Ek Balam ruins and Swim in Cenote

(15 customer reviews)

PRIVATE TOUR: Enjoy a private guided visit of Ek Balam mayan ruins, and swim at the X’Canché cenote. This unique private tour includes a delicious lunch at a local Mexican restaurant.

  • Pick up and drop off at your hotel with private air-conditioned transportation
  • Experienced certified private guide
  • Toll road when pick up from Playa del Carmen and Cancun
  • All entrance fees
  • Bicycle rental to go to the cenote (or we can go with the van)
  • Life vests
  • Coffee, snacks, cool drinks in the van (waters, soda)
  • Lunch with one main course a la carte

Scroll down for all information & itinerary.

Seamless Booking & Free Cancellation

Book your tour now and if your plans happen to change, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours prior to the tour!

    • Total for adults USD

    For larger groups, contact us.

    • Total for kids USD
    • Total for kids USD
    • Total for kids USD
    • Additional fee for this hotel:
    • Additional fee for this location: USD

    Enter name and address of the place.

    Recommended pick up time from your hotel to avoid heat & crowds:

    Recommended pick up time from your hotel to avoid heat & crowds:

    Recommended pick up time from your hotel to avoid heat & crowds:

    Recommended pick up time from your hotel to avoid heat & crowds:

    We advise 5:30 summer time / 6:30 winter time from your hotel.

    Recommended pick up time from your hotel to avoid heat & crowds:

    Recommended pick up time from your hotel to avoid heat & crowds:

    (12oz cans e.g. Corona, Modelo, Tecate upon availability)

    • USD
Pay a 20% deposit per item

If your date is not available, register on our waiting list.

SKU ekce Category Tags , ,

Ek Balam ruins and Swim in Cenote Private Tour

Are you ready to experience the black jaguar? Absolute Adventure Mexico offers a once in a lifetime Ek Balam Private tour.

Possessing a name that actually translates to “black jaguar,” the Ek Balam ruins combine an amazing history lesson with the opportunity to experience the Mayan culture hands-on. You’ll be able to climb on archeological structures that were once the center piece of play for a blooming culture.

To begin our Ek Balam private tour, you will receive private, air conditioned transportation from your hotel early in the morning. While the thought of an early morning on vacation may not seem appealing, our expert guides have mapped out the perfect day to allow you to experience everything Ek Balam and the Cenote have to offer without the crowds you may expect. Some ask why we go to the expense of providing private transportation. Well, the way we see it, your time is valuable and we want you to have a memorable day. Picking up other clients is a drag, and cuts down on your vacation time. Effectively, this means that you’ll be able to enjoy the ruins without huge crowds of people there. We promise…we’ll stop along the way to grab coffee.

Upon arriving at Ek Balam, you’ll be greeted by your private archaeological guide who will take you through the ruins. You’ll be able to climb the temples on site, as well as, The Acropolis. You’ll be able to see the ball courts, once the center of Mayan ceremonies for this amazing culture. Partner all of this with the authentic carvings in the area, and we guarantee it will be an experience you will never forget!

But, we don’t let the adventure stop there. After you’ve had your fill of the ruins, you’ll go to the cenote X’Canché (by riding a bike or taking the van). There you’ll be able to snorkel in 150ft deep water taking in all of the beautiful wildlife that encompass the cenote, as well as, the memorizing views of the Mayan jungle. Life jackets are provided.

We’ll stop for a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and transport you back to your hotel.

General info

  • Private Tour: Only you, the guide and the driver, nobody else!
  • Duration: 10 hours
  • Physicality: Easy
  • Age: All ages
  • Snorkeling: Basic swimming skills required. This excursion suits everyone from novices to experts.
  • Which cenote will you visit? You will visit cenote X’Canché which is located near the ruins.
  • What’s on the menu? Selection of best specialities from Yucatan Cuisime… with vegetarian, chicken & meat options. With corn or flour tortillas. We can accommodate special diets and allergies, just let us know!
  • Mobility: We can adapt this tour for people with disability.

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
  • All entrance fees
  • Toll road when pick up from Playa del Carmen and Cancun
  • Bicycle rental to go to the cenote (we can also go to the cenote by car
  • Life vests
  • Cool drinks in the van (waters, soda)
  • Coffee and snacks in the van
  • Lunch in a restaurant with one main course a la carte

Price excludes

  • Drinks at the restaurant
  • Ruins: In case you bring a go pro camera, a video camera or a phone with a selfie stick, there is a 50 pesos (less than 3USD) per device charged at the entrance of each
    archeological site, to be paid in pesos (INAH tax) – Drones and Tripods for video/cameras are forbidden.
  • Tips

Itinerary

Our tours are scheduled at the best hours to avoid high traffic and heat on the sites.

06:45am: Private transportation from your hotel to Ek Balam (we have one hour difference time between Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Tulum and Ek Balam)
08:00am – 10:00am: Visit of Ek Balam ruins
10:00am – 12:30am: Swim in cenote Xcanche
12:30am – 01:00pm: Transportation
01:00pm – 02:00pm: Lunch at a local Mexican restaurant in Temozon
02:00pm – 05:00pm: Transportation to your hotel

Itinerary is based on a departure from Playa del Carmen.
Pick up time is recommended time to avoid the crowds. We can leave later if you want to.

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
  • Ruins: In case you bring a go pro camera, a video camera or a phone with a selfie stick, there is a 50 pesos (less than 3USD) per device charged at the entrance of each archeological site, to be paid in pesos (INAH tax) – Drones and Tripods for video/cameras are forbidden.

 
* 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!

15 reviews for Ek Balam ruins and Swim in Cenote

  1. Ami

    Juan was our tour guide and Enrique our driver, they are both amazing!! I highly recommend taking this tour, Juan is very knowledgeable in the Mayan culture, answers all questions, takes care of you like friends visiting. We were traveling with 3 kids, one who is a toddler and he was very accommodating and patient. Enrique drive safely and well!

  2. plntgrlsz

    Highly Recommended!
    Juan was the guide for our trip to Ek Balam – he was the best! He was so knowledgeable about Mayan culture, the Yucatán peninsula and Riviera Maya, the history and ecology of the area, current events – everything! Our driver was great too. We were the first to arrive at the pyramid and were able to climb it and enjoy the views before any crowds arrived (if they did). The cenote was very relaxing and also just had a very few people to share it with. We had an incredible lunch at Restaurante Ahumados in Temozón – absolutely delicious! We highly recommend and will use Absolute Adventure Mexico again!

  3. Donia

    Juan, our tour guide is hilarious and very friendly. The tour of Ek balam was really fun and we learned many cool facts about the Mayans. The cenote we went was very pretty and fun as there was a rope to swing from. Juan made sure that everything was going well and explained things clearly, he also avoided crowds and the hot sun! Would absolutely recommend.

  4. Melanee

    Ek Balam – Incredible!!! My family took a private tour to Ek Balam and a Cenote and it was an amazing experience with Absolute Adventure and their team!!! Our tour guide, Juan (JJ), was FANTASTIC!! He was extremely knowledgeable, fun to hang out with, great with my two kids, and went the extra mile to make sure we had a great day! He literally ran a mile to get our tickets before the crowds showed up; talk about incredible service! THANK YOU, again, JUAN!!! Claire, the co-owner, was also extremely helpful when we had to make a last minute change of plans and responded super fast! Without a doubt, I would highly recommend using Absolute Adventure Mexico for taking an excursion; I’ll definitely be using them again on my next vacation to Mexico!!!

  5. Rachelle

    Absolutely the best decision we made while visiting the Cancun area. Our drivers were spectacular, and Juan 100% made our vacation. We chose private because dealing with large tour buses and guides that have dozens of people means you spend a lot of time waiting and miss a lot of info. Going with Absolute Adventures means you get to experience local culture and history much more intimately and in-depth. When you go with Absolute Adventure, I hope you get Juan as your guide! He had personal relationships with the people everywhere we went. He was able to relate to each of our family members in our own way. Best of all, Juan was knowledgeable, more than happy to answer any and all questions and you could feel his passion and love for his country’s history and sharing it. Go with Absolute Adventures and you won’t be disappointed!

  6. Florian

    Excellent ! We did a private tour to Ek balam and we were super satisfied! Got a lot of information about the Mayas and all of our questions were answered. The cenote at ek balam is also highly recommended. Was just super happy again

  7. Shahram

    The booking process was easy, with Claire answering my questions. We were picked up on time at the hotel lobby. Our guide was personable and informative. We were able to spend as much time as we wanted on each location. We liked the fact that we didn’t to take care of anything during the day. Thank you, the tour was totally worth it!

  8. Pat

    Husband and I enjoyed our tour very much had a wonderful guide very knowledgable. Had super nice lunch in a small village.

  9. Alexander

    We did the Ek Balam and cenote tour and we couldn’t be happier! We enjoyed the ruins of Ek Balam early in the morning before other tourists. The Cenote was a blast ! Our guide Arturo was an excellent guide and was both knowledgeable and fun. We would highly recommend Absolute Adventure to anyone in the Riviera Maya!

  10. Cindy

    Highly recommend this tour. The ruins are quite amazing, breathtaking really. The private guided tour was an absolute must.

  11. Brit

    Absolute Adventure met all our expectations. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable, the whole experience was incredibly simple and fun!

  12. Julia

    First we visited Ek Balam with our own informative guide which was great. After, we went to lunch nearby in Valladolid. It was a small, quiet place with local Mexican food and it was delicious. Then we snorkeled in an amazing cenote. It was one of the greatest experiences ever.

  13. Robert

    Had a great time walking around this fascinating place. We were the first ones onsite! Arturo was an excellent guide.

  14. Michelle

    I will start by saying hands down the tour is worth it! I was a little hestitant at first because of the cost. However, after the day I would say I would do it again over and over again. The tour was worth every penny! Claire made the booking super easy and answered my questions though email almost immediately! They picked us up right on time and catered to us all day long. We were able to spend as much time or as little time as we wanted.

  15. Arthur

    This tour company is well-run, and we felt comfortable in their nice vehicle driving 2 hours to Ek Balam. The historic site and cenote were incredible, but we also appreciated the respect that the guide showed for the location and the people. After the tour, we went to a tremendous local restaurant for a feast, which was right on time after our morning adventure. Thank you for your time and care Arturo!

Add a review