Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Yucatán: Mérida, Chichen Itza, Cenotes and Tulum
8 days from Mérida to Tulum: three nights in Mérida with Uxmal, a cenote and Izamal, Chichen Itza at opening after a night in Valladolid, and three nights in Tulum with Sian Ka'an.
8 days · Mérida to Cancún · up to 12 guests
The convent of San Antonio de Padua in Izamal, the yellow town Photo: Eneas De Troya, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Izamal_II.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Mérida to Cancún
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3.5 h on day 5No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Easy
Easy walking in heat: about 2 to 3 hours on foot at each of Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Tulum on uneven stone and gravel with little shade, steep steps down into two cenotes, and a gentle half-hour float in Sian Ka'an wearing a life jacket. Every swim and climb can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 610 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- Chichen Itza at its 8 am opening, from a night in Valladolid 40 minutes away, before the coaches from the coast arrive
- Uxmal at its 8 am opening with a licensed local guide, then the Chaac masks of Kabah
- An early swim in a family-run cenote near Homún, before the tour vans
- Izamal's yellow convent and the Kinich Kakmó pyramid, with lunch in town
- Tulum's cliff-top ruins first thing, then a snorkel in a cenote just outside town
- A boat across the Muyil lagoon in Sian Ka'an and a float down a mangrove canal
- Three nights in Mérida and three in Tulum, with free afternoons in each
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
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 610 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3.5 h, on day 5.
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 to your hotel in the old centre
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Mérida
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Mérida International Airport (MID), about 20 minutes from the old centre, where a driver meets you in arrivals and takes you to the hotel.
Evening
Plan to land by about 4 pm so you have time to rest before the evening; the exact latest arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary. Flying into Cancún instead? Ask us about getting to Mérida. Mérida is the capital of Yucatán state, founded by the Spanish in 1542 on the site of the Maya city of T'Hó, and its grid of low, pastel colonial houses still runs out from the Plaza Grande. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week, then walks you to the square as the heat goes out of the day. Dinner is a welcome meal of Yucatecan dishes, such as sopa de lima and cochinita pibil, at a restaurant near the centre.
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 evening briefing
Mérida on foot
The Plaza Grande, the market and the Paseo de Montejo, then the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya
- Breakfast
- Stay in Mérida
- Drive about 30 min
Mornings are the cool part of the day here, so we start walking at about 8:30. Your guide takes you round the Plaza Grande: the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, finished in 1598 and one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas, built partly with stone from Maya temples; the carved facade of the Casa de Montejo from 1549; and the Palacio de Gobierno, where Fernando Castro Pacheco's large murals tell the story of the Maya and the conquest.
Morning
We walk through the Lucas de Gálvez market for fruit, chiles and the stalls where locals eat breakfast, then north up the Paseo de Montejo, the boulevard of mansions that henequen, the sisal fibre, paid for around 1900. Late in the morning a short drive takes us to the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya, a good grounding in what you will see at Uxmal and Chichen Itza.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: a siesta, the hotel pool, or a slow dinner on one of the squares.
Included
- Walking tour with your guide: the Plaza Grande, the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, the Casa de Montejo and the Palacio de Gobierno murals
- Lucas de Gálvez market
- The Paseo de Montejo
- Gran Museo del Mundo Maya
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot in the morning on flat pavements. The Gran Museo del Mundo Maya is closed on Tuesdays; on those days we visit the regional museum in the Palacio Cantón on the Paseo de Montejo instead (closed Mondays).
Uxmal at opening, then Kabah
Mérida to Uxmal and Kabah in the Puuc hills, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mérida
- Drive about 3 h
We leave Mérida at 6:30 am and drive about an hour and a quarter south into the Puuc hills, low ridges that break the flat Yucatán plain, to be at Uxmal when it opens at 8. With a licensed local guide we walk past the Pyramid of the Magician, rounded at its corners and about 35 m tall, into the Nunnery Quadrangle, four long buildings covered in stone lattices, serpents and masks of Chaac, the rain god, and up onto the platform of the Governor's Palace, about 100 m long. Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and far quieter than Chichen Itza, and at this hour you share it mostly with iguanas.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal of Yucatecan food near the site. Afterwards it is about 20 minutes to Kabah, joined to Uxmal by an old raised Maya road, where the facade of the Codz Poop is covered in hundreds of Chaac masks.
Evening
We are back in Mérida by mid-afternoon, with the evening free.
Included
- Uxmal at opening with a licensed local guide: the Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle and the Governor's Palace
- Sit-down Yucatecan lunch near Uxmal
- Kabah and the Codz Poop
Easier option: Stay in the shade by the Uxmal entrance once the main buildings are seen, and look at Kabah's masks from the first terrace only.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Mérida
Activity: About 3 hours on foot at Uxmal and 45 minutes at Kabah on uneven stone and gravel with little shade. The Pyramid of the Magician cannot be climbed.
A cenote, Izamal and Valladolid
Mérida to a cenote near Homún, then Izamal and Valladolid
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Valladolid
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
We check out after breakfast and drive about an hour east to Homún, a village surrounded by cenotes, the water-filled sinkholes that were the only fresh water in a land with almost no rivers. Most are run by local families, and we go to one early, before the tour vans, for a swim in clear, cool water under roots hanging from the rock ceiling. Steps lead down into the water and life jackets are provided. Then about 45 minutes north to Izamal, the yellow town, where almost every building around the main squares is painted the same deep yellow. The Franciscan convent of San Antonio de Padua, founded in 1549, stands on the platform of a Maya pyramid, and a few streets away you can climb the broad steps of Kinich Kakmó, a large Maya pyramid, for a view over the town.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Izamal. From there it is about an hour and a half to Valladolid, where we arrive late in the afternoon and your guide walks you down the Calzada de los Frailes to the convent of San Bernardino de Siena.
Included
- Cenote swim near Homún, with a life jacket
- Izamal: the convent of San Antonio de Padua and the Kinich Kakmó pyramid
- Sit-down lunch in Izamal
- Evening walk in Valladolid on the Calzada de los Frailes
Easier option: Watch from the platform at the cenote instead of swimming, and stay at the foot of Kinich Kakmó while others climb.
More active option: Climb Kinich Kakmó to the top platform for the view over Izamal's yellow rooftops.
Free time: Evening free in Valladolid
Activity: Bring a swimsuit and a towel. Sunscreen and insect repellent are not allowed in most cenotes, so put them on after you swim.
Chichen Itza at opening, then to Tulum
Valladolid to Chichen Itza, then east past Cobá to Tulum
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Tulum
- Drive about 3.5 h
An early start: we leave Valladolid at about 7:15 and are at the gate of Chichen Itza, 40 minutes west, when it opens at 8, well before the coaches from Cancún and the Riviera Maya arrive. With a licensed local guide you have the first hour on the Great Plaza almost to yourselves: El Castillo, the Temple of Kukulcán, whose four stairways and top platform add up to 365 steps, one for each day of the year; the Great Ball Court, about 168 m long, with its stone rings set high in the walls; the Temple of the Warriors and the Group of a Thousand Columns; El Caracol, the round observatory; and the old causeway out to the Sacred Cenote. Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Afternoon
By about 11:30, when it is hot and full, we leave for a sit-down lunch nearby, then drive about two and a half hours east on the road past Cobá to Tulum, our base for the last three nights. There is no stop at the Cobá ruins or a cenote today.
Included
- Chichen Itza at opening with a licensed local guide, federal and state entry fees included: El Castillo, the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors, El Caracol and the Sacred Cenote
- Sit-down lunch near Chichen Itza
- Drive to Tulum on the road past Cobá
Easier option: Rest in the shade near the entrance after the Great Plaza while the others walk out to the Sacred Cenote and El Caracol.
Free time: Evening free in Tulum
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on flat, unshaded ground; El Castillo cannot be climbed. A hat and water matter more here than anywhere else on the trip. This is the fullest day; the Cobá ruins and a cenote stop are not included.
Tulum's ruins, a cenote and the beach
Tulum archaeological site, a cenote outside town, then free time
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tulum
- Drive about 30 min
Tulum's ruins open at 8 and are small and very popular, so again we go first thing, a short drive from the hotel. The walled city stands on a limestone cliff above the Caribbean: El Castillo at the cliff edge, the Temple of the Frescoes with traces of its painted interior, and the Temple of the Descending God, where a carved figure dives head first over the doorway. It was one of the last cities the Maya built, a sea port that traded with Cobá inland, and it was still lived in when Spanish ships sailed past in 1518. Below the cliff a small cove gives the view everyone photographs.
Morning
Late in the morning we swim and snorkel at a cenote just outside town, such as Gran Cenote, where the clear water runs back into caves and small turtles live in the shallows.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: the beach, a bike ride along the beach road, or a long lunch in town.
Included
- Tulum archaeological site at opening with a licensed local guide, national park fee included
- Cenote swim and snorkel near Tulum, with gear
Optional experiences
- Bike rental for the beach road
- Cenote diving with a certified dive centre (certified divers only)
Easier option: Skip the snorkel and go straight to the beach after the ruins.
More active option: Rent a bike in the afternoon and ride the beach road south towards the Sian Ka'an gate.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot at the ruins on sandy paths. Snorkel gear and life jackets at the cenote are included.
Sian Ka'an by boat
Tulum to Muyil and the lagoons of Sian Ka'an, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tulum
- Drive about 1 h
Twenty-five minutes south of Tulum the road reaches the edge of Sian Ka'an, a biosphere reserve of forest, mangrove, lagoons and reef listed by UNESCO in 1987, whose Maya name is usually translated as where the sky is born. We start at Muyil, a quiet Maya site in the forest with a small, steep temple, its own El Castillo, where you see more birds than people. A boardwalk leads through the trees to the Muyil lagoon, and there we board a small boat run by local community guides. We cross the lagoon to a channel through the mangroves that the Maya are believed to have used for canoe trade, then put on a life jacket worn like a pair of shorts and drift with the current for about half an hour in clear fresh water.
Evening
We are back in Tulum in the early afternoon for a late lunch together and a free afternoon, and in the evening we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Muyil archaeological site with your guide
- Boat across the Muyil lagoon with community guides
- Float down a mangrove canal in Sian Ka'an
- Late lunch in Tulum
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Stay on the boat during the float and meet the group at the end of the canal.
Free time: Afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: The float needs no swimming: the current carries you and the life jacket keeps you up. Bring a swimsuit, a hat and a dry bag for your phone.
Tulum to Cancún airport
Tulum to Cancún International Airport on the coast road
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
The last morning is free. Have a swim, walk to the beach, or sit over a long breakfast in the shade; your hotel will keep your bags after checkout. Late in the morning our vehicle takes the group north along Highway 307, the coast road of the Riviera Maya, past Akumal, Playa del Carmen and Puerto Morelos to Cancún International Airport (CUN), about 130 km and two hours away. Your guide rides with you, sees you into the terminal and checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 2:30 pm; if yours is earlier, we arrange an earlier transfer timed to it. If you are flying from Tulum's newer international airport (TQO), or want to stay on by the sea for a few more days, tell us when you book and we will arrange the transfer or the extra nights. The trip ends at the airport.
Included
- Group transfer to Cancún International Airport (CUN) with your guide
Free time: Morning free in Tulum
Activity: Book a flight from Cancún leaving after about 2:30 pm.
- Mérida3 nights
- Valladolid1 night
- Tulum3 nights
- Cancúnend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to April is the dry season. December to February has warm days and mild evenings; March and April are hot, often in the mid-30s °C in Mérida, which is why the big sites are visited at opening and the afternoons are free. Sargassum seaweed can reach Tulum's beaches from spring; the cenotes and the Sian Ka'an lagoons are not affected.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- First-time visitors who want Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Tulum without the midday crowds
- Travellers who would rather have three bases than a new hotel every night
- Swimmers and non-swimmers alike: life jackets in the cenotes and on the float
- Food lovers: sit-down Yucatecan lunches, and free evenings in Mérida and Tulum
Not for you if you want
- A week on an all-inclusive beach: there are two beach afternoons, not seven
- Step-free access: the sites are on uneven stone and the cenotes have steep steps
- Whale sharks off Holbox (June to September) or the Bacalar lagoon, which this route leaves out
- Anyone who struggles with heat: even in winter the middle of the day is hot
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Mérida3 nights
- Valladolid1 night
- Tulum3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 3 in Mérida, 1 in Valladolid and 3 in Tulum
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with air-conditioning and private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- In Tulum, a quieter hotel in town or on the beach road, away from the Cancún and Playa del Carmen resort strips
Transport
- Pick-up at Mérida International Airport (MID) and group drop-off at Cancún International Airport (CUN)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the whole trip, with room for every guest to spread out
- The boat across the Muyil lagoon in Sian Ka'an
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to the airport on day 8
- Licensed local guides at Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Tulum, and community guides in Sian Ka'an
Activities
- Mérida: walking tour of the Plaza Grande, the Cathedral, the Casa de Montejo, the Palacio de Gobierno murals, the Lucas de Gálvez market and the Paseo de Montejo
- Gran Museo del Mundo Maya in Mérida
- Uxmal at opening, and Kabah
- Cenote swim near Homún
- Izamal: the convent of San Antonio de Padua and the Kinich Kakmó pyramid
- Valladolid: evening walk on the Calzada de los Frailes
- Chichen Itza at opening, with the federal and Yucatán state fees
- Tulum archaeological site, with the national park fee
- Cenote swim and snorkel near Tulum, with gear
- Sian Ka'an: Muyil archaeological site, the lagoon by boat and the canal float
- All entrance fees for included sights
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 sit-down lunches: near Uxmal, in Izamal, near Chichen Itza and in Tulum after Sian Ka'an
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Mérida and a farewell dinner in Tulum
Not included
- International flights to Mérida and from Cancún
- Visa or entry paperwork where your passport needs it
- Travel insurance
- Quintana Roo's Visitax state visitor fee, paid online
- Meals not listed: 3 lunches and 5 dinners
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities such as bike rental and cenote diving
- Video camera fees at archaeological sites, where charged
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 610 (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
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
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
What guests say
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
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,055 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 3,305. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,595.
What does the Yucatán trip price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 4 sit-down lunches, a welcome and a farewell dinner, airport transfers at both ends, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, licensed site guides, and every entry in the day plan: Uxmal, Kabah, Chichen Itza with both fees, Tulum, two cenotes, the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya and the Sian Ka'an boat and float.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, in a vehicle with room for everyone to spread out. That is small enough to hear the guide on the Great Plaza at Chichen Itza and to sit around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the welcome briefing in Mérida to Cancún airport on the last day. At Uxmal, Chichen Itza and Tulum a licensed local guide joins us, and in Sian Ka'an the boats are run by community guides.
How fit do I need to be?
An easy level is enough. The longest days on foot are about 3 hours at Uxmal and Chichen Itza, on uneven stone with little shade. The cenote swims, the Kinich Kakmó climb and the canal float can all be sat out, and life jackets are provided.
I'm travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
Solo travellers pay the same per-person price as everyone else, plus CAD 610 for a room of their own, shown before you book with nothing added later. If you would like to share, tell us when you request to book and we will try to pair you with another guest.
When is the best time to visit the Yucatán?
December to April, the dry season. December to February is warm with mild evenings; March and April are hotter, so we visit the big sites at opening. We avoid the hurricane season from June to November and the spring equinox crowds at Chichen Itza.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The price is per person sharing a room, taxes included: from CAD 3,595 for the small group.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 6,470 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote a similar plan.
Do I need a visa for Mexico?
No, not if you hold a Canadian or US passport and visit as a tourist for up to 180 days. You need a passport valid for your whole stay and Mexico's tourist entry form, the FMM, which is digital for most air arrivals and is handled by the airline or at immigration. Other passports have different rules; we send current guidance when we confirm.
Why does the trip start in Mérida and end at Cancún?
Starting in Mérida and finishing on the coast means the route only crosses the peninsula once, so no day has more than about three and a half hours in the vehicle. Cancún has the most flights home; if you prefer to fly into Cancún as well, ask us about getting to Mérida.
Can I swim in a cenote if I'm not a strong swimmer?
Yes. Both cenotes have steps or ladders into the water and life jackets are provided, and the Sian Ka'an float needs no swimming at all because the current carries you. If you would rather stay dry, watch from the platform; no one has to go in.
Is there seaweed on the beaches in Tulum?
Sometimes. Sargassum seaweed drifts onto the Caribbean coast, mostly from spring to autumn, so April departures can see it on Tulum's beaches. It does not reach the cenotes, the ruins or the Sian Ka'an lagoons, and December to March is usually clearer.
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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