4 Night 5 Day Tour
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MAYA OF THE CARIBBEAN COAST AND YUCATAN PENINSULA 4 Night 5 Day Tour |
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ITINERARY: Day 1: At 8 am your driver and guide will pick you up at your hotel (any hotel between Cancun and Tulum) and you begin your tour with a visit the exquisite ruins of Ek Balam, a Mayan archaeological site with some very distinct features. The amazingly well preserved sculptures and frescos at Ek Balam are outstanding examples of the art of the ancient Maya. Some figures are winged, some in the meditative ¨lotus¨ position, one sits headless above the center of the "Witz Monster" (entry to the underworld). All are beautiful and exquisitely crafted. You´ll stop for lunch in the lovely colonial city of Valladolid. This is a modern Mayan city with an important history where you can experience the best in traditional Yucatecan dishes. You can also shop in the plaza, where you can buy directly from the craftspeople. Then you'll travel to historic colonial Merida. Merida is one of the most elegant and cultured colonial cities in the Maya World. Before the arrival of the Spanish, ancient Maya temples and pyramids dominated the landscape of this large city called T'ho. Stroll the main square, enjoy live traditional music, take a horse drawn carriage on a tour of the monuments. You'll overnight at Hotel Gran Real Yucatan, located 3 blocks from the main square. (If possible, we schedule this for you to be in Merida for "Merida Sunday", a weekly local fiesta with live entertainment, music and market.) Day 2: This morning you visit the magnificent Maya ruins of Uxmal. Uxmal is one of the finest examples of the "Puuc Maya" architectural style. Graced with two of the largest pyramids in the Yucatan and a multitude of incredibly preserved frescos paying homage to the rain god Chac and the serpent god Quetzecoatal, it is a site that inspires both awe and mystery. Afternoon you visit Kabah. Although only a small part of this site has been excavated the Palace of Masks, with its 250 masks of the Mayan rain god Chac, is one of the most impressive in Mayan architecture. Kabah also has a well preserved arch with a sacbe (ancient Maya road) leading to Uxmal. Then you'll journey on to Uxmal, where you´ll overnight at the faithfully restored Hacienda Uxmal near the Uxmal ruins. Evening light & sound show at the ruins. Overnight Hacienda Uxmal. Day 3: Today you explore more sites on the ¨Puuc Maya Route¨, beginning with Labna, also home to many Chac masks and a beautiful corbeled arch. One of its interesting features is a carving of a Vision Serpent with a human head emerging from its outstretched mouth. After lunch you'll go to the ruins of Mayapan for a visit. Mayapan has a distinctive history in that it was one of the last functional cities of the ancient Maya. Modeled after the buildings of Chichen Itza it is a very well preserved mini-version of that ancient city. Then to Chichen Itza where you'll overnight at the Villas Arqueologicas Hotel with excellent restaurant, pool & bar located adjacent to the archeological site in Chichen Itzá. Day 4: By overnighting in Chichen Itza you'll beat the "big bus" crowds this morning when you visit majestic Chichen Itzá, the most famous of Mayan archeological sites and one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World". Chichen Itzá has numerous monuments for a visitor to explore. El Castillo, or the grand pyramid, has a staircase on all four sides, each with 91 steps that totaled with the last step on top equal the 365 days in a solar year. Other not to be missed areas of this great ancient city are: the Main Ball Court, which is the largest discovered from the ancient Mayan world; the Sacred Well or Cenote, where archeologists have discovered a number of well-adorned skeletons of sacrificial victims; the Temple Of The Warriors, with its 1,000 columns dedicated to the warriors of Chichen Itzá; and the Caracol or Observatory. You'll also visit beautiful Cenote Ik Kil and enjoy a buffet lunch there and a refreshing swim if you wish. Optional evening light & sound show at the ruins. Overnight Villas Arqueologicas Hotel Chichen Itzá. Day 5: This morning you´ll visit the extensive ruins at Coba. You may explore the ruins by foot, bicycle or human-powered tricycle. Coba is situated in a lush natural setting filled with many species of animals, birds and butterflies and is a real nature lovers delight. It is also home to the tallest Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan. From its top you can see above the jungle canopy for miles in each direction. This vast Mayan archeological site dates from 600-900 A.D. and there were an estimated 100,000 people living in its domain. In the afternoon you'll visit the spectacular Tulum, the most visited of Mayan archaeological sites. Perched atop a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, it is a photographers dream come true! Colorful iguanas bask lazily on rocks in the sun; gentle waves caress the shore. The pristine beach is so beautiful it is almost surreal. It is easy to imagine the ancient Maya landing at this bustling seaport with their canoes filled with trade goods. Tulum has a number of interesting structures from the ancient Mayan world. Graceful columns and elegant carvings give one an appreciation for the architectural achievements of the Maya. Inside the Temple of the Frescoes are fantastic 13th century murals depicting ancient ceremonies. One of the few surviving images of the Mayan goddess of fertility and medicine, Ixchel, can be found here. End of the day we drop you off at any coastal hotel. |         |
| Cost per person for this 5 day 4 night FULLY ESCORTED private tour (double occupancy): 2 people $1,925 per person 4 people $1,145 per person 6 people $955 per person 8 people $795 per person Contact us about discounted rates for mid-April to November dates (low season). $200 per child for up to 2 children under age 12 sharing hotel room with 2 adults. Infants go for FREE. This 5 day 4 night private tour package includes:
For private groups of 9 or more people, please contact us for further discounted prices. Prices lower for tours based out of Merida. |
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