Your hotel door in Playa del Carmen is where this tour begins. A private, air-conditioned vehicle is reserved for your group, no shared passengers, no meeting point, no waiting while a driver circles other hotels. Playa del Carmen sits midway along the Riviera Maya, roughly 2.5 hours from Chichen Itza via toll road.
We operate two private tours from Playa del Carmen: the Standard full-day experience and the VIP Premium early-access tour. Both are 100% exclusive to your group, with hotel pickup, a certified guide, the entrance ticket, a cenote swim, and a meal.
Before you book, explore our complete private Chichen Itza experience to see everything across both tour options.
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Group tours from Playa del Carmen spend the first 45 minutes just leaving town. Your driver stops at eight or ten different hotels before the journey actually starts. At Chichen Itza, your guide is managing 40 or more people. At the cenote, you queue.
A private tour means your vehicle leaves your hotel directly. The guide's attention belongs to your group for the entire day. If you want to linger at the Great Ball Court, you linger. If your kids have questions, those questions get answered properly. For groups of four or more, the per-person cost of a private tour is closer to a group tour than most people expect, and the experience is not comparable.
For travelers who want to compare the full range of what we offer before choosing, our complete private Chichen Itza experience page covers everything.
Pickup at 6:30 or 7:00 AM from your Playa del Carmen hotel. Your private air-conditioned vehicle travels directly to Chichen Itza, approximately 2.5 hours via toll road with no stops at other hotels.
You arrive around 8:30 AM and spend two hours exploring with your certified guide: El Castillo, the Great Ball Court and its remarkable acoustic system, the Temple of Warriors, the Observatory. Questions encouraged throughout.
Lunch at a regional buffet in a genuine Mayan village, not a tourist restaurant. Then Cenote Nool Ha: open cenote, turquoise water, natural overhead light, life jackets included. One hour to swim and explore, accessible for all ages including non-swimmers. Optional 30-minute stop in Valladolid on the return. Back at your hotel by approximately 5:30 PM.
Pickup at 6:00 AM from your Playa del Carmen hotel. The earlier departure puts your group at Chichen Itza before the large coach buses arrive from Cancun and the Hotel Zone, a window of roughly an hour where El Castillo, the Temple of Warriors, and the Great Ball Court belong almost entirely to you.
Walking those structures in early morning light, with a guide whose only job is your group, is the version of Chichen Itza that most Riviera Maya visitors never see. The VIP Premium tour is built entirely around that window.
After the ruins: lunch at El Patio de Mi Casa, a proper sit-down Mayan meal at a family-run restaurant, not a buffet. Then a hidden cave cenote, away from the tourist circuit. Underground, lit by a single shaft of natural light through the cave ceiling. Your group swims here for approximately 1.5 hours. No queues, no other visitors.
Both tours are equally great. Choose Standard for a complete classic day with an open cenote and an optional Valladolid stop. Choose VIP Premium for the earliest arrival at Chichen Itza and a more intimate cave cenote.
Every private tour from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza includes the same essentials, Standard and VIP both.
Not included: alcohol, souvenirs, tips and gratuities, personal expenses.
All tours are priced per group. Hotel pickup from Playa del Carmen is included in both. 50% deposit confirms your booking; balance is paid on the day of the tour.
Per group, all-inclusive
| Travelers | Total | Per Person | Deposit 50% | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $890 | $890 | $445 | $445 |
| 2 | $890 | $445 | $445 | $445 |
| 3 | $990 | $330 | $495 | $495 |
| 4 | $1,090 | $273 | $545 | $545 |
| 5 | $1,190 | $238 | $595 | $595 |
| 6 | $1,290 | $215 | $645 | $645 |
| 7 | $1,390 | $199 | $695 | $695 |
| 8 | $1,490 | $186 | $745 | $745 |
| 9 | $1,590 | $177 | $795 | $795 |
| 10 | $1,690 | $169 | $845 | $845 |
50% deposit confirms your booking. Balance is paid on the day of your tour.
Early access, hidden cenote
| Travelers | Total | Per Person | Deposit 50% | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $920 | $920 | $460 | $460 |
| 2 | $920 | $460 | $460 | $460 |
| 3 | $1,273 | $424 | $637 | $636 |
| 4 | $1,273 | $318 | $637 | $636 |
| 5 | $1,474 | $295 | $737 | $737 |
| 6 | $1,474 | $246 | $737 | $737 |
| 7 | $1,698 | $243 | $849 | $849 |
| 8 | $1,698 | $212 | $849 | $849 |
| 9 | $1,922 | $214 | $961 | $961 |
| 10 | $1,922 | $192 | $961 | $961 |
50% deposit confirms your booking. Balance is paid on the day of your tour.
All prices in USD. Payment accepted by bank transfer, credit card, or cash (USD or MXN). Cancellation: 72+ hours before departure, full refund. 24 to 72 hours, 50% refund. Under 24 hours, no refund.
Both tours include a cenote swim. They are not the same cenote, and the difference shapes the second half of your day.
An open cenote with clear turquoise water and natural overhead light. Life jackets provided; entry is easy and accessible for all ages including children and non-swimmers. One hour to swim, float, and explore. One of the most photogenic cenotes in the Yucatan.
An underground pool on a private route, away from the tourist cenote circuit. A single shaft of natural light descends through the cave ceiling. Your group has the cenote entirely to yourselves for approximately 1.5 hours. No queues, no other visitors. The light through the ceiling does not photograph, you need to be there.
4.9 out of 5 from travelers departing from Playa del Carmen
“We were on 5th Avenue and the driver was outside at 6:28. Punctual from the start. At Chichen Itza our guide took us to the ball court first, before the group buses arrived. He explained the acoustic system and let everyone test it. Cenote Nool Ha was perfectly timed. Back at the hotel by 5:40.”
“VIP Premium tour. Early access at Chichen Itza, El Castillo with maybe 30 people on the entire site. I keep trying to describe it to people back home. El Patio de Mi Casa for lunch was a proper Mayan meal. The cave cenote was extraordinary. The light through the ceiling does not photograph. You need to be there.”
“We have been to Mexico three times and this was the best day trip we have done. The driver was waiting outside our hotel exactly on time. Our guide at the ruins was exceptional, the kind of knowledge that takes years to develop. By 10am the site was packed. We were already at the cenote.”
“Two adults and two kids aged 8 and 11. Guide was excellent with them, found ways to explain everything that worked for both ages. Chichen Itza was genuinely impressive at that scale. Cenote Nool Ha was the kids' favourite. Life jackets, easy entry, safe and beautiful. Smooth pickup from Playa, comfortable ride.”
“Group of 6 from Playa del Carmen. Private Sprinter, cold AC the whole way. Guide spoke excellent Spanish with real depth, not scripted answers. The ruins, the lunch, the cenote, everything was well timed. No rushing. This is how Chichen Itza should be done.”
“VIP Premium tour. The cave cenote was unlike anything we had seen before, complete silence, natural cave light, our group completely alone. The whole day felt curated in a way that group tours simply cannot be. El Patio de Mi Casa for lunch was an unexpected gem.”
“Good tour. Guide was knowledgeable, vehicle comfortable, Chichen Itza genuinely impressive. The Valladolid stop was a nice addition, only 30 minutes but the square is beautiful. Would choose VIP Premium next time for the cave cenote and early access.”
“Very well organized. The only thing I would mention is that the buffet lunch felt a bit rushed, we could have used another 20 minutes there. Everything else was excellent. Private vehicle the full day, excellent guide, beautiful cenote. Would absolutely book again.”
Yes. Pickup is from your Playa del Carmen hotel or accommodation, no meeting point, no extra charge. We cover hotels along Quinta Avenida and the surrounding area. Message us on WhatsApp at booking to confirm your specific hotel.
Approximately 2.5 hours each way via toll road in your private air-conditioned vehicle. Your vehicle travels direct with no stops at other hotels.
Standard tour: 6:30 AM or 7:00 AM depending on your hotel location. VIP Premium: 6:00 AM for early access to the ruins. Exact pickup time is confirmed at booking.
Standard starts at $890 total for 1 to 2 travelers. VIP Premium starts at $920 total for 1 to 2 travelers. Per-person cost decreases as group size increases. See the full pricing tables above. 50% confirms the booking; balance is due on the day.
Yes. Both tours include a cenote swim at no extra cost. Standard includes Cenote Nool Ha, an open cenote with life jackets provided. VIP Premium includes a private hidden cave cenote.
Yes. The entrance ticket is included in the price of both Standard and VIP Premium tours.
Yes. Let your guide know your interests at the start, Mayan astronomy, the Ball Game, the archaeology, the history of the site. The guide adapts the experience to your group.
Yes. The tour price is the same regardless of departure city. Hotel pickup is included at the same rate from Playa del Carmen, Cancun, and Tulum.
Yes. Playa del Carmen's central location in the Riviera Maya makes the 2.5-hour drive comfortable and the early departure practical. Most guests rate the day as one of the standouts of their entire trip.
Cancel 72+ hours before departure: full refund. Cancel 24 to 72 hours before: 50% refund. Under 24 hours before departure: no refund.
Message us on WhatsApp, no payment needed to enquire. Tell us your travel date, group size, and preferred tour. We confirm pickup from your hotel and hold your spot with a 50% deposit. Balance is due on the day.
Message us on WhatsApp with your date, group size, and preferred tour, Standard or VIP Premium. We confirm pickup from your hotel, answer any questions, and hold your spot with a 50% deposit. No payment needed just to enquire.
Staying somewhere else? See pickup details from Cancun or Tulum.
