Breakfast generally consists of fruits, cereals, beans and eggs.

Budget around 255-340 Mexican pesos (US$15-US$20) for lunch and 255-510 pesos (US$15-US$30) for dinner for meals not included. A beer costs about 70 pesos (US$4).

Drinking water is provided on the bus from large containers to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bottles used; please bring a refillable bottle with you.

Glide through mangrove channels on a small-group cruise in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, guided by a local Maya cooperative. Watch for rose-hued colonies in flamingo-filled lagoons, herons stalking the shallows, and crocodiles basking along roots and reeds.

Navigate to the Las Coloradas pink salt ponds for surreal photo stops and, conditions permitting, a mineral-rich mud application favored by locals. Learn how saltworks, tides, and protected wetlands sustain wildlife on this biodiverse corner of the coast.

Explore the jungle-fringed ruins of Ek’ Balam as you join a guided tour through temples and plazas alive with birdsong and iguanas. See the towering Acropolis, famed for intricate stucco facades and guardian figures, and pause amid ceiba and chicozapote trees for sweeping views over the lowland canopy.

Hear how this late-classic city rose to power and decipher symbolic details—serpent motifs, funerary masks, and protective deities—that reveal the artistry and beliefs of the ancient Maya who shaped this ceremonial center.

Cool off with a refreshing plunge in the rainforest sinkhole of Xcanché cenote. Descend sturdy wooden stairs to clear, mineral-rich waters tinted deep blue by limestone, or—if you wish—rappel 50ft to the pool like a mountaineer.

Swim beneath dangling lianas as sunlight filters through the cavern’s mouth. Your leader shares cenote lore, from sacred uses in Maya ceremonies to the geology of the Yucatán’s vast underground river systems carved through ancient coral bedrock.

Witness one of the world’s great ancient cities as you explore Chichén Itzá with your expert leader. Stand before El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcán), admire the vast Great Ball Court, and reflect at the Sacred Cenote where offerings once honored the gods.

Trace the city’s astronomical precision at El Caracol observatory and hear how equinox light forms a serpent-like shadow on the pyramid. The site’s scale, acoustics, and geometry reveal a civilization of visionary architects and sky-readers.

Stroll cobblestone streets on a guided walk past pastel facades and leafy squares in Valladolid. See the twin-towered San Servacio Church, the serene grounds of the Convent of San Bernardino de Siena, and the boutique-lined Calzada de los Frailes connecting town to the old Franciscan quarter.

Along the way, learn how Spanish colonial layout overlapped older Maya settlements, and note architectural touches—from Moorish arches to carved wooden doors—that speak to centuries of cultural blending on the peninsula.

Discover the roots of chocolate at the Ecomuseo del Cacao near Uxmal. Walk through shaded cacao groves and reconstructed traditional Maya houses while guides explain planting, harvesting, and fermenting methods that shaped Mesoamerican life and ritual.

Conclude with a tasting of a spiced chocolate drink—fragrant with cinnamon and chile—the ancestor of modern cocoa. Exhibits illuminate cacao’s role as currency, ceremonial offering, and comfort, linking past traditions to today’s artisan chocolate revival.

Step into the golden age of the Puuc hills at Uxmal, celebrated for elegant proportions and masterful stonework. With your guide, admire the oval-sided Pyramid of the Magician and explore the Nunnery Quadrangle adorned with lattice patterns, serpents, and long-nosed Chaac rain gods.

Learn how Puuc engineering captured scarce rainfall and how Puuc-style mosaics expressed both power and piety. Uxmal’s harmony of form and myth offers a contemplative counterpoint to the grandeur of Chichén Itzá.

Shift into adventure as you drive a classic Land Rover along historic plantation trails at Hacienda Uxmal. Navigate orchard lanes to a scenic lookout over the forest and distant mounds, pausing for photos amid rustling palms and tropical birds.

Along the route, taste fresh produce—from citrus and Maya squash to fiery habanero—while learning about regional crops and traditional cultivation. It’s a hands-on glimpse of hacienda life framed by lush Puuc landscapes.

Immerse yourself in Mérida’s flavors with a guided shop-and-cook experience. Browse a bustling market to sample tropical fruit and recados (spice pastes), then ride a local bus to your host’s home for a hands-on market-to-table cooking class.

Under expert guidance, make tortillas by hand and prepare regional dishes such as pollo pibil or papadzules, scented with achiote and sour orange. Share the feast together and hear stories of family recipes and Yucatán’s culinary heritage.

Get your bearings on a short walking tour through Mérida’s historic core. Take in the shady Plaza Grande, the 16th-century Cathedral of San Ildefonso, and elegant mansions that echo the henequen boom along Paseo de Montejo.

Your leader highlights the city’s Maya roots and colonial layers, from limestone facades to lively cantinas and trova music. Tips on museums, markets, and evening ambience help you make the most of this cultured capital.

Enter a traditional medicine center in the “Yellow City” of Izamal to meet healer Anilú Patrón Canché. Learn about ancestral Maya healing practices—herbal infusions, balms, and spiritual balance—rooted in respect for medicinal plants like chaya, copal, and achiote.

The session offers cultural insight and practical knowledge, connecting everyday remedies with cosmology and seasonal rhythms. It’s a thoughtful window into how wellness, land, and lineage intertwine across generations in the Yucatán.

Pedal the sunlit streets of Izamal on a guided bike tour, tracing ochre lanes toward the massive Kinich Kakmó Pyramid for panoramic views of the city. Continue to the smaller Itzamatul Pyramid and the former rail station to grasp Izamal’s layered past.

Stop at artisan workshops to see hammock weaving, papier-mâché craft, and wood miniatures in action. The ride blends archaeology, living tradition, and small-town charm at a relaxed, camera-friendly pace.

Savor time-honored recipes at Kinich restaurant, a beloved Izamal kitchen known for earthy recados and wood-fired cooking. Enjoy handmade tortillas, succulent poc chuc or cochinita, and smoky salsas roasted on the comal, paired with aguas frescas and bright pickled onions.

This meal showcases Maya flavors shaped by achiote, sour orange, and local herbs, turning lunch into a cultural encounter. The courtyard setting and warm service reflect the easygoing rhythm of this Pueblo Mágico.

Gather in the mellow seaside town of El Cuyo for a hosted farewell dinner. Share highlights from the journey as you sample fresh Caribbean catch, Yucatecan sides bright with lime and habanero, and tropical desserts echoing the peninsula’s orchards.

With the sound of surf in the distance, raise a toast to new friendships and the mosaic of cultures, landscapes, and flavors you’ve encountered along the Gulf and Caribbean shores of the Yucatán.

Begin your journey by gathering to meet your Tour Director and fellow travellers over a convivial welcome dinner in Valladolid. Dine in a colonial courtyard steps from the zócalo, tasting Yucatecan cuisine such as cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, and panuchos while the evening air carries the sound of church bells from San Servacio.

Hear an overview of the adventures ahead and local dining etiquette, from chile heat scales to the region’s citrusy salsas. It’s a relaxed setting that eases you into Mexico’s warm hospitality and storied culinary traditions.