Mayan World: Mexico, Belize, Guatemala

• Tour duration: 9 days

• Start and end of the trip: Cancun

• Number of participants: 1 – 6 people

• Transport: SUVs, SUVs

• Price on request

Day 1. Cancun - Coba - Tulum

Departure from Cancun early in the morning at 7:00. Transfer to Coba. Coba is one of the oldest cities of the Mayan civilization. We will travel around its vast territory in bicycle rickshaws. Koba was an important political, commercial and religious center. Here you will see the very stone on which the date 12/21/2012 is carved, foreshadowing the “end of the world”, the “sak be” roads, the grounds for the sacred ball game and the highest pyramid of the Yucatan Peninsula - “Nohoch Mul”, which you can climb. Coba is about an hour's drive west of Tulum. On the way we will pass several Indian villages, where you can buy souvenirs (there will be a large ceramics store). After Coba, visit the Grand Cenote, where you can swim. Excursion to the ancient port city of Tulum. Overnight in Tulum.

Day 2. Tulum - Chetumal - Altun Ha

Departure towards Belize (about 3 hours to the border). Applying for a Belize visa in Chetumal. Border crossing. Accommodation in an eco-lodge near the ancient Mayan city of Altun Ha.

Day 3. Alutn-Ha - Lamanai

In the morning excursion to Altun-Ha. After lunch, transfer by boat to the ruins of the ancient city of Lamanai. In the evening, return to the lodge.

Day 4. Caves of San Ignacio

Visit the sacred caves of the ancient Mayans in Belize. In the Aktun-Tunichil-Muknal (ATM) cave, Mayan skeletons, pottery and stone artifacts were discovered. The most famous of the human remains is called the "Crystal Girl": the skeleton of a teenage girl, possibly sacrificed, whose bones became covered with natural deposits over time and appeared sparkling when discovered (hence the name). Several more skeletons were discovered in the main chamber. You can get into the cave by wading or swimming through a large pool. Inside the cave, you will also be in water most of the time.

Day 5. San Ignacio - Tikal - Flores

Early in the morning – transfer to Guatemala (the journey takes about 4 hours). Visit the most famous and largest city of the ancient Mayans - Tikal. You can spend the rest of the day here. Accommodation at a hotel in Tikal Park or transfer to Flores.

Day 6. Flores - Palenque

Transfer to Mexico (the journey takes about 8 hours). Accommodation at a hotel in the city of Palenque.

Day 7. Palenque - Uxmal - Merida

Visit to the ancient city of Palenque. Palenque is the remains of a large Mayan city, the political and cultural center of the Maya in the 3rd to 8th centuries. During this tour, you will see the ruins of Palenque and original Mayan artifacts, including the tomb of the great ruler Pacal II. It was on the basis of this image that Eric Von Däniken put forward a hypothesis about the cosmic origin of the Mayan civilization. After Palenque we will go for a swim at the Misol-Ha and Aqua Azul waterfalls. Moving to Merida. Accommodation in a private hacienda or hotel in the center of Merida. 

Day 8. Merida - Celestun Park

Early in the morning - transfer to Celestun Park. A boat ride through the park, watching pink flamingos (from December to March). Return to Merida. Tour of the city center. Return to the hacienda. Here you will learn about the history of Mexican haciendas, about the cultivation of henequen, visit the main building of the hacienda, and ride through the fields on a mule-drawn cart. Traditional rustic Mexican dinner at the hacienda.

Day 9. Merida - Chichen Itza - Ek Balam

In the morning - transfer to Chichen Itza. The ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza is one of the first on the list of the most interesting places on the planet and a place that should definitely be visited during a holiday on the Mayan Riviera. Built in 514 AD, this city was once the capital of the ancient Mayan and Toltec civilizations and was recently listed as one of the "7 New Wonders of the World." After lunch we will visit another ancient city of the Mayan civilization - Ek Balam. Here you can see the pyramids in the form in which researchers and archaeologists of the 19th century found them and climb to the top of the ancient palace, from where a stunning view of the valley opens. Moving to Cancun.