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- Mini tour of the mayan
Sites of the Yucatan -
Cancun -
Valladolid - Chichen Itza - Uxmal - Merida - Kabah - Izamal
This exceptional
5 day/4 night cultural experience tour will take us to some of the most impressive archaeological sites in the Yucatan: Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, and Kabah. Our learning adventure will also be a journey through time – from modern Yucatan to the cradle of Mayan civilization – and through three eco-zones including Yucatan semi deciduous forest, Caribbean coast and tropical landscapes.
Explore the peninsula's most spectacular Mayan Ceremonial centers and diverse ecosystems while experiencing the ancient civilization and legacy of the Mayan Culture
Physically active program; light hiking, 2-4 hours per day on undulating trails; climbing old, uneven steps at some ruins.
Begins and ends in Cancun.
 
This
exceptional cultural experience will take us to some of the most impressive
archaeological sites in the Yucatan: Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, and Kabah. Our
learning adventure will also be a journey through time – from modern Yucatan to
the cradle of Mayan civilization – and through three eco-zones including Yucatan
Semi deciduous forest, Caribbean coast and tropical landscapes.
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Day 1 - Arrive in Cancun and depart for Valladolid. Tour members will
be transferred to your selected hotel in Valladolid. Look forward to a
journey through majestic, unspoiled landscapes and magnificent
archaeological sites. There will be an evening orientation in the gardens of the hotel
where you will meet the other guests that will join you the rest of the
trip. Your tour guide will give a short briefing about the excursion
routine. Afterwards, a welcome dinner at the hotel. (D) |
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Day 2 - Dzitnup, Chichen Itza, Uxmal. After breakfast the tour will head west to the archaeological
ceremonial center of Chichén ltzá. On the drive and off the beaten track
the group will visit the Dzitnup cenote, a natural wonder of the underwater natural
hydraulic system of the Yucatan Peninsula. The tour arrives early in the
morning at Chichén Itzá to explore the majestic legacy of the ancient
Mayans. The tour will explore the nine-level El Castillo, the impressive ball court (the largest in Mundo Maya), the Toltec style court of the thousand columns and the Temple of the Warrior, the sacrificial well, The Sacred Cenote, and visit The Observatory.
Lunch will be provided at Hotel Mayaland, then the tour continues to Uxmal for an afternoon arrival.
Dinner is at the hotel, then the tour will go to Uxmal's ceremonial center to attend
The Light and Sound Spectacle, considered the most beautiful in the Mayan
area. (B, L, D) |
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Day 3 - Uxmal, Kabah, Labná, Merida. Uxmal is the finest ceremonial center in the land. Surrounded by small hills
and a tropical forest. The tour will explore the Temple of the Magician, the
impressive Nunnery Quadrangle, the Governor's Palace and the
beautiful carved stones of The House of the Doves. After this array of
ancient archaeology tour participants will visit the sites of Kabah and Labná on the way
to Mérida. Lunch will be served at Hacienda Ochil then an early arrival to Mérida
for dinner and lodging at the hotel selected. (B, L, D) |
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Day 4 - Merida, Izamal, Cancun. After breakfast, tour participants will get in our coach and
sightsee the splendid city of Mérida with its colonial French style
residences. Drive down Paseo Montejo, one of the most beautiful avenues in
Mexico, visit beautiful parks and old Spanish missions. Afterwards
the tour heads onto The Old Spanish Trail to the city of Izamal and visit the
Monastery and the narrow streets riding in a carriage like in the good old
times. Tour participants will have lunch at the city of Valladolid at The Cenote and arrive
in Cancun early in the afternoon to lodge at your hotel. Tonight you compare
notes with your tour companions as you enjoy a farewell dinner at Casa de las Margaritas restaurant in Cancun. (B, L, D) |
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Day 5 - Depart Cancun. Depending on your flight schedule you may have time today to check
on the city’s excellent shops. If your flight leaves late, your room will
be available until 6 p.m. |
PROGRAM GOALS
The Maya of central and
northern Yucatan inhabited a very different environment than their cousins at
Palenque and Central America. One of the most notable differences is the
Yucatan’s lack of rivers. Because of the porous, limestone substrate, surface
water drains quickly away and what rivers there are lie underground. The Yucatec
Maya’s perennial problem was finding a water supply and then storing enough to
last them through the long dry season. As we will find, Chichén Itzá and Uxmal
each had their own ingenious ways of dealing with this deficiency. The
inhabitants of Uxmal solved the problem by building an extensive network of
reservoirs, and aqueducts that served as irrigation canals. Uxmal seems to have
become an important center late in the Classic period (c. 600-800 A.D.). Though
its spiritual ties were clearly with the traditional Maya of the southern
lowlands, Uxmal also displays some of the earliest examples of the Puuc
architecture that finds its most exquisite expression.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Three UNESCO-designated
World Heritage Sites, the historic centers of Merida and the archaeological
sites of Uxmal and Chichén Itzá |
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Merida’s magnificent
National Museum of Anthropology and History. |
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The ex-Franciscan
monastery of Izamal in Merida |
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The Light and Sound
spectacle at Uxmal |
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The Xkeken (Dzitnup)
cenote in Valladolid |
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Art and craft markets
of Merida |
Note: this program
requires participants will engage in light walking for one or two hours on
undulating trails and climbing asymmetrical steps at some ruins.
| PROGRAM |
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ACCOMMODATIONS |
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TOUR PRICES (Per
Person, double occupancy) |
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Valladolid |
Uxmal |
Merida |
Cancun |
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2 |
4 |
6 |
8 or more |
| Budget |
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Meson
del Marques |
Villas Arqueologicas |
Caribe |
Margaritas |
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Call for quote |
Call for quote |
Call for quote |
Call for quote |
| Comfort |
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Meson
del Marques |
Hacienda
Uxmal |
Castellanos |
Villas
Takul |
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$1464 |
$971 |
$878 |
$774 |
| Deluxe |
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Meson
del Marques |
Hacienda Temozón |
Fiesta
Americana |
F.A.
Condesa |
|
Call for quote |
Call for quote |
Call for quote |
Call for quote |
PLEASE NOTE - The Mayan Traveler tours are not "day tours" or "seat in bus" tours. Our tours are quality, escorted tours designed for a minimum of 2 persons. Upon request we can quote this same tour with "Budget" or "Deluxe" accommodations.
ALSO, the prices presented above generally increase during Holiday weekends, Spring break, etc. when travel schedules dictate higher demand.
Occasionally we will schedule "guaranteed departure" tours that anyone (single, doubles or triples) can join. In those cases these tour prices will not apply.
Depending on the number of tour participants discounted Continental Airlines airfares may be
available on some packages!
This Tour Includes:
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Services of a professional archaeological guide.
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Hotels and lodges, hotel taxes service
charges, and tips for baggage handling.
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Breakfasts
(B) and Lunches (L) OR Dinners (D) as detailed in the tour description with full board available.
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Carefully maintained air-conditioned motor coach; maximum 10 tour members per
vehicle; experienced driver.
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All entrance fees to parks and archaeological sites are included
in the program.
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Complete program of sightseeing and cultural events as described.
Please Note:
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Other accommodations could be substituted for like kind and quality based upon availability.
The Mayan Traveler/Tropical Travel
5 Grogan's Park, Suite 102
The Woodlands TX 77380
1-800-451-8017 / tel 281-367-3386 / fax 281-298-2335
email:
TheMayanTraveler@wt.net
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