If you’re looking for an amazing ancient Mayan experience, look no further than Chichen Itza! With Get Your Guide, it’s easy to plan your visit and make the most of your time there. In this article, I’ll give you all the information you need to know about who Get Your Guide are, what the Chichen Itza tour includes, and how to make the most of your time at each stop. I’ll also share some tips and tricks for making the most of your visit!
Who are Get Your Guide?
Get Your Guide is a tour company that offers tours and experiences in a variety of destinations around the world. They are known for their small group sizes, which allow for a more intimate and personalized experience. Get Your Guide is a great option if you’re looking for an organized and hassle-free way to see Chichen Itza.
What is the Chichen Itza tour?
The Chichen Itza tour includes round-trip transportation from Cancun, stops at Valladolid, a stunning cenote, a unique Mayan Experience and your entrance to the ancient ruins. There are a number of different tours on the Get Your Guide website, however, we did the one run by Amigo Tours – an official partner of GYG.
The Transport:
The transport for this tour is a coach, which makes it easy to get around and see everything on the itinerary. The coach is comfortable and air-conditioned, so you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the ride. During the coach journey, your tour guide will likely give you information about Mayan history but if you prefer to switch off, you can pop your headphones in and enjoy the ride.
I found the information we were given really helpful, especially as I didn’t have a lot of knowledge when it came to Mayan practices. As we were visiting lots of places sacred to the Mayans throughout the tour, it was great to have a brief introduction to their lives.
First Stop: Valladolid
The first stop on the tour (around 2 hours from Cancun) is Valladolid, a colonial city that was once the capital of the Maya civilization. Here, you’ll have around 45 minutes to explore on your own. I recommend checking out the city’s main square, which is home to a beautiful cathedral and stunning fountains. I could have wandered around here for hours looking at all of the colourful buildings surrounding the surrounding square, but of course, it was only a whistle-stop tour.
Valladolid is also a great place to pick up souvenirs for friends and family back home, however, you will have more time to stop later.
Second Stop: A Mayan Experience
The second stop on the tour is a Mayan Experience, where you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the Mayan way of life. I loved this part of the tour because it was so interactive. We were able to try traditional Mayan liquor, listen to music as we shopped and even watch as they crafted beautiful keepsakes for us to purchase.
One of my favourite moments from this part of the tour was that if you wanted to, you could take part in a traditional Mayan purification ritual. Whether you’re cleansing the products you bought or you simply want to cleanse your whole body, this ritual was fascinating.
About Mayan Purification Rituals
Mayan purification rituals are based on the belief that everyone has an aura, which is like a personal energy field. This aura can become polluted by negative thoughts, emotions, and experiences. The Maya believe that it’s important to cleanse your aura regularly to stay healthy and balanced.
The purification ritual involves using smoke made from copal (a type of tree resin) and Palo Santo (a type of wood). The smoke is used to cleanse your aura and release any negative energy. I have to say, I felt really refreshed after taking part in this ritual and it was a great way to connect with the Mayan culture.
👉 BOOK YOUR CHICHEN ITZA, VALLADOLID AND CENOTE TOUR WITH GET YOUR GUIDE HERE.
Lunch
After time to wander around the shops, here is where you’ll eat lunch, which is included in the price of your ticket. If you purchased a VIP package, like me, you also get one free drink included.
The food was buffet-style and absolutely amazing – I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about the pork tacos. Usually, I find tours like this don’t give you enough time to eat lunch but we had plenty of time and found that after we’d eaten, there was still a little time to explore before heading back to the coach at the designated time.
Third Stop: Chichen Itza
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for – Chichen Itza. As one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, this ancient city is a truly breathtaking sight.
Before heading in, your tour guide will collect your tickets and then give you a brief history of the site and what to expect. They’ll also offer some tips and tricks, such as the best time to take photos to avoid crowds.
When it comes to visiting Chichen Itza itself, you can either stay with your guide or go explore on your own. We chose to explore on our own because we did not want to feel rushed and instead wanted to appreciate seeing one of the Wonders of The World in real life. Those that went with the guide said that they also enjoyed their experience as they got to learn about each of the specific areas, but it was a little hot as there was a lot of standing around.
Tips And Tricks For Visiting Chichen Itza
-When taking photos, try to position yourself in front of The Temple of Kukulkan, also known as El Castillo. This is the most iconic part of Chichen Itza and makes for a great photo.
-Be prepared for lots of vendors trying to sell you things. You have to walk through a long row of them before you make it to El Castillo.
-You currently cannot climb El Castillo, so do not try to do so.
-Wear sun cream and a hat as it can get very hot, even in if you’re in the shade.
-Bring water with you as there are limited places to buy drinks inside Chichen Itza. There are a few places to purchase before you enter.
-If you find it gets too hot you can buy an umbrella for shade for roughly £12.
Why It’s Best To Go With A Tour Guide
While I enjoyed exploring Chichen Itza on my own, I will say that I’m glad I went with a tour company. The whole experience was slightly overwhelming so it was great to know that I had someone there that knew what they were doing. They were able to direct us to where to go, let us know what to avoid and give us the information we definitely wouldn’t have had access to if we had travelled alone.
It’s also in the middle of nowhere and so without a tour company, it can be difficult to get to, especially if you’re travelling from Cancun specifically.
Stop Four: Saamal Cenote
After Chichen Itza, we made our way to a cenote – which is a natural pit or sinkhole that has been formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock. This particular one was called Saamal and it was absolutely stunning.
The water was so refreshing after being in the heat all day and it was lovely to spend some time swimming and relaxing.
As you arrive you have to pay to rent a life jacket. This is not optional as the water is incredibly deep. Luckily, they had plus size friendly life jackets, which is always a worry of mine. To get down to the cenote, there are around 150 steps. They start quite steep and get much easier to walk down as you get towards the bottom but can be a little slippy.
As I went down I was getting more and more anxious, as it was a little daunting not knowing how deep the water was. Thankfully there was a platform where I could sit in the water before deciding if I wanted to jump in. After feeling the water I couldn’t resist a little dip and so spend 15 minutes or so swimming around feeling INCREDIBLE. It was such a magical experience and I am so glad I pushed myself to do it.
There are plenty of other cenotes in Mexico and so if you’re thinking of adding one to your itinerary I would highly recommend it.
Book Your Chichen Itza Tour Tickets
While at the cenote there was a tequila shop where we could take part in tequila tasting if we wanted. Having horrible flashbacks to tequila shots in Uni I very graciously said no to this and made my way back to the coach for the journey home.
I’m glad I went with Get Your Guide on this tour as it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Mexico. I would highly recommend them if you’re looking for a reputable, reliable and fun tour company.
The whole day was incredible and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Mexico. Chichen Itza is an amazing place and by going on a tour you can learn so much more about its history and culture. Plus, the cenote is the perfect way to cool down afterwards.​
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and I know I learnt a lot more than I would have if I’d have gone alone.
Have you ever been to Chichen Itza or another Mayan site? Let me know in the comments below. If you have any questions about my experience or anything mentioned in this post, please feel free to leave me a comment below and I will be more than happy to answer.
