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Mexico Private Tours, Tailor Made: Mayan Ruins - Palenque + Chichen Itza + Tulum

Mexico City + San Cristobal to Yucatan (privately guided)

12 NIGHTS FROM:

$3,106

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

XPA12M

• Mexico Private Tours, Tailor Made

• Mexico City

• Teotihuacan Pyramids

• Tuxtla & Sumidero Canyon

• San Cristobal

• Mayan Ruins

• Palenque Temple

• Campeche

• Chichen Itza

• Tulum beaches

Our Mexico private tours can be tailor made to your needs. Explore the archaelogical treasures of Mexico City, then fly to San Cristobal and travel through the Yucatan Peninsula with your own driver/guide, viewing the Mayan ruins at Palenque, Uxmal & Chichen Itza. Also visit lovely Campeche, before relaxing on the turquoise beaches of the Riviera Maya at Tulum. English speaking guide, all transfers & excursions included.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

Arrive at Mexico City Airport where you will be met and transferred to this high altitude city, that is the oldest capital in the Americas and one of the largest cities in the world.

Check into your hotel and embrace this colourful and vibrant city, originally established by the Aztec Indians (the 'Mexica').

Days 2 To 3

This morning enjoy a private tour of the highlights of Mexico City.

At the heart of the city is the Zócalo (or Plaza de la Constitución), a huge central square built by the conquering Spanish over the ceremonial centre of the vanquished Aztec city of Tenochtitlán. Ruins of their 13th century Templo Mayor can be seen here, as well as the baroque Metropolitan Cathedral built by the Spanish and outside views of the National Palace, which is the residence of the president. There is a dense concentration of museums and art galleries in this area.

West of the Zócalo, the historic centre stretches through the main commercial district and past the National Art Museum to the Tower of Latin America skyscraper and the Opera House / Palace of Fine Arts, with its magnificent Art Deco interior. Both overlook Alameda Central Park, which is the oldest public park in Mexico.

At the end of your tour you will be dropped off at the world class National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepac Park. This museum is not to be missed, with its many ancient Olmec, Aztec, Mayan and other pre-Colombian artefacts - including the Stone of the Sun (the Aztec calendar stone) and the statue of Xochipilli.

Afterwards make your own way back to your hotel, with balance of day at leisure.

Note: Try and avoid visiting museums on a Sunday, as they are free for locals so very crowded.

Day 4

Transfer to Mexico City Airport for your flight to the Chiapas state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

You will be met at Tuxtla Airport and transferred 1.5-hours to San Cristobal de las Casas, one of Mexico's oldest colonial cities situated in the Central Highlands.

Along the way we stop at the Sumidero Canyon, one of the most spectacular natural reserves in Mexico with steep walls of calcareous rock rising above 1,000 m, caves and waterfalls. Enjoy a shared boat ride on the dam, where you may see crocodiles, monkeys and abundant birdlife.

We also visit the small town of Chiapa de Corzo, with its 16th century Mudejar fountain known as La Pila and Spanish colonial architecture with Arabic influences.

Afterwards continue to San Cristobal, which is also known by its local name of Jovel. Nestled in a small valley surrounded by hills, it is the cultural capital of the state of Chiapas.

Note: Outlook points at the Sumidero Canyon are closed on Tuesdays.

Day 5

This morning we explore the charming colonial city of San Cristobal de la Casas, which has a local market where hundreds of indigenous people sell their textiles and handicrafts. We visit the cathedral on the northern side of the pretty main square, with its lavish gold-encrusted pulpit. We then walk a few blocks along narrow winding streets lined with red-tiled houses, to the impressive Santo Domingo Church founded in 1547 with its intricate pink façade and gilded Baroque interior.

After browsing in the handicraft market in front of the church, where Tzotzil Indians from the surrounding hills come to trade, we head to two indigenous villages in the Chiapas highlands. In San Juan Chamula we visit a beautiful white church where the blending of pre-Hispanic traditions and Catholicism is evident in its rituals and where ceremonies are held to counter the influence of paganism.

San Lorenzo Zinacantán on the other hand is very loyal to the Catholic faith and is known for its traditional textiles and indigenous population. The men wear pink/red jackets with embroidery and tassels, and the women wear vivid pale blue shawls and navy skirts. Every day at midday, the women prepare a communal meal that the men eat in shifts.

In these villages you can see backstrap weaving, the making of tortilla and many other aspects of village life. You can enjoy a simple but tasty meal cooked on a hotplate over an open fire and sample local tortilla. If you are adventurous, you can try a shot of 'pox' - a very strong ancient Mayan alcoholic drink made from sugarcane flavoured with cinnamon and hibiscus flower.

Note: Please be aware it is regarded as very disrespectful to take photographs of indigenous people without their permission. They are particularly sensitive to inappropriate dress, so don’t wear shorts or revealing clothing. In Chamula you are not allowed to take photos inside the church.

Day 6

A full day on the road today as you transfer 8-hours from San Cristobal to Palenque, travelling via Tuxtla and Villahermosa.

Palenque is the largest Mayan city ever discovered in Mexico, with some of the countries best Mayan temples.

It is situated deep in the dense jungle, far from the outside world, giving it a wonderful atmosphere. Lunch is for your own account today.

Day 7

This morning we visit the famous Palenque Ruins enclosed by the Chiapanecan jungle, before driving 5-hours to the historic colonial port of Campeche.

Palenque is a relatively small archaeological site dating from around 226 BC to 799 AD, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings that the Mayans ever produced and much of their history has been reconstructed from reading the hieroglyphic inscriptions on these monuments. The most famous ruler of Palenque was Pakal the Great, whose tomb containing his astonishing jade green death mask has been excavated in the Temple of the Inscriptions. Less than 10% of this ancient city has been excavated so far, leaving over a thousand structures still to be discovered.

Afterwards we drive through the pretty fishing village of Sabancuy to Campeche with its captivating port filled with naval history, Spanish Baroque architecture and aging beauty.

Day 8

This morning we explore the cobbled streets and walled historic district of the harbour city of Campeche on a walking tour.

After nearly a century of invasion by French, Dutch and English pirates, this city was fortified by the Spanish in 1686 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 1,000 buildings of historical significance. It is one of the most photogenic cities in Mexico. Its preserved fortifications include Fort San Miguel, which is today home to the Campeche Archaeological Museum. Here you will see artefacts from various Mayan sites, including Edzná and Isla de Jaina.

Afterwards we travel 2.5-hours to Mérida, the cultural capital of the Yucatán Peninsula since the Spanish conquest.

Along the way we stop at the Mayan ruins at Kabah, the second largest site in the Puuc region after Uxmal. Only a small portion of this site has been excavated, so there are many massive pyramids hidden in the jungle all around you. The most famous structure here is the "Palace of the Masks", which is elaborately decorated with stone masks of the long-nosed rain god, Chaac. Across the road is a large arch thought to have been the main entrance to the city.

We then visit the ruins at Uxmal (meaning 'built in three stages'), an ancient Mayan city known for its rounded architecture, intricate latticework and palaces arranged around patios and courtyards. These homes are richly sculptured and decorated with thousands of small polished stones, set in geometric mosaics. The key buildings on this archaeological site include the Fortune Teller’s Pyramid, the Governor’s Palace and the Quadrangle of the Nuns.

At the end of the day we continue to Mérida - known as the 'White City'. This is a town steeped in history with narrow streets, broad central plazas, thriving markets and the region’s best museums. It has colonial houses as well as homes that date back to the beginning of the last century in Arabic, French and Italian styles, thanks to the wealth generated from the sisal trade.

Day 9

This morning enjoy a half day private tour of the historical centre of Mérida.

From the Zócalo (main square) you can admire some of the city’s most important buildings - the Cathedral, Government Palace, Municipal Palace and Francisco de Montejo’s house. Don’t miss the 'Monument to the Homeland', a wonderful sculpture that tells the story of the Yucatan and the country on its carved stone surfaces, before heading down El Paseo de Montejo, a beautiful wide avenue modelled on the Champs Elysees in Paris, with many grand colonial buildings.

Afterwards we drive 30-minutesto the archaeological site at Dzibilchaltun, originally known as Ch'iy Chan Ti'Ho and one of the oldest Mayan sites in the Yucatan. It is renowned for the appearance of the sun shining through the doorway of the Temple of the Seven Dolls on the spring equinox.

The rest of your afternoon is free to explore Merida independently.

Day 10

Today we leave Merida and drive 3.5-hours to your Tulum beach resort on the spectacular Mayan Riviera.

Along the way we visit Chichen Itza (meaning 'Entrance to the Witches Well'), the most visited Mayan ruins in all of Mexico. It was the focal point of the Northern Mayan empire from AD 600 until AD 1200 and had an extremely diverse population, as a result of which you can see a wide variety of architectural styles at this site. .

The most spectacular structure is El Castillo Pyramid (or Kukulcán Temple) with its rich cosmological symbolism - it has 365 steps (number of days in a solar year), 52 rectangles (years in a Mayan century) and 18 terraces (months of their religious calendar). During the spring and autumn equinox, its ingenious structure results in the sun creating the illusion of a serpent crawling down the steps of the pyramid - making it one of the great wonders of the ancient world. Other structures include the enormous Ball Court, the Observatory, Temple of a Thousand Columns, Warrior’s Temple, Convent of the Nuns, El Mercado (market place) and the Sacred Cenote (pool) where human sacrifices were carried out.

After an included lunch we drive to the Mayan Riviera, visiting Cenote Saamai along the way, where there is time for a refreshing swim. Afterwards you will be dropped off your beach resort at Tulum. Check in and relax on the shores of the warm Caribbean Sea with its turquoise waters, sandy beaches and wonderful snorkelling and diving.

Days 11 To 12

At leisure to relax at your tropical resort on the spectacular Mayan Riviera, lapped by the crystal clear turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

The Great Mayan Reef (Mesoamerican Barrier Reef) stretches from the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula to the islands off the coast of Honduras and is the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere. Hundreds of species of fish and many endangered and protected marine animals are found here – including loggerhead, leatherback, green, hawksbill and Olive Ridley sea turtles, and West Indian manatees – making this a paradise for snorkelling and diving. It is possible to swim with whale sharks from June to September.

There are many optional activities in this holiday town, including day visits to snorkel at Xel-Ha waterpark (the largest natural aquarium in the world); zip-lining at Xplor adventure park; visits to the famous archaeological sites at Tulum, Chichen Itza or Coba; the Mayan caves in Aktun Chen; Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve and the Xcaret cultural theme park.

Try a Mayan spa treatment or simply stroll along the beach and absorb the holiday atmosphere of this town with its wide variety of bars, restaurants and shops.

Day 13

Transfer 2-hours to Cancun Airport for your flight home.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

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