Full American or buffet breakfast. Depart for a 6 km hike on a dirt jungle trail toTixkokob to watch hammock weavers at work, then hike, or ride the vans, paved road from here to ruins of Ake' (Tixkokob/Ake is 12 km/ but pax can start at 6km/3.72m and hike a paved road to the ruins . Vans to pick up pax after trek around ruins and visit to a henequen (a strong hard fiber obtained from the leaves of the tropical American agave plant, chiefly in Yucatán and used to make twine) plantation, Return to the Hacienda for lunch or lunch in the city of Merida followed by a city tour.. Dinner at hotel/hacienda or down town on their own. Hacienda overnight - Hacienda Katanchel .

 DAY 3    CELESTUN - UXMAL EXCURSION    (BLD)  Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Full American or buffet breakfast. Travel through remote towns to the fishing village of Celestun, then cruise on the Ria Esperanza to the Flamingo Park bird sanctuary, where you will see hundreds of wild flamingos, as well as egrets, anhinga and comorants in their natural habitat. Lunch in a local restaurant by the beach. Next continue on to Uxmal, the most beautiful of the Mayan ruins. Walking/hiking at the Uxmal ruins, climb the Great Pyramid of the Magicians, walk to the Nunnery Quadrangle, the Ball Court, the Governor's Palace and the House of Turtles. Dinner tonight at a restored 200-year old hacienda. on our way back to Merida overnight- Hacienda Katanchel

 DAY 4    VALLADOLID - CHICHEN ITZA    (BLD)    Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Full American or buffet breakfast. Coach to Valladolid for hike (5 km/3.1m one way) through tropical forest to a (an underground limestone sinkhole) - Cenote Hunuku, in a private ranch, for a picnic (lunch) and swimming (vans to pick up pax at cenote at conclusion). Cenotes are inland sink holes hidden in the jungle. All rivers in the Yucatan Peninsula run underground. There are places where the water wears away the rock above the river and it falls in leaving a sink hole. These areas have fascinating rock formations and in many cases fish. The Mayans, as well as providing a source of fresh water for local farmers, often consider them sacred places. The Maya believed the cenote was an entrance to the underworld. Continue for overnight in Chichen Itza to Mayaland Hotel (bungalows) (www.mayaland.com) . Dinner at the hotel.

 DAY 5    CHICHEN ITZA    (BLD)    Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Full American or buffet breakfast. More walking up and around pyramids, this time at the famous Maya site of Chichen Itza. Visit the Astronomical Observatory, the Sacrificial Cenote, the Ball court, The Grand Castle and the Thousand Columns. Lunch at the Mayaland Hotel. This free time for choice of 1) free time at hotel 2) afternoon hike on the old Mayan roads or trails that communicated other Maya ceremonial centers with Chichen or 3) explore the Caves of Balancanche, discovered in 1959 and a deeply sacred site to the ancient Maya. Dinner at hotel. Mayaland Hotel (bungalows).

 DAY 6    CHICHEN ITZA – TULUM    (BLD)    Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Full American or buffet breakfast. Coach to Coba the largest of all the Mayan ruins (30 square miles) for hiking around the unexcavated buildings in the jungle (in contrast to Uxmal, etc, which are excavated). The pyramids of Coba are isolated in the jungle and surrounded by several lagoons. Walk the paths and experience the powerful meditative energy. Climb to the top of the pyramids and sit quietly enjoying magnificent views over miles of virgin jungle. Lunch in a local restaurant near Coba. Afternoon visit to El Gran Cenote for snorkeling in the crystal clear water. Since is fresh water, it lacks colorful tropical fish, but there are plenty of small fish and pretty underwater plants to see. Parts of the cenote are very shallow -- barely a foot deep. Pax can swim into a cavern, which is so shallow so fast you literally beach yourself, and are able to stand up in the calf-deep water. But the best caverns drop off quickly, some to 25 feet deep, decorated with stalagmites and stalactites forming incredible statues. Continue to the Maya Riviera for a stay at our oceanfront Palapa (thatched rooms on the beach but with all the comforts) Hotel near Tulum. or Playa del Carmen. Dinner out tonight. Overnight at Maya (Osho) Tulum (www.mayatulum.com) Ana y Jose (www.tulumresorts.com), or Hotel Las Ranitas (www.lasranitas.com). or Shangri-la www.shangri-la.com.mx

 DAY 7     TULUM OR PLAYA DEL CARMEN    (BD)    Breakfast and dinner included
Full American or buffet breakfast. Day trip to visit Mayan ruins of Tulum the largest Maya construction built on the coast. Today it is Mexico's most visited pre-Hispanic site. Tulum was a very important center of commerce and a place of pilgrimage in the past. This royal city, perched on limestone cliffs, is worth a visit because of the magnificent view and the charm of its buildings. Continue Xel-ha, a national park combining lagoons of clear water filled with colorful marine life, for snorkeling. The site also has several small Mayan ruins, restaurants and gift shops, lunch on your own (no sun screen here as it kills marine life). The ancient Mayas baptized this place with the name. XEL means spring or the place where something is born and HA means water, "place where the water is born". Dinner on their own *or included if we do ½ pension. Maya Tulum. or Shangri-la at Playacar.

 DAY 8     TULUM OR PLAYA DEL CARMEN     (BD)    Breakfast and dinner included
Full American or buffet breakfast. Free day for optional boat trip to Cozumel, Xian Ka'an Biological Reserve, Scuba-diving etc. No lunch. Finale dinner. Maya Tulum. or Shangri-la.

 DAY 9     SUN, TULUM/CANCUN/RETURN FLIGHTS    (B)    Breakfast included
Full American or buffet breakfast. Transfer to Cancun airport.

Meals:
Level: probably a 2 or 3
Activities: Hiking & walking at various Mayan ruins and jungle trails, wildlife viewing, snorkeling.