5-Day Riviera Maya and Yucatan Tour, Mexico

This is a multi-day circuit through the Yucatan Peninsula that starts from the Riviera Maya. It is sold as a 5-day tour with four hotel nights, and it mixes Mayan archaeological sites, colonial towns, cenotes and haciendas. The listing description also names Chichen Itza and Valladolid among the places covered.

The first day starts early with a stop at the archaeological zone of Tulum, the only one that sits on the seashore. After a guided explanation of a little over an hour you have about 45 minutes to swim at the beach. The route then continues to Coba, an ancient Mayan city set among five lagoons with one of the tallest pyramids found so far; the visit takes about two hours on foot through the jungle. After lunch you stop at a cenote with depths of 4 to 35 meters, where you can swim and snorkel, and the day ends in the Magic Town of Izamal.

The second day begins in the center of Izamal, with its market and convent and a climb up an ancient Mayan pyramid. Then you swim at the Santa Barbara cenotes in Homun and visit the Kabah archaeological zone. The night is spent in a hotel at Uxmal.

On the third day you visit the archaeological area of Uxmal, then Choco Story, the chocolate museum, and a former henequen estate. The day ends in a hotel in the center of Merida.

The detailed itinerary in the listing covers these first three days only. The remaining days, which the description says include Chichen Itza and Valladolid, are not itemized, so ask the operator for the full day-by-day program when you book.

The tour is listed as suitable for all physical fitness levels, with the caveat that it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health or for pregnant travelers. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Expect long days with a lot of walking at archaeological sites and swimming stops, so bring swimwear.

Included are four hotel nights, breakfast, lunch, water bottles, an air-conditioned vehicle and a guide at the archaeological zones. Alcoholic drinks and domestic or international flights are not included. Pickup is provided at hotels on the Riviera Maya.