Early morning Chichen Itza Tour: Cenote and Tequila Tasting
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Cancun, Mexico
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Say goodbye to the Riviera Maya beaches and see a different side of the Yucatan. This guided tour explores Chichen Itza’s pyramid temples and colonial Valladolid, with a swim in an ancient cenote. Hotel pickup and transfers from Cancun and Riviera Maya hotels are included. All options include a tequila tasting and buffet lunch, but exclude Chichen Itza admission.
- Choose from a range of packages to suit your needs
- Enjoy a guided tour of Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Feast on a delicious buffet lunch and taste tequila
- Hotel pickup and transfers included for added convenience
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicleRound-trip transportation in a comfortable vehicle with onboard restroom
- Certified bilingual tour guide throughout the experience
- Early visit to Chichén Itzá with guided tour and free time to explore
- Access to Cenote Saamal with changing rooms and restroom facilities
- LunchTraditional Yucatecan buffet lunch at Hacienda Selva Maya (Included in all tour options)
- Tequila tasting experience in Valladolid
- Free time at Valladolid’s historic main square
- Additional charges for lockers and life jackets$5.00 per person
- Admission Fee - Chichen Itza is not included on Meeting point and Hotel$43.00 per person
- Beverages during lunch
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.
Itinerary
1
Chichen Itza
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Cenote Saamal
2 hours • Admission Ticket Included
3
Valladolid, Yucatan, Mexico
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- It is advisable to wear comfortable clothing, such as beach attire, and suitable footwear.
- Remember to pack sunscreen, sunglasses, a towel, your camera, and some extra cash.
- Please be aware that the pickup service is available only in Cancún and the Riviera Maya. For guests in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, we will assign a convenient meeting point.
- Please note that the entrance fee to Chichen Itza is not included. We recommend bringing cash for beverages, and optional lockers and life jackets.
- The use of lifejacket in the cenote is mandatory
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 6,774 reviews
Viktoriia_M, Apr 2026
We had an absolutely amazing time on our tour to Chichen Itza! The whole experience was fantastic, but what made it truly special was our guide Edwin. He was wonderful—very knowledgeable, fun, and engaging. He told fascinating stories about Mayan history in such an entertaining way that the time flew by.
Jennifer_W, Apr 2026
This tour is really great because you get to do several different activities. First you visit a Maya Co-op (1 hr) for some shopping or snacks, then Chichenitza (2 hr), the buffet and cenote ( 1 hr 40 min) and finally a quick stop at Valledolad (30min). I brought my two teen girls and they had a great time. Other than the 1at atop, we could have used a little more time, but as it was already a 13 hr day, so not really much you could change. Rafa was a knowledgeable and fun guide. I learned a lot.
Kate_L, Mar 2026
Absolutely perfect way to view Chichen Itza from Cancun. The day is long, but everything is set up flawlessly and it flows well. Lunch is delicious (includes everything except the drinks), cenote is beautiful, and Chichen Itza is definitely best experienced with a guided tour. Bus is comfortable and needed for quick naps. You make two “tourist” stops to buy things. We had Uli and Norma as our guides and they were incredible. Would highly recommend this tour with them as guides.
Mirriam_S, Mar 2026
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, the bus ride was comfortable and the experience is memorable.
Valantis_M, Mar 2026
Hugo, our tour guide, was the absolute top! He is so knowledgable, and such a nice, kind and genuine man. I hope he gets all the recognition he deserves from the company. Legend!
We thought the first stop at the gift shop which lasted for an hour was unnecessary, as the tour is already long enough.
It was very lovely learning all about Mayans and Mexican culture. Very nice day out!
Roger_H, Mar 2026
They showed up before their initial arrival time and missed us and then next day did not come at all for the rebooking.
Canida_M, Mar 2026
Very well organized and informative trip. The guide was amazing and provided us with all the Mayan culture details. Worth every money spent.
Roberto_A, Mar 2026
The tour was smooth and everything was awesome. The only thing I would say is for pick up it would be nice if there was a person who ensure you that someone is on the way for your pick up. Since its really early in the morning you get some automated response. But overall the price and very reasonable and I would use them again.
Tejas_S, Mar 2026
Antonio (Tony) and Enrique were awesome. Great energy. Good value for the price. It’s worth it to do the trip (might be hectic).
Tiana_C, Mar 2026
I was quite disappointed as it is labelled an early morning tour, however, we didn’t get to Chichen Itzá until nearly 12pm despite meeting at the meeting point at 6:15am in Tulum. The whole journey we were just sold different items and told that we’d been supporting local children and it felt like the tour was very commission driven as we also spent an hour + at a shop where the items were all pretty expensive. Chichén Itza was cool to see but the sun is very strong - it would’ve been nice if we had actually gotten there early to avoid the crowds and the sun but instead we wasted time being sold stuff at a shop. You also only get around 45 minutes of free time at Chichen Itza. The cenote was big but the fees felt like they were just trying to make money as you have to pay for lockers and although life jackets are mandatory, you have to pay extra for them even though this should be included in the entrance. Stopped at valladolid for a bit which was nice, but would’ve been nice if it could’ve been longer. I think Teotihuacán is a much better experience and I’ve been on many tours which have been ran better and smoother and have not left me feeling disappointed.
Yunzheng_T, Mar 2026
The guide was a bit rude and not very understanding when we interacted with him in person off the bus. He shows a completely different vibe on and off the bus. Pick-up times were not clearly communicated, and the guide gets grumpy if you try to confirm with him.
We wasted a lot of time at the first stop, where the locals tried to sell us "authentic" handmade Mayan souvenirs that were extremely overpriced.
The highlight of the trip, Chichen Itzá, was worth the experience. Our small group Spanish tour guide did a fantastic job explaining the historical significance of the site and the relevant Mayan cultural practices. He was enthusiastic and very informative.
Bonnie_B, Mar 2026
The tour was a great experience, to see Mayan culture and step back in time. Kudos to Antonio and Eduardo!
Carmen_A, Mar 2026
The entire itinerary was pretty good. I would recommend allowing more time to be spent in Valladolid because 30 mins did not feel long enough. As for the buffet lunch part the food was alright however you do have to pay for drinks apart from the meal. You cannot bring outside drinks in the restaurant and that includes bottled water. As for the tour guide he was extremely unhelpful and did not stick with us to explain certain things at the Chicen Itza or Valladolid. Instead he only yapped about the differences of being a tourist and a voyager and good vibes and bad vibes and how we should only bring good vibes. My friend who is extremely sick and is on stage 3 of cancer was sleeping early on the bus and he refused to give her a sticker because she was sleeping at 7am when we had to wake up at 5:00am to make it to the pick up spot. The tour guide was not empathetic and called her a tourist. Do not tour with Ceaser he’s a terrible tour guide. He also was only yapping when it came to buy stuff from the authentic Mayans like obsidian and other stuff. He had made a judgmental comment about people who go on vacation and only buy a T-shirt or magnets and said we should buy something “more meaningful” implying we should buy something more expensive. There was a baby crying in our group at one point and he demanded the baby leave and for the parents to stay in the bus until the group is ready to head off to the next destination. In Valladolid we were offered complimentary shots however we had to buy the bottle of tequila after words. To be honest that’s not complimentary but okayyyy. Overall, our tour guide was extremely passive aggressive and the tour itself was okay I wished it was better.
Milo_F, Mar 2026
Great time and amazing price. For the price the trip was worth it, while we did end up at some touristy spots or gift shop traps we were able to do our own thing and explore. The tour guide we had (Edwin) was super nice and always willing to help. Def recommend this trip to anyone that is debating doing this type of trip.
Mario_C, Mar 2026
We had Tony as our tour guide. He was energetic, fun and loved to interacting with the group. He explained everything step by step and the timeline for our trip
The pyramid site was extremely hot and humid. I would say prepare yourself better when going because and umbrella from one of the vendor's is extremely expensive. The views were amazing .
Lunch was ok. They took us to eat at some restaurant located where the cenote is located. The food was ok not many options given it being a buffett, paid for the drink since I didn't get the all inclusive option. Definitely take extra clothes to take if you plan on jumping on the cenote. The water is freezing
On way back we went to a small town for tequila testing. Super pricey tequila. It is definitely a place for tourists not really to buy as a local. A 100ml bottle was shy of $50.
Crystal_R, Mar 2026
Our guide Rafa was great! Worked very hard to keep everyone engaged and entertained. His knowledge and passion of his history and culture was inspiring!
We booked the tour even tho we had a rental car, so that we could learn some local history and gain some insight and so glad we did.
It's a long day and for the price, you cant go wrong, however I did feel that some of the stops could have been slightly shorter as you "toured" for half of the time, and then were left to wander through Vendors and stores for the other half.
The buffet lunch at the cenote was delicious! Definitely hit the taco bar first if you like them, the pork taco was sooo good, I wished I hadn't filled up on salad first! And the cenote itself was almost magical.
Great day all in all, especially for the price!
Shout out to our Driver Ricardo and guide Hugo as well, these guys put in a very long day with a smile on their faces!
Julie_B, Feb 2026
Firstly I want to recognize the passion and information shared by our tour operator - Hugo. He had great energy, clearly loved what he was talking about and he was friendly and organized.
This review is about our Viator experience and the tour itself. There was so much confusion regarding pick up for the tour - we were told we would need to find out way to the pickup location because they would not come to our resort. Because there were 6 of us we decided to book a car. We found out the night before that they were now picking us up at the resort. Also after changing the pickup time 3 times. It was so frustrating. We spoke with others who had the opposite (were told they would picked up at their resort, then told they had to find their way to the pickup location).
As for the tour - the pyramid part was awesome. Everything else was not. We felt like cattle being herded into tourist traps to purchase goods (first stop for the washroom was a store with high people following you the entire time pressuring to buy things). The Cenote was beautiful but we did not realize (it was not clear) the price did not include lifejackets and or a beverage of any kind at lunch. The tour ended with being brought into a store to for a tequila tasting (which was nice) but followed with pressure to buy from them. We had little to no time to tour the town which was so unfortunate. Had we had less time spent at the touristy stores we likely would have. Overall we just really found the description of the tour by Viator to be misleading as we spent more time doing things we did not want to do and less time being able to do what we thought we would do.
Also small things like supplying umbrellas would have made a nice touch, having water on hand before and after the tour, etc. We saw other tour companies doing so and it would have added a nice touch.
Lucy_R, Feb 2026
Great tour but be prepared for a long day
our tour guide Cesar ,was quite informative and made the day a lot of fun
Cenote was a highlight
Eduardo our driver was very courteous and got us there and back safely
Overall well organized
Ravikumar_O, Feb 2026
We went on a tour to Chichén Itzá, a cenote, and a quick stop in Valladolid. I’m only writing this review to tell you how amazing our tour guide,Cesar was FANTASTIC! He taught us so much about Mayan culture and Chichen Itza itself and kept us fully engaged throughout. It also felt like wherever we stopped, people stopped him and knew him by name. It almost felt like we were traveling with our very own local celebrity! I genuinely enjoyed spending the day with him as our tour guide!
Aisha_F, Feb 2026
“Early morning” is super misleading. I booked the tour because I wanted to be at Chichen Itza early in the morning to beat the crowds and the heat.
I entered in our hotel for pick up and paid for the tour, pick up at our hotel was confirmed. I asked multiple times days leading up to it to ensure pick up was from our hotel- when they confirmed the evening before they changed the pick up location to a 7/11 and we had to find a taxi there and back. Not to mention, our pick up time was confirmed for 6:30am, they pushed it back by sending a text while I was already sleeping (at 9:30pm) changing it to 7:35am pick up.
They added a Mayan tour stop first which delayed our Chichen Itza visit even more (was not on the itinerary). Chichen Itza was supposed to be the first stop!
We arrived at Chichen Itza at 11:40am (Yucatan time) when it opens at 8am. It was completely packed and a miserable experience, 90 degrees with feels like 95, the hottest part of the day.
Rene_N, Feb 2026
Highly recommend this tour! Especially if you are lucky to book with Tony and Eduardo. Tony is funny and really knows his history. Loved this experience and will take so much amazing knowledge back home. Tony makes you want to learn more!
Annette_S, Feb 2026
Our tour guide Edwin was great! Very knowledgeable. It was a great day all though a little long. Thanks for the great tour!
Sean_O, Feb 2026
Cesar, our tour guide for the SAT Mexico tour, handled the seating situation very poorly. We were a party of three and were already seated together on the bus. However, he forced us to separate into seats of two and one so that another family of four could sit together.
What was especially upsetting was that he threatened to remove us from the bus if we did not comply. We felt pressured and unfairly treated. The way this was handled was unprofessional and left us with a very negative impression of the experience.
Janel_V, Feb 2026
It was an amazing experience! Luis was an excellent guide and was so passionate about what he was telling us! So many great activities and it was a great day!
Sergio_a, Feb 2026
Alfredo and Enrique were great very friendly and funny also very knowledgeable with the tour and learns a lot of things with them being our guides.
Julyssa, Feb 2026
Everything about this tour was perfect for me it’s everything it says and more I have never seen or experienced anything like this the tour guides were amazing and made everything so much easier to understand it’s insane how they were able to do these things thousands of years ago if you don’t like history don’t do this tour i learned so much and seen such beautiful things the cenote was unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my whole life I’m not sure if I’ll see anything like that again in my lifetime
Paul_M, Feb 2026
They took my money and didn’t provide the tour
And I am only receiving a small % of a refund instead of the whole refund because it was within 24 hours of the tour but they were slow to communicate with me that they couldn’t provide the tour. I paid money for no reason. Terrible. Do not use at all.
Andrei_G, Feb 2026
Me and my wife loved the tour with Martin, he was a great guide going the extra mile in explaining everything about the Mayan culture and numerology. While we were overall happy compared to other groups that seemed to have fewer guide explanations, we felt that for shopping we were still directed to "touristic shops" where the prices were higher than what we were expecting - for example, at the tequila tasting, any bottle was more than 100 dollars which was nuts.
Moreover, we saw the enthusiasm Martin had while explaning stuff but sometimes it was hard to follow him due to the pace of explanations and thus we got lost at some points.
Xiaole_X, Feb 2026
这个旅游套餐价格确实非常便宜，我们三个人总共花费不到 100 美元。但整体体验非常糟糕，不推荐。
主要问题如下：
1️⃣ 时间安排极其不合理
早上 6:10 就上车，之后不断接人、换车，一直到 10:30 才真正出发前往奇琴伊察。接近 4 个小时都浪费在接送和转车上，非常疲惫。
2️⃣ 导游过度推销，体验很差
出发后导游 Luis 一直在推销所谓的“玛雅文化产品”，尤其是玛雅日历。第一个停靠点是一个所谓的“玛雅村”，本质上是强制购物点，在那里花了一个多小时看石雕和听销售介绍，严重影响行程体验。
3️⃣ 所谓的天坑体验令人失望
带去的 cenote 又小又脏，水位很浅，大概只到膝盖，环境也不干净，完全没有下水的欲望。与宣传图片差距很大。
4️⃣ 导游态度不好
大巴音响效果很差，我没有听清集合时间，于是再次询问导游，他却反问我为什么没有认真听，态度令人不适。
5️⃣ 时间分配严重失衡
大量时间浪费在购物和无关紧要的停靠点，导致美丽的巴亚多利德小镇只停留了 20 分钟，非常可惜。
总结来说，这个团虽然便宜，但体验质量明显偏低。如果只是追求价格可以考虑，但如果希望真正享受文化和景点体验，建议选择更高品质的团。
This tour package was indeed very cheap — the three of us paid less than $100 USD in total. However, the overall experience was very disappointing, and I would not recommend it.
Here are the main issues:
1️⃣ Extremely inefficient schedule
We were picked up at 6:10 AM, but the tour did not officially depart for Chichen Itza until 10:30 AM. Nearly four hours were spent picking up passengers and switching vehicles, which was exhausting and poorly organized.
2️⃣ Constant sales pitch from the guide
After departure, the guide (Luis) continuously promoted so-called “Mayan cultural products,” especially the Mayan calendar. The first stop was a so-called “Mayan village,” which was essentially a forced shopping stop. We spent over an hour there looking at stone carvings and listening to sales presentations. This significantly reduced the quality of the experience.
3️⃣ Very disappointing cenote
The cenote we were taken to was extremely small and not very clean. The water was shallow (only about knee-deep), and it did not feel inviting at all. It looked nothing like the promotional photos.
4️⃣ Poor attitude from the guide
The bus sound system was not clear, and I did not hear the meeting time properly. When I asked the guide to repeat it, he questioned why I had not listened carefully, which felt unnecessarily rude.
5️⃣ Poor time allocation
Too much time was wasted at shopping stops and unnecessary locations, while the beautiful town of Valladolid was reduced to only a 20-minute visit.
In summary, although the price was very low, the quality of the experience reflected that. If you are only looking for the cheapest option, this may work. However, if you value comfort, cultural experience, and proper time management, I would recommend choosing a higher-quality tour.
Kha_H, Feb 2026
Cesar was very nice and insightful. I learned a lot during this trip, and I think that you should go if you’re thinking about it.
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