Ancient Uxmal, Sacred Cenote & Chocolate: Private Mayan Journey

This was an amazing experience. I enjoyed Uxmal much more than Chichen Itza. The site was closer together and much easier to explore. It was not as crowded, and the ruins were amazing. The building seem to be more intact. Our guide Gabriel was great and very knowledgeable not only in the local tour, but could he could explain many other things throughout Mexico. It was nice that the car ride was not too long. We were able to arrive at the site earlier in the day before the heat set in and explore the entire site. The next visit to the Chocolate museum was also wonderful and the children especially enjoyed seeing the animals and feeding the monkeys. Be sure to bring some one-peso coins for the animal food machines. The whole family enjoyed seeing all the animals and learning about the chocolate process. The tasting was a lot of fun to be able to taste the traditional chocolate drink. It was the perfect ending to stop at the cenote for a swim to call off. Definitely a wonderful day for the whole family and one of the best experiences in Merida.

Thoroughly enjoyable tour, with an excellent, very knowledgable bi-lingual guide Bruno. Our visit to the Anthropological museum in Mexico City gave an ideal background story to Mexico City and the Teotihuacan pyramids. Bruno brought the site to life with his descriptions.

I have been to a lot of pyramids and Uxmal is my favorite. The site is large and there is so much detail still on the buildings. Our tour guide Blanca was great at explaining many of the details and the history. (As a bonus she also pointed out a couple great photo spots!) The chocolate museum was interesting and included a Maya ceremony and a demonstration of the Maya chocolate processing with tasting. The cenote had a couple fun jumping spots. The tour being private was also nice as everything was at our own pace.

We did the private tour and they suggested we leave early to miss the crowds and hottest part of the day. We left at 7 A.M. and the ride was under 2 hrs to the first location. During the morning ride up to the ruins we made a stop at a restroom allowing me to stay hydrated. Gabriel was our knowledgeable tour guide. He was always patient and personable. He wore his long sleeve black shirt as his required uniform, which I would not recommend. Following rules he felt obliged to per the boss’ rules, but light colored and loose cotton or linen clothing would be recommended. I saw people with small umbrellas which I kept forgetting to take with me as it’s so beneficial in June’s high heat and sun. Wearing a big hat and gym shoes kept me comfortable. I wore a long flowy summer dress which allowed me to stay cool and comfortable. The chocolate factory is all outdoors. No AC, so more heat and sun. Have single pesos to feed the koi fish and also the cute monkeys, in a running cage and not left loose throughout the park. For one peso you get a small handful of food to feed them. The monkeys are sweet and a bit sad to see them in cages but I personally hate zoos for that reason. After the ruins Gabriel gave us the choice to stop and eat something or go to the cenote. We were hungry but given the heat we wanted to cool down. He allows you to eat snacks in his car, but remember to be respectful and clean up your mess. We chose to go to the cenote over food and it was the best choice. Majestic would be the word to describe the cenote. The walk from the parking lot to the dressing rooms is short and the walk from the dressing rooms to the cenote is equally far. There are lockers with a lock that can be paid there. There is one outdoor shower which is required for one to use prior to getting into the cenote. Please respect the rules as it’s to help preserve the natural beauty and wildlife in the cenote. Only tiny little fish are living in the cenote. This cenote is almost completely underground and the stairs are steep but the railings are metal and sturdy. Some steps are higher than others. The water is crystal clear and felt amazing. We were lucky that only one other family was there. I didn’t want to leave. There is a sign at the entrance I initially didn’t see that states each group is only allowed to be there for an hour which Gabriel explained that was enforced during the beginning of Covid and not so much now. We lingered in the water for about 2 hours which Gabriel patiently waited for us at the entrance. As much as we didn’t want to leave we asked Gabriel to take us get food and we were happy to have lunch with our new friend. The ride back to our hotel was about 2 hours which I couldn’t keep my eyes open on the ride back. Gabriel once again was so nice to let us sleep. He was a good driver and we felt safe with him at all times. I would ask for Gabriel when I go back to Merida and book another tour.

We had an amazing time on our excursion to Uxmal. Our guide, Gabriel, was great - knowledgeable, interesting, and fun. We were a large group of work friends and family members. We were picked up in an air-conditioned van, drove to Uxmal, and had a few hours of a guided tour. The ruins are amazing, and even though it was very hot, we really enjoyed the amazing site. We then went to the chocolate museum close by, where we learned about chocolate making by the ancient Mayans, got to try some authentic choco-ha, and see some rescued wild cats. We then went to each lunch at a local Mayan restaurant, where we had a delicious meal, capped off with a "la cucaracha" shot! Finally, we drove to a local cenote, where we got to swim in crystal clear, refreshing water. It was the perfect way to end the day. We were driven back to our hotel. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and we highly recommend to anyone visiting Merida!

I wish I could give more than 5 stars. Travelezza was a delight to work with from start to finish. My family of five - 12, 9, and 7 yo kids - traveled to Merida for Spring Break. Luisa at Travelezza gave me recommendations on which tours would best suit my family, and her advice was spot on. At the last minute, I asked to switch days and they were able to accommodate me. When I realized that we wouldn’t have time to eat breakfast before our tour, they arranged to pick us up early and take us to a place where we could grab food and coffee. Such personal and helpful service. I can’t say enough good things about our guide Blanca and our driver Miguel. We had a blast with them on both tours. Blanca is a ray of sunshine, and Miguel is her quiet and kind sidekick. It was 100+ degrees on the day we visited Uxmal, and we still had a fantastic time. We started early to beat the heat. The Choco Story Museum was so fun. We watched a reenactment of an ancient Mayan ritual, we learned about chocolate, jaguars, and other parts of Mayan culture. We had a demonstration of how chocolate is made from the beans and drank freshly made chocolate from traditional cups. Blanca made the trip highly educational, fun, and personalized to us. The trip to the ruins at Uxmal was also so interesting. Blanca’s knowledge of the site was impressive, but her genuine enthusiasm for Mayan culture was what kept us interested in learning more. My LA kids, who are used to aC and comfort, walked all around Uxmal in oppressive heat without complaint. I was gobsmacked by how much they enjoyed it. The day ended with a trip to a beautiful cenote. The whole day was wonderful but the cenote is something we will remember for our whole lives. It is easy to have fun when your guide and driver make you feel like you are being fully take care of. I cannot more highly recommend Travelezza.

Dario was an excellent guide! The entire day went without a hitch and he was incredibly flexible with timing of the day based on our interests and needs. Would highly recommend!

Dario was an excellent guide! The entire day went without a hitch and he was incredibly flexible with timing of the day based on our interests and needs. Would highly recommend!

What an amazing experience! Our tour guide Bianca and the driver Jose were wonderful people who took great care of us. They arrived promptly at pickup time and had plenty of snacks and water for the trip. Our first stop was the chocolate museum which our kids loved! Bianca has a wealth of information and so much passion for her job. She explained everything to us and was so nice to our children! We then drove to UXMAL and she gave a great tour!! Her knowledge of the symbolism and meaning of the ancient Mayan civilization is astounding. We then had a great traditional Yucatán lunch. The last stop at the cenote was the perfect way to cool off! I would highly recommend this tour and Bianca as your guide!! She and Jose were professional, informative, well prepared, and extremely kind people! Thank you for the memorable day, we won’t forget it!

Uxmal is incredible. We worked with Travelezza and Luisa in particular to customize the tour to substitute Kabah for the cenote. Luisa was very helpful and I loved her enthusiasm for her job. Our guide was Gabriel - we could not have asked for a better guide. Gabriel is personable and knowledgeable - we enjoyed spending time with him. We would highly recommend Travelezza - we worked with them in 3 different trips and everything was perfect.