Ek Balam Ruins, Cenote and Valladolid Private Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Accompanied by your own certified guide walk through this archaeological area which is one of the most recent discoveries about Mayan culture. In this tour we will also visit the charming colonial city of Valladolid and the amazing cenote Saamal located in Hacienda Selva Maya where you will enjoy a delicious lunch with some of the most famous traditional dishes fromYucatan cuisine.
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
Hat or cap
Biodegradable sunscreen and repellent
Change of clothe
Swimsuit and towel
Extra cash (for Souvenirs)
What To Expect
Ek Balam
During your visit you will be accompanied by a certified guide who can teach you about the cultural importance of Ek Balam as you explore the city’s buildings, like the Ball Court, the Mayan Arch and you will have the chance to climb the "Acropolis" the main pyramid
In Valladolid you can appreciate the picturesque city with its colonial architecture, colorful houses and the slow life in the streets that seems to have stopped in time. Valladolid has several buildings of great importance and rich history, like the convent San Bernardino de Siena, the Santa Ana church, the museum San Roque, and the cathedral in the main plaza.
Options
Private Tour with Lunch
Pickup included
What‘s Included
Private transportation
On board cooler with beers, sodas and bottled water
Hacienda Selva Maya (buffet lunch)
Guided tour with a certified bilingual guide
Visit to Cenote Saamal
Visit to Valladolid city (1 hour approximately)
Gratuities
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
13 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Perfect full day Ek Balam, Cenote Saamal and Valladolid
Victoria E,May 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Absolutely outstanding cultural and historical tour. Our guide was Norma and driver Gerardo. Informative, warm, attentive, kind. Ek Balam is special, so much more to see than Chichen Itza honestly, far less crowded and you can climb to ruins. We got to see original architecture they had just uncovered. Also shaded in part. Then Cenote Saamal and Selva Maya. Stunning cenote, tropical paradise, great changing rooms and lockers. Lunch was 10 out of 10 with many choices of pork, chicken, vegetables all authentic Mexican dishes. Then finally Valladolid, charming historical town with lovely church and great coffee shop. Would do this tour again, suitable for all ages, our tour was private and we'll worth the fees.
Don't think just book this trip!
Gail S,Jan 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00We loved this tour! They picked us up right on time and we had the best time. Ek Balam was amazing. The cenote just an amazing experience. Lunch buffet was incredible as well and to cap off the trip some shopping time. We took the 7am tour and we were back to our resort before 4pm we had plenty of time and caught a nap during the drive to and from. Just an awesome day trip! Thank you so much Alberto!
Thank you to Alberto and...
Burt,Jan 5, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Thank you to Alberto and the driver (George?) I can't remember his name but the tour was fantastic! Pick up was on time and early and I am glad we book a private tour. The tour was awesome and we visited Ek Balam, a close by cenote with lunch and a short walk around in Valalodid. I wish we could have spent more time in the city of Valalodid because we only have 20 minutes. Overall the trip was nice and as expected. I look for more tours from Alberto and Co for your next trip to Cancun! 😊😊
Discover Something New
Minerva P,Dec 9, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing day spent with our guide Alberto and driver Julio! We were able arrange this private tour according to what we wanted to do an see, my parents are 84 and they took great care of us. Alberto is very knowledgeable about the Mayan history and has a wealth of knowledge about Mexico in general! We absolutely loved Ek Balem it is a must do!! Lunch was delicious and the cenote gorgeous. Would definitely book with them again for a private!!
Incredible day
Tom P,Nov 18, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00As per all the other 5 star reviews, Alberto did not disappoint. Very smooth excursion from pick up to drop off. 100% recommend.
Excellent family trip!
G3715SElucyh,Feb 8, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent family trip with school age kiddos. The private tour was well worth it. Alberto was our guide and Carlos our driver. Alberto was kind, patience, knowledgeable and answered many questions. Carlos was patience and a safe driver. They were amazing! We had a wonderful time.
Private Ek Balam adventure!
Tamara C,Jan 3, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00We decided on choosing a private tour for our family of five, simply because we thought we could control our day a little bit. Our day began with Allonzo(driver) and Alberto(tour guide) picking us up at our resort at 7AM. Both spoke great English. During our two hour drive, Alberto educated us about Ek Belem and the history surrounding it. He had pictures and explained so much about Mexico and Mayan culture. Once at Ek Belem, he did a walking tour with us and then gave us plenty of time to explore on our own. Next stop, lunch and cenote swim. My family and I have done several tours in Mexico, but the lunch buffet provided was the best we have ever had! The cenote was beautiful. I would highly recommend this tour.
Great day trip and guides to Ek Balam
Lisa R,Aug 24, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Ricardo and our driver Nerya were great. Very knowledgeable and took great care of us. Lots of nice touches, with cold flannels after the temple climb, food and water throughout and even making sure we had umbrellas when there was a downpour. Seeing Ek Balam and then the centre swim were maxing and the lunch afterwards was lovely
Dive into Mayan History!
Carole C,Jul 31, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00We just had the best vacation with our family of 11 from ages 11-74. This tour was one of three we took and it was a huge hit with everyone despite the heat! Our tour guides were excellent and well prepared to keep us engaged and comfortable. Ek Balam is a fantastic choice of ruins to see because you can still climb these very impressive ruins. This was followed by a most welcome and delicious lunch buffet. The chicken mole was the best mole sauce I’ve ever had! Lots of choices and all you can eat. The cherry on top was our swim in a Cenote. It was the perfect way to really cool off. It was complete with a platform for jumping or diving! Beautiful setting. Because of a heavy downpour we chose to have a short stop at the charming center of the town of Valladolid to get ice cream. A fun way to end a great tour. Huge shout outs for our driver, Rudolph’s, and guide, Victor Manuel!!!
Excellent Mayan Ruins to Visit and Climb!
amyhG5232WM,Jun 13, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We were picked up early by Miriam our tour guide & driver at our resort in Riviera Maya. They confirmed with our photo ID of the purchaser that we were the correct party. Then the adventure started. The van was clean and had great working AC, the drive was very pleasant and Miriam had great conversations with us. Her English was excellent. We chose the Ek Balam tour because it is one of the few pyramids in Mexico that you can still climb. We arrived with no issues at Ek Balam, they provided us with cold water bottle which was needed for our hot visit. Miriam gave us a very personal tour of the campus and even climbed the pyramids with us. She answered all our many questions with ease. Once we left Ek Balam we went to a Cenote to swim. Lockers were provided and we were able to swim with no issues. Lunch followed onsite of the cenote at Selva Maya. The food was traditional Yucatan, Miriam explained each dish prior to us devouring it all! The food was delicious and the service was excellent. There are also a couple of small shops there to pick up some unique tequilas or souvenirs. From there we visited the city of Vellolidad. By this time the heat of the day was extreme so we chose to only visit Choco-Story which is a chocolate museum and shop (per Miriam's suggestion). At the Choco-Story shop you can get excellent chocolate treats and body products (lotions, soaps, etc) so we were very happy with the recommendation to stop there. I'd love to see more of the town but the family was tired by this point and ready to get back to our resort. Over all the whole tour was excellent and was by far a favorite on our trip.
Related Experiences
Operated by Go Visit Cancun