Chichen Itza and Cenote Tour
PRIVATE TOUR: Explore Chichen Itza with a personal certified guide, take a refreshing dip in a cenote, and savor a delicious lunch at a local restaurant in Valladolid.
- Exclusive Experience: Just you, your personal local guide, and driver!
- Private Transportation: Convenient pick-up from your hotel or rental.
- Escape the Crowds & Beat the Heat: Skip the lines & enjoy a relaxed, stress-free guided tour.
- Breathtaking Cenotes! Pick from Oxman, Samula or Xkeken – You’ll love the adventure!
- Lunch in the colonial city of Valladolid: Savor authentic Mexican flavors, à la carte menu, not a buffet!
- Set Your Own Pace: Stay longer or move on, the choice is entirely yours.
- All-Inclusive at the Best Price: Transport, guide, entrance fees, lunch & more
Scroll down for detailed info, inclusions and itinerary.
Book your tour now and if your plans happen to change, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours prior to the tour!
Chichen Itza and Cenote Tour – Private & All-Inclusive
Dreaming of visiting one of the New Seven Wonders of the World? Our all-inclusive Chichen Itza and cenote tour is the perfect Riviera Maya day trip for travelers who love history, culture, and nature. Designed exclusively for your group, this private experience blends world-famous Mayan ruins, a refreshing cenote swim, and authentic Yucatec flavors—at your pace and without the crowds.
Skip the Crowds at Chichen Itza with Your Private Guide
Upon arrival, your entrance tickets are ready so you can skip the lines and begin exploring right away. With your certified private guide, you’ll discover Chichen Itza at a comfortable pace and enjoy commentary tailored to your interests.
Stand before the legendary El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcán), walk the vast Great Ball Court, and learn the symbolism etched into sacred temples and ceremonial platforms. Your guide brings the site to life with insights on Mayan astronomy, architecture, and traditions that shaped this ancient city.
Refreshing Swim in a Stunning Cenote
After your journey through history, cool off in one of Yucatán’s most beautiful cenotes—either Cenote Oxman, Cenote Xkeken or Cenote Samula. These crystal-clear freshwater pools lie within dramatic limestone caverns, creating a magical setting for swimming, floating, and relaxing.
We provide life vests for comfort and safety, and your guide shares the geological and cultural importance of cenotes in Mayan life. Whether you take a dip or simply admire the view, this stop is often a highlight of the day.
Traditional Lunch & Free Time in Valladolid
To round out the experience, we’ll visit the colonial city of Valladolid, one of the most charming towns in Yucatán. Enjoy a delicious lunch featuring regional dishes such as cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, and handmade tortillas.
After lunch, enjoy free time to stroll colorful streets, browse local shops for handicrafts, or relax in the main square before returning to your hotel.
Why Travelers Love This Chichen Itza Cenote Tour
Private & all-inclusive: just your group and your guide, with logistics handled for a seamless day.
Flexible pace: explore comfortably, avoid crowds, and focus on what interests you most.
Award-winning service: trusted local team with thousands of 5-star reviews.
Join us for an unforgettable Chichen Itza and cenote tour and see why it’s our most popular private day trip in the Riviera Maya.
Other Private Tours You May Like
- Chichen Itza Only Private Tour: Focus exclusively on the ruins with a personalized guided experience.
- Chichen Itza & Valladolid Private Tour: Explore the ruins and enjoy Valladolid’s colonial charm without the cenote swim.
- Chichen Itza Equinox Private Tour: Visit during the March or September equinox to witness the iconic serpent shadow phenomenon at El Castillo.
- Tulum & Cenote Private Tour: Discover the stunning Tulum ruins combined with a refreshing cenote swim.
- Ek Balam & Cenote Private Tour: Explore the less crowded Ek Balam ruins where you can climb the main pyramid, plus enjoy a dip in a beautiful nearby cenote.
- Coba & Cenote Private Tour: Visit the impressive Coba ruins and cool off in a secluded cenote.
Book 2 or more tours and enjoy a 10% discount! Perfect for travelers looking to make the most of their stay in the Riviera Maya.
Price includes
- Pick up and drop off at your hotel with private air-conditioned transportation (Booster car seat and baby car seat available on request)
- Experienced certified private guide
- Toll road when pick up from Playa del Carmen and Cancun
- Chichen Itza entrance fees and state tax
- Cenote entrance fee and life vests
- Coffee and snacks in the vans
- Cool drinks in the van (waters, soda)
- Lunch in a restaurant with one main course a la carte
Price excludes
- Drinks at the restaurant
- Ruins: If you bring a GoPro, video camera, or phone with a selfie stick, a fee of 60 pesos (about USD 3) per device is charged at the entrance to each archaeological site and must be paid in pesos (INAH fee). Drones and camera/video tripods are prohibited.
- Tips
General Info
- Private Tour: Only you, the guide and the driver, nobody else!
- Duration: 11-12 hours
- Physicality: Easy
- Age: All ages
- Swimming: Basic swimming skills required. This excursion suits everyone from novices to experts.
- Which cenote will you visit? The day of your tour, you can choose between Cenote Oxman, Xkeken or Samula.
- What’s on the menu? Selection of best specialities from Yucatan Cuisime… with vegetarian, fish, chicken & meat options. With corn or flour tortillas. We can accommodate special diets and allergies, just let us know!
Itinerary options
Times at each stop are estimates. Driving and your exact pickup location affect the schedule.
Chichen Itza, cenote & Valladolid
- Chichen Itza — 210 min
- Cenote swim — 75 min
- Lunch in Valladolid — 75 min
- Free time in Valladolid — 60 min
The recommended early pick-up time helps you avoid traffic, crowds, and heat at Chichen Itza, but you can opt for a later pick-up when booking.
Discover the 3 benefits of early departure to visit Chichen Itza.
Timing may vary based on traffic and your exact location.
We can spend more or less time at Chichen Itza, the cenote, and Valladolid, moving at your own pace.
Transportation takes less than 3 hours, and there is a one-hour time difference between Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Tulum and Chichen Itza/Valladolid.
What to Bring
- Beach Towels
- Swimsuit (We recommend wearing it in the morning and feel free to change after snorkeling activities)
- Comfortable shoes for the ruins (We recommend tennis shoes)
- Flip flops or sandals for water activities (Water shoes are optional but can be worn for added comfort)
- Hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen and we recommend wearing a rash-guard/UV-Shirt for water activities*
- Mosquito repellent*
- Cash (for tour payment, tips, souvenirs…)
- Camera/Underwater camera/Waterproof case for your phone
* It is forbidden to apply sunblock and repellent before swimming or
snorkeling activities to prevent water pollution in the cenotes, even if
they are biodegradable products. Compliance with this rule is essential
for the protection of the environment.
You can bring personal belongings you require during the tour (phone,
camera, extra set of clothes…). While you are visiting or snorkeling you
can leave the things you don’t need in the van. Our driver will always
be in the van, so keeping your things safe!
331 reviews for Chichen Itza and Cenote Tour
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FAQ Chichen Itza Cenote Private Tour
You’ll have a dedicated guide and vehicle all to yourselves—no crowds, no waiting, just a smooth and personalized experience.
Yes, round-trip transportation is included from Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal and Tulum. We’ll pick you up right from your hotel, resort, or Airbnb for a stress-free start to your day.
Please note: we don’t offer pick up from Cancun Playa Mujeres hotels unless your group has 6 or more adults.
Yes, you’re welcome to choose your preferred pick-up time when booking.
That said, we recommend an early morning start to help you beat the crowds, skip the traffic, and enjoy cooler temperatures—it really makes a difference!
The drive to Chichen Itza from the coast takes approximately 2 hours and 30 to 40 minutes.
Our professional drivers always respect speed limits to ensure a safe and comfortable journey for everyone.
Yes, absolutely! There are 1 or 2 bathroom stops available along the way at gas stations and convenience stores, where you can take a break whenever needed.
During the guided visit at Chichen Itza, we typically spend about 2 to 2 hours and 15 minutes exploring the site.
We go at your own pace, taking breaks whenever needed to ensure your comfort.
If you wish, we can also adjust the visit to be shorter or longer depending on your preferences.
Our goal is to make the experience as enjoyable and flexible as possible for you.
You can view the list of cenotes available for this tour under the ‘Tour Description and General Info’ tab, where you'll also find links to full descriptions of each cenote.
Unless you've already made your choice, you can decide which cenote to visit together with your tour guide on the day of your tour.
No previous swimming experience is required.
We provide mandatory life vests, and our guide ensures a safe and comfortable experience for everyone.
Yes. Facilities include clean showers, restrooms, and changing areas at both locations.
Essentials include swimwear, a towel and comfortable shoes.
You can safely leave your belongings in the van—our driver stays with it the entire time while you're out enjoying the activities.
Yes, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary needs or allergies.
After booking, you can let us know your needs by filling out the check-in form—just follow the link in your booking confirmation email.
You can cancel free of charge or reschedule (subject to availability) up to 24 hours before your tour.
We’re a small team and often fully booked 1–2 weeks in advance, so we recommend booking early to secure your spot.
Bonus: if you book at least 2 months in advance (60 days), you’ll qualify for our early bird discount*!
For full details, check out our booking policy page.
Christopher –
Best day of our trip to tulum. JJ brought us to some mayan ruins, underground caves to go swimming and an awesome little town for some great food. We ended up going downtown after and it was gorgeous. Beautiful old mission architecture and a lot of cool shops. Gotta choose JJ and his crew when youre down here!
Raquel –
Amazing experience!!! We enjoyed our day so much. Eddy was unbelievably knowledgeable. Our driver was Rod and we felt relaxed and comfortable the whole day. Litterally could not have asked for anything more. Would definitely book with them again. Thanks for making our family trip that much more special.
Michael –
Absolutely fantastic tour provided by Absolute Adventure tours. We did the private tour for 6 people to chichen itza, cenotes, and lunch with walking around in valladoris.
Dulce was an excellent guide who was very knowledgeable and ready to answer any of our questions. We appreciated the flexibility to choose the cenotes we wanted to visit. Also appreciated was how Dulce never pushed us to any touristy shops/traps during the tour. Hugo was also a great driver, picking us up right from the hotel in playa del Carmen to go to chichen itza. Smooth drive there and back allowed us to sleep on the way.
Overall would highly recommend while in Yucatán to see chichen itza and cenotes with a small group.
Sightseer28857660145 –
Great family experience!Wonderful tour and both our guide Juan and driver Omar out were excellent. Our guide Juan was extremely knowledgeable and great with the whole family and included our teenage sons in the discussion. We arrive early at the site and we had full access. When we got to the conote, we had it virtually to ourselves. The lunch provider was also very good. Would highly recommend this experience especially for a family group.
Eric –
Don’t look anywhere else. If they have an itinerary you like, book it. I’ve been on a variety of tours and excursions over the years and this company was top notch from start to finish. At first they didn’t show any openings on the day I wanted, but I contacted them and they were able to accommodate. They communicated every step of the way leading up to the tour day, the tour itself was great, and everything ran on time. Not sure how I could ask for a better experience.
Egbert –
My family had a great tour with Eduardo at Chichén Itzá and with Dulce in Tulum. Very knowledgeable, friendly guides. Plus some very safe, excellent driving from Rodrigo and Hugo. Many thanks!
alisonanderson918 –
Highly recommendSo pleased we opted for the private tour rather than going along with other travelers. Picked our group of 4 up on time from our hotel. Great communication throughout the booking process. Christina was our guide for the day along with George our driver. Both great at their jobs. Early entrance into chichen itza before the crowds was a great recommendation by the tour. Also entrance into an amazing Cénote before the rush so a great experience. Then Christina took us to a traditional Mayan restaurant and explained all the dishes so nice to try something from the region. Finished off with a look around Valladolid town before heading back to our hotel. Great memories made possible by this excellent tour.
Milan –
We did the Chichen Itza tour including denotes and lunch in Valladolid. Our van was waiting for us in the early morning as scheduled. Our guide was Arturo and he was fabulous! He was very knowledgeable about Mayan history and answered all of our questions on the tour. We learned a lot and I am so glad we chose this tour company. We did not feel rushed. Everyone in our group came back very satisfied. Thank you very much Arturo for a wonderful day!
Katy –
We had a wonderful experience with Eddie on a Chichen Itza and cenote tour. We loved how knowledgeable he was and that he adjusted the tour to our interests. The stop at the cenote was just what we needed after the time spent in the sun. The Valladolid restaurant we visited for lunch was delish. We would happy tour with Eddie again.
E. Lilly –
We had a great time on our private Chichen Itza tour and cenote swim! Our guide, Eddie, was fantastic. He was personable, knowledgeable, and tailored the tour to our interests. The cenote was gorgeous and otherworldly, the perfect way to cool down after exploring the ruins in the hot sun. Highly recommend this company and Eddie as a tour guide!
elaine –
We had a private tour with Eddie and our driver yusmar to chicen itza and swimming at a cenote, and I would recommend this tour group. They recommended an early pick up to avoid the heat and crowds which we were really grateful for, followed our pace, were attentive to what we were interested in and offered more information on all our questions, and gave us some great local recommendations to check out for food after the tour. Thank you for sharing all the rich details of the Mayan history with us.
Katie –
Chichen Itza, Oxman Cenote, and Valladolid were amazing. Absolute Adventure Mexico was easy to book with, communicate with, and the whole process was seamless.
Joshua was an amazing tour guide and he did a wonderful job taking questions from our kids, and making the history of the Mayan Culture engaging and informative. He was nothing short of excellent.
Rodrigo was great as our driver and the ride was comfortable with plenty of stops along the way to stretch our legs and use the restroom if needed.
I will definitely book with Absolute Adventure Mexico for future excursions. The experience through them was perfect for our group of different interests and age demographics.
Denny –
We had a great time on our tour. Eduardo was an amazing guide, was very patient with our little kids, and he tailored the experience to what we could handle as a family. The booking process was easy and straight forward. No issues whatsoever. Highly recommend.
Diane –
Eduardo & Yosmar were great!
This tour was great for my family – it was just the 4 of us. Eduardo & Yosmar picked us up at our hotel on time. Eduardo gave us lots of information about Mexico’s history while driving to Tulum. It was nice to have a private tour, we could go at our own pace & ask questions along the way. Eduardo was an excellent guide! And thanks to Yosmar’s advice we were able to have an amazing experience at the Cenote!
Would recommend this tour!
Joe –
Great experience
Three of us (first timers in Yucatan) took the full day tour to Chichen Itza offered by Absolute Adventures.
One advantage of this outfit is the opportunity to get to the site before the hordes of bus tours arrive. The site opens at 8AM (Central Time), and we were picked up at a hotel near Playa del Cwrmen at 6:15 (Eastern time), and were almost first in line when it opened. We had several hours of leisurely wandering around the site before the crowd surge began.
Our guide, Dulce, was fantastic. Exploring the ruins with her was like being with a knowledgeable friend, rather than a standard tour guide. We had read up on the site before visiting, and she she was able to answer all our questions, remaining flexible to our requests to visit some of the non-standard places on the site
After chichen itza, the tour offers a choice of cenotes to swim in, depending on how much light comes in, from none to full opening. We chose the middle option, which was a delight.
Before returning to the hotel, we ate at a local restaurant in Valladolid, across from the old monastery, and then went to the city center near the cathedral. As expected, there were lots of shops, but we opted to sit on a bench and enjoy the ambiance of a pleasant gathering place for local families and tourists alike.
All in all, a great introduction to the history, culture, and geology of the Yucatan.
Adventure814316 –
Absolutely fabulous Absolute Adventure!
From the website, through booking and throughout the tour, our experience was well-organized, with clear communication. Juan was a great tour guide – knowledgeable, friendly and responsive to our interests (e.g. we preferred a quieter cenote); we felt very comfortable with him and would have no hesitation having him as a tour guide again. He even had restaurant options in Valladolid that accommodated our family’s dietary needs (one gluten-free and one vegan). Omar was a great driver – got us where we needed to go in a safe, timely way and also watching our belongings while we toured.
Don’t underestimate the importance of the early start Absolute Adventures has for this tour – we beat the crowds both at Chichén Itzá and the cenote we went to.
Stephen –
A fantastic value!
We used Absolute Adventure Mexico for three different tours while we were visiting Tulum and we are so grateful for the experiences! Each day had different guides and drivers who were all fantastic guides who knowledgeably and efficiently took us through different archeology sites. Joshua, Dulce and Cristina all passionately shared historical and archeological information with us and brought the ruins we toured back to life for us as we walked past groups of larger tours. We spent just the right amount of time to learn some facts and take a few pictures for us before moving on. Our drivers- Omar, Omar and Yos all got us where we were going quickly and safely and we felt lucky to have such great people show us around the sites including the cenotes they selected for us.
The guides do ALL of the logistics for you and it’s such a valuable service to have. The cost includes the guides going to the tour site entry counters/kiosks to get your needed entry tickets and wristbands. They drive you there, they rent you the bikes, they bring the snorkel gear and they buy you your lunch! This value alone makes it a fantastic way to get a lot of adventuring in and still have time to relax on the beach afterwards! Thank you Absolute Adventure
Maggie –
We had a wonderful experience with Dulce and Omar in January 2026. We opted for the private tour of Chichen Itza and Cenotes as we had our one year old daughter with us and we were very pleased we did! The whole experience was positive from start to finish. Communication ahead of the tour was great, Dulce and Omar were very accommodating and helpful during our trip, and Dulce provided an excellent private tour, answering all of our questions and providing lots of details as we travelled through the sites. We would highly recommend this company for private tours!
Michael –
A Chichén Itz-A+ Experience!
We had an absolutely outstanding experience with Absolute Adventures, thanks in large part to our incredible guide, Arturo, and our professional driver, Yosmar.
Arturo guided us through all the major archaeological sites at Chichén Itzá with a perfect balance of deep knowledge, storytelling, and patience. He answered countless questions—not just from my wife and me, but also from our very curious 10- and 8-year-old children. He made history come alive in a way that was engaging and accessible for all of us, which is no small feat on a long, hot day.
What truly set Arturo apart was how attentive he was to our children’s needs. He made sure we moved at a comfortable pace, checked in frequently, and ensured the kids stayed engaged and comfortable throughout the tour. He also did a fantastic job preparing us for interactions with vendors and other on-site situations, which made the entire experience stress-free and enjoyable.
Our driver, Yosmar, was equally impressive. He was extremely professional, always parking in safe areas—and whenever possible, in the shade (a huge bonus!). He was attentive while we were getting in and out of the vehicle at each stop, especially when traffic was present, which made us feel very well taken care of.
After the archaeological sites, Yosmar drove us to a beautiful cenote, where Arturo again went above and beyond—explaining all the amenities, walking down with us, and even helping carry one of our bags. We later stopped at an authentic Mayan/Mexican restaurant, where even our kids found food they loved. Arturo asked if he could join us for lunch, and we were happy to have him—his insight into the dishes and local cuisine made the meal even more enjoyable.
We wrapped up the day with a stop in Valladolid, getting a quick but meaningful look at the Spanish influence, Mayan culture, and, of course, chocolate.
It was a long day, but being able to go at our own pace—with our needs and preferences fully respected—made it more than worth it. Booking with Absolute Adventures was one of the best decisions we made on this trip, and we would absolutely do it again. Highly recommended for families, especially those traveling with children.
Darlene –
Our tour guide, Christine and driver Oman were very knowledgeable and provided friendly and professional service. It was a delightful experience.