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Mayan Route tours by scheduled busDiscover crumbling Mayan ruins in dense tropical forests, wander through historic colonial towns, visit jungle waterfalls and relax on idyllic Caribbean beaches. Our Mayan Route bus tours will give you a brilliant cocktail of natural beauty, culture, adventure, sun, and sand. As you travel through Guatemala and Belize you'll visit amazing temples, haggle at open-air Indian markets and snorkel through coral reefs.During our Mayan Route tours, you'll travel by first-class (air-conditioned) buses with pre-booked seats. For an idea of the various routes take a look at our Mexico itineraries. Prices for our Mayan route tours are valid until 31st May 2010 and are quoted per person, based on 2 people sharing. High season surcharges may apply in Easter and Christmas periods and in July and August. |
Mayan Route tour: Playa del Carmen Easy Going Playa del Carmen
Click here for more about our Playa del Carmen tour. |
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Mayan Route tour: Chichen Itza & Merida Sun gods and pirates
After a couple of days relaxing on the beach at Playa del Carmen at the beginning of your trip, you'll be ready to start your Mayan Route tour. First, you'll travel to Chichen Itza to visit the famous Mayan ruins and then on to Merida, a beautiful colonial town with an Spanish feel. The next day is free, so you can take a trip to the flamingo reserve at Celestun or visit the ornate Mayan ruins at Uxmal. Then you'll take the bus to Campeche, a historic seaside town where centuries ago pirates roamed the streets and the (still visible) fortress walls kept out the Spanish invaders. |
Mayan Route tour: Campeche to San Cristobal Mountains, markets and Mayan temples
This Mayan Route tour will take you to the jungle ruins at Palenque and mountain hideaway of San Cristobal de las Casas. You'll see two worlds in one day - first the dense, tropical jungle at the spectacular ruins of Palenque and then the colourful streets of San Cristobal, the heart of Zapatista culture perched in the Chiapas highlands. On the way, you'll cool off at the waterfalls of Agua Azul. You can then continue your Mayan route tour south to Guatemala or north to Mexico City with our Colonial Cultures Overland trip. If you want to head to the Caribbean coast (Palm Trees and Palapas) then you'll travel first to San Cristobal and then to Palenque. |
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Mayan Route tour: Palenque to Tulum Passage to Palenque
If you're not interested in travelling all the way to mountainous San Cristobal, then add this trip to your Sun gods and pirates tour instead. From Campeche you'll head for the Caribbean coast via Palenque, one of the most beautiful Mayan sites in Mexico, hidden away in the heart of dense tropical jungle. You'll stay in a hotel with a swimming pool close to the village and set off early the next morning to visit the temple complex. After roaming amongst the overgrown ruins, you can cool off at the waterfalls of Agua Azul before boarding the comfortable overnight bus to the coast where you can catch the next bus to Belize or enjoy a few days on the beach at Tulum (for example with our Palm Trees and Palapas tour). |
Mayan Route tour - Yaxchilan and Bonampak Mayan jungle exploration
If you're in Palenque and want to see even more of the jungle, try adding this day trip with an extra night in Palenque. You'll be collected at your hotel early in the morning and travel over land and water to the remote ruins of Yaxchilan, the best Mayan site in Mexico to spot wildlife, and one of the least touristy spots on the Mayan Route. Then it's on to Bonampak to see the beautifully preserved Mayan mural paintings in their remote tropical setting. |
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Mayan Route tour: Playa del Carmen Beaches of Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen has a more authentic Mexican atmosphere than heavily Americanised Cancun - you'll hear mariachis singing in the streets and cheerful salsa music drifiting out from the tequila and burrito stalls along the lively Avenida Quinta. On the white sandy beach, you can chill out to mellow reggae on a sun lounger with a pina colada. You'll also find several cosy little restaurants and plenty of good souvenirs to bring home to the UK. |
Mayan Route tour: Tulum Palm trees and palapas
A quiet tropical getaway with palm trees, soft white sand and snorkelling in the warm Caribbean waters - Tulum is the ideal place to end up after a bus adventure along the Mayan route. The cliff-top Mayan ruins here are spectacular and the beach really is postcard perfect. You won't find the large shopping streets or buzzing nightlife of Playa del Carmen in Tulum, and there's little accommodation around your resort, which will make your beach cabaña feel all the more exclusive. |
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Mayan Route tour: Holbox Island Hammocks on barefoot island
Click here for the daily itinerary of our short Holbox Island tour |
Colonial cultures overland
If you began your trip in Mexico City then this will be your first trip - an exciting overland route from Mexico City to San Cristobal in the Chiapas region. On the way, you'll stop in two of Mexico's most charming cities. First Puebla, nestled in a valley surrounded by active volcanoes and popular with musicians, students and artists and second, Oaxaca, with its eclectic mix of Indian, colonial and modern-day architecture. You'll also take a downhill bike ride from Monte Alban past several pre-Hispanic villages. Finally, the overnight bus (with sleeper chairs) will take you to San Cristobal, the cultural heart of the Mayan Route. |
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Mayan Route tour: San Cristobal Colours and Indians
In the southern province of Chiapas, you'll find yourself in a completely different Mexico. This hilly region on the Guatemalan border is home to the city of San Cristobal de las Casas, the centre of Mexican Indian culture and a real highlight of any Mayan Route tour. At 2100m, you'll stay in a colourful posada close to the old churches and shady plazas. But it's not just the town you've come to see - you'll also head out to remote Indian villages and experience traditional culture. You can continue your adventure with our Guatemalan El Mundo Mayan trip or travel via Palenque to Campeche for our Sun gods and pirates tour. |
Mayan route tours in Guatemala and Belize
Guatemala tour El Mundo Mayan
Click here for the daily itinerary of our short Lake Atitlan tour |
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Guatemala tour Tikal Temple Trail
Click here for the daily itinerary of this short Tikal tour |
Guatemala tour Pelicans on the Rio Dulce
Click here for the daily itinerary of this short Rio Dulce tour |
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Belize tour Mountains and rivers
Should you want to want to visit the interior of Belize after your trip round Guatemala, then after Tikal hop across the border to San Ignacio. This friendly little Belizean town has just 8000 inhabitants and a very authentic laid-back atmosphere. The surrounding Mountain Pine Forest Reserve is great for hiking. Stay for a couple of days and take a canoe trip town Barton Creek river before finishing off your Mayan Route trip on our Belize Barefoot island. |
Belize tour Relax on reggae island
Click here for the daily itinerary of this short tour in Caye Caulker Belize |
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- Welcome, transfer and information kit on arrival
- Accommodation. In Mexico, Guatemala and Belize these can be intermittently based on bed & breakfast or bed only. Sometimes other meals may be included, where applicable this will be mentioned in the itinerary.
- Transport by bus as described. Transfers from e.g. hotel to the bus station mean that you will be picked up if a local transfer (e.g. taxi) cannot be arranged easily. Otherwise you will receive information on how to arrange your own transfer locally and how much this will cost.
- All excursions and organised visits as mentioned, sometimes with guide. See daily itinerary for more details.
- Where necessary, assistance by our local English-speaking guide who can be reached 24 hours a day.
What's not included in the Mayan route tours?
- International flights to Central America. We can arrange these for you: see our flights to Mexico page.
- Flight surcharges; airport taxes, security and fuel surcharges, ticketing costs and local departure tax.
- Most admission fees for the ruin complexes, usually around US$4 - $8 per person.
- Optional excursions
A tailormade trip?
It's always possible to adjust your trip here and there to suit your personal requirements. Perhaps you'd like a different hotel at the beginning of your Mexico trip, add a couple of days at the end or arrange a transfer to a different location in Mexico. Just let us know your preferences in your quote request form and we'll get back to you with a quote, or you can always contact us if you have need further information first.
Click here for the quote request form
Click here for our Mexico itineraries
Click here for our Mexico self drive