driving plus about an hour at the border, broken by a coffee stop and about 2 hours for the zoo and lunch. Keep your passport handy.
Into the ATM cave, or Barton Creek by canoe
San Ignacio to Actun Tunichil Muknal and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in San Ignacio
- Drive about 2 h
Today is the trip's most demanding day.
Morning
After breakfast we drive about an hour east, the last part on gravel, to the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. Actun Tunichil Muknal, the ATM cave, can only be entered with a licensed ATM guide in small groups. A walk of about 45 minutes through forest crosses a river three times, then a short swim across a deep pool takes you into the cave mouth. Inside you wade, scramble and squeeze along an underground river to the dry upper chambers, where the Maya left pottery, stone tools and human remains during ceremonies more than a thousand years ago, including the calcified skeleton known as the Crystal Maiden. Cameras and phones are not allowed, so you see it by headlamp with your own eyes.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near the reserve before the drive back. If the cave is not for you, take the gentle option instead: Barton Creek Cave by canoe and the Cahal Pech ruins, also included. The cave operators set a minimum age, often around 12, which we confirm when you book.
Evening
The evening is free on San Ignacio's main street.
Included
- Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM cave) with a licensed ATM guide, entry, helmet and headlamp
- Sit-down lunch near the reserve
Easier option: Paddle by canoe into Barton Creek Cave, a calm river cave with Maya pottery on its ledges, then walk the Cahal Pech ruins on the hill above San Ignacio. Included in the price.
Free time: Evening free in San Ignacio
Activity: The ATM cave means about 3 hours underground, wading in water up to chest height, a short swim and some climbing, plus about 45 minutes' walk each way. The cave can close after heavy rain; if it does, we swap days or everyone takes the Barton Creek option.
Xunantunich by hand-cranked ferry, and a free afternoon
San Ignacio to Xunantunich and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in San Ignacio
- Drive about 30 min
A gentler day after the cave. We drive about 15 minutes west to San José Succotz, where a hand-cranked ferry carries us across the Mopan River, then up the hill to Xunantunich, arriving close to opening. This Maya ceremonial centre sits on a ridge above the river, and its great pyramid, El Castillo, about 40 m high, still carries part of a carved stucco frieze on its upper walls. From the top you look west across the valley into Guatemala, where we go tomorrow. Your guide explains how this city rose and fell alongside its powerful neighbours in Petén. We are back in San Ignacio before noon, and the rest of the day is free: browse the market (busiest on Saturday), hire a canoe on the Macal River, walk up to the Cahal Pech ruins if you did not go yesterday, or simply rest by the pool.
Evening
Lunch and dinner are on your own, and your guide has suggestions on the main street.
Included
- Xunantunich with your guide, including the hand-cranked ferry across the Mopan River
Optional experiences
- A full day to Caracol in the Chiquibul Forest instead of Xunantunich, a long drive on a partly rough road, priced when you book
- Canoe hire on the Macal River
Easier option: Wait at the foot of El Castillo in the shade while others climb.
More active option: Climb to the very top of El Castillo for the view into Guatemala.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in San Ignacio
Activity: El Castillo has steep steps and narrow ledges near the top. About 2 hours on foot.
Into Guatemala: Yaxhá and the island of Flores
San Ignacio to the Benque Viejo border, Yaxhá, then Flores
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Flores
- Drive about 3 h
We leave at 8:30 am and are at the border at Benque Viejo and Melchor de Mencos in about half an hour. Your guide takes the group through Belize exit, with the fee paid, and Guatemalan entry, and a Guatemalan vehicle and driver take over. About an hour and a half west, a dirt road leads into the Yaxhá-Nakum-Naranjo National Park, where Yaxhá's temples stand on a ridge above a wide lake. With a licensed local guide we walk the plazas and causeways under the forest, listening for howler monkeys, then climb the wooden stairs of Temple 216 for the view across the canopy to the water.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal by the lake. It is about an hour and a quarter on to Flores, a small island town on Lake Petén Itzá joined to the shore by a causeway, with steep streets of painted houses.
Evening
We check in by late afternoon, and your guide walks the lakeside promenade around the island with you at sunset.
Included
- Border crossing at Benque Viejo and Melchor de Mencos, with the border fees paid
- Yaxhá entry with a licensed local guide
- Sit-down lunch by Lake Yaxhá
- Sunset walk around Flores island
Easier option: Skip the climb up Temple 216 and wait in the plaza below.
More active option: Climb Temple 216 for the view over the lake.
Free time: Evening free in Flores
Activity: About 3 hours of driving plus about an hour at the border. Yaxhá is about 2.5 hours on foot, with steep wooden stairs if you climb. Keep your passport handy.
Tikal from early morning
Flores to Tikal National Park and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Flores
- Drive about 2.5 h
We leave Flores at 6 am, the trip's earliest start, because Tikal opens at 6 and the first hours are cooler and full of birdsong. It is about an hour and a quarter to the park. With a licensed Tikal guide we walk forest trails under ceiba trees to the Great Plaza, where Temple I and Temple II face each other across the grass, then the North and Central Acropolis, the Lost World pyramid and Temple IV, about 70 m to the top of its roof comb and the tallest at Tikal; its wooden stairs climb above the canopy to a view of the other temples rising from the forest. Tikal was one of the most powerful Maya cities between about AD 200 and 900, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979, for its forest as well as its ruins. Look out for spider and howler monkeys, coatis, toucans and ocellated turkeys.
Evening
A sit-down lunch near the park entrance follows, we are back in Flores by mid-afternoon to rest, and the group meets for a farewell dinner by the lake.
Included
- Tikal National Park entry with a licensed local guide: the Great Plaza, Temples I and II, the North and Central Acropolis, the Lost World and Temple IV
- Sit-down lunch near the park entrance
- Farewell dinner in Flores
Easier option: Skip the Lost World and Temple IV and rest in the Great Plaza or at the visitor centre while the group walks the far loop, about 3 km less.
More active option: Climb the wooden stairs of Temple IV for the view over the forest to the roof combs of Temples I, II and III.
Free time: Afternoon free in Flores
Activity: About 8 to 10 km on forest trails over about 5 hours in heat and humidity. Bring water, insect repellent and a hat.
Fly to Guatemala City and home
Flores to Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS), then a flight to Guatemala City (GUA)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 6 min
Morning
A last breakfast by the lake, then a ten-minute drive across the causeway to Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS) at Santa Elena. Your guide sees you to check-in for the domestic flight to Guatemala City, about an hour over the Petén forest and the highlands, which is included and booked by us. From La Aurora International Airport (GUA) you connect to your flight home: book an international departure leaving after about 2 pm, and we confirm the flight times when you book. The flight replaces a road journey of eight hours or more, the kind of day other trips on this route spend in a minibus. If you would rather fly home from Belize, we drive you back across the border to Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) instead, about four hours plus the border; book a flight leaving after about 3 pm. Want more time? Antigua is about an hour from Guatemala City, and we can add nights there before you fly.
Included
- Transfer to Mundo Maya International Airport (FRS)
- Domestic flight from Flores to Guatemala City (GUA), or a road transfer to Belize City airport (BZE) if you prefer
Optional experiences
- Extra nights in Antigua, priced when you book
Activity: Book an international flight from Guatemala City leaving after about 2 pm, or from Belize City after about 3 pm.
- Mérida2 nights
- Valladolid2 nights
- Tulum2 nights
- Bacalar2 nights
- San Ignacio3 nights
- Flores2 nights
- Guatemala Cityend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to April is the dry season across the Yucatán, Belize and Petén. December and January bring warm days, cooler evenings and the odd northerly front; March and April are the hottest, often above 33 °C at the sites, which is why we start early. June to November is the rainy and hurricane season, when we do not run. At Tikal and Yaxhá expect howler and spider monkeys, coatis, toucans and ocellated turkeys; iguanas sun themselves on the ruins at Tulum.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the great Maya sites of three countries in one trip, without public buses
- Anyone who likes to see Chichen Itza, Tulum and Tikal early, before the crowds
- Travellers who want every site and entry in the price and real lunches on long days
- Couples and solo travellers who like two or three nights in each place and a free afternoon in each base
Not for you if you want
- Step-free access: ruins, cave paths, boats and cenote stairs are part of most days
- Beach holidays: there are swims most days, but no beach base
- Travellers who want Palenque, Caye Caulker, Lake Atitlán or Antigua: this route stays on the Yucatán, Belize and Petén lowlands
- Anyone who dislikes heat: even in the dry season the sites are hot by late morning
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
13 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Mérida2 nights
- Valladolid2 nights
- Tulum2 nights
- Bacalar2 nights
- San Ignacio3 nights
- Flores2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 13 nights in central hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Mérida, 2 in Valladolid, 2 in Tulum, 2 in Bacalar, 3 in San Ignacio, 2 in Flores
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement shown when you book
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Mérida International Airport (MID)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver in Mexico, then a Belize vehicle and driver from the Santa Elena border and a Guatemalan vehicle and driver from the Melchor de Mencos border
- The domestic flight from Flores (FRS) to Guatemala City (GUA) on day 14, or a road transfer to Belize City airport (BZE) instead
- Community boat in Sian Ka'an, a boat for the group on the Bacalar lagoon and the hand-cranked ferry to Xunantunich
- Bicycle hire, or a tricycle taxi with a driver, at Cobá: your choice, both included
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for all 14 days and across both borders, with licensed local guides at Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Yaxhá and Tikal, a licensed ATM guide in the cave and community guides in Sian Ka'an
Activities
- Uxmal, with a guided walk through Mérida's centro
- A cenote swim near Homún, Izamal's convent and Kinich Kakmó
- Chichen Itza at opening, with both tickets
- Cobá, and an underground cenote near Cobá
- Tulum archaeological site with the national park fee, and the Gran Cenote with snorkel gear
- Muyil and the Sian Ka'an canal float
- A morning boat on the Bacalar lagoon and the Fuerte de San Felipe museum
- The Belize Zoo
- Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM cave), or Barton Creek Cave by canoe and the Cahal Pech ruins
- Xunantunich
- Yaxhá, Guatemala
- Tikal National Park
- Quintana Roo's Visitax and the border fees on days 9 and 12
Meals
- Breakfast daily (13)
- 9 lunches, on days 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 13
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Mérida, dinner on arrival in San Ignacio and a farewell dinner in Flores
Not included
- International flights into Mérida (MID) and home from Guatemala City (GUA) or Belize City (BZE)
- Travel insurance
- Visas, where your passport needs one
- Lunches on days 1, 6, 8, 11 and 14, and dinners except the three listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as Caracol, cenote diving, the Chetumal museum and kayak hire
- Extra nights in Antigua
- Personal expenses
Local fees
- None. Site and park fees, Quintana Roo's Visitax tourist tax and the border fees on days 9 and 12 are included; we confirm the exact amounts when you book.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 750 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
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Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
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Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
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Questions
What does the price include?
Thirteen nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, nine lunches and three dinners, the airport pick-up, our own vehicles and drivers, the flight from Flores to Guatemala City, your See Sight Tours guide throughout with licensed local guides, and every visit in the day plan, from Uxmal and Chichen Itza to the ATM cave and Tikal, plus border fees and Quintana Roo's tourist tax.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. One See Sight Tours guide travels with you for all fourteen days and across both borders, and licensed local guides join where the rules require them: at Uxmal, Chichen Itza, Yaxhá and Tikal, in the ATM cave and with the community boats in Sian Ka'an.
How much driving is there, and how do the border crossings work?
Most drives are one and a half to three and a half hours. Day 9, Bacalar to San Ignacio, is the long one at about five hours, broken by the border, a coffee stop, lunch and the Belize Zoo. At each border your guide walks you through the formalities, the fees are paid, and a local vehicle and driver meet us on the other side.
How fit do I need to be?
You should be happy walking 2 to 4 hours a day in heat on uneven stone, with steep steps if you climb. Tikal is about 8 to 10 km on forest trails. The ATM cave involves wading, a short swim and scrambling; if that is not for you, the included alternative is a canoe trip into Barton Creek Cave.
I'm travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own is from CAD 750 more than the shared price, shown up front when you request to book, with no surprise at checkout. Otherwise you pay the same as everyone else, and if you would like to share with another solo traveller of the same gender, ask us and we will try to match you.
When is the best time to go?
We run from December to April, the dry season. December and January are warm with cooler evenings; March and April are the hottest, which is why the sites are visited at opening. We avoid the spring equinox at Chichen Itza. June to November is the rainy and hurricane season, when the ATM cave also closes more often.
How much does it cost and how does booking work?
The small group starts from CAD 4,395 per person sharing a room, taxes included; private trips cost more. Pick your start date and request to book. We confirm your trip within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do.
Can I travel privately or on my own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us and we will quote the same hotels, transfers and local guides.
Do I need visas for Mexico, Belize and Guatemala?
Canadian, US, UK and EU passport holders do not need a visa for tourist stays in any of the three countries. We recommend a passport valid for at least six months with blank pages for four entry and exit stamps. If you hold another passport, check the rules before you book, and we will tell you what to bring.
Where does the trip end, and which flights should I book?
Fly into Mérida (MID), landing by about 4 pm on day 1. On day 14 we fly you from Flores to Guatemala City (GUA), so book your flight home from Guatemala City leaving after about 2 pm. If you would rather leave from Belize City (BZE), we drive you there instead; book a flight after about 3 pm.
Why doesn't this trip go to Palenque, Caye Caulker or Antigua?
Each would add one or two long road days. Palenque is about eight hours from Mérida, and Antigua is a full day's drive from Flores. We keep the route on the Yucatán, Belize and Petén, with drives we can hold near four hours. Our Belize and Tikal trip includes Caye Caulker, and a private trip can add Antigua.
What money do I need in three countries?
Mexican pesos for Mexico, and US dollars or Belize dollars, fixed at two to one, for Belize; Guatemala uses the quetzal. With most meals and every entry included, you need cash mainly for drinks, snacks, tips and markets. Cards work in most hotels and restaurants, and your guide points out cash machines before each border.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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