Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, And Hubiku Cenote- Small Group

Office (support) is pretty uptight and sometimes rude in communication. Asked them if we can go back with the rest of the group further away form the pick up point - got “we are not the transportation company”. Chicken Itza was closed the day we got there due to the protests, but it was handled gracefully and we got plenty of attention. Went to Coba instead and enjoyed the whole experience. Your is nicely timed and there’s fresh cold water available at any time. Jesus, our guide, is knowledgeable and entertaining. Good experience overall if you just accept that your is 45USD more expensive. That’s what they claim to be an entrance ticket to Chichen Itza. All other entrance fees are included into the tour cost, but that one. In our case, even when Chichen Itza was actually closed, there was no refund.

This was among one of the best trips and needs to be experienced in person. It was an amazing and very informative day thanks to our tour guides Jesus ,Tonancy and Juan our driver . Jesus who was our guide was extremely knowledgeable and explained things so well and was so helpful Chichen Itza is an very impressive historical site that really has to be seen whilst in Mexico we then visited Ek Balam a smaller but just as exciting and is deep in the forest it was an extremely hot day and a long one so the Cenote was a brilliant way to cool down with a swim afterwards and this was followed by an amazing lunch Would highly recommend this tour also being in small group made it more personal

Fabulous excursion with tour guide Jesus, Tonancy and driver Juan. Guides are very knowledgeable and engaging. Chichen Itza is an amazing site, we arrived early so not too busy. Ek Balaam is more tranquil and located in an unspoilt jungle setting so a lot of colourful birds and iguanas. We had a very informative guided tour of both sites. Lastly, we stopped at the beautiful cenote for a dip and a late lunch. The food was delicious and plentiful. It was a very long day but one I would highly recommend if you want to experience Mayan history and culture with excellent guides who went above and beyond to make the day memorable.

Thank you so much to Jesus, Tonancy and Juan. We spent an amazing time. They brought us to beautiful cultural places and took care of picking the right timing to be sure it wouldn’t be crowed. I enjoyed Ek Balam which was more intimate. Special thank you to Jesus our guide, we laughed a lot, you made that day a special one for us, thank you my friend.

Be prepared for a long day, but it is packed full of amazing locations! Make sure to pack a variety of clothing (bathing suit, towels, and sandals for the Cenote; comfortable clothes and shoes for the ruins; and a rain jacket in case it pours down rain like it did for us). It started with an early morning pickup. We stopped at a gas station for coffee/snacks/bathrooms, then drove the more than 2 hours to Chichen Itza. While driving, our guide, Gabriel, reviewed a lot of the history of Chichen Itza and did a Mayan math lesson. Gabriel took a lot of photos for everyone in our group, and made sure that we saw as much as possible. At the Cenote, we changed in locker rooms, swam for 30 minutes, and went through a buffet. We then drove the 1.5 hours to Coba. Unfortunately for us, it was a torrential downpour in Coba, but we bought ponchos and walked through anyway. You have the option of renting bikes ($5 USD) or a bike taxi (seats 2 and costs $15 USD). It’s a pretty long walk, but it wasn’t too bad (not hilly or anything). The ride home was mostly quiet as everyone rested and was dropped off. Make sure to bring some cash if you want to rent the bikes or take a taxi. And also bring some cash for a tip for the guides! But almost all of the vendors take card, so you don’t need cash for buying any souvenirs.

Great day out, long but it was worth it. We've got pick up very early by our guide Jesús who was punctual and arrived with a big smile. After picking up the rest of the group we made our our way to Chichen Itza. Here Jesús gave us a comprehensive tour of the entire complex, giving a lot of details and answering all our questions. We then drove to the cenote which is next to the restaurant where we had lunch. We had enough time to do both activities and after we drove to Ekbalam where we spent another amazing time talking about the complex and exploring around. Again Jesús gave us a very comprehensive tour and answered all our questions. We finished with a long drive back and despite arriving at our resort very tired we had an amazing day and an unforgettable experience. Big thank you to Jesús who drove us around all day.

Antonio was absolutely outstanding. What we expected to be a simple guided visit turned into a true history class. His depth of knowledge, clarity of explanation, and ability to connect historical events with cultural context made the entire experience unforgettable. It genuinely felt like attending a live lecture, engaging, dynamic, and full of passion. On top of that, his English was excellent. He explained complex historical concepts clearly and fluently, making everything easy to understand and enjoyable to follow. If you want more than just a tour, if you want to truly understand what you’re seeing, Antonio is the guide you hope for. Highly recommended.

Our tour guides were very friendly and informative, we had a lot of fun! Easy to communicate with for drop off and pick up- very accommodating to meeting you where you are staying. Leaving early in the morning to get to Chichen Itza before the crowds was DEFINITELY a good idea! Would book with them again.

It is a long day but worth it! We are in our late 60s and early 70s did everything but climb ek balam. Amazing.

My friends & I had a great tour of Chichen-Itza, Ek Balam, & Cenote Hubiku with our tour guide Antonio. The tour transport showed up on-time. Antonio gave us an informative tour of each site & complete with lots of images & other data on a tablet. Was a long day, but well worth it.

Jesus and Nouri have been fantastic guides. Thank you for the great experience, Chichen Itza and Coba have both been amazing places.

We had a tour with Jesus, Juan and Miguel. Juan was a great driver. Jesus and Miguel did a great job with explaining the history of the area and the people. We enjoyed all of the stops. Especially swimming at the Cenote!

Manuel and Jesus were amazing, knowledgeable and funny. They’re easy to understand and very polite. Charming as well! The trip itself is ambitious but really fun and with well thought out stops so you’re rested for your next stop. No problems with the transportation, our driver, Juan, was very professional and sweet.

Bring a towel and make sure you bring $$ Our tour guide Gabriel was fantastic. Upbeat positive energy and very good at taking pictures. He knows the best spots for great photographs. Our driver was also #1 picking us up 5:05

We had a small tour group of ten people including ourselves, with me and my partner being the only two English speakers. Luckily this meant we got a tour guide just for us, essentially a private tour of both historical areas! Our guide was Gabriel and he was very knowledgeable and friendly. He explained the history and helped us find the best views of the sites. Water was provided at every stop, and snacks and juice was always available. The drive was easy out of the cities, and the tour guide stopped for restrooms about every 2-3 hours. The Cenote was at the end and a good thing too, after climbing up the archeological site you will want to shower and change into a new set of clothes. Definitely the best tour to hit both historical sites.

Our guide was excellent gave us all kinds of history took lots of pictures and everybody was impressed with both Mayan sights. The cenote was amazing. The only improvement I could ask for is pick up and drop off location for our resort.

The day was very long, but it was worth every minute! Chichen Itza is one of the wonders of the world, a world heritage site, and should be on everyone’s bucket list! We managed to pick a day that was not very crowded in the morning and the company got us there right at opening, so the crowds were later in the day. Our trip to the Cenote was magical. Lunch was good and plentiful. It should have been noted in the brochure that drinks were extra, even the non-alcoholic offerings were charged. However, we had delightful watermelon juice, and we’re very pleased. Even though it rained buckets the whole time we were in Ek Balam, it was worth the trek to the giant castles to see the tomb of the Jaguar King. Our guide Gabriel was very pleasant and very attentive to everyone’s needs. His English was excellent and we were very fortunate to have him as a guide! What a memorable day.

I originally booked a tour to Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, and Hubiku Cenote, but due to heavy rain, the itinerary had to be changed to Chichen Itza, Coba, and Ik Kil Cenote. The company was incredibly communicative and proactive — they informed us of the change in advance and made sure we were fully on board. I truly appreciated how organized and thoughtful they were! Our tour guide, Jesús, was outstanding. He was so kind, knowledgeable, and passionate about the history of the sites. He made the entire experience feel personal and engaging — I walked away having learned so much. Marisela, our driver, was just as amazing — warm, friendly, and always checking to make sure we were comfortable. Her energy really set the tone for a smooth and enjoyable day. Despite the change in plans, everything ran perfectly. Coba was an unexpected highlight, and Ik Kil was absolutely stunning. I highly recommend this tour company to anyone visiting the area — professional, friendly, and truly focused on creating a great experience. Thank you for such a memorable day!

We had a 6:40 pick up time but it was worth it as there were not many people at Chichen Itza. It was starting to get crowded when we left at around 11:30. We were also the only tour group at the Hubiku Cenote. Really enjoyed Ek Balam. We were able to climb to the top of one of the pyramids- the view was excellent. Jesus was an excellent tour guide.

This was our second time taking the tour with this company. Like last year, it was worth every penny! We were in a small group - our family of three plus four others. Pickup was prompt and easy. We got to Chichén Itzá even before they opened. Being early was extra nice, since the ubiquitous vendors were still setting up for the day and we didn't need to fend off as many of the usual determined sales pitches. ;) Our guide, Jesus, gave us great information. He also has some magical powers and somehow was able to be everywhere at once! We came with our autistic adult daughter who has to move at her own pace. He moved between the main group and ours, and even gave up his usual "free hour" to make sure we didn't miss any of the high points or the parts most interesting to our daughter. The cenote, lunch and visit to Ek Balam was as good as we remember from last year. Most of the other tours include lunch and some kind of tequila tasting, which does not interest us at all. So having Ek Balam on the itinerary is a huge selling point. Our driver, Juan, was super attentive and on the ball. He paid attention when our daughter needed to go back to the van and came closer to pick her up, kept the AC running, etc. On the way back, we got a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere. Juan and Jesus jumped out and chanced the tyre in no time. We didn't even have to get out of the van! And 20 minutes later, we were back on the road. I still highly recommend this tour company. Both of our experiences with them have been amazing and we wjll definitely be back!

Mayan Riviera Tours canceled less than 24 hours before the tour, saying maintenance was going on at Ek Balam. There was no maintenance. This is the excuse they use when they don't have enough people sign up, as another reviewer also experienced. STEER CLEAR! We were notified at 2PM the day before pickup. Because we were at a wedding event, we didn't see it until about 7PM when it was too late to reschedule with another company.

Definitely a five-star tour! The sites were incredible, our guide Gabriel was super friendly and very knowledgeable, Alberto the driver did his job well, the van was clean and nice, and the price was very reasonable. I absolutely would recommend this tour.

Antonio and Alberto were really great guides. Knowledgeable, attentive to our needs, accommodating. If I can choose tour guides and n my next tour I will specifically ask for Antonia and Alberto.

The tour guide made our day a great one! She was knowledgeable, professional, and well prepared. She helped us take amazing pictures and explained Myan culture and traditions.

Our guide was excellent!! He explained the ruins very well and had some very interesting stories about them. We will come back to go on more tours.

Our experience for Chichen Itza, Cenote Hubiku, and Ek Balam was fantastic! Our guides were helpful, informative, and fun. The travel was easy and we learned a lot more than going on our own at Ek Balam or waiting in lines at Chichen Itza. The day was long with a 5:30 AM pick up, but the comfortable van and expert driving made the day go smoothly. If you are planning a trip to archeology sites, but only have 1 day in the region, this is the tour to take. Chichen Itza and Ek Balam are two very distinct sites, but the experiencing the dichotomy between the sites helps you better understand Mayan political culture - two very different city states but linked through trade and history. After picking up fellow travelers in Playa del Carmen and Tulum we started by touring Chichen Itza, staying for about 2 1/2 hours. We then had a relaxing swim at Hubiku Cenote followed by a tasty lunch. Finally we toured a near deserted Ek Balam. It was cool to basically have the site to ourselves and allowed our guides to go in depth on the site's history and importance in the region's archeological development. The ride back was long, but overall the tour was well worth it. We could not have recreated such a smooth day on our own. Huge thank you to our guides and drivers!

Antonio and Juan were amazing. Very relaxed, small group in a comfortable bus. The tour was extremely informative and was definitely the best day of our trip. I would strongly recommend

Fantastic experience hosted by Gabrielle (guide) and Victor (driver). The day is very long but worth it. Learn alot about Mayan culture, Mexico and the geography of the area. Would recommend and repeat anytime! Guide/Driver do their best to accommodate and take care of needs. Strongly suggest the small group option as one doesn't get lost in the mass of humanity.

This is an amazing trip that I highly recommend taking but just be aware it’s very long - you’ll leave before the sun comes up and return after dark. Our children (7 +9) both really enjoyed themselves.

It involves a lot of driving, but it's worth the drive. Chichen Itza is amazing. So is the underground Cenote (Hubiku). Wonderful tour guide. Lot's of interesting facts. If you're looking for souvenirs, the many venders on site have some great things at very reasonable prices.

Excellent driver. Very accommodating. Knowledgeable friendly guide. I would recommend both sites. I would definitely rent a bike or trike a Coba.

We had an amazing time! Our guide, Jesus, was very kind and knowledgeable. He made our excursion exceptional. I really cannot say enough, we could have stayed and chatted with him for days. He was so patient with our questions and did an excellent job explaining everything to us. Not to mention, we had our 4 year old with us and he made sure to include him and see to it that he was comfortable throughout the trip.

Really enjoyed this excursion. Liked that it was a small group (3 couples, 6 in total). The others only spoke Spanish but our group was provided 2 tour guides that spoke both Spanish and English. At the sites, the guides split up the group into Spanish and English as they talked about the sites. It was definitely a long day as we were the first picked up (5 AM) and last dropped off (7:30 PM) but it wasn't too bad as they planned the route with the least wasted travel time, privided water and snacks, as well as stops to use the restroom and stretch our legs. Lunch was buffet style. If you plan on swimming in the cenote, make sure to bring a towel and shoes to wear down to it from the change room. We were given plenty of time at all the attractions and never felt rushed. Would definitely recommend.

I thought about not rating or reviewing for this since the excursion never happened but I also wanted to warn anyone else who books of a possibility. We had booked this trip well in advance and the booking took the payment out on Friday, tour was Monday, on Saturday we received a message through the app from the tour operator that they had to cancel the tour due to maintenance being done on ek balam. And they wouldn’t be able to give us the tour that we were hoping for and an option to join a different tour or a refund. That’s the one ancient ruin that I really wanted to see. I felt a knot in my stomach like something was off. They only gave us 4 hours to decide or get a refund. Well we went to the tour group at the resort and spoke with them. They said no, no maintenance was scheduled for there and that they had just sent a group there that morning. We asked if they had a tour for that monday to there. They said yes and then told us some tour groups off of trip advisor will cancel a trip on people if not enough people signed up for it. We ended up booking it through the hotel and going and having a fantastic time. So beware if not enough people signed up you maybe lied to and have only a couple hours to decide a replacement or change. Hope this helps anyone looking.

We had an amazing time on our tour of Chichen Itza and Ek Balam with our guide Tonantzin. She was super knowledgeable and always friendly and accommodating. I highly recommend this tour!

Trips to Ek Balam are not common so it was great to find this in combination with Chitzen Itza. It is a small group tour, in our case three couples, two Spanish speaking and ourselves English. What we ended up with was effectively a private tour with Lilly as our guide and Hezuz with the Spanish speakers. Starting with Chitzen Itza, Lilly avoided the usual straight to the Pyramid “clap, clap” followed by the Ball Court “clap, clap” again (I have always hated that to be honest and it was the first time in 8 visits it didn’t happen). We started with other areas which were off the main plaza and included the Observatory. Lilly was informative and provided both historical, cultural and spiritual insights. Of course we had the main event and loads of time to wander round ourselves. Ek Balam is lesser known but is the only pyramid you can still climb, with as many steps as Chitzen Itza which is a challenge in the hot sun! What Ek Balam has is the sculptures which are perfect and worth the visit on their own. Also included in the tour was lunch and a visit to the Hubiku Cenote. We didn’t want to swim but there are paths and things to see so we were able to spend our time productively. I have seen comments about the suspension on the van however the problem is the roads and not mechanical, this is just a fact in the area although the trip to the cenote was a bit of a bone shaker! We were picked up and dropped out by our driver, and chief pothole avoider, Alberto and a shout out to him. We would not hesitate in recommending this tour.

it was a long, a bit tiresome yet interesting tour you should not miss. Chichen Itza was most impressive for me, although I regret we did not get a chance to visit the Warriors`s Temple and Sacred Cenote. Ek Balam was also exciting, while at the Hubiku Cenote and the restaurant we were able to see the festivities for the Day of Death.

Our guide was amazing, very knowledgeable and took time with our questions about the site and cultural history. My son also really enjoyed the experience, Borge the sites and the learning.

This is an excellent small tour, reliable, punctual, restroom breaks and cold water. Our guide Gabrielle was the best, very knowledgeable and humorous. The three stops of Chichin , Ak Balam and Cenote were well worth seeing and climbing Ak Balam was a feat in the heat but totally worth it! I'd not hesitate to recommend this tour. Thank you Gabrielle and our wonderful driver Juan for an excellent day.

Our driver Julian and our guide Eder were both so great! Eder answered all of our questions and had lots of information about local history culture. The Hubiku Cenote was breathtaking and the buffet lunch was delicious!

Absolutely amazing experience- totally worth the long day and early start. The small group was made smaller by dividing the English and Spanish speaking with their own guide - it was very personal. We got to each stop before the crowds got there so we were able to fully enjoy each site to the fullest. The bonus about Ek Balam is that it is very interactive - you can climb the steps, go inside the rooms and wander through a lot of the city buildings that they have uncovered. Also a lot of pretty unique shopping at each stop so make sure you plan for that. It was worth every penny and every minute - we will definitely do it again with the family in the future. Thank you to our guides and driver, you made it the best!

Great tour and more enjoyable being in a smaller group. It’s a long day as I was collected from my hotel at 6:30 am and dropped off just before 7pm but it was worth every minute. Communication was very good so I always knew what was happening and the tour guides were brilliant with great knowledge of both sites.

Jesus and Julian were great. Jesus was a wonderful guide. While it was an early pickup, it was worth as we arrived at Chichen Itza as the gates opened and before the cavalry of your buses and large crowds arrived. Hubiku was an enchanting stop for lunch and the cenote. Ek Balam was an exhilarating climb. Wonderful history and thorough explanations from Jesus made it a memorable experience! Definitely recommend.

Routing from Cancún was through Playa Del Carmen going to the sites and returning to Cancun through Tulum. The long hours in a van with limited air conditioning were miserable! Since the company did not route directly to sites from Cancún and back, travel time to arrive at sites was 3.5 hours going to sites and 4 hours to return. That’s at least 3.5 hours longer travel time than it should be. However, Chichen Itsa, Ek Balam and Hubiku Cenote were excellent sites that did not disappoint. Ek Balam was a wonderful contrast with Chichen Itsa—no crowds and climbing some ruins provided great views. The guides were outstanding. The buffet lunch at the cenote exceeded expectations! It was a tough, long day but worth it overall.

The tour was great. All the stops were while timed. Our guides and driver where very helpful and friendly. The only downside was the broken A/C in the vehicle. Due to this, I would not recommend during summer months.

Absolutely amazing and highly recommend. Maria (Mimi) was our English guide and she was so well prepared. Tablet with maps, magazines with photos, etc. At Chichén Itzá, she took us to areas I did not get to see last time I was here (on a different tour). The addition of Ek Balam, which is much less popular, but no less spectacular, was amazing. Here you can actually climb all the way to the top of the palace. A lovely cenote swim to cool off, follwed by a delicious lunch, made this the perfect day. Shout-out to our driver, Julian, and the Spanish guide, Tonansi, who were both extremely helpful and personable. We will be back!

I wouldn't recommend this company, they cancelled our tour the day before our planned tour. They tried to call us at 3pm the day before via WhatsApp. Like most travelers we only have WhatsApp when on free Wifi at our hotel. We didn't get this message until 5.30pm when we returned to our hotel. Very disappointed with care factor or this company. Surely they could have cancelled a few days out which would have given us an opportunity to source another tour on the only day we had available with another operator.

Fantastic day trip , our guide Alex was great! Very knowledgeable! Perfect timing at every place we visited . Certainly worth booking. We were picked up at around 7am and back in time for dinner at 6pm in Playacar.

Great tour. Thank you to our wonderful guides and driver. We had a four year old with us so anyone traveling with children please be aware that Chichen Itza and Ek Balem are very hot. Water is provided throughout the day by the driver/guides which was much appreciated. The reduced group means getting between destinations faster which was good as it's a long day but incredible to have seen these wonders.