Description
Chichen Itza – Ek Balam Combo
Chichen Itza – Ek Balam – Valladolid
- Destination: Yucatan, Mexico
- Runs on: Any day per availability
- Tour Type: Private
If you want to deepen your understanding and knowledge of Mayan architecture, this is the tour for you. If you time is short in the Riviera Maya and want to see as much as you can, this is also the tour for you. We created this private YucaTreks tour for enthusiasts, like us, who love to compare and contrast different historical sites. Chichen Itza and Ek Balam are on opposite architectural scales so it was a natural choice to include both of these ruins in between a walk through the city of Valladolid and lunch at a historic Hacienda. Ek Balam is a personal favorite ruin, so in the spirit of Yucatreks, where we treat all of our guests like personal friends, this new private tour is a great addition to our line-up.
Tour highlights
• early tour of ruins of Chichen Itza to beat the crowds and heat
• delectable Yucatecan/ Mexican buffet lunch in a charming old Spanish hacienda
• tour of ruins of Ek Balam
• free time for sightseeing/ shopping in historic city center of Valladolid
Tour Price
Pricing is in U.S. Dollars
What's Included
Group Size
Tour Pick-up
How do I book?
Chichen Itza – Ek Balam Combo
Chichen Itza – Ek Balam – Valladolid
- Destination: Yucatan, Mexico
- Runs on: Any day per availability
- Tour Type: Private
If you want to deepen your understanding and knowledge of Mayan architecture, this is the tour for you. If you time is short in the Riviera Maya and want to see as much as you can, this is also the tour for you. We created this private YucaTreks tour for enthusiasts, like us, who love to compare and contrast different historical sites. Chichen Itza and Ek Balam are on opposite architectural scales so it was a natural choice to include both of these ruins in between a walk through the city of Valladolid and lunch at a historic Hacienda. Ek Balam is a personal favorite ruin, so in the spirit of YucaTreks, where we treat all of our guests like personal friends, this new private tour is a great addition to our line-up.
Book now!
To check availability for a PRIVATE tour for just you and your family or friends, in your own private tour van, with your own YucaTreks tour guide, click on Request Private Tour and fill out the request form.
Compare Mayan architectural styles
The Chichen Itza – Ek Balam Combo is a private YucaTreks excursion that provides guests with a compare and contrast opportunity of two very different Mayan architectural styles. This opportunity was created by our team to show how the Mayan evolved and changed their building styles throughout the Yucatan. Chichen Itza predominantly has carved stone buildings, a typical style found in most ruin sites. Ek Balam is a personal favorite due to its decorated buildings.
First stop – Chichen Itza the ancient Maya wonder
Named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988, Chichen Itza was also declared one of the new 7 Ancient Wonders of the World in 2007. Once you see this archaeological site for yourself you’ll understand why it is the most visited Mayan Ruin in the area! This vast Mayan city was constructed in phases providing the most diverse examples of carved Mayan architectural styles in one location. Chichen Itza was one of the Mayan World’s most important cities with an array of monumental buildings that carry a long spiritual, religious and political history. The most famous is the Pyramid of Kulkulcan, with the Temple of 1000 columns and the largest ritual ball court in the Mayan World following in the Mayan tradition of influential buildings.
We start the day early to avoid the midday heat and beat the tour bus crowds that descend upon this Mayan Ruin site. Chichen Itza has plenty to see and we want to make sure that you experience this fantastic site and all it’s splendor fully. Our goal is to create a different tour experience, an intimate excursion with friends that is fun, relaxing and educational.
Now for something completely different – Valladolid
Our next stop is in the colonial town of Valladolid where you have free time to stroll around the quaint town square and pop into local shops. This historical city has the oldest church in the Yucatan, colonial Spanish architecture, family-run shops and wonderful crafts by local artisans. Take a few pictures, perhaps do a little shopping, a perfect conclusion to your Yucatan day. Setting foot from an ancient Mayan city into the heart of a Spanish colonial city gives you an inside look into the history of the Yucatan. The contrast is amazing.
Compare and contrast local flavors
After a morning of walking within the walls of Chichen Itza, we further our understanding and appreciation for the Yucatan with a Yucatecan lunch served at a historic hacienda. In the early 1900s, Haciendas were the focal point of agrigriculture and business in the Yucatan. They have been compared to Plantations and working farms that built the wealth of the Yucatan. The hacienda staff prepare original recipes for this lunch, giving us a try foodie experience in a historical setting. Only local ingredients are used and the flavors are out of this world. Mexican dishes are served alongside Yucatecan dishes, highlighting cooking styles, and recipes.
Observe the unique architecture at Ek Balam Ruins
This archaeological site provides insight into a very different style of Mayan architecture unique to Ek Balam. You have the earlier experience of typical Mayan carved buildings at Chichen Itza. You now have the unique ability to compare and contrast the techniques used on the buildings of Ek Balam. The construction and decoration of Ek Balam’s buildings was completed with stucco and limestone mortar, not the stone carvings found at Chichen Itza, Coba or the Tulum Ruins. In additon to the highly decorated and detailed structures, Ek Balam has unique features within its city limits. Sacbes, man-made roads, lead into the center of the city that is protected by an unusual wall. The Mayas took the four cardinal points into great consideration when building their city giving Ek Balam a deeper spiritual significance.