RIVIERA MAYA · DAY TRIP
The Riviera Maya’s best days out.
The 14 most popular ek balam tours around Playa del Carmen. The ones worth booking ahead, with prices, run times and who runs them.
Early access to Ek Balam and Chichen Itza plus a cenote swim and Mexican buffet from Playa del Carmen, with small-group pacing.
Most Popular“This tour was absolutely perfect. Our guide Frank was excellent at providing lots of history for us to learn about mayan culture, the ruins, wildlife and nature of the area. And a thanks for Jose getting us to and from all our destinations.”
Full-day Maya ruins tour from Playa del Carmen: Chichén Itzá, Ek Balam, and Cenote Saamal swim with lunch, guide, and pickup.
“This tour is a super long day, but I think worth it if you want to be able to climb a Mayan ruin and see Chichén Itzá in the same day. The cenote is also refreshing after being in the heat. The whole tour took 14 hours (2 hours longer than advertised). Most of the…”
Small-group tour with Chichén Itzá early access, Hubikú cenote swim, and Ek Balam climb. Lunch and water included, max 15.
“Chitchen Itza before the crowds, a beautiful cenote, and empty Ek Balam where you can climb the palace steps and overlook the entire region. Awesome day trip.”
Small-group day trip from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, with a swim at Hubiku Cenote plus breakfast and lunch.
“This is an amazing trip that I highly recommend taking but just be aware it’s very long - you’ll leave before the sun comes up and return after dark. Our children (7 +9) both really enjoyed themselves.”
Guided trip from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, and a Cenote Saamal swim with lunch, transport, and expert narration.
“Our tour guide, Gus was very knowledgeable and my husband I enjoyed the tour. Since it was in July, It was really hot. I recommend to bring an umbrella to protect from sun if you travel in Summer.”
Small-group early access to Chichén Itzá, swim at Cenote Hubikú, then explore Ek Balam with guided time and photo freedom.
“Miguel and Rodriguez were awesome! I enjoyed this tour soo much and it was an amazing experience , I learnt to count in Mayan, I learned so much! Amazing tour. amazing tour guide and driver!”
Small-group day trip from Playa del Carmen to Chichén Itzá, Cenote Hubikú swim, and Ek Balam with early timing, great guides, and included meals.
“Jesus aka Chewie was our tour guide and he was incredibly knowledgeable and we enjoyed the time we spent with him. The history and stuff that you learn on this tour is amazing. If we were to do the tour again we would certainly use the same company and ask for the same tour guide.”
Ek Balam ruins, a refreshing Yalcobá cenote swim plus tastings, and a short Valladolid stop with pickup, lunch, and a small-group guide.
“We had an amazing time on the tour to Ek Balam, the Mayan cenote, and Valladolid! The entire day was well organized, and each stop offered something unique and memorable. Ricardo, our tour guide, was absolutely wonderful. He was very knowledgeable about Mayan history, culture, and archaeology. He explained everything with such passion and clarity,…”
Climb Ek Balam, swim in Chichikan cenote, enjoy local lunch, and visit Uayma’s church on a full-day pickup tour.
“It was amazing. Really excellent trip, the guide was really informative. We sort of got off to the wrong start initially where he misunderstood me but after that it was truly excellent and he was. He seemed like maybe he could get prickly when he misunderstands something but otherwise, really good. Really good trip. Good…”
Ek Balam ruins, a refreshing Hacienda Oxman cenote swim, Kaua culture stop, and a Valladolid church break from Cancun, all with a bilingual guide.
“This tour was very educational and I learned a lot. The only bad part is that wheb you visit a Cenote after the ruins, that they dont let you take pictures or videos in the Cenote”
VIP private day from Playa del Carmen to Ek Balam, open-air Cenote San Lorenzo Oxman, and Valladolid with lunch, tickets, and fast pickup.
“We had a really great day with our guide Benicio. He was able to tell us a lot about the Mayan history, about Ek Balam, Valladolid and a lot on the way.”
Ek Balam temples, Chichikan cenote swim with Mayan rituals and food, plus a quick stop in Uayma’s Santo Domingo church. Small-group day.
“Very interesting and rich story.”
Small-group day trip from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, Cenote Hubiku swim, and Ek Balam, with lunch and pickup included.
“This was such a day to remember! We only had 2 other people on the tour with us, so everything felt very personal. Our guide, Arturo, was super knowledgable and fun. It was a long drive to the temple, but the van was comfortable and the time passed quickly as he filled us in on…”
Self-guided GPS audio walk at Ek Balam from Valladolid. 1-hour route with 21+ stories, offline maps, English narration, $9.99.
“I enjoyed how it provided me with stories while walking. The self-guided tour enabled me to spend more time at Ek Balam. You can fully immerse yourself in Mayan history, discover majestic pyramids, and uncover fascinating tales at your own leisure. Allow the audio guide to transport you to a time of mystery. Highly recommend!!!”
Private guide in Ek Balam’s walled archaeological zone. English-speaking, up to 10 people, 1–2 hours, plus site entry ticket cost.
“Being able to have a private tour with this option vs the packaged tours. We can then focus on the necessary only.”
The cenotes, the ruins, the reef — and every road out along the Riviera Maya.
