Mysteries of the Maya
13 nights
Priced from £5570 per person
The itinerary below is staying in some of the best hotels and haciendas that Mexico has to offer. It is a classic beach adventure beach holiday, combining the coast with ancient Mayan ruins.
As a guideline, the itinerary outlined below would cost approximately £5,570 per person based on two people travelling and includes all activities on a private basis unless stated, car hire, accommodation and taxes and meals where mentioned.
Please note that the itinerary does not include any international flights
| Day 1 | Fly to Cancun. Transfer on arrival to the car hire desk to pick up your for 13 days including basic insurance. Please note you will have to pay collision insurance locally – approx £120. Drive to Playa del Carmen and the Tides hotel for 3 nights in a luxury villa on a b&b basis. https://www.latinodyssey.com/mexico/the-tides-riviera-maya |
| Day 2-3 | 2 days free for personal exploration and relaxation. The hotel has a range of activities available, all of which can be arranged locally, alternatively spoil yourself with a massage at their spa. |
| Day 4 | Drive to Chichen Itza and the Hacienda Chichen for 2 nights in a standard room on a b&b basis. The hotel is situated next to the ruins, allowing you to walk to the ruins from your hotel. https://www.latinodyssey.com/mexico/hacienda-chichen |
| Day 5 | The day is spent exploring the ceremonial centres at Chichén Itzá. The impressive El Castillo Pyramid sits in the middle of the site and is surrounded by temples, palaces and ball courts. The nearby Cenote Sagrado (‘Sacred Well’) was dredged in the early 20th century and found to contain precious gold, silver and jade artefacts as well as the remains of sacrifice victims. |
| Day 6 | Drive to Uxmal and the hacienda Santa Rosa for 3 nights in a junior suite on a b&b basis. The ruins of Uxmal are a 10 minute drive from your hotel and the late afternoon is an ideal time to explore these mysterious ruins. Uxmaldates back to the late classic period, having been built by the Xiu tribe. The site is dominated by the Pyramid of the Magician and the Nunnery Quadrangle which consists of long buildings with elaborately carved façades. There are many other fine buildings, as well as the remnants of a ball court used in ritual games that sometimes ended in Sacrifice. https://www.latinodyssey.com/mexico/hacienda-santa-rosa |
| Day 7-8 | 2 days free for personal exploration. We would recommend visiting the colonial town of Merida – the major colonial establishment on the peninsula, known as T’hó to the ancient Maya. Merida offers a stark contrast to the seemingly untamed heartland of several ancient civilizations. The narrow streets and shady parks provide a feeling of the old-world, as horses and cars traverse the cobblestone streets. On weekends, the streets in the city’s center are cordoned off and are dominated by pedestrians and street vendors |
| Day 9 | Drive to the Riviera Maya and the Esencia hotel for 4 nights in garden suite with a private plunge pool on a b&b basis. https://www.latinodyssey.com/mexico/esencia |
| Day 10-12 | 3 days free for personal exploration. Tulum is close by and is set on a beautiful expanse of white sand on the Caribbean. Just outside the town is a picturesque walled Mayan city which overlooks the turquoise waters, one of the most photographed sites in the Yucatán. We recommend visiting the Mayan ruins of Tulum at sunrise to get the best out of the ruins and to avoid the crowds! |
| Day 13 | Drive to Cancun airport where you will drop off your car hire and connect with your return international flight |
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