Itinerary Expand all Cancun to Cancun Day 1 Hola Mexico You’ll touch down in Cancun in the late afternoon. Transfer to your hotel where you can give into your jet lag and sleep – the real adventure begins tomorrow. Accommodation: Ramada City Cancun or similar Day 2 Life on the lakeside at Punta Laguna You’ll head inland today, taking a two hour drive to Punta Laguna, a lake in Riviera Maya. It’s home to a Mayan community, who live alongside troops of Spider and Howler monkeys. You’ll spend some time exploring the trails and learning more about Mayan life. Tonight, you’ll stay at a Hacienda near Chichen Itza, perfectly positioned for tomorrow’s discoveries. Accommodation: Hacienda Chichen or similar Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Mega Mayan marvels It’s an early start today, but boy is it worth it. Thankfully the -5-hour time difference works in your favour, so it shouldn’t feel too brutal. Today you’ll visit some poignant Mayan sites, starting with the awesome Chichen Itza, the most famous and well-restored Mayan centre. You’ll learn more about the sophisticated structures, their astronomical significance and the engineering accomplishments. You’ll return to the hotel for breakfast before heading on to Izamal for more Mayan marvels. The Izamal of today is a quiet town, nicknamed the Yellow City thanks to its gold and white buildings. There’s an imposing monastery at the heart of the town, built on the base of an ancient Mayan pyramid. You’ll take a cooking class, learning to prepare guacamole and salsa. After your self-made Mexican lunch, you’ll continue to Valladolid for an overnight stay. Accommodation: El Meson del Marques or similar Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 4 Cycle through the Mayan ruins of Coba After breakfast, your journey continues to admire the remarkable ruins at Coba, nestled in dense jungle. With your guide, you’ll criss-cross the archaeological zone by bike. It’ll give you a feel for its enormity. You’ll climb the steep pyramid and be rewarded for your exertions as you gaze out over Coba. Explorations complete, there’s a visit to a cenote, an underground reservoir in the limestone, before you depart for Tulum in the late afternoon. You’ll check into a beach hotel in Tulum for a four-night stay. This town is a hot spot of the Yucatan Peninsula, luring sun worshippers (and millennials) with its azure shores, vegan cafes and beachside yoga. Accommodation: PavoReal Beach Resort Tulum or similar Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 5 Jungle trekking and archaeological adventures An adventurous day lies ahead. You’ll explore the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, hiking through the jungle to a Maya temple, spotting diverse bird species. You’ll follow a pathway by the water’s edge before boarding a boat to voyage further. There’ll be a chance to swim in the waterways or float along the river on its gentle current. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the archaeological site of Tulum. Although not the largest, Tulum is often considered one of the most beautiful Mayan archaeological sites, sitting on high cliffs above white sand beaches and cobalt sea. Accommodation: PavoReal Beach Resort Tulum or similar Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 6 Journey through Rio Secreto This morning you’ll visit an enchanting underground cave and river system, the Rio Secreto. You’ll venture into the eerie and otherworldly caves, walking and floating under a canopy of stalactites. Back in the open air, you’ll spend the afternoon in Tulum at your leisure, perhaps exploring the town or just taking a dip in those surreal blue waters. Accommodation: PavoReal Beach Resort Tulum or similar Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 7 Sensational cenotes You’ll have seen some of Mexico’s cenotes already, but today is all about these intriguing geological features. The Mayans believed they were sacred gateways to the underworld, and thousands of them punctuate the Yucatan Peninsula. On today’s tour, you’ll learn the correct way to enter a cenote, that respects the Mayan culture. You'll visit Cenote Campana and Cenote Wisho, semi-open, fossil-filled caverns, to see the stalagmites, stalactites and rock formations. Then take a jungle walk through monkey-filled trees to Cenote Tres Zapotes an open cenote with crystalline water. There's the chance to drink from the sacred water of the earth Maya, a spring of pure water. Accommodation: PavoReal Beach Resort Tulum or similar Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 8 Adios Mexico Mexican mission complete, you’ll return to Cancun Airport today. Meals included: Breakfast
Mexico Holders of British, Australian, New Zealand, US, Canadian and most EU passports do not require visas for Mexico. However, please note that if flying via the USA, you will have to clear immigration during transit. In this case, you will be required to get an Electronic Travel Authority (USD14) prior to flying if travelling via the USA under the Visa Waiver Scheme (as is the case for most UK citizens). Please see our USA Visa page for more information.
Mexico There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Typhoid, Hepatitis A. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever and/or Chikungunya are known risks in places visited on this trip. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Hotels Ramada City, Cancun Conveniently located in the downtown area, the Ramada City has comfortable rooms and a swimming pool for a refreshing swim after the long flight. Hacienda Chichen Perfectly positioned for visiting Chichen Itza, this eco-friendly hotel’s guestrooms are set in tropical gardens. There’s a spa on-site too. El Meson del Marques, Valladolid In the heart of the historic town, this colonial-style property has spacious rooms, a courtyard and swimming pool. It’s just a short walk to the main square. PavoReal Beach Resort, Tulum Overlooking the Caribbean Sea, this resort has a large private beach, three swimming pools, several bars and colourful rooms.
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