Mayan Experience tour
Mayan Experience Tour
Experience a different culture first hand, have fun as you learn how to make your own tortilla, enjoy the exotic flavors of the Yucatan with an authentic lunch cooked with local spices and ingredients specially for your visit and make new friends.
The Mayan Experience adventure starts as you immerse into the world of the ancient Maya at the peaceful ceremonial center of Chacchoben Ruins with a guided tour.
After the ruins the adventure continues on to Chacchoben village where the ladies from a local family will welcome you into their colorful world where, as a special guest, you'll witness how the traditions and way of life that survived from the glorious days of the Maya civilization and the Spanish conquest blend with the modern world resulting in a colorful expression of today's Maya culture.
Tour details
Rate definitions
Adult
US$80.00
Ages 13 years old and older
Child
US$80.00
Ages 6 to 12 years old
Infant
free!
Ages 5 years old or younger
What's included
- Round transportation in air conditined vehicles
- English speaking guide. (also available in Español and Français)
- Access fees to Chacchoben
- Tickets to the runis site
- Guided Tour
- Bottled water
- Visit to a local family from Chacchoben village
- Costa Maya's most authentic lunch cooked with passion using fresh ingredients and local spices specially for your visit.
Not included
- Copyright fee of $5.00USD for the use of video cameras at the ruins site.
- Gratuities for your guide and driver.
Tour duration
5.5 hours
Operating days and departure times
This tour operates daily with limited availability during Christmas Day and New Year.
Earliest departure for cruise ship guests is one hour after the ship docks. Later departures may be available if ship's time in port allows.
Difficulty level
Easy
This is a walking tour and includes walking on trails under the jungle. Climbing a few steps of the temples is optional, but climbing at least 13 steps is needed to see the temples on top of Gran Basamento.
We no longer offer accessible tours, slow walkers or people using wheelchairs or motorized scooters must contact us before booking to check if we can accommodate their special needs on the specific date when they visit.
Policies
A deposit of $15.00USD per person is required at booking to confirm spaces for this tour.
Balance payment will be due in cash (US Dollars or MX Pesos) at at check-in.
Optionally you can pay the total of your reservation at the moment of booking if you don't want to deal with balance payment when you arrive.
All payments received towards your reservation are fully refundable if for any reason your cruise ship doesn't call port in Costa Maya at all.
Cancellation policy is 48 hours before the tour.
This tour is better appreciated by children ages 6 years old and older.
Tour meeting point
This tour departs from The Native Choice Kisok a few steps outside the Costa Maya Port. Email confirmation will include easy to follow directions, contact info and a map.
In Costa Maya the port is privately owned and controlled by the cruise lines. Local companies don't have access to pick up guests nor have representatives there.
Services and excursions available at the port are sponsored by your cruise line, if you plan to use any local service your must expect to leave the port to find your service provider.
Tour timetable
Travel time from Costa Maya to Chacchoben.
Rest stop at the service area.
Guided tour of the ruins.
Rest stop at the service area.
Travel from Chacchoben ruins to Chacchoben village.
Visit to a local family and lunch.
Travel time from Chacchoben to Costa Maya.
Recommendations
- Wear comfortable walking or tennis shoes.
- A hat and sunblock lotion.
- Bring extra cash for shopping, credit cards aren't accepted at Chacchoben.
Mayan Experience Tour Details
This tour departs from The Native Choice Kiosk a few steps from the port entrance, check tour meeting point for details.
The Mayan Experience Tour includes a shorter version of the Chacchoben Ruins Tour, plus a visit to Chacchoben village for the rest of the activities.
Travel time from Costa Maya to Chacchoben Ruins is around 50 minutes. Chacchoben village is around 15 minutes from the ruins, from Chacchoben village back to Costa Maya it takes around 45-50 minutes.
By participating in the Mayan Experience Tour, besides enjoying a fun and educational adventure, you will also be extending the benefits of tourism for the Maya families from Chacchoben village that are part of this project.
The Mayan Experience Tour focuses more on the village activities, which is the part of the tour that our guests enjoy the most.
We leave up to our guests to decide how much they get involved in the experience. We encourage everyone to get involved but ultimately each guest decides how much interaction they have with the locals. It is ok if guests decide to limit the interaction to just lunch and a few words but it's alway better if at the end of the day they go back home knowing they made one or more new friends which in the end is the spirit of the Mayan Experience.
All families hosting tourists have received extensive training on food safety. All the food and drinks offered during this tour are perfectly safe, only fresh ingredients are used for the elaboration of the meals and all food is presented perfectly cooked.
Gluten free and vegetarian meals can be prepared if requested in advance. If you or anyone in your party requires a special meal just contact us and let us know, we will be pleased to accommodate your needs.
Guests with difficulties to walk can explore Chacchoben ruins at a slow pace, the paths and trails have been leveled and climbing is optional. We offer collapsible chairs, wheelchairs and umbrellas that we can bring on the tour for our guests with difficulties to walk. Our staff will also be ready to assist as much as possible. For the village part of this tour there is absolutely no problem.
There's a copyright fee of $5.00USD for the use of video cameras at archeological sites in Mexico, this fee isn't included in the tour price, it's paid at the entrance of the site and applies only for video cameras. There's no fee for the use of smart phones, film or digital photo cameras even if they can take video.
Reserve this tour
