Highlights
- Learn about local traditions and customs in the Maya village of Yaxunah
- Sample Yucatecan delicacies on a walking food tour of Mérida
- Learn about the ancient Maya kingdom at Ek' Balam and Chichén Itzá
- Swim in ancient cenotes and see local wildlife at nature reserves
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Mérida, Transfer to Yaxunah, Hammock-Weaving Workshop | Yaxunah |
| Day 2 | Learn About Corn at a Sustainable Milpa, Visit the Lol-Ha Cenote | Yaxunah |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Valladolid, Take a Historic Walking Tour | Valladolid |
| Day 4 | Visit Ek' Balam Archaeological Site, Culture & Cusine in the Local Community | Valladolid |
| Day 5 | Boat Ride in the Ría Lagartos Reserve, Swim in the Suytun Cenote | Valladolid |
| Day 6 | Explore Chichén Itzá & Yokdzonot Cenote, Transfer to Mérida & City Tour | Mérida |
| Day 7 | Sample Yucatecan Flavors on a Street Food Tour of Mérida | Mérida |
| Day 8 | Yucatán Cenote Diving Experience | Mérida |
| Day 9 | Day Trip & Boat Ride at the Celestún Biosphere Reserve | Mérida |
| Day 10 | Depart Mérida |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Mérida, Transfer to Yaxunah, Hammock-Weaving Workshop
Welcome to the Yucatán Peninsula, which encompasses three of Mexico's states (as well as sections of Belize and Guatemala). Upon arrival in Mérida, a driver will be waiting to transfer you to the village of Yaxunah, located about two hours outside the city. This small Maya community is known for its remarkable archaeological sites, which blend into the natural surroundings and are an important part of the region's cultural identity.
There's a lot to see here, but today, you'll take it easy with a visit to the Káabal Kuxtal workshop, where you'll meet local community members to learn about hammock weaving. Teachers Ruby and Jenny will demonstrate how these traditional hammocks are crafted, and you'll even get to try your hand at weaving one of the workshop's hammocks with their guidance. Afterward, you'll be taken to your accommodations to check in and rest up for tomorrow's activities.
Day 2: Learn About Corn at a Sustainable Milpa, Visit the Lol-Ha Cenote
Today starts with a two-hour tour of a sustainable corn milpa (named for the Indigenous Nahuatl phrase for a cultivated field). Here, you'll learn everything that goes into eco-friendly corn—a staple of Mexican cooking—from cleaning and planting to harvesting and, eventually, cooking. Best of all, the work in the milpas directly supports the local community. After your lesson, you'll get to taste several corn-based beverages and ingredients/foods, such as pozole (traditional stew), pinole (ground maize mixed with other spices), nixtamal (boiled and soaked corn), and/or atole (a traditional drink).
Day 3: Transfer to Valladolid, Take a Historic Walking Tour
This morning you'll say your goodbyes to Yaxunah and its people and join your driver for the one-hour transfer to Valladolid, your base for the next three nights. Thanks to its beautiful streets, churches, gastronomy, and culture, Valladolid has earned the designation as a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town), a special title reserved for places with particular cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in Mexico.
Upon arrival, meet your tour guide for a 1.5-hour walking tour of the city's historic center. Founded in 1543 and colonized by the Spanish, your guide will tell you about the tumultuous history here, giving way to the style of architecture surrounding the square. As you continue the tour, you'll stop at the ex-convent of San Bernadino de Siena, taste local honey from the region, and walk through the beautiful Calzada de Los Frailes (Road of the Friars)—a bustling street lined with coffee shops, restaurants, and mezcalerias.
Day 4: Visit Ek' Balam Archaeological Site, Culture & Cusine in the Local Community
Today's itinerary starts with a thirty-minute transfer from Valladolid to the incredible archaeological site of Ek' Balam. This ancient city reached its heyday between the seventh and 10th centuries before being lost to the jungle for years and ultimately rediscovered in the 1800s. An hourlong tour will lead you through these fascinating ruins as your guide points out temples, ball courts, and an acropolis. Don't miss the chance to climb 95 feet (29 m) to the top of the highest pyramid, where you'll be rewarded with incredible views of the surrounding Yucatán jungle.
After your visit to the ancient past, it's time to meet the local Maya community and those who call Ek' Balam home today. Stop by the house of a welcoming community member, where you'll learn more about hammock weaving and revisit some of those methods you learned while in Yaxunah. Continue to another home to learn how traditional garments from the region are embroidered and even sew one yourself, which you can take home as a souvenir. To end this interactive journey, you'll learn how to make corn tortillas with the locals and taste the fruits of your labor before returning to your hotel.
Day 5: Boat Ride in the Ría Lagartos Reserve, Swim at the Suytun Cenote
Today's day trip takes you 1.5 hours north of Valladolid to Río Lagartos—a town located within the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve—one of the main American flamingo nesting areas in the Yucatán Peninsula. Encompassing 233 square miles (603 sq km) of protected wetland ecosystems, this reserve is home to a remarkable diversity of plant and animal life—from crocodiles and sea turtles to ocelots and anteaters. You'll explore more of this natural wonder by boat, cruising through lush mangroves to spot rare and endemic birds like the yellow-lored parrot or the red-vented woodpecker.
The tour will also take you past Las Coloradas, beautiful salt ponds that sport pinkish hues due to their high salt concentration, and you can stop for a soak in an exfoliating Maya mud bath. You'll disembark on the beach and apply the white clay extracted from the sand, which contains minerals, salts, and algae—all very beneficial for the skin.
Finally, wrap up your day with a refreshing visit to the Suytun Cenote. This incredible swimming hole is accessible through a tunnel with stairs, and you'll be amazed when you descend and see the sunlight penetrating from the top of the rock into the cenote. Once you're in the water, look out for the stalagmites and stalactites, mineral formations in caves that look like icicles.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 6: Explore Chichén Itzá & Yokdzonot Cenote, Transfer to Mérida & City Tour
Get ready to discover another star archaeological site of the Yucatán Peninsula. After breakfast, your driver will take you 45 minutes west to Chichén Itzá, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. During its heyday (around 600-900 CE), this ancient Maya city was the most revered religious center and pilgrimage site in the Yucatán. Its most iconic attraction is the Kukulkán (El Castillo) pyramid, built to honor the feathered serpent god. During this two-hour tour, your expert guide will reveal the history and mythology of the ancient Maya world as you marvel at the site's construction and craftsmanship.
After exploring the ruins, you'll continue to Yokdzonot, an ecotourism destination built around a Maya cenote by a group of women from the local community. Cenotes like these were considered sacred and symbolic spaces for Maya life cycle rituals. Here, you can swim and cool off after a long morning out in the sun before joining your local hosts for a delicious lunch.
Get back on the road in the afternoon for the 1.5-hour transfer to your next destination of Mérida—the White City. This capital of the Yucatán region contains a rich blend of both Maya and colonial culture, which you'll discover upon arrival with a relaxed walking tour. Highlights include the Mérida Cathedral, built atop the remains of ancient pyramids from the Maya city of T'ho. The cathedral's twin bell towers loom large over the Plaza Grande, the city's main square, where you can sample some street food before strolling along the city's main avenue, where locals and visitors alike come to hang out at Paseo Montej.Day 7: Sample Yucatecan Flavors on a Street Food Tour of Mérida
Be sure to bring your appetite, as today you'll be participating in an exciting food tour around Mérida! Here's your chance to dive into some incredible local dishes. Your tour starts at Plaza Grande—the city's iconic square—with gorditas and plenty of people-watching. Next, you'll visit a popular local food market, where you can try salbutes (Yucatánean food made with fried tortillas and topped with meat and different vegetables), tamales al pastor, carnitas, and some local tropical fruit for dessert.
After the market, you'll head to the Yucatán Gastronomy Museum (MUGY) for a two-hour tour. Built in an old Spanish colonial casona (a large colonial-style house), the traditional flavors of the Yucatán cuisine meet the modern creativity of local chefs. Here, you'll not only learn about the historical legacy of the dishes, ingredients, seeds, and flavors, but you'll get to try some for yourself. A standout dish to try here is cochinita pibil, a colorful combination of marinated, slow-roasted pork topped with red onion and cilantro and served with tortilla and hot sauce.
Day 8: Yucatán Cenote Diving Experience
If you've enjoyed the cenote swimming throughout the trip so far, you won't want to miss today's adventurous experience, which allows you to explore beyond the surface of these natural wonders. With their clear visibility and extreme depths, cenotes are some of the best places on Earth to learn to dive.
Whether you're an experienced diver or trying it out for the first time, today, you'll get to immerse yourself in a hidden underwater world with the help of an experienced guide and instructor. Explore hidden caverns illuminated by shafts of sunlight from above, and search out the incredible flora and fauna that thrive within the Yucatán's cenotes.
Day 9: Day Trip & Boat Ride at the Celestún Biosphere Reserve
The penultimate day of your trip takes you 1.5 hours west to the Gulf of Mexico coast and the Celestún Biosphere Reserve. This magnificent wetland sanctuary spans approximately 146 square miles (378 sq km) and encompasses a diverse range of habitats, including coastal dunes, mangrove forests, and freshwater springs, and is renowned for its abundant flamingo population and rich biodiversity.
Upon arrival, a boat will be waiting at the mouth of the Río Esperanza, where you'll begin this daylong exploration of one of Yucatán's most unique ecosystems. This a birder's paradise—besides the famed flamingoes, you're likely to spot migratory ducks, Yucatán parrots, pelicans, and other waterbirds like herons and ibises. During the boat ride, keep an eye out for other resident animals, including crocodiles, sea turtles, spider monkeys, and even boa constrictors.
Afterward, you'll visit the Ojo de Agua (Eye of Water), where you can swim through natural tunnels formed by mangrove branches which open up into a large natural pool with crystal-clear water. The adventure ends with you enjoying a delicious meal overlooking the beach, after which you'll return to Mérida to enjoy your final evening in Mexico at your leisure.
Day 10: Depart Mérida
Your 10-day exploration of the Yucatán comes to a close this morning, as your driver picks you up from your hotel in Mérida and takes you to Mérida International Airport to catch your departing flight. Safe travels!
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