Chacchoben Mayan Ruins & Village Tour: A Glimpse into Ancient Culture from Costa Maya

Immerse yourself in ancient Mayan culture with a tour of the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and village in Costa Maya. Explore the ruins, interact with Mayan descendants, learn about traditional cuisine, and enjoy a delicious lunch cooked with local ingredients.

Duration: 5 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Zona Arqueologica De Chaachoben - Visit one of the least explored archaeological sites of the Mayan Culture in the heart of the jungle.
    Start your adventure in one of the least explored archeological sites in the Maya Zone that date back to 200 BC. and let yourself be surprised by the incredible monuments, flora and fauna that the jungle has to…
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Certified Guided Tour at Chaccoben Mayan Ruins
  • Visit to a Mayan Village with a Mayan Family host
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Lunch
What's Not Included
  • $5.00 USD fee for the use of cameras at the Mayan City. This fee is paid directly at the site.
  • Souvenirs
  • Gratuities
  • The use of tripods and drones are prohibited at Chacchoben Mayan City
Additional Information

Once your cruise ship docks at the Costa Maya Port, embark on a guided journey through time at the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins, followed by an interaction with the Mayan descendants in the village sharing the same name. Experience the regular life of this ancient civilization’s successors as you engage with a local family who will turn this visit into an…

Location
Av. P.º del Puerto 1180
Avenida Paseo del Puerto
Your tour will depart one hour after your cruise docks, starting from the conveniently located Plaza Las Fuentes, just outside the Port. Please consider the total time to walk from your cruise to the excursion office is about 15 minutes.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(101 Ratings)
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Roving19545650171
Jan 16, 2026
Great tour - one the cruise lines should offer - This is a great tour, one I would recommend the cruise lines to offer to their customers when I do our cruise review. The only concern I have is the difficulty to find the meeting point, having to navigate the very distracting pier stalls and finding the exit out of the port. While we allocated 30 minutes to walk to the meeting point, we barely made it to the required meeting time. I hope for the tour to avoid the negative reviews because customers are being left behind after struggling to find their way to the meeting point. I suggest stating 30 minutes instead of 15 from the ship to the meeting point to allow for people sufficient time. Like I said this is a great tour and I hope people do not miss it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorna_r
Jan 15, 2026
Getting lost in the Mayan world and loving it. - Mayan ruins, how current day Mayans cook and live, a satisfying Mayan lunch and how to appreciate plants, trees and leaves for cooking. The excursion combined at least three elements of the what the cruise (NCL) offered separately. This is why we took this excursion instead of booking with the cruise line.
Review provided by Viator
H3761nfryans
Dec 21, 2025
Terrific tour of the Chacchoben Ruins and Village! - As a family of five, with a 7 year old, we had an excellent time on this tour. We were picked up promptly at the cruise port by Diego (our driver) and Alan (our tour coordinator). We shared a van with two other people from our cruise ship, making for a private tour experience. Both were great throughout, with Diego ensuring our comfort and safety on the drive to the ruins. Alan is a fantastic guide. Extremely knowledgeable and really showed a genuine passion for Mayan culture and history. Along the way, he not only shred information about the area, but told the story of the Mayans - from the time of the Mayans to those keeping the culture alive today. I have been facilitating corporate training courses for over 15 years and Alan has a natural gift for both teaching and connecting with people. At the Ruins, Yoshi was our guide and was very knowledgeable of the history and significance of the site. She gave ample time to explore and ensured that all questions were answered in a relatable way. The site was not very busy during our visit, so we combined with another group for the tour of the ruins. We had lots of time to take pictures with our phones and get a more complete personalized experience. After the ruins, we visited the Maya villa (roughly 15 min drive) and learned to make traditional tortillas. While there, we learned of the local plants and their uses, from allspice to cinnamon trees. Alan was extremely knowledgeable and clearly passionate about traditional cooking techniques, the benefits and uses of local plants, and the ancestral culture itself. We were welcomed into someone’s home and treated as family along the way. The ruins are magnificent, but the experience was made that much better by the people of Native Choice. Would absolutely recommend to anyone for a great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adamsh6933dp
Dec 1, 2025
Great guide and a great excursion - Our guide's name was pronounced, Yoshie - I didn't catch how to spell it. She was great. The tour company was Native Choice. The Mayan ruins were fantastic and Yoshie was very knowledgeable about the history of the site. Our trip to Chachoben for a traditional lunch was wonderful. The ladies were friendly and very welcoming. The lunch was delicious and her home was impressive, with many food and medicinal plants on her land. I would highly recommend this trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richardr2838
Dec 1, 2025
Perfect private tour - We booked this tour to avoid the big bus cruise excursion. It was exactly what we had hoped for. Transportation was in a comfortable small bus with only 6 people, and after a private tour of the Mayan ruins, we visited a nearby village and had a personal lunch at a private home. Our tour guide, Rosie, was knowledgeable and friendly and did everything to make our day enjoyable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pervez_i
Nov 24, 2025
Our guides were very... - Our guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating. Mayan village experience was excellent and a definite must try to Costa Maya!
Review provided by Viator
Thegreedyp
Nov 18, 2025
Informative day out - Really good pick for our shore excursion. Was lovely to experience the Mayan village and food and learn alot from our tour guide. Definately an informative day out for us both!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_w
Nov 17, 2025
Good Tour - It was a great experience. The ruins tour is fast, but that is just the realities of a cruise stop. The guide was knowledgeable. And the time making tortillas and having lunch was a blast.
Review provided by Viator
Andrej_m
Oct 24, 2025
Very successful tour and definitely recommended! - A perfectly organized tour with very knowledgeable guides who could answer all questions. In addition, it is a great experience if you can make and enjoy tortillas yourself (with professional help)! Cool water is distributed for free and is abundant!
Review provided by Viator
Susan_d
Dec 16, 2025
beware - Beware! They can leave early and won't refund. Told us 1 hour after ship docks We got there 50 min (vey hard to find) and they left 10 minutes earlier Said they would refund but then refused request Looked like a great tour though
Review provided by Viator
From $119
up to 15 guests
2 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).