Chichen Itza Tour: Valladolid & Cenote Adventure with Buffet

Great Value and Solid Experience — Just Be Prepared for a 14+ Hour Day!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars actually! Finally, at around $130 CAD per person (including admissions, guide, lunch, and taxes), this tour is well worth the money. Pros: Chichen Itza: Spent 2 full hours on-site (1 hour guided tour + 1 hour of free time), which was plenty of time to explore and take photos. No Pressure Sales: The guide offered Maya birthday certificates, but never pressured anyone to buy souvenirs in the Maya village. Tour Guide: Friendly and provided solid, reasonable service (4/5). Driver: Always give us bottle water. (4.5/5) Things to Keep in Mind: Very Long Day (14+ Hours): Hotel pickups require switching to a central bus, which adds about an hour before starting the main journey. We returned around 9:45 PM. Maya Village: We spent a bit too much time here. The buffet lunch is basic—fine if you are hungry, but keep expectations modest. Valladolid Stop: Only a quick 30-minute stop around dusk. Heavy rain meant it was mostly a restroom break and quick stop at a chocolate factory, so we missed the historic church. Also, the food court the tour guide recommended --> don't eat there! Transportation: The bus isn't the most modern, but it easily accommodated our small group of 20+ people. Tips for Travelers: Rest up before you go! It involves a lot of walking, standing, and swimming. It is ideal for couples or families with kids 7 and up, but handling a 2-year-old toddler without a stroller for 14 hours would be very challenging. Tour Guide: (4/5) Friendly and provided solid, reasonable service. Driver: (4.5/5) Always give us bottle water. Transportation (Bus): 4/5 a bit old, but reasonable. Food: 3.5/5 don't expect hotel quality. Good enough to fill up for the rest of the day.

via Viator

They charge for EVERYTHING, ppl assume seats on the bus, extra fees in fine print. Other than that beautiful trip. Be ready for

The extra costs, expenses and expectations

Response from the operator: Hi Sherrie, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the beautiful destinations. We strive to provide clear information about what is included and any optional services or additional fees before the tour, and we appreciate your comments as they help us identify where we can communicate these details even better. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a smoother experience in the future.

via Tripadvisor

Excellent

Excellent treat, magnificent walk.

Response from the operator: Hola David, ¡Muchas gracias por tu excelente reseña! Nos alegra muchísimo saber que disfrutaste el paseo y que recibiste un trato magnífico por parte de nuestro equipo. Será un placer volver a recibirte en una próxima aventura por México. ¡Esperamos verte pronto!

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Great tour but very long

The only thing is that the tour is advertised as 8-10 hours long but it was actually 13 hours … Otherwise, the tour was fantastic! Juan was an excellent tour guide. He was funny and knowledgeable. The food was pretty good too. It was kind of confusing at the cenote. You do not have to get in the water or change clothes to see the cenote. But you will have to buy a wristband for a few dollars and put on a life vest over your clothes. The stairs up to the cenote are somewhat steep and slippery. They do have towels to rent. Getting to the Chichen Itza area was not too far of a walk from the entrance. Juan took great photos of everyone in front. I recommend this tour.

via Tripadvisor

This was a beautiful tour and highly recommended

I've been on this tour in the past years ago and I have to say this one is much much better . I have to start by saying that they were very professional. The day was obviously long but it's no fault of their own. Lots of driving . The guide was proficient in English and very knowledgeable . I chose this tour because almost all expenses were included meaning there was no hidden cost like other tours offer . There was extra money if you wanted to pay for a locker at the cenotes which was up to you and if you want to swim you must rent a life jacket for four US dollars, This is mandatory. At the lunch place there was no drinks included because we bought the basic package which was worth it , The water cost a few dollars. I must advise that buying artisans at the lunch place cost about two to three times what it does at chichen itza so if you want to buy some goods, wait until you get to the ruins And once you are there you can bargain down about 1/3 the price. Our driver was also our tour guide at the ruins and he gave us some amazing history, thank you. At the end of the tour he gently asked for tips and it wasn't like years ago where they were demanding it and made it extremely uncomfortable . It is definitely a must-see and I would suggest this tour if you're interested in the beautiful nature of the cenotes or the history of the Mayan ruins. I MUST SAY THE BEST PART: I left my phone on the first small bus that drove us to the larger bus . Not only did the guide make sure that the other driver located the phone that they also dropped it off to the hotel. No questions asked and with no fee. It was extremely honest of them. What was extremely disheartening and dishonest was that the hotel said they did not receive it and tried to blame the tour company. After using the find my device location on my phone and showing the reception staff that it was literally in the reception area magically it showed up. This taught me how honest this tour operator is and when I come back I will book with them. It also taught me to verify names of who found things and who it was delivered to and sadly not to trust the hotel staff. So if you're traveling to Mexico, don't go to Grand Oasis.

via Tripadvisor