Topics
- Activities (120)
- Culture (367)
- - Art (86)
- - Gastronomy (40)
- - Mayan Culture (69)
- - Traditions (39)
- Ecology (30)
- Living in Yucatán (109)
- Real Estate (75)
- - Beach Homes (11)
- - Building & Remodeling (12)
- - Buying in México (11)
- - Colonial Homes (11)
- - Vacation Rentals (13)
- Restaurant Reviews (66)
- Transportation (7)
- Travel Planning (40)
Tours in the Yucatan
If you are coming to Yucatán, there are many ways to explore what the peninsula has to offer. Tours with major tour companies in an air-conditioned bus, staying in hotels reserved ahead of time, or if you are a more independent traveler coming to Mérida or Yucatán, there are various attractive options for personalized trip services which will offer you a better experience here. There are travel agencies in Mérida who can arrange whatever you can imagine, or offer you a structured itinerary.
Many people ask what are the “must-see’s” in Yucatán, and this depends on the time that you decide to spend in our state. And when it comes time to return home, you will probably agree that the best part of your trip was the Yucatecan people.
Here are our suggestions:
Mérida
If you are here for two to three days, you should definitely take a city bus tour, your best option in time and cost.
- An easy introduction to the city of Mérida is the open-air bus tour on the Carnavalito bus which leaves every day from Santa Lucía park at the corner of Calle 55 and 60, at 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7 pm. The tour lasts 90 minutes and costs 90 pesos for adults and 50 pesos for children.
- The other option is the double-decker Turibus with continuous stops at various points in the city center, and the cost is 120 pesos for adults and 50 pesos for children.
- You can also enjoy a guided walking tour in the historic center of Mérida, free, every day at 9 am at the Palacio Municipal on the main plaza.
Archaeological zones
In Yucatán everything is close by, so you won’t need to drive for more than 2 hours to get anywhere. You can see the Mayan sites in three ways: taking a tour, driving yourself, or taking a public bus. The closest site to Mérida is Dzibilchaltún, only 20 minutes away, where you can also swim in their open cenote. If you have more time you can venture to the classic sites of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, or the Puuc Route. A typical day trip to Chichén Itzá begins at 9 am when the guide picks you up from your hotel in an air-conditioned van. You may be accompanied by up to 10 people. Included in the price is the entrance to the site, the guided tour in English or Spanish, lunch with folkloric dances, and return to the door of your hotel at 5 pm. The tip for the guide is not included, so be sure to tip from 50 to 100 pesos per person, a reasonable and much appreciated amount.
Beaches and flamingos
Day trips to popular destinations such as Progreso, Celestún, or Río Lagartos are easy to buy, and to get there you can take a tour, drive, or take a bus. Our beaches are safe and tranquil, with the true flavor of a typical port town. Only in Progreso will you see more tourism because it is a cruise ship port. To see flamingos, in general there are more in Celestún in the fall and winter, and in spring and summer there are more in Río Lagartos.
Colonial cities
Definitely Valladolid and Izamal will steal your heart, and the latter is a “magical town”. The location of both is strategic for spending the night and visiting other places. You can get there on a tour, driving, or take a bus. These cities plus many others will be your reward if you travel along the free roads (not the toll road), being sure to take the turn-offs into the pueblos. These back roads are essential for seeing everything our state has to offer. The main focal points of each and every colonial town or city are the churches, parks, and individual flavor of each one. You may also fall in love with the historic convents…and for this we recommend the Convent Route.
The haciendas
Yucatán heritage, something unique to our region, the haciendas which have been restored are a true jewel that should not be lost. We can divide them into 3 categories: hacienda hotels, hacienda restaurants, and hacienda tours. If you are not a guest at one of the hacienda hotels, you will only have access to hacienda restaurants and tours. There are many haciendas where you can enjoy a buffet lunch or a five star dinner. And if you want to learn about the splendor of a hacienda and how it functioned as if it were 1900, we suggest a visit to Hacienda Sotuta de Peón, the only living henequen hacienda in Yucatán. You can also visit a hacienda museum, frozen in time, at Hacienda Yaxcopoil.
Ecotourism
In Yucatán the main ecotourism attraction is the cenotes. We have infinite cenote visiting options, from the classic truck tour in Cuzamá where you can swim in three different cenotes, to more private off-the-beaten path cenotes. You can visit on your own or take a tour or guide. Our caves are another magical attraction, and there is something for every age and level of expertise. The options are unlimited! If you like bicycling, kayaks, rock climbing, or camping, you can research these options.
There is a new version of ecotourism in Yucatán, where the inhabitants of indigenous communities are training themselves to offer excellent activities and thereby prosper within their community. We suggest the communities of Aventura Maya, San Crisanto, and Ox Watz.
Adventure tours: Adventures Mexico, Aventura Maya, Balamkaan Tours, Ecoturismo Yucatán, Mayan Ecotours, MexigoTours, Yucatan Adventure.
Private tours: Catherwood Travels, Lawson's Original Yucatán Excursions, Mayan Heritage, Royal Travel, Yucatan Connection.
Contact the tour operators below. They offer tours in English and Spanish, and some offer other languages as well.
ADVENTURES MEXICO
Calle 10 No. 374 Pedregales de Tanlum
, Mérida
Tel: (999) 925 1700
Fax: (999) 925 1700
E-mail: info@adventures-mexico.com
Website: www.adventures-mexico.com
AVENTURA MAYA
Website: www.aventuramaya.com.mx
BALAMKAAN TOURS WITH CONSCIOUSNESS
Cel. 9991 03 5750, 9999 05 39 26
www.balamkaan.com
CATHERWOOD TRAVELS
Tel: (999) 920 2632
Toll Free USA: 1 800 499 3225
Toll Free Mexico: 01 800 823 0585
Email: reservations@catherwoodtravels.com
Web: www.catherwoodtravels.com
ECOTURISMO YUCATAN
Calle 3 #235 x 32-A y 34, Col. Pensiones, Mérida
Tel: (999) 920 2772
Fax: (999) 925 9047
Email: info@ecoyuc.com
Website: www.ecoyuc.com.mx
LAWSON’S ORIGINAL YUCATÁN EXCURSIONS
Cel. (999) 947 7599
Email: lawsonsyucatan@gmail.com
Website: http://lawsonsdriving.blogspot.com/
MAYAN ECOTOURS
Calle 80 No. 561 x 13-1 Col. Pensiones 6 Etapa, Mérida
Tel: (999) 987 3710
Cel. (999) 243 1489
E-mail: info@mayanecotours.com
Website: www.mayanecotours.com
MAYAN HERITAGE
Calle 62 #471 Depto 2 x 55 y 57, Centro, Mérida
Tel: (999) 924 8283
Cel: (999) 900 6154
E-mail: gerencia@mayanheritage.com.mx
Web: www.mayanheritage.com.mx
PORTAL MAYA, VALLADOLID
Tel: (985) 856 2513
www.portalmayatours.com.mx
ROYAL TRAVEL
Calle 41 No. 522 x 72 y 74 Centro, Mérida
Tel: (999) 920 3831
En Mexico: 01 800 7018737
Desde EUA: 1 (626) 243 2971
E-mail: royaltravel@prodigy.net.mx
Website: www.operadoraroyal.com.mx
TURITRANSMERIDA
Calle 55 No. 504 x 60 y 62, Centro, Mérida
Tel: (999) 924 1199, (999) 930 9224
www.turitransmerida.com.mx
YUCATAN ADVENTURE
www.yucatanadventure.com.mx
YUCATAN CONNECTION
Tel: (999) 922 0565
Cel: (999) 163 8224
Email: info@yucatan-connection.com
Website: www.yucatan-connection.com
Lawson Personal Driving Service
I'm pleased to comment on the excellent driving service recently provided my wife and me by William Lawson. In the course of several months' planning, WL provided helpful tips which enabled development of a top-notch seven-day itinerary. When we eventually met, his on-the-ground performance was just as good. We can honestly say every day's activity exceeded our expectations, providing far more than point-to-point delivery and return (although the charms of Yucatan also deserve praise). WL's native tongue is English, yet he is fluent in Spanish. He knows points of interest between destinations. He knows where to eat well. He's punctual. He's practical as well as flexible. We thought his rates reasonable, we all got along well together ... can I say more?
tour to chjchen itza, isla mujeres
my girlfriend and I want to go to Chichen and stay two nights at a hotel and go to ruins two days. we are flexible on dates, April 8--13th. We also want to spend three nights on isla de mujeres. Can you help us?
MayaSites Travel Services
We are planning a private 4 day tour of Mayan sites and Merida. Do you have any information about or know about anyone who has had experience with MayaSites Travel Services?
Mayan Tours
I want to fly from Mexico City to the Yucatan peninsula on/around Monday 27th June and visit the main heritage/Mayan sites, flying back to England on Monday 4th July.
Can you advise (1) Most convenient airport in Yucatan for arrival and departure; (2) are there any tours that would cover Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Pyramids, Tulum, etc. etc.?
Can you advise?
re. mayan tours
You can fly into either of the 2 main cities on the Yucatan Peninsula: Merida in the state of Yucatan or Cancun in the neighboring state of Quintana Roo. There are many tours to archaeological sites from either city. Flying to England--there might be direct flights from Cancun to London, otherwise you could fly from either Merida or Cancun with a connection somewhere in the US such as Houton or New York.
Mayasites Travel
Mayasites Travel Services
Did you use Mayasites Travel Services? Would you recommend them? We are planning march 2012 trip to Belieze, any suggestions?
re. mayasites travel
I don't know this company, sorry! And as far as Belize goes, it's a bit outside our area of expertise which is the state of Yucatan, Mexico.
Is it possible to hire a
Is it possible to hire a taxi for a full day to take us from Merida and drop off in Campeche, with stops along the way? Is it safe?
re. hire taxi
Yes it is possible and perfectly safe! Where will you be staying? I can suggest the closest taxi stand.
The other option is to hire a driver, experienced in the Yucatan, here are 2 options: http://lawsonsdriving.blogspot.com/p/what-is-william-lawsons-personal.ht... (be sure to click on the Home page to read a recent posting about Campeche)
http://www.yucatan-connection.com/
TAXI HIRE
Thank your for your advice. We will be travelling from Merida to Uxmal, one way, with visits to Dzibilchaltun and then may be Ruta Puuc. We will have to take our luggage in the taxi of course, as we will stay overnight in Uxmal. Can we hire a taxi for the whole day for this trip? Would it be okay to leave luggage in the car during the visits to the ruins?
re. taxi hire
Yes you can hire a taxi or driver (per my earlier post) and it would be safe to leave your luggage in the locked trunk or locked vehicle.
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