VIP Chichen Itza & Ek Balam Private Tour
5
VIP Chichen Itza & Ek Balam Private Tour
By My Quest Concierge Private Tours
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99
Duration: 12h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More
- Food included
- Bottled water
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Private transportation
- All Fees and Taxes
- Entry/Admission - Ek Balam
- Entry/Admission - CĂ©note San Lorenzo Oxman
What's not included- Beverages at lunch
- Tips
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- Pickup is available from Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum & any place in the Riviera Maya. Tour not available for Playa Mujeres. We pick you up at the lobby of your hotel or Airbnb. Suggested pickup time is 6:45 am but we are happy to accommodate the schedule to your wishes.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 142800P21- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travellers with back problems
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 142800P21
From
â‚ą34,668.61
per adult (price varies by group size)
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Mo S0 contributionsWorth Every. Single. Penny.Wow- 5 stars isn't enough. We were picked up perfectly on time from our resort in a comfortable, clean, and well air conditioned Mercedes and headed straight to the ruins. Our guide Isaac was kind, knowledgeable, and took everything at the pace we wanted to go. We were literally first in line to get in, and he handled everything for us. He had so much knowledge, and as a Latin American history nerd, I was in heaven After the ruins was the cenote- genuinely magical. We didn't even have to use lockers because Isaac kept an eye on all our bags while we explored. There were changing rooms, bathrooms and food available but we just used the changing rooms (hot tip, bring a plastic bag or other waterproof bag to put your suit in when you're done) The cenote was followed by a genuinely delicious lunch at an authentic restaurant, and then we were ready to head back. I felt super comfortable asking for restroom breaks during our ride and even took a small (accidental hahah) nap on the way back. If you're thinking about doing this tour- do it. It was soooooo worth it not being crammed in a bus full of people and waiting in huge lines.Written 1 December 2024
- nicholastF7052GH0 contributionsA wonderfully informative, friendly, and well organized tour!Had a wonderful day with our tour guide, who picked us up directly from the hotel and spent all day showing us and talking through the sights. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and catered to all questions or requests we had while on the tour. Communication before the tour was also great. All round, it was a very well organized, very enjoyable tour! My only request for future tours is to ask whether your guests are interested in purchasing souvenirs / merch from the vendors in advance - we would have been interested in merchandise irregardless, but felt ill-prepared to haggle without warning. Otherwise, thanks for making it a great day!Written 1 December 2024
- 593cathyylj0 contributionsExceptional private tourWe had an incredible experience with our tour guide during my visit to Chichen Itza. From start to finish, everything was thoughtfully planned and perfectly executed. Our guide, Israel was exceptionally knowledgeable, sharing fascinating historical and cultural insights that brought the site to life. He was also friendly, approachable, and happy to answer any questions, making the tour both educational and engaging. The transportation was excellent. The car was clean, in great condition, and very comfortable for the journey. It added an extra layer of relaxation to the whole experience.Written 1 December 2024
- rajkidd0 contributionsOscar SanchezOscar was on time, friendly, and did an outstanding job. His knowledge of the reef and cenotes was above what was expected and his passion for the natural beauty of Mexico was inspiring.Written 1 December 2024
- Rachel E0 contributionsThis is a must do!Absolutely amazing! Our tour guide Herbierto was wonderful, he was so knowledgeable and friendly. The lunch was also great. Best tour I’ve been on in Cancun.Written 30 November 2024
- LukeL11480 contributionsBeautiful cenotes and fun tourSuch a fun time- ceynotes were gorgeous and water so clear and fresh. Oscar Sanchez was the best - a lot of knowledge about the cenotes and Mayan history, he was a great and friendly guide! Would definitely recommend this tour for an unforgettable experience!Written 30 November 2024
- 338jessiez0 contributionsAmazing cenotes tourOscar Sanchez was our tour guide. We had an amazing time and Oscar really personalized our experience. He was engaging, knowledgeable, friendly and guided us while snorkeling in the cenotes. Also helped us take great pictures with his GoPro! The best tour guide ever! Would definitely do this tour again when we come to Cancun in the future!Written 30 November 2024
- X8215DJdougb0 contributionsGreat outfit. One vehicle for airport transfers is ready to be retired.Second year using these guys. Last year also did a chitzen itza tour that was superb as well as transfers. Very reliable and communicative. I’d use again but would get a commitment re transfer vehicle. In 2023 and this year’s airport pickup vehicle was a late model suburban. Return vehicle was a very tired minivan that I wouldn’t want to travel in again. Didn’t cost them a star because they run a good organization and I expect this was a one-off.Written 30 November 2024
- S2583RWbrittanyn0 contributionsHighly recommend this tour!We had a great experience on our private tour today, exploring Chichen Itza and the stunning cenote. Our guide, Israel, made the day truly special. He was knowledgeable, punctual, and friendly, which made the tour enjoyable and stress-free. The highlight didn't just stop at the sights. The lunch at Valladolia was delicious! We thoroughly enjoyed the local flavours. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to explore these beautiful locations with a fantastic guide!Written 28 November 2024
- DerekL7780 contributionsGreat excursionOur tour guide Oscar Sanchez was amazing. Friendly. Informative. Loved having a private tour on our own timeline. In addition to Talum we did two Cenotes, both of which were amazing and not over crowded.Written 27 November 2024
- lisabedisa0 contributionsTake this tour with Israel!Israel was a fantastic guide. He was very easy to get along with, he was hilarious, and very knowledgeable about our tour. He told us all about Mayan history and Chiten Otza, then took us to a gorgeous cenote before we got lunch. We felt very safe with him and we had a great time. Three thumbs up!Written 27 November 2024
- Casabuenprovecho0 contributionsTemazcal and Cenote AdventureIsrael was a great guide. He took us on an amazing adventure to a cavernous cenote. The Temazcal was a spiritual experience I will never forget.Highly recommend him this tour!Written 27 November 2024
- 0danniih0 contributionsInsane! Amazing!Amazing day!! Oscar was a fantastic tour guide, really friendly and gave us so much information. This was by far the best tour we booked, going private was so much better than a group and we’re definitely booking again for next year! Highly recommendWritten 26 November 2024
- 8071missyg0 contributionsPrivate is the way to go!The private tour provided by My Quest Concierge is the way to go. Our tour guide, Arnie, was wonderful and extremely knowledgable about Chichen Itza. While the drive is long, Arnie was engaging and pointed out many things along the way. The bar was set very high after our great experience.Written 26 November 2024
- Paulo A0 contributionsA great tripWe had a great tour. Oscar Sanchez was our driver and guide and he made sure we had a great trip on all occasions! Totally recommended. We followed the company advice and left the hotel at 6:30 inPlaya del Carmen but was totally worth it, as we avoided lines in all places. Great company for your tour.Written 25 November 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Leslie V
Salt Lake City, UT3 contributions
Dec 2022
I had the privilege of visiting Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, and Valladolid with My Quest Concierge Private Tours. The company and our tour guides, JP (John Paul) and Jose Manuel were fantastic. We could not have had a better day. We were a group of 5, including my 82 year old mother who uses a wheelchair, my daughter who recently had been injured, and my son and sister who are both history nuts. My Quest help me set-up two tours to run together so my mother and daughter could stay on the tour as long as they felt able, and brought a special wheel chair that handled the rough terrain better than my mother's wheel chair. Our guides JP and Jose Manuel were amazing at adjusting the tour to meet our interests. Originally, we had intended to visit a cenote as part of the tour, but we enjoyed the ruins so much, and our guides had so much amazing information to share that we ended up spending more time at the ruins and dropping the cenote. Our guides adjusted the tour as we went along to meet our needs and interests. JP and Jose Manuel also took us to lunch at a great restaurant, they arranged the timing so the restaurant was not busy when we arrived and called ahead and ordered the food so it was ready when we arrived. It was a wonderful meal. JP and Jose Manuel's love of their country and joy in sharing it's history and culture made the tour so much fun. We simply could not have had better guides or a better day. They were also so kind and helpful with my mother. Had I tried to do this tour with her on a bus tour from our hotel, or a tour bus company, it would have be a disaster. Our whole trip to Mexico was fantastic, but almost nothing was easy or happened quite the way I expected. This tour was the shining exception to that experience. The company was super easy to work with, they did exactly what they said they would do, when the said they would do it, and our guides went above and beyond to make the day great for each of us, which was very impressive given our different needs and abilities.
Written 31 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Suzanne M
3 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
We had an amazing day on our private tour! Our guide Juan, who happens to be an archaeologist with extensive knowledge of the Mayans, made our time at both Chichen Itza and Ek Balam magical. We are not rich people and the tour is expensive but we did a group tour to Tulum and after that I decided I was going to spend the extra money for a private tour of Chechen Itza and it ended up being worth every penny. Highly recommend this company and Juan as your guide. Also, try and make sure you are at Chichen Itza right when they open so you can take pictures and experience how special the place is before the throngs of tourist arrive.
Written 10 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
redarrowfister
Marshfield, WI19 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
If I could could give a score of 11 out of 5 - I would.
Highly recommend the Chichen Itza and Ek Balam private tour. We paid a little extra for the luxury car, which was well worth the money. It wasn't the luxury, but the ability to get from site to site quicker than in a van. The comfortable ride in the backseat of a Mercedes was a plus.
Heber was our guide, ask for him if you're doing the tour. I can't imagine another guide doing a better job than Heber.
We made quick time to Chichen Itza....second car into the site. Heber did a great job of explaining what we were about to see on the way there, which made all the difference in taking in the entire context of what we were looking at.
The 2.5 hour car ride to Chichen Itza went quick, as we had conversation the entire way. I asked a ton of questions about the Mayans, and also modern day life in Mexico which Heber was proud to talk about.
Once done with Chichen Itza we quickly moved to Ek Balam and climbed to the top of the ruins. Heber again shined by explaining the differences between what we saw at Chichen Itza and at Ek Balam. He also provided information on all the other Mayan sites and how they were connected to one another.
From there we went into town and had lunch at a small restaurant off the beaten path. Food was authentic and the service was awesome. Heber did a great job of asking about our likes and dislikes, and ordered some items from the kitchen to meet our desires.
One last stop at a Cenote to cool off before heading back to the resort. The ride back to the resort was a chance to relax and catch our breath. Once again, the comfort of a luxury car made that relaxation much better.
Great job Heber - if we're back in the area we will definitely look you up!
Highly recommend the Chichen Itza and Ek Balam private tour. We paid a little extra for the luxury car, which was well worth the money. It wasn't the luxury, but the ability to get from site to site quicker than in a van. The comfortable ride in the backseat of a Mercedes was a plus.
Heber was our guide, ask for him if you're doing the tour. I can't imagine another guide doing a better job than Heber.
We made quick time to Chichen Itza....second car into the site. Heber did a great job of explaining what we were about to see on the way there, which made all the difference in taking in the entire context of what we were looking at.
The 2.5 hour car ride to Chichen Itza went quick, as we had conversation the entire way. I asked a ton of questions about the Mayans, and also modern day life in Mexico which Heber was proud to talk about.
Once done with Chichen Itza we quickly moved to Ek Balam and climbed to the top of the ruins. Heber again shined by explaining the differences between what we saw at Chichen Itza and at Ek Balam. He also provided information on all the other Mayan sites and how they were connected to one another.
From there we went into town and had lunch at a small restaurant off the beaten path. Food was authentic and the service was awesome. Heber did a great job of asking about our likes and dislikes, and ordered some items from the kitchen to meet our desires.
One last stop at a Cenote to cool off before heading back to the resort. The ride back to the resort was a chance to relax and catch our breath. Once again, the comfort of a luxury car made that relaxation much better.
Great job Heber - if we're back in the area we will definitely look you up!
Written 19 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rhys B
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • Family
Herbe did an amazing job guiding us around the tour. He shared great information throughout the entire tour. As we stopped to eat he picked out really good tasteful dishes and made sure we all were having a good time.
Written 12 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bioteacher1976
Menlo Park, CA9 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
Our guide, Oscar, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and polite. Tulum, and Ek Balam we amazing. Tulum was very impressive for its scale, while Ek Balam was interesting for possessing intact art. The lunch was excellent, and the cenote very refreshing. He also took great photos of our family!
We really appreciated Oscar’s company and learned so much from him. He was very passionate about archaeology, history, and the cultural practices and struggles of the modern-day Maya. My wife and I were very interested to learn how we could be more ethical tourists that support the local community here.
We spent all day with him and it was a blast. Thank you so much! We will definitely look into more private tours in the future.
We really appreciated Oscar’s company and learned so much from him. He was very passionate about archaeology, history, and the cultural practices and struggles of the modern-day Maya. My wife and I were very interested to learn how we could be more ethical tourists that support the local community here.
We spent all day with him and it was a blast. Thank you so much! We will definitely look into more private tours in the future.
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clifford R
4 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
We used My Quest Concierge to Plan all the private tours and airport transfers for our entire trip to see Chichen Itze, Ek Balam, Tulum and Tikal in Guatemala. These guys are very reasonably priced and helped us plan everything and were very accommodating to all our needs.
All the guides were friendly and knowledgeable and they happily changed pickup times and adjusted tours for what we did and did not want to see.
We were not interested in the Cenotes and only wanted to see ruins and sample some local food. They helped with all that and provided nice pickup to/from airport in air conditioned cars with water and umbrellas for all our stops.
These guys are great, highly recommend.
All the guides were friendly and knowledgeable and they happily changed pickup times and adjusted tours for what we did and did not want to see.
We were not interested in the Cenotes and only wanted to see ruins and sample some local food. They helped with all that and provided nice pickup to/from airport in air conditioned cars with water and umbrellas for all our stops.
These guys are great, highly recommend.
Written 20 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hannah A
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
Embarking on a tour of Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam with Heber as our guide was an absolute delight!
His extensive knowledge, passion, and expertise in Mayan and Mexican history & culture made our experience truly worth it. He was happy to answer all our questions and adjust our schedule to fit our interests. Overall great value for the price! While traveling between locations, Heber continued to share interesting historical insights, seamlessly weaving together the intricate details of the ruins' architecture and Mayan beliefs. We also enjoyed the restaurant he took us to for lunch! The Best food! Thanks to Heber, This tour was an immersive journey through time, allowing us to witness the grandeur of the Mayan civilization up close and personal! We feel more than satisfied with our tour experience and would love to schedule another tour in the future!
His extensive knowledge, passion, and expertise in Mayan and Mexican history & culture made our experience truly worth it. He was happy to answer all our questions and adjust our schedule to fit our interests. Overall great value for the price! While traveling between locations, Heber continued to share interesting historical insights, seamlessly weaving together the intricate details of the ruins' architecture and Mayan beliefs. We also enjoyed the restaurant he took us to for lunch! The Best food! Thanks to Heber, This tour was an immersive journey through time, allowing us to witness the grandeur of the Mayan civilization up close and personal! We feel more than satisfied with our tour experience and would love to schedule another tour in the future!
Written 19 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John Doe
3 contributions
Feb 2023
Arnie was our guide. He was GREAT! He was sociable and engaging and could switch between friendly banter and "work" chat seemlessly. Most importantly for us, while he was talkative he never forced the conversation and aloud us to have quiet time.
His suggestion to leave our hotel at 6:45 to reach Chichen Itza when it opened was perfect. We got to enjoy it without all the crowds (as we left the line of cars was backed up to the overflow parking). He is certainly knowledgeable. We came into the tour with a base knowledge of Mesoamerican culture, and he was able to expand upon this and answer some of our questions.
Overall, we left the decision making to him and he took the best care of us. If we decide to go back to the Yucatan and do another tour, we would try to book with him again.
His suggestion to leave our hotel at 6:45 to reach Chichen Itza when it opened was perfect. We got to enjoy it without all the crowds (as we left the line of cars was backed up to the overflow parking). He is certainly knowledgeable. We came into the tour with a base knowledge of Mesoamerican culture, and he was able to expand upon this and answer some of our questions.
Overall, we left the decision making to him and he took the best care of us. If we decide to go back to the Yucatan and do another tour, we would try to book with him again.
Written 16 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sRaut_CH
Allschwil, Switzerland54 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
I had a fantastic experience from booking until the drop off.
Gabriela contacted me 2 days prior to the tour with some last questions like room number and allergies and then the evening before she sent me the contact details from our tour guide. We got a free upgrade to a nicer car which was very much apreciated.
Our Tourguide Johny was amazing as well. He knew a lot about Mayan history and knew what he was talking about. He always made sure we were ok, had plenty of water and just a good time. He also takes fabulous pictures and is just a great guy to spend the day with and learn about Mexico. He suggested to order some local dishes for lunch so we can try new food which we happily agreed to.
All in all it was a great day and I would def. book with them again.
Gabriela contacted me 2 days prior to the tour with some last questions like room number and allergies and then the evening before she sent me the contact details from our tour guide. We got a free upgrade to a nicer car which was very much apreciated.
Our Tourguide Johny was amazing as well. He knew a lot about Mayan history and knew what he was talking about. He always made sure we were ok, had plenty of water and just a good time. He also takes fabulous pictures and is just a great guy to spend the day with and learn about Mexico. He suggested to order some local dishes for lunch so we can try new food which we happily agreed to.
All in all it was a great day and I would def. book with them again.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emily p
Reno, NV8 contributions
My wife has waited her whole life to see Chichén Itzá. So when planning this trip I knew we needed a tour. I looked into the other sites and settled on Ek Balam too. I chose My Quest Concierge based on the tour type, and ratings.
Our amazing guide showed up at 6:30am to whisk us away to Chichén Itzá. Talking as much or as little as we wanted. Once we arrived he guided us to the site and this is where Issac began to shine. He led us down a path through time. We learned so much about the Maya people and how they mixed with other Mesoamericsn peoples (Teotihuacan?). I wish I had a recording of his knowledge. When we learned he changed careers and went to school to immerse himself to share his knowledge through eco tourism it all made sense. While people were walking around clapping we were studying the carvings and eating up the amazing history.
We went onto Ek Balam and lunch in Valladolid. He ordered ahead the most amazing vegetarian feast for us. Just amazing food. From there to the cenote. I could go on and on about Isaac’s knowledge but more he was so excited to share and we had some really wonderful conversations.
I will say that if I have another opportunity to have him as a tour guide I 100% would. He made my wife’s lifelong dream a reality filled.
Our amazing guide showed up at 6:30am to whisk us away to Chichén Itzá. Talking as much or as little as we wanted. Once we arrived he guided us to the site and this is where Issac began to shine. He led us down a path through time. We learned so much about the Maya people and how they mixed with other Mesoamericsn peoples (Teotihuacan?). I wish I had a recording of his knowledge. When we learned he changed careers and went to school to immerse himself to share his knowledge through eco tourism it all made sense. While people were walking around clapping we were studying the carvings and eating up the amazing history.
We went onto Ek Balam and lunch in Valladolid. He ordered ahead the most amazing vegetarian feast for us. Just amazing food. From there to the cenote. I could go on and on about Isaac’s knowledge but more he was so excited to share and we had some really wonderful conversations.
I will say that if I have another opportunity to have him as a tour guide I 100% would. He made my wife’s lifelong dream a reality filled.
Written 14 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For those that did this excursion, do you feel 2 hours was enough at each ruin? Was there time to rest between each stop?
Written 10 December 2023
Hi, I’d like to book your tour but I wanted to know if it was possible to see el castillo very early at the morning and to come back to watch the snake for the equinox at 3pm ? Looking forward to read you. Have a great day. M. Richard
Written 27 February 2023
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