US$

4045 / pp

DATES & RATES

Pirates, Maya & Day of Dead Festival

Mexico

Dates:
26 October - 6 November 2023

Activity level:

1. Easy. Not much walking, no long driving, take your time and relax.

2. Moderate. Considerable walking, some days may include long drives.

3. Challenging. You may have to take some risks and to fit the requirements.

Duration:
12 days

Group:
12 ppl

US$ 4599 / pp

All about the tour

Mexico’s el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) provides a chance for families to welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives. A macabre and fascinating mix of Mesoamerican ritual, Spanish culture and European dogma, its origins go back nearly 3,000 years, to the pre-Columbian rituals of the Aztecs and the Nahua people of Central Mexico. This remarkable journey takes us through a land steeped in these ancient traditions, where the reminders of Spanish expansion share the landscape with spectacular Maya ruins, colourful markets and the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Beginning on Mexico’s Caribbean coast we travel along the eastern fringes of the Yucatan Peninsula, visiting the Maya ruins at Tulum and Kohunlich and the tranquil waters of Bacalar Lagoon, before heading for the lush jungles of the Petén Basin.

Itinerary

Cancún → Playa del Carmen → Tulum → Bacalar → Kohunlich → Becán → Chicanná → Calakmul → Puerta Calakmul → Chicanná → Edzná → Campeche → Pomuch → Uxmal → Campeche → Kabah → Loltún Caves → Mérida → Hacienda Sotuta de Peón → Mayapan → Mérida → Izamal → Yokdz

Day 1: Cancún - Playa del Carmen

The tour starts at Cancun airport this evening where we will be met and driven to the hotel in Playa del Carmen, situated along Mexico’s Caribbean coast.

Day 2: Playa del Carmen - Tulum - Bacalar

We head to the Mayan rock fortress of Tulum, one of the last cities to be built by the Maya. After our visit, we then continue on to the small and tranquil town of Bacalar, located on the edge of a beautiful lagoon.

Day 3: Bacalar

Bacalar was founded by the Maya, sacked by pirates and fortified by the Spanish. Today we have an opportunity to enjoy the picturesque waters of its lagoon, part of the world’s largest subterranean water cave system, on a boat trip, with time to snorkel.

Day 4: Bacalar - Kohunlich - Becán - Chicanná

We drive to Chetumal to discover the Mayan treasures at its Museo de la Cultura. We then explore the famed Pyramid of the Masks at Kohunlich and the ruins of Becán, the oldest architectural defence system in Mexico, before ending in Chicanná.

Day 5: Chicanná - Calakmul - Puerta Calakmul - Chicanná

The journey then takes us to the Maya archaeological site at Calakmul, shrouded in the ancient rain forest and home to howler monkeys and birds. We then visit Puerta Calakmul’s remarkable ‘Bat Cave’, the haunt of some five million bats!

Day 6: Chicanná - Edzná - Campeche

Close to Campeche lies the ancient ruins of Edzná, which can trace their early origins back to 400 BC. We will have the chance to climb the Pyramid of the Five Storeys staircase for beautiful views before reaching Campeche.

Day 7: Campeche

A tour of the UNESCO city takes in its narrow streets and colonial architecture before we pay a visit to the Museum of Mayan Architecture. The city is also home to the Fortress of San Miguel, which today houses the city’s archaeological museum.

Day 8: Campeche - Pomuch - Uxmal - Campeche

Today we will witness the Day of the Dead celebration, believed to be of Aztec origin, in Pomuch. The locals remove and clean the bones and skulls from the decorated ossuaries that line the town’s cemetery. We then visit the UNESCO site of Uxmal.

Day 9: Campeche - Kabah - Loltún Caves - Mérida

Departing Campeche, we head to the spectacular ruins at Kabah. We will walk an ancient Mayan road to the caves of Loltún to enter a subterranean world of stalactites, tree roots and rock paintings, before completing our journey on to Meridá.

Day 10: Mérida – Hacienda Sotuta de Peón - Mayapan - Mérida

Founded by the Spanish in 1542, Meridá is still the economic and cultural capital of the region. We’ll tour the city this morning before we depart for the 19th century Hacienda Sotuta de Peón and Mayan capital of Mayapan.

Day 11: Mérida - Izamal - Yokdzonot - Chichén Itzá

As we journey to Chichén Itzá, we will stop at the Gran Museo del Mundo, where Yucatan’s social history is laid out, Izamal, one of the oldest towns in Yucatán, and Yokdzonot Cenote, where we can swim amongst the ancient trees and blue/green waters.

Day 12: Chichén Itzá - Valladolid - Cancún

We meet an expert archaeological guide today at Chichén Itzá, a UNESCO site and one of the most important examples of Mayan-Toltec civilisation anywhere in the Yucatán. We then spend time exploring Valladolid before reaching the airport in Cancún.

Show less

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Travellers and rooms

Persons:

Rooms:

Choose an option

3-star accommodations

Rate per person:

US$ 4599

Map

What's included

Accommodation

11 nights' accommodation (three to four star hotels)

Meals

11 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner (typically in local restaurants where viable)

Guided tours

Full services of a Tour Leader with local guides and drivers

Sightseeing, excursions and activities as per the itinerary

Transport

All transport (minibus)

Support

24/7 phone/WhatsApp support line

A carbon-offsetting contribution to Carbon Clear (if booking international flights through our office)

Entrance tickets

All entrance fees as per the itinerary

Not Included

International flights

Meals not mentioned

Optional tours and activities

Personal expenses

Highlights

Travel through the Yucatan Peninsula stopping at Mayan ruins

Witness the cleaning of the dead at the Day of The Dead festivities

Visit the spectacular Mayan sites of Uxmal, Tulum, and Chichén Itzá

Snorkel in the natural beauty of Bacalar Lagoon

Marvel at the colonial elegance of Campeche and Meridá

Explore the subterranean world of Loltún Caves

Our reviews

Dragan Rakic

Australia

Great experience and organisation by the team at works of discoveries - communication was great all the way through the trip

Hugo & Carolina Ayon

USA

WOFDI was always so helpful and organized during our Qatar World Cup trip! Want to thank Mike for always being available and willing to help whenever we needed!

Jose Leonardo Ramos Mateos

Great experience in Qatar World Cup!!! Great service and support during our trip to Dubai and Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup!!! Helena for the first contact and reservations coordination was just perfect! Michael, Varya, Irena, Anastasia and all the support staff made a great Job and made us feel safe, happy and satisfied with the service and the tours we got. The full tour included welcome party, Desert dinner and show, tour in Dubai and a perfect logistics for travel between Dubai and Qatar. We had no problem with the FIFA hospitality tickets… Simply a perfect and unforgetable trip!!! We will for sure hire World of Discoveries services again soon!!

Juan Torres & Family

Mexico

worldcup experience (A+) It is great when companies do exactly what you paid for. Host Anna, was amazing at answering all questions and posting in the WhatsApp groups the timings and what to expect in each of the stages of the trip. Seats could have been a little better but we were told that it was a Fifa decision.

Carlos B & Family

Argentina

Very professional people Very professional people, made our stay a great one, everything was according to what was offered in Hospitality Tickets, hotel, transfers and tours I would definately go with WOFDI to the next Fifa World Cup 2026 Vamos Argentina!!!!!! Thank you

Allison

USA

First time with the World of Discoveries tour but my fifth time overall with tour guided trips. They did an amazing job finding the best hotel places especially the Museum Hotel that was connected to the QT. Loved that we could do laundry since we were traveling for 2 weeks. The selection of itinerary was spot on and had so many wide arrangement for all to participate. The Hobbiton was surprisingly my favorite and definitely need to go. Our tour guide Micheal was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful through your our trip. Communication was very good having the WhatsApp helped with knowing when and where we needed to meet at all times. Plus the other travels on the tour guide was a bonus since we all loved soccer and got along extremely well. OVERALL the trip was a big success and I would ? book another trip with them.

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