Welcome to Yucatán - Mayan communities & heritage 10 day trip

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Trip Designed by

Karen Quintero

A proud Mexican hailing from the small city of Tlaxcala. Over the past four years, she has been dedicated to exploring the diverse landscapes of Mexico and has developed a profound appreciation for the authentic Mexico she has come to adore. It's a Mexico brimming with culture, natural wonders, and warm-hearted people. What sets her apart is her commitment to traveling with a positive impact and forging meaningful connections. Karen is eager to share her wealth of experiences and knowledge to assist you in crafting an authentic journey through Mexico that reflects her passion and values.

Meet our travel guides

Ek Balam Archaeological Site & swim in a cenote
Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World
Yaxunah: Hammock weaving workshop Yaxunah

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Day 1 | Arrival in Cancún and Transfer to Valladolid

Drive your car from Cancún International Airport to Valladolid. You will enjoy a walking tour of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes through the heart of Valladolid's historic center.

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Day 2 | Ek Balam Archaeological Site & swim in a cenote

Visit to the archeological site of Ek Balam. After the visit, ride a bike for a 1.5-mile tour to get to a beautiful cenote.

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Day 3 | Explore Chichén Itzá: A Wonder of the Mayan World

Discover the legacy of the ancient Mayan civilization at the impressive archaeological site of Chichén Itzá, followed by a hammock weaving workshop in Yaxunah and a free afternoon in Mérida.

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Day 4 | Explore the Celestún Biosphere Reserve

Drive from Mérida to Celestún, an eco-tourist paradise. Upon arrival, embark on a boat trip at the mouth of the Esperanza River in the Gulf of Mexico, where you will experience a unique natural ecosystem teeming with ducks migrating from Canada, fish, pelicans, pink or Caribbean flamingos, and 234 other mammal species. Afterward, visit the "ojo de agua," where you can swim through natural tunnels formed by branches.

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Day 5 | Uxmal, a city with Puuc style

Your local guide will take you on a tour of approximately one hour and a half through the architectural history of Uxmal, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mayan world, meaning 'thrice-built'. Afterward, enjoy a tour of approximately one hour and a half through the architectural history of Uxmal. Visit the Chocolate Museum 'Choco-Story' in Uxmal to learn about the history of chocolate in Mayan culture, explore the chocolate-making process, and taste different types of chocolate. The museum offers educational exhibits and demonstrations related to cacao cultivation, chocolate production, and the significance of chocolate in Mayan society.

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Day 6 | Welcome to Bacalar!

Over the course of an hour, you will learn the technique of extracting henequen fiber (called sisal in Maya Kiij), a skill inherited from ancestors and taught by the community's grandfather, who continues to share his knowledge of the process and its daily use. Afterwards, enjoy some free time in Bacalar and its famous 'Lagoon of Seven Colors', named for its variety of blue shades.

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Day 7 | Visit Calakmul in the Biosphere Reserve and the local community of El Veinte

Visit the archaeological site of Calakmul, an impressive city in the middle of the jungle designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the highest pyramid of the site, towering 147 feet (45 meters) above the forest floor. Climb to the top to enjoy incredible views of the endless sea of green jungle. On the way back, visit a local community for a traditional lunch and a cultural workshop.

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Day 8 | Welcome to Tulum!

Enjoy a free afternoon in Tulum. This destination has become very popular in recent years due to its beautiful beaches with turquoise waters, vibrant nightlife, and delicious international cuisine. During your afternoon in this town, you can visit some of the stunning beaches, nearby cenotes, or the famous avenue lined with restaurants, bars, and boutiques.

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Day 9 | The Ancient Canal Experience in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve with transportation from Tulum

Visit the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, which in Mayan means "a place where the sky is born", to experience The Ancient Canal Experience. This recreation of a Mayan trade route involves navigating from the Caribbean Sea through a lagoon system connected by canals and natural waterways. You will visit Capelchen Lagoon where, with a little luck, you may observe manatees and crocodiles in their natural habitat. To conclude the tour, visit the coast of Boca Paila beach to observe the contrast between the water of the lagoon system and the ocean.

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Day 10 | Transfer to Cancún International Airport

We suggest waking up early, sitting on one of the beaches, and enjoying the majestic show our planet offers every day. You'll have a free morning to relax, then at the scheduled time, you'll drive your rental car to Cancún Airport where your local host will assist you with returning the car.

FAQs

Many travelers interested in the itinerary "Welcome to Yucatán - Mayan communities & heritage trip" had these common questions. If you have a question that isn't here please, feel free to email us at contacto@rutopia.com, and we will be happy to assist you with any questions you might have about this or other custom made itineraries.

Sabrina N

Perfect

For those who don't like to manage logistics like hotels, rental cars, activities. And above all, to have someone who speaks fluent French that we can reach at any time for the unexpected... You are in the right place! Thank you to Chloe for the preparation of our trip, to Melina our Ariadne's thread and Teresa for her welcome and help at the arrival and departure. A big thank you to Enrique and Blanca from Nuevo-Durango for their welcome, their smiles, their family, a lot of emotions at the time to leave you. Thanks to Mémo for your teaching of Mexican customs (Sian Ka'an) The Yucatan is a magnificent region. And the population is very pleasant. Only downside Holbox... Too much dust, too much smell of fuel oil, too much tourist. I will keep in memory these wonderful moments!

pascalrichard0304

Circuit in Yucatan

Discovering wonderful and surprising sites, Mayan communities with an unforgettable welcome, breathtaking landscapes, a very pleasant climate in the middle of March...and smiling people! A big thank you to Rutopia and his team for the elaboration of this ideal circuit, alternating nature, city life, simplicity and comfort. Thanks to Mélina for the follow-up during our trip. We don't speak Spanish well enough, and we appreciated having a French-speaking contact person who could be reached if necessary. We still have a lot to discover and hope to come back very soon, and with Rutopia without hesitation!

Claudia A

Super organization, great accommodations and nice team

The trip was perfectly organized, we were always exclusive or in very small groups and had freedom to do our own activities. All accommodations were fantastic and sustainable, the food almost always local and very good, we could always fill our Rutopia water bottles and travel as plastic free as possible. We were met at the airport and had assistance getting a rental car. After that, we traveled independently but had our fixed dates and reservations with Rutopia. It was the perfect mix!

Mikel D

The best moment lived in Mexico

We were traveling as a group of friends with nothing organized. We like to improvise and be able to find alternative plans to the conventional tourist routes. We arrived in Puerto Escondido - Mexico's paradise - and started looking for options. A Mexican friend recommended us to contact Rutopia and we did. We explained our way of traveling - which they quickly understood - and in a few hours they came to us with a perfect selection of activities. We chose one of them and the next day we found ourselves galloping through beautiful hills, crossing a small lagoon in canoes, bathing on an unspoiled beach at sunset and sipping freshly picked coconuts with some mezcal. We had dinner in the only hut on the beach, eating fish that had been caught that day from the lagoon. Then we went to see the luminescence of the placton with paddle canoes until we were surprised by one of the biggest and reddest moons I have ever seen in my life. We ended up sleeping in bamboo huts a few meters from the waves. There were no more than 5 huts on the miles of beach that we could see. And at ALL times with an exquisite treatment - sympathy, kindness and attention. This is just one of the plans we booked with Rutopia, which definitely changed the course of our trip. Without a doubt, I would repeat this experience in any place I would like to visit in Mexico. Viva Mexico!

Alexhcros1500

Super local agency

We have worked with Rutopia for several tours in Mexico in the Yucatán and Chiapas and we have never been disappointed. Authentic experiences, with locals, in magical places and off the beaten tourist track. Our contact Marisol was always super available and responsive, understanding and anticipating our desires. And she speaks very good French. I highly recommend Rutopia!

Bikø J

Chiapas, Neri and her family

I traveled to Chiapas for an ecotourism experience with Rutopia and I liked it very much, the team responds very quickly to all questions and accompany the traveler throughout the experience, I missed my flight and they were very flexible to accommodate the entire itinerary, My destination was the lakes of Tziscao, where I was received by Neri with his family in very nice cabins next to a lake with incredible views and a magnificent tranquility, with them you make experiences of beekeeping and coffee and tours to nearby lakes, Montebello is a must! 100% recommended.

DaniEla

Just wonderful!

We had an amazing trip excellent organized by Jorge and supervised by Melina from Rutopia. We spent 10 days in Mexico, starting in Ciudad de Mexico where we visited the amazing Teotihuacan and then we flew to Yucatan for the amazing sites of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Ek Balam, Tulum, Merida, Valladolid and the great Island Holbox. The trip was perfectly organized, the hotels were very good, and the guides were carefully chosen. We highly recommend Rutopia and especially Jorge! Leer menos

David

Journey to Mexico City, Cholula and Cuetzalan

We had a wonderful time. We started out in Mexico City with a 2 day tour filled with museums, food, and beautiful sights. We then went on to Cholula to experience the culture in a smaller town, see a local market, and eat traditional food. We finished the tour in a small town called Cuetzalan, where most people speak an indigenous language. All of our guides were great. Thank you for a memorable vacation!

Elena R.

A literally perfect trip to the Yucatan peninsula

Tom and I knew we wanted to go to Mexico. We knew we wanted a little bit of culture, some wildlife, and maybe a splash in the ocean. That's it. With the vague and minimal information we gave them, Rutopia was able to put together a perfect trip for us. We had a flawless itinerary. It's so clear that Rutopia really cares about the communities (animals and humans) in Mexico. Everything we did and everywhere we stayed felt like they were helping us experience Mexico as authentically and respectfully as possible. It's almost impossible to pick a highlight, but top of the list has to be the day we shared with Enrique, a Mayan host who was unbelievably generous with us. He shared the community gardens, including history and background about the families that live in Nuevo Durango and other nearby communities. He showed us the neighborhood cenotes, Punta Laguna, Uma Nojoch Keej (a wildlife reserve), and more. We picked and prepared the plants as Enrique and his wife Blanca showed us the best way to cook them (and rescued us when we were pricked by the nopales!). We saw howler monkeys and spider monkeys in the wild which was very cool. That had to be the very best day, but every day was amazing. Sian Ka'an reserve was lovely, the Mayan ruins were spectacular, the snorkeling in Puerto Morelos was fabulous, the bicycle cenote tour was jaw'droppingly gorgeous. I'm waxing superlative but it really all was like a dream. Beyond the activities, the scheduling and pace was perfect for us. We felt like we really made the most of our six days, but with enough downtime to explore and enjoy at our leisure. From picking up our car at the airport to finding our accommodation, the logistics were very smooth at every interaction. Special shoutout to Melina who pretty much instantly helped us when we had any questions about the trip. We've never used a travel planning service like this before. But after this trip, we'll never go back to the old way!

Varadarajan

Fantastic Will do it again

My wife and I had a fantastic holiday in Mexico thanks to Marisol, Ana, Teresa and their colleagues & partners. The entire itinerary and arrangements were put together in less than 4 days. What we really liked about Marisol & her team was that they were only a message or a phone call away for any query/suggestion, etc. The trip was bespoke to the extent that Rutopia had kept in mind about our interests, food habits & executed bookings, tours. They were also very flexible in catering to last minute changes/requests. The team took upon them to ensure that our entire trip was comfortable & safe by taking care of even small stuff that one normally finds out post getting to a place. We would definitely like to use their services again!!

Sue G

Mayan Site Tour in Yucatan Penninsula Mexico

Rutopia did an outstanding job with the arrangement and execution of a 9 day tour of Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. We provided Rutopia with the general parameters of the trip we wanted and they suggested an itinerary. After our approval, they set up the hotels, transportation within Mexico, and site tours. The hotels were good quality, and all of the drivers and tour guides showed up on time. We were very impressed with the quality of the tour guides and learned a lot on the trip. Jorge handled setting up the itinerary, and Melina handled the execution of the trip and was readily available via WhatsApp throughout the trip for any questions or issues. Melina was particularly helpful in changing our transportation arrangements to the airport at the last minute per our request. I would recommend Rutopia and would use them again for future trips.

Cat839

Great experience with this agency, totally recommend!

Great experience with this agency. Our tour in Mexico was perfect and organised with great passion and precision. Special thanks to Mel (our direct contact during the trip) for being super responsive and to Jorge Barbosa (our tour guide in Mexico City). Totally recommend this tour operator!

Adventures in the Yucatán!

Such an amazing time in the Yucatán! Between floating in the mangroves to visiting Chichén Itzá to spending a whole day on the beach in El Cuyo, I couldn’t have planned a better trip without their help. Thank you so much for an unforgettable birthday vacation!! Simply amazing! Don’t think twice about having them help you plan your next vacation!

Kris S.

Enjoyed using Rutopia

Enjoyed using Rutopia (Marisol and Melina) to plan my trip to Mexico. Marisol helped me figure out the best options fand booked everything. Melina was my in country support. Rutopia (the company through Kim Kim) is great and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take the burden out of vacation planning. My son and I truly enjoyed the trip knowing everything was taken care of and we just had to have fun. Thanks!

Victoria O.

Two Weeks in Mexico

Seamless transfers, excellent hotels particularly in Mexico city and Puebla, combined with various cultural and food tours. Particular highlights were the cultural/food tours in Mexico city and Puebla (also including the anthropology museum in Mexico city), and the rural tours in Oaxaca where we visited textile workshops, mescal producers and participated in a cooking class using traditional equipment. Also, although we didn't need it, the on call remote assistance was reassuring. I would definitely recommend Rutopia.

Welcome to Yucatán - Mayan communities & heritage trip

Itinerary Highlights