The best Mayan ruins tours in Cancun are the ones that stimulate all your senses and bring you the real magic of the Mayan world. Vacationing in Cancun and NOT taking a Mayan ruins tour is like going to Egypt and NOT seeing the pyramids! The archaeological treasures of the Yucatan Peninsula are truly remarkable and they are best enjoyed with an expert guide. So, what are the top Mayan ruins sites in Yucatan?
The top Mayan ruins tours bring you to Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba and Ek Balam. There are many other fascinating sites, particularly along the “Ruta Puuc” but these four are accessible in easy day trips from Cancun and the Riviera Maya. They are all important sites and offer a fantastic look into an ancient civilization and a peek at the modern day Maya in the surrounding communities.
The best Mayan ruins tours in Cancun start with an early morning pick up by your friendly driver in a comfortable, air conditioned vehicle. Travel time will depend on which site you are visiting and where you are staying but most Mayan ruins sites are about two hours from Cancun or your Riviera Maya resort. Your expert guide will use this time to introduce you to the ancient pre-Columbian world with facts and folklore and some tips on what to expect on a Mayan ruins tour.
Tip, dress right, it is probably going to be hot. The Yucatan is known for its tropical climate and you’ll want to wear light clothing like shorts and a tshirt. Definitely wear comfortable shoes for a lot of walking, leave the pretty, strappy sandals at the resort and put on some tennis shoes.
The best Mayan ruins tours in Cancun include a swim in a sacred cenote so pro tip, wear your bathing suit under your comfortable cotton shorts and tees and bring a change of clothes. Less time messing about in the changing rooms and more time enjoying the majesty of a cenote in the Yucatan.
Choosing a Mayan ruins tour may seem confusing when you start to look at all the options available online. The top 4 Mayan ruins sites from Cancun are Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba and Ek Balam, each with its own distinct charm and fascinating history.
A Chichen Itza tour from Cancun brings you to the most well known and the most visited site, it is world-famous as one of the most important cities of the Mayan civilization. It’s usually a great place to start your journey of learning and a tour to Chichen Itza is going to wow you with all the impressive structures and treasures of the site. All roads lead to Chichen Itza, literally, the “sac be” or “white roads” that lead to other sites in the peninsula lead a trail to this majestic site.
For the best photos of Mayan ruins sites, take guided tour of Tulum. The views are absolutely out of this world, a soaring cliff with a pyramid set atop overlooking the turquoise Mexican Caribbean Sea will make your Instagram followers swoon.
The archaeological site of Coba is a world still mostly hidden by the protective arms of the jungle. A Coba tour from Cancun lets you enter the jungle world and discover the ancient structures that peek through and are lovingly restored little by little by dedicated archaeologists. Walk through the ball court and take an invigorating jungle bike ride to view the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan, Nohoch Mul.
A guided tour of Ek Balam from Cancun is the most immersive way to explore the Mayan ruins. You will climb to the top of the extraordinary Acropolis and find the truly spectacular tomb of a king. An Ek Balam tour from Cancun is an intimate look at the Mayan world, small groups and few visitors make this a really cool day trip. Add on the cenote swim and it is a truly unique Cancun tour.
Book your Mayan ruins tour from Cancun with Happy Tours Cancun and fall in love with the mystery and magic of the Mayan world.
Overall, it was great to see Chichen Itza and the cenote at Hibuku. This tour is an extremely long day due to the distance that you need to travel. We were gone 13 hours from our resort from start to finish. There were a few things that I feel Happy Tours could have done better….first, they were 15 min late for pickup. It would have been nice to get a text or call to advise that driver was running late. Second, they did this big song and dance about how it was so important to have biodegradable bug spray and sun lotion for the cenote so we spent $25 to buy it from the tour guides. When we got dressed and put all this stuff on for cenote, the people at the cenote make you shower it off BEFORE you get in the cenote….so what was the point of having to purchase this stuff. Third, the lunch was ok but we felt rushed. And Fourth, the advertised Open Bar is only a couple drinks during lunch, which was all of 30 min. On other tours I have been on, open bar means they provide drinks throughout the whole tour. In fact the last time I did this tour 4 years ago, they had water and beer available on the bus and throughout the day. This tour does not provide anything except during the 30 minute lunch time. With all that said, the tour guides were very knowledgeable and shared lots of information with a little humor baked in. I would probably try another tour outfit next time based on the 4 points above. I was expecting more based on my prior experience.
Read moreEverything was great start to finish! Sam and Gustavo were amazing guides, they made the whole experience fun and educational. Lunch was great. We were entertained basically the whole time. Luis did a great job with the driving. It was smooth sailing. Every activity was organized perfectly which made it easier to relax. You don't have to plan or think about what's next. They do the planning and you relax and have fun.
Read moreGreat service, didn't get to do one of my tours due to weather conditions but they communicated very well and kept me up to date on everything. No issues with refunded. Airport pickup was prompt and without any hassle. Would highly recommend
Read moreTour guide was great, however the tour was too long. 12 hours from pick up to drop off. .
Our guide and driver were excellent, the bus comfortable and air-conditioned as advertised. All went beyond our expectations, as the guide, Gabriela, offered just the right balance of information and humour. Chichen Itza was awesome though it was the Cenote at Hubiku with the amazing lunch buffet that was the highlight for us -- as vegetarians we thought it wouldn't be very exciting but it was varied and delicious! And the final though brief visit to Valladolid was wonderful with more tequila tasting and clean bathrooms, plus vendors selling delicious nuts outside the bus. If we had one suggestion, it might be to lengthen the stop in Valladolid -- although after a very long day it was also just right. We even caught Mexican dancers in the square! I would've loved to visit the chapel, so our next trip -- always save something, so you'll return, as the saying goes. We were so happy we'd booked with them! Help build this Happy company -- we love their professional and friendly service!
Read moreVery friendly and courteous service
Our tour guide and bus driver were excellent! It was a ling but very satisfying day.
Very good tour; the guide guy was very knowledgeable, funny and respectfully. The bus was very clean, good driving
