5 Days Mayan Heritage History Tour

Posted By : Ellen_W
We had an amazing trip! My mother and I spent 5 days exploring Mayan ruins with our fantastic guide Max and driver Moises. At most sites we were practically the only people there. Max was so knowledgeable about the history and culture as well as the important discoveries at the sites. Both also provided great recommendations for places to see like cathedrals and restaurants with local cuisine. The trip had a lot of driving to get between various sites and Max told us more about the history of the area and showed us colonial buildings and other sites. The first hotel we stayed at was a little loud because of some construction happening locally but the other hotels were lovely including one like a private resort and two right downtown where we could explore the towns we stayed in. The best part of the tour for me was seeing the ruins so close and even getting to climb a few temples. The perspective is so different from above the tree canopy looking down and it's amazing. The astronomical precision of the Mayans is still amazing to me today. It was a fantastic trip and I would definitely recommend it if you like learning about history and culture.
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Posted On : 2024-01-27 13:03:05

Posted By : Helen_n
The tour guide Max and the driver Moses they are great! Very professional, very nice.
They took us to local restaurants to eat, wonderful experience!
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Posted On : 2024-01-06 20:23:25

Posted By : Jake P
This was an unforgettable trip that I will cherish forever! Our tour guide, Tony, was extremely knowledgeable and great to talk to. He had an answer to almost each and every question we could possibly ask- and if he didn't, he would do a bit of research and get the answer right back to us. Tony was fluent in both English and Spanish, effortlessly switching languages back and forth throughout each conversation. Our group was a mix of Spanish and English speakers so this worked out super well, additionally helping me improve my Spanish and the Spanish speakers with their English. My favorite site was Becán; not only was it beautiful and unique, but it was virtually empty in terms of other tourists. Some of the other places we visited were Edzná, Chichen Itza, Palenque, Tulum, and a few others than I can't quite remember the names of. Our driver, Moy, was super nice and fun to talk to, not to mention driving us all around every day. By the end of the trip we had been through 5 different states, visiting multiple Maya archaeological sites and several amazing cities. I learned so much and had a blast being able to see so many historic sites in person that most people only ever see on their phones. I'm extremely glad I decided to come on this tour and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone interested!
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Posted On : 2023-02-14 15:47:00

Posted By : nancysC2832RO
This was an extraordinary trip! We went to many Mayan sites including some of the less known ones that allowed us to climb up temple steps and really explore in a way one cannot do at the more well known sites. And of course we also spent time at Chichen Itza and Tulum, along with throngs of people. The places were incredible - and the guide, Tony, was extraordinary. He knew so much about the history and architecture - he was truly a fount of information. He also was incredibly bilingual, going back and forth between English and Spanish (there was an Argentinian couple as well as three of us from the US) with complete ease. That allowed me to really raise the level of my own Spanish. Moy, our driver, was great at his job and was also simply a lovely person. The entire experience was well-planned and absolutely memorable. If you're on the fence, do it! One note: be aware that there's a ton of walking and stair climbing and you should be in pretty good shape to take this tour.
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Posted On : 2023-01-03 01:47:55

Posted By : abishdugan
This tour enabled us to experience amazing sites up close, such as Edzna and Kohunlich, not included on typical tours. My daughter, our guide, Jose, and I were the only people at a few of the sites. It was like time traveling back to experience the amazing Mayan civilization. Our guide had a wealth of knowledge and tour management was very flexible and helpful before and during our tour.
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Posted On : 2022-07-04 10:46:38

Posted By : Kaylin F
This was an amazing experience! My parents in their 70’s, two boys under age 10, and my husband and I went on this tour. It captivated all of our interests and activity levels.

Pros: The tour operator was highly responsive to all questions prior to and during our tour. He even assisted in arranging the Covid test according to CDC guidelines at our last hotel so we didn’t have to worry about that before departure. Every day was on time as expressed. We saw Mayan ruins we never would have been able to if we had attempted to do this on our own. Our driver Jose was excellent and I always felt safe. Our guide was very passionate about the Mayan History. At times, we were the only tourists at the sites and had the place to ourselves. My kids were able to explore and climb some of the ruins allowing them to feel transported in history. The guide often offered family photos together. Cold water was offered and provided daily. The accommodations were lovely and neat experiences that are not obtained by staying at chain hotels or resorts. There was always assistance provided by our guide and driver to load and unload baggage. The waterfall visit was magnificent and a bonus to the Mayan sites.

Cons: The English of the guide was challenging to understand at times.

Tips: Wear Hiking shoes, wear sun protection, take snacks as there was not always time to stop for meals in order to fit in the itinerary. We were never hungry as we were kept updated of this but glad that we had snacks. Check restaurant breakfast times as a quick trip to a grocer or fruit stand may need to be your breakfast in Merida. We gave my kids a Mayan History book before departure for context and that gave them a reference point and increased interest.

If I could add a day or two to increase time spent at some of the sites but otherwise 5 days was perfect.

I would highly recommend this tour and consider it one of my best life experiences with my family that I could not have otherwise had.
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Posted On : 2022-03-22 10:41:30

Posted By : Lmanning1012
One of the best tour experiences of my life. Me and my friend toured with Gabriel, he was simply amazing. We visited a ton of sites, unfortunately we were unable to visit one site simply because it was closed but Gabriel made it up by taking us to 2 different sites that were not on the original itinerary. Many of the sites we had to ourselves because they definitely not on the typical tourist path. My two favorites were Uxmal and Palenque though they were all beautiful. The Misohl Ha waterfall was really a highlight. I recommend making it a point to take a dip, it is refreshing and you never know when you will get to return and experience something like that again! All of the hotels we stayed in were adequate, and a couple of them were actually pretty nice. Gabriel stopped at good times for food and took us to some great places to eat along the way and gave us some brief driving tours and histories of Campeche and Merida upon arrival to those cities. All in all I highly recommend Special Mayan Tours, they communicated very well with us and we had no issues. From start to finish it was an experience of a lifetime.
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Posted On : 2021-09-21 12:07:08

Posted By : Relax258627
We spent 5 fantastic days with Manuel and his friend. The trip was a birthday gift for my wife and it was a truly amazing experience! Manuel was well prepared and packed us with insightful information on every archeological site. Our guides were super friendly, helped us adjust our route on the way and suggested many side activities which were unforgettable (such as swimming with turtles in cenote close to Tulum and visiting another deeper cenote on the way back which was hidden from the typical tourist routes). After the trip we felt like we really learned few things about Maya culture, which school books don't teach us.
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Posted On : 2021-07-01 19:15:32

Posted By : Curiosity26201960904
We spent 5 days with Manuel and Jose. Wonderful, life-long experience, full of precious knowledge and wonders. Both Manuel and Jose were absolutely professional. The ride was smooth, flexible and all the details/history/life in Mexico what Manuel shared with us made it really special. Thanks a lot guys!
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Posted On : 2021-06-11 22:35:10

Posted By : charleswN3634ZM
My wife and I chose to visit the ruins of the Mayas for our honeymoon. This trip was filled with once ion a lifetime experiences.
Abraham and Moses were out guides/drivers. They accommodated all our requests and made sure to remind us to bring water, wear sunscreen, have bug spray etc. They were extremely knowledgeable and spoke fluent English (as well as several other langues, fluently).
Some days had some long car rides, but it was worth it! We got to see ruins all alone, without other tourists around. We learned so much about the ancient Mayan cultures and the fascinating mysteries that historians still do not know how to explain.
Plenty of time to explore at night and the meals were excellent!
If your are a healthy person, this is a very affordable trip of a lifetime. There is walking and long car rides, so you have to be a flexible person, your are traveling to rural areas that do not have running water, youre in the jungle its hot, and the monkees are loud.

I think some of the hotels need to step up their game, things like small repairs to the rooms and public ares, nothing too serious.

I would 100% recommend having a tour guide to visit these sites, there are things you wouldn't be able to notice, that the guides will tell you about. I would also not hesitate to recommend Special Mayan Tours, I was very satisfied. I think everyone should see these sights, what a great trip!
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Posted On : 2021-05-02 14:08:36