The Secrets Of Uxmal, Cenote And Home Made Food

Everything about the tour was amazing. We were picked up at our Airbnb, and we arrived at Uxmal right before they opened. We had the place to ourselves for quite some time. The guide was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. The cenote was beautiful and refreshing after a hot morning, and our meal was delicious.

Absolutely wonderful! Hernan is a phenomenal guide who knows the history of Uxmal inside and out. He gave clear explanations of the structures and their many layers of symbolism, and also managed to squeeze in some birdwatching, which was fabulous. His knowledge of the Mayan culture and of birds is astounding, yet he himself is very relaxed and down-to-earth, plus very personable. Unlike nearby guides we encountered and observed on other tours, Hernan is totally down-to-earth and genuine, and often hilarious. The cenote visit was exquisite: completely natural, no crowds, and happily devoid of any commercial presence. All natural, all real. We loved touring with him and also the truly excellent luncheon prepared by a local resident nearby - a warm and friendly woman who prepared a delicious lunch. If you a seeking a relaxed, authentic, small-group experience with a fun and well-informed guide, I HIGHLY recommend this tour!

Diego was a wonderful guide & our driver excellent. Diego was very knowledgeable and friendly. He did not rush us through and we had plenty of time on our own at Uxmal. I really appreciated how we arrived early before it was too hot and the large Tours came. I was able to get some excellent photos. The cenote was beautiful and refreshing. The lunch yummy. Highly recommend.

A wonderful day! Our guide/driver Delio was outstanding! He was friendly, kind, professional, and knowledgeable. His commentary at Uxmal was very informative. Uxmal is an interesting ruin, for sure. We enjoyed the swim in the cenote and the chicken empanadas prepared on the spot by a nice family were delicious. I would highly recommend this experience to all my friends.

Hernán was more than great, my friends and I went on a private tour with him, he catered to our wants and needs, explained history in detail, and made the most out our time in the tour. Very much recommend Hernan for all your tours!!

Delio is awesome. Friendly and knowledgeable. I didn't know what to expect from Uxmal and I was completely blown away. Van was comfortable, ride was interesting, expectations and how to navigate entrance to Uxmal were explained very well. (bring cash for the entrance). We had an hour with the guide and then an hour to explore on our own. I could have used another 15 or 20 min but it was fine. Next an hour at the cenote. About a half hour away maybe. Bathrooms avaliable to change into swimming suit. Life jackets provided. Bring a towel. We spent an hour there as well and it was plenty. Highlight of the day was lunch at a local family's home. Empanadas, beans, lemonade. The only thing that would have been better was if the family were to eat with us and tell us about their Mayan ancestry or chat about anything really. Dropped off right at our hotel (picked up there too) with plenty of time to rest and head back out for an evening meal.

Such an awesome experience. I went to Uxmal and a cenote. We were the first ones there. Our guide was amazing and was so knowledgeable and great with answering mine and the other persons questions. I went alone and was a bit scared but it was so fun and so worth it! I would recommend this to anyone who is looking into going to Uxmal!!

Smooth ride to Uxmal just as it was opening. Hernan offered plenty of useful information and lead us through the park without any kind of rush. Drove to a family run cenote just as the day was getting hot for a swim. And then just down the road for a delicious meal from a local woman's house. Hernan was well equipped with water and coffee. Everything you need from an uxmal/cenote trip and nothing you don't.

I’m so happy to have booked this tour and it couldn’t be more perfect! Delio made sure the trip was smooth sailing throughout. Our transport had enough space for 5 passengers, a good size for a group tour, I was very comfortable and even had a nap 😴 The itinerary was well timed as you start in Uxmal around 8am, early before the harsh heat and large tour groups arrive. Delio also did a wonderful job educating us about the Mayans and Uxmal (in both Spanish and English), I learned so much! We went at a leisurely pace, I never felt rushed, and he also had plenty of water for everybody. The cenote we went to was beautiful and lunch was so delicious! You end the tour around 2-3pm, with plenty of time left to rest or do activities. I’m very glad to have booked this tour because of our experienced and knowledgeable guide Delio and his genuine connection with the locals. I’m very happy to have chosen this tour over the many others. I felt taken care of and everyone was so lovely. It was my first time in Merida and I highly recommend this tour to everyone.

Hernán was awesome. Brought us to the ruins right when they opened, so we had the site to ourselves and it made the experience much more unique. Super knowledgeable and passionate guide. The cenote after was the most surreal thing I’ve ever seen in my life, something I’ll never forget. Ended with an incredible lunch, our first time trying Mayan food!

The food was flavorful, and Giuseppe’s service made us feel right at home. We’ll definitely come back with my friends. Thanks

Great tour! Very informative and fun! Would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to experience Uxmal and then have a delicious lunch and to cool down in a Cenote afterward!

We can’t say enough about Uxmal. Uxmal is a must on your itinerary as it is a very interesting and impressive place. Our guide Delio was super knowledgeable and very patient. Along with his son Hernan as our very capable driver. It was our first time in a Cenote. We were not disappointed! We especially loved that it was out of the ordinary and rustic as compared to other more touristy Cenotes. Lastly, we enjoyed a traditional Mayan style lunch in a family home. All in all it was a wonderful experience! Highly recommend this tour with Delio and Hernan. Two thumbs up!

Very informative. Our guide Delio was very knowledgeable, and was genuinely interested in what he was telling us about. Definitely recommend this tour!

Fantastic trip. Small group and very comfortable transport. The ruins were beautiful and our guide was very knowledgable. The food was also excellent.

Great tour with Elio our driver and guide. I liked the early pick up to get to Uxmal when the park opens. There were very few people and not as hot. The other person in the he tour and I had time to walk around the site on our own before heading to the cenote to swim. Again there was only one person on our arrival and I very much enjoyed the experience. We were there for about an hour. They have showers and restrooms for you to change. We then headed to eat at a local family home where we enjoyed a homemade meal. We were back in Merida by 2:30 pm which still gave me time to rest and do other things in Merida.

This was one of the best tours, if not the best tour, I have ever been on. We went to Uxmal right when it opened and avoided the crowds and the heat. We then went to a gorgeous but smaller cenote which was incredible. Afterwards we had the most delicious lunch at the house of a Mayan family. Delio was wonderful. His English is amazing and he has an incredible knowledge of the area and Mayan history. He was also so nice since I wanted to use my Spanish and so we basically did the whole tour in Spanish. Would recommend in a heartbeat.

We were lucky enough to have Delio, our fantastic guide for Chichen Itza, again for this trip. Uxmal did not disappoint, and in fact we initially had it practically to ourselves, again by going early. I cannot stress how important this was! Starts to get very hot and then the hordes come in and suddenly you’re in everyone’s Instagram photo. So we were able to explore at length and enjoyed every minute, and were leaving as the crowds came in. The cenote was mind blowing, and lunch at the Maya family’s place was fresh and delicious. Much better than a tourist trap restaurant, etc. Another great day out!

Hernan is a super nice guy. Very knowledgeable and chill. We had a very nice morning together. The timing to visit Uxmal was ideal - we had the place to ourselves, other visitors only arrived when we were leaving.

Delio is a lovely person and a very informative guide. He showed a love and respect for Mayan history that was inspiring to us and we learned so much from him. He was low key and never rushed us. We had ample time to learn from him and wander on our own at Uxmal. The ruins were spectacular and going with him made it even more exciting. He was also relaxed and let us enjoy the spectacular cenote for as long as wanted. Finally our stop for lunch with a local family was lovely and the food was delicious and fresh. He treated us and everyone he spoke to with genuine warmth and respect. We cannot say enough good things about him. He was lovely and he helped make our day truly special.

We learned so much from our tour guide, Delio, on this trip. He's extremely knowledgeable about the history, archaeology, and ancient cultures. His passion truly shows. I loved how he went back and forth in English and Spanish for the whole group. Couple tips: There are bathrooms at Uxmal before you start the tour and you have the opportunity to buy a coffee or water there, too. At the cenotes, there are changing rooms, showers, and bathrooms. The food with the family was amazing!

Great driver and tour! I’m glad we woke up early to get to Uxmal before the crowds. The site is spectacular, and the cenote was a welcome place to cool off. The meal was also excellent, with a spicy jalapeño spread and freshly fried tortilla chips. Bring some cash to tip the family.

Our guide's obvious enthusiasm for Uxmal, knowledge of Mayan culture and cuisine, and attention to every detail of the drive including an early morning coffee stop, was great. A 10 of 10!

Amazing experiences and hospitality from Hernan. Safe driving, good historical knowledge and would recommend to anyone.

Our guide, Delio, was great! He blended history with humor and made everything at Uxmal understandable. The cenote experience was fantastic and the meal with a local family enjoyable. I highly recommend this experience.

This is hands down the best tour I could have picked. Hernan was an incredible guide, and the experience was perfect. Yes, the start is early, but absolutely worth it. We got to Uxmal well before the crowds (and the heat), and were able to get unobstructed views and pics of all the buildings. Then we cooled off in a locally-managed cenote, which was also uncrowded. Capped everything off with a delicious lunch with a local family. Everything was exactly what I wanted it to be, and I'm already planning to come back for a birding tour. The fact that Hernan is also dedicated to supporting local communities is also very cool.

We had a wonderful day with Herman. He was a great guide of Uxmal and very informative. Loved the cenote and the meal with the Mayan family. Felt like a real taste of local culture. Would recommend this experience

Educational & fun tour! Learnt alot from our guide, Hernan. Uxmal was astonishing, the Cenote was gorgeous and the food delicious!

This was a phenomenal trip. Hernan got us to Uxmal early which meant we were able to experience the site almost to our own - which was an incredible experience & really stood out. The absence of a crowd massively enhanced our time. Then on to a beautiful Cenote - again we had it pretty much to ourselves. Finally on for lunch cooked by a local family rounding out the trip. The highlight of our entire time in Mexico - strongly recommend.

I enjoyed my visit to the Uxmal ruins, the locals-only cenote and lunch at the local family's home. It's very convenient to be able to do all 3 activities in one go. Hernan is an engaging guide and was very flexible with rescheduling my tour to fit me in with a larger group he was leading that week (minimum group is 2 people and I was traveling solo). I wanted to talk with the local family during lunch a bit to learn about their lives but I think there wasn't time. Anyway, it was a nice experience to try some local foods and fruits that are hard to find back home.

Excellent tour. Hernan, our guide and driver was very professional and educated. Lunch at a local family house was a great experience as well.

Our tour guide, Hernan, was very knowledgeable, accommodating, has great English skills, and provided a lot of fascinating history at Uxmal. Utterly fascinating. We loved the huge, chill lizards. Our visit to a beautiful cenote half in a cave was special. We enjoyed a genuine Yucatan meal in the home of a friendly family, with dessert delicious fruit varieties new to us. Hernan returning us to Merida on back roads through small villages was a great alternative route, so we could see how people live in some small villages outside of the city. Altogether a marvelous trip with an excellent guide.

What a great tour! We were able to explore the ruins of Uxmal with our great guide Hernan early in the morning. Compared to Tulum and Chitzen Itza one has a more private atmosphere there and not many tourists. The ruins are great and Hernan should us the best places and gave us free time to explore on our own. After that the local cenote was very refreshing, as was the local dish delicious. On time we were back in Merida. Can definitely recommend the company and especially the tour!

We really enjoyed the tour: the guide was very nice and interesting and drove us to Uxmal early so that very few people were in the site. Also the dish prepared by the local family was delicious. We sure recommand this tour!

We really enjoyed our time with Hernan so much so we would do the tour again! He was so kind, respectful, and knowledgeable. His English was great and we very much appreciated the intellectual conversations throughout. We actually got to see multiple cenotes because the rain made many of them dirty. He was great about making sure we had a wonderful experience and it was cool to see all the different towns and cenotes until we found one up to par. The food was AMAZING and love that we were supporting this woman in her home by eating there. We would highly recommend this tour- definitely worth the price to travel with Hernan, eat amazing food, and get a personalized experience. Thank you Hernan for adding to our box of memories in Mexico! It was definitely a highlight for us both. - Sam and Katie

Our guide, Hernan, was kind and informative, with great English and driving skills, even on some bumpy roads. It was the rainy season but the tour was early enough that we stayed dry until the end of our time at Uxmal. The included lunch in a local home was fantastic: rice, beans, pollo al pibil, as well as tastings of perfectly ripe local fruits and vegetables. Sadly, due to the rain, the cenotes were not clear enough to swim in, but Hernan tried his best, taking us to four different locations before we decided to turn back to Mérida. It was nice just getting to see all of them and none of us were disappointed. The 10 person tour group was the perfect size to feel like we were getting personal attention and all our questions answered. Would be a great choice for both families and adult groups.

This tour was amazing!! Hernan our tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, he clearly puts effort into his tours and we had a good chat. Uxmal was great and very interesting, I learned a lot. The cenote was beautiful as well, we actually had it completely to ourselves at the beginning which I didn't expect. Food at the end was very tasty too. I'm very happy and would definitely recommend this tour for anyone who goes to Merida!

Our guide Hernan was polite, knowledgeable and proud of the Mayan culture. Cenote was spectacular. Muchas gracias.

Exceptional tour! Hernan was a very considerate and knowledgeable guide. Uxmal is much less frequented than Chichen Itza which allowed us to really appreciate the beauty of the site. The cenote we visited was hidden in the jungle and beautiful and we were the only ones there. All around a great experience - very personalized and relaxed.

Uxmal was spectacular, lunch very good, cenote so so. Our guide, Delio, was the best. So much better than Chichen Itza.