Ek Balam Tour: Explore Mayan Ruins, Artisanal Distillery, Charming Valladolid and Refreshing Cenote
5.0
30 Ratings
Ekbalam
Embark on an Ek Balam tour and discover the hidden Mayan ruins, visit an artisanal distillery, explore the charming city of Valladolid, and take a refreshing dip in a cenote.
Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Zona Arqueológica de Ek Balam - Travel with us to one of the best-kept secrets of the Mayan world. Hidden in the jungle of the Yucatan peninsula, Ek Balam is considered one of the most beautiful, discovered Mayan cities and definitely one of the best preserved.
    On this adventure, our expert guide will explain all about the Mayan culture, the various majestic structures, and the impressive glyph that decorate the ancient walls of this once-influential metropolis.
    A highlight of the visit is climbing the Acropolis from where on a clear day you can see as far as the pyramids of Cobá and Chichén Itzá.

  • Yalcobá - You will visit an amazing open cenote

  • Valladolid - You will visit the colonial city of Valladolid, a charming place where art and architecture are recognized for its beautiful buildings in pastel colors and old historical churches.
    The last stop is a lovely open-air cenote where you can refresh yourself in its crystalline waters before enjoying a delicious regional meal.

What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Snacks
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

This journey comprises of four destinations: Ek Balam archaeological site, Mayapán Distillery, Valladolid, and a Cenote. Initially, you’ll discover a hidden gem in the Mayan world. Nestled in the Yucatan peninsula’s dense forest, Ek Balam is acclaimed as one of the most outstanding and well-preserved Mayan cities found. The following destination is Mayapan Distillery, a family-run craft distillery nestled in the core of the Yucatan Peninsula. They are experts in producing high-quality spirits from the Henequen plant, a type of agave. Subsequently, you’ll travel to the colonial city of Valladolid, a quaint city renowned for its stunning pastel-colored buildings and historical churches. Concluding the tour is an enchanting outdoor cenote where you can rejuvenate in its crystal clear waters before delighting in a tasty local meal.

  • Not recommended for guests with limited mobility
  • Minimum age is 8
Location
Zona Arqueológica de Ek Balam
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(30 Ratings)
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Traveler16227329437
Apr 18, 2024
Great time - Very professional and guide was very knowledgeable. Had a great time and learned a lot. Would highly recommend. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Northstar65299991368
Apr 2, 2024
Great education and beautiful sights - Had an amazing and very informative trip to El Balam with Freddy and Mateo. Freddy was very knowledgeable about Mayan culture, the cenote was beautiful and the meal was very delicious. Would 100% recommend them!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jessicaal1860zm
Apr 2, 2024
Great guides, great tour! - Freddy and Mateo were great guides. We really enjoyed our tour! We loved the cenotes and the lunch buffet the most! Excellent!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Markerzzz
Mar 27, 2024
Great tour with an amazing guide and driver - Our family recently embarked on a tour that included the majestic Ek Balam, an open-air cenote swim, and a visit to a charming city in the heart of the Yucatan Peninsula (the name escapes me at the moment). This experience was fantastic. The highlight for us was undoubtedly the cenote. Swimming in the crystal-clear, open-air waters was an ethereal experience that felt like stepping into another world. It was not just about the sights; the food provided during our trip was delicious, offering a taste of local cuisine that was both authentic and satisfying. Our guides, Anna and our driver Albert, elevated the experience from great to exceptional. Anna's expertise on Mayan culture and history was impressive, making the ruins of Ek Balam come alive with stories and insights. Her energy and enthusiasm were infectious, making every moment enjoyable. Albert ensured a smooth and comfortable journey, navigating the Yucatan roads with ease. A particularly touching moment came when my daughter suffered from heat stroke. Anna's swift action and deep care were remarkable. She knew exactly what to do, treating my daughter with immense kindness and expertise. The rest of our tour group was also incredible, offering electrolytes and assistance. This sense of community and support made a challenging situation much easier to manage and highlighted the warmth of our group and guides. Overall, this tour was a highlight of our Yucatan Peninsula visit. It offered a blend of adventure, culture thanks to our amazing guides, Anna and Albert, and our fellow travelers. I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to explore the beauty and depth of Mayan culture, combined with the natural wonders of the region.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonathan
Mar 26, 2024
Such a wonderful trip! - Definitely 5/5!! Our trip to Ek Balam today (Tues 16 March 2024) was indescribably wonderful! And all largely due to Javier, our wonderful driver, and Nestor, our amazing tour guide! We (my partner Matt and I) cannot thank them enough for leading our group of 12 through this great experience. Both were positive, friendly, chatty and so knowledgeable. Ek Balam is an incredible place, and being able to climb both the acropolis and the observatory was quite the experience! You’re recommended to travel light from the van onwards. Our things were left safely behind, and we only took phones and cameras, and water bottles! Then on to the cenote, which was the most incredible highlight of this trip! We were an early tour group so were first into the water. Words don’t do it justice. It was refreshing and left us in awe of this natural wonder. The buffet lunch after was top notch! All in all, with our tour reps and the wonderful group of people we were with, this will forever be in our memory books. Thank you again, Javier and Nestor!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jillbw2046xg
Mar 9, 2024
Great experience culture and historical - Had the most amazing experience, our guide Adei was extremely knowledgeable sharing great information about the Mayan culture and history. Between the sites and the staff it exceeded our expectations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brandiwx56lb
Mar 1, 2024
Fun Cancun adventure - Jesus Salas was wonderful! Such a fun experience with family and celebrating time away from work. It was very cool in the cenote and Jesus was a great tour guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G8032dmmelissah
Feb 28, 2024
Thank you Lalo and Sexy Charlie - This excursion was one of the best we have ever been on. As a parent I always measure my vacation successes on how tired my children are at the end of the day. First visiting Ek balam an ancient Maya city surrounded by jungle in the heart of the Yucatan, then on to deep cenote with magical Mayan culture all around with chocolate, honey, and tequila tastings. A blessing from a Mayan shaman and a traditional Mayan lunch to follow swimming in one of the most magical places I have ever seen. Lastly, we visited Valladolid with city founded in 1543 with beautiful architecture and color. We walked around the city square and marveled at the beautiful churches and bought ice cream from the street vendors. Lalo our guide was unbelievably knowledgeable about the places we visited and had an amazing passion for his country and the people here. I would go on any tour he ever hosted and I hope we are lucky enough to book him again in the future on our next adventure. Sexy Charlie our driver was amazing. He was funny and kind and I'm convinced the best driver in Mexico. Needles to say on the ride back our "family for the day" a group of 10 adults all fell asleep on the ride home. A total success. Cheers to an absolutely amazing day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Guide45966204333
Feb 19, 2024
Great experiences, would book through this company again! - Ek Balam, Mayan Cenote and Valladolid Playa del Carmen Great experiences, would book through this company again! José and Alejandro were great when we visited our first cenote. José gave us plenty of time to enjoy the water and to take photo's afterwards if we wanted. And of course he had a witty sense of humour. Max and Daniel (forgot the other drivers name) were all great for the Ek Balam excursion. The van that we were in had an oil leak so the poor driver who was with Max the first time when we started the drive to Ek Balam had to stay behind while we waited for another van to come and pick us up. Max went through the history regarding Ek Balam efficiently, wasting no time with information which was great because it allowed us to stay ahead of others groups and take some great photo's with the fewest groups around as possible before a larger group showed up to the ruins. Max also gave us plenty of time to swim, eat and buy any souvenirs that we wanted after Ek Balam. Both Mad and Daniel provided some snacks and a very much appreciated cold wet towel because everyone was hot from walking and climbing up the few ruins that we were permitted to climb.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tonyp838
Jan 25, 2024
El Balam a real gem tour - What a great day. The 6am start was worth it. The Mayan ruins at El Balam are really great and the view from the top (110 steps) is stupendous. One of the only ones you can climb. The open Cenote (and lunch) was marvellous and the experience will remain forever. Mario is very knowledgeable. PS he used to be a biology teacher so he knows his stuff. Bravo too to Ismail our driver.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
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