Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.
Day 1 – Cancùn/Playa del Carmen
Meet at Cancùn International Airport in the Arrival hall. Look for PONANT sign. You will be greeted by our local representative off the flight selected by PONANT or any other flight (provided that you have previously communicated your flight schedule to your travel agent).
You will be transferred to the hotel Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen 5*.
Day and dinner at leisure.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 – Playa del Carmen/Valladolid/Chichen Itza
After breakfast, board your coach for a two-hour drive to the colonial city of Valladolid, named after a city in Spain and founded in the 16th century. Your guide will bring you to the main cathedral, San Servasio, where you will learn about the history of the city, which was one of the first settlements in the area founded by the Spaniards, as well as the history of the Maya people of the region.
You will then have the opportunity to visit La Casa de los Venados, a private home and national cultural tourism asset. It has the largest museum quality collection of Mexican folk art in private hands. Learn about the history of this house, as well as about the handcrafts and pop art that come from all over Mexico, while touring this amazing home.
Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.
Board your bus for a 45-minute drive to Mayaland Chichen Itza 4*.
Dinner will be served at the hotel.
Day 3 – Chichen Itza/Bacalar
Depart early in the morning to visit Chichen Itza by foot.
You will visit Mexico’s most famous archaeological site, Chichen Itza. Named for the large cenotes (natural wells fed by underground rivers) on the site that provided the otherwise dry landscape with life-giving water, Chichen Itza is an iconic example of the elaborate Mayan architecture. An important city in the Mayan region between 600 CE and about 900 CE, Chichen Itza reflects different periods of architecture as well as different regional influences. Discover why Chichen Itza has held its place in the imaginations of visitors for hundreds of years, helping to answer questions about the life of the ancient Mayans, while having confounded historians for centuries with its seemingly endless mysteries. You will walk through the spectacular ruins with a professional guide, who will share facts about the buildings and their significance to the larger Mayan way of life, as well as explain the legacy of their ingenious culture.
After the visit, board your coach for a two-and-a-half-hour drive to a local restaurant where lunch will be served.
Then, drive to Bacalar (one hour and a half) and check-in at your ecolodge at Habitas Bacalar 5*.
Meet by the laguna at sunset and enjoy a private mezcal tasting.
Dinner will be served at the restaurant.
Day 4 – Bacalar
During this full day at the hotel Habitas Bacalar, enjoy some time at leisure to take in the peaceful environment and the laguna, on your own.
Lunch and dinner will be served at the hotel.
Day 5 – Bacalar/Becan/Kohunlich
Enjoy a tasty local breakfast with a view. After check out, depart for Becan (two-hour drive).
Becan is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The first settlement dates to the middle of the Preclassic Era. Monumental architecture appeared by the late Preclassic Era as the site grew in economic and political importance. Many trade goods from the Mexican cultural and administrative centre of the era, Teotihuacan, have been found here. The name Becan was bestowed on the site by archaeologists who rediscovered the site, and it means "ravine or canyon formed by water" in Yukatek Maya, named after the site's most prominent and unusual feature, its surrounding ditch.
After your visit, drive for one hour to your next stop, Explorean Kohunlich 5*.
Lunch will be served at the hotel.
Meet your guide for a visit to Kohunlinch, a Maya site located a few minutes away from the hotel. The site is best known for its Temple of the Masks, an early Classic pyramid whose central stairway is flanked by huge humanized stucco masks. The Temple was built around 500 A.D. and is one of the oldest structures at Kohunlich. After 700 A.D., this temple was covered over with a late Classic construction, which protected the masks and preserved them in the marvellous state they find themselves in today. The only standing remains of the later temple are some steps in the lower portion of the stairs.
Return to your hotel.
Diner will be served at the hotel.
Day 6 – Kohunlich/Belize City
After check-out, board your bus for one-and-a-half-hour drive to the border of Mexico and Belize.
After finishing the border crossing procedures, enter Belize and drive for two hours to reach the Maya site of Altun Ha.
It is an important archaeological zone from the Classic Period (200-900 A.D.). Many exotic trade items have been discovered here, the most important being the largest jade artifact known to be from the Maya area. The archaeological park contains a large selection of flora and fauna typical of lowland tropical forests.
After the visit, drive an hour to Belize City to enjoy lunch in a local restaurant.
You will then be transferred to the pier to embark on board your ship.
Your hotels:
The Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen Resort 5* is located on the coveted Mamitas Beach. It offers 3 outdoor pools by the sea and a fitness centre. Rooms feature an elegant and refined decoration with Wifi access.
The Chichen Itza Lodge 4* is ideally located within a 15-minute walk of Templo del Hombre Barbado at Chichen Itza. Each room features cosy wooden decorations.
The Habitas Bacalar 5* is a luxury retreat that allows you reconnect with nature, with a private lagoon access and a gourmet restaurant. The lodges are spread across the property, in between the Mayan jungle and the Bacalar Lagoon. Each room features air conditioning and an outdoor rain shower.
The Explorean Kohunlich 4* is an all-inclusive jungle Resort offering a nature experience. It features an infinity pool, and all rooms are bungalow-style and feature air-conditioning, a private patio, and a hammock.
Upgraded rooms are also available depending on availability and on a supplement basis. Contact your travel professional for further detail.
Your programme includes:
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1-night accommodation in Partial Sea view room at Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen 5* (local standard) or similar, breakfast included.
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1-night accommodation in Standard Bungalow at the Mayaland Chichen Itza 4* (local standard) or similar, breakfast included.
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2-night accommodation in Partial Sea view Bungalow at Habitas Bacalar 5* (local standard) or similar, breakfast included.
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1-night accommodation in Standard Bungalow at Kohunlich Explorean Resort 4* (local standard) or similar, breakfast included.
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Meals as mentioned in the programme.
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Beverage package during meals (bottled water + 1 soft drink or 1 glass of wine or 1 local beer and 1 coffee or tea).
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Transfers, visits, and entrance fees as mentioned in the programme.
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The services of a local English-speaking guide.
Your programme does not include:
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Dinner on day 1.
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Personal expenses.
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Visa if necessary.
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Tips for the driver and local guide.
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Other services not mentioned in the programme.
Please note:
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It is imperative that the details of your departure flight are provided to your travel agent, no later than 30 days before the start date of your cruise, to secure the proper private transfer.
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This programme involves a great amount of walking and hiking in the jungle. It requires good physical condition and is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
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This programme involves long drives on certain days and is not suitable for people with back issues. Most of the transfers are on the freeway except in Calakmul where the drive is over uneven dirt.
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This tour involves overnight stays in or near the jungle, therefore you might encounter a few local, harmless bugs.
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Tap water is not drinkable in Mexico and Belize. Plastic bottles will be available, a few hotels offer glass bottles in the room. We recommend you bring a water bottle to fill and avoid the use of plastic.
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It is highly recommended you pack a separate luggage for your pre-tour. We suggest you pack suitable clothing for hiking in the jungle. We also recommend bringing sunscreen, mosquito repellent, a hat and sunglasses.
Contact of your hotel:
Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen Resort 5*
1A Avenida Esquina Calle 26, Centro
77710 Playa del Carmen,
Q.R., Mexico
Telephone number: +52 984 875 1234
Mayaland Chichen Itza 4*
Km. 120 Carretera Merida
Piste, 97751, Mexico
Telephone number: +52 99 88 87 24 95
Habitas Bacalar 5*
Carretera Federal 307 Xul Ha
Bacalar, 77963, Mexico
Telephone number: +52 983 980 1388
Explorean Kohunlich 4*
Km 5.6 Carretera Chetumal Escárcega
Chetumal, 77981, Mexico
Telephone number: +52 983 689 0042
Duration and order of the visits may vary. To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.
Price is per person, based on double occupancy, based on availability.
