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Enjoy 8 days in the Yucatan, Mexico. July 22-29, 2025. Help do service in the famous Yellow City of Izamal, visit the World heritage site of Chichen Itza, climb the temple at Ek Balam, swim in ancient cave cenotes and on the sandy beaches of the Caribbean, and take part in the nightly cultural events of Merida. You will also visit Plaza Principal, Merida Cathedral, Paseo de Montejo, Merida City Hall, and the local outdoor market. We will spend six nights in Merida and one night in Valladolid as we find out what the Yucatan has to offer.
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Itineraries
Day 1
Date : July 22, 2025
Arrive
Flight to Merida, Mexico. We will pick you up at the Merida airport and drive you to the hotel. A lovely evening of dancing with music provided by a local orchestra will get you immediately into the local culture. We stay in the heart of Merida, a city with a lower crime rate that Idaho, and a higher rating for their tacos al pastor!
Day 2
Date : July 23, 2025
Time to introduce you to the cenotes. The limestone bedrock of the Yucatan Peninsula is laced with subterranean rivers and crystal-clear pools. A cenote is sometimes located in a cave, and sometimes has a view of the sky. Either way, it is magical and addicting. Santa Barbara has just opened access to its fourth cenote and it promises to amaze swimmers just as much as the original three.
Day 3
Date : July 24, 2025
Service in Izamal
Izamal is the famous Yellow City. This small community boasts Mayan ruins and Spanish haciendas. We come to help a community church with whatever project they are in need of when we get there. Serving internationally is a unique and beautiful experience that will leave you with a sense of humility and a love for this quiet community. A traditional night of singing and dancing the Serenades is available to anyone who wants to spend another evening experiencing a night of culture.
Day 4
Date : July 25, 2025
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is a UNESCO world heritage site that still displays the difficult history of the ancient Mayans. The main Castillo dominates the center of the ruins, but a walk through the ball court will leave you stunned. The observatory and skull platform both tell additional stories of a society that was advanced in its astronomy and primitive in its worship. Overall, this is a day that will set life-long memories. Of course we can hit a cenote on the way to the hotel.
Day 5
Date : July 26, 2025
Ek Balam
Ek Balam happens to be my favorite ruin, probably because you can still climb to the top of the main temple and look out over the miles of flat expanse. The option zipline 80 feet over the Xcanche cenote, and then to rappel down into it, might also be the reason this place is so great. You will have to let me know what you think is the best part. After we finish exploring the ruins, we will head into a Mayan village to learn how to make the traditional hot chocolate.
Day 6
Date : July 27, 2025
On Sunday you are invited to attend a church of your choice. English mass is available in the catholic cathedral at 10:30, LDS services are in Spanish and begin at 10:00. After lunch, we will take a walking tour of Merida central and we will see the Governor's house, the Cathedral, the City hall, and the market. In the evening we will find horse-drawn carriages to take us down Paseo Montejo to see the French influence in Merida. The downtown is filled with music and dancing all day.
Day 7
Date : July 28, 2025
Flamingos in the estuary and a day on the Caribbean seashore should bring the trip to a satisfactory end. We have a restaurant that will keep us fed. They also provide beach chairs and an outdoor shower to rinse the sand and seawater off between swims. It is a small day in paradise. The adventurous travelers will find another night where we can head to the Main Plaza to watch the performance of traditional cowboy ballads and dances. The flowing white dresses on the senoritas and the fancy footwork of the vaqueros will leave you with a sense of history that built this part of Mexico.
Day 8
Date : July 29, 2025
Fly back home
The time has come for everyone to head back home. But this trip to Mexico will stay with you.
Tour includes:
- 7 overnight accommodations/housing in Mexico
- Transportation within the tour country. This includes to and from the Merida airport, hotels, and all other sites
- Meals. Three meals per day will be covered, although travelers are welcome to buy extra food with their own money
- Tickets. This includes all tickets to museums, historical sites, events, and other venues
Tour excludes:
- Airfare to and from Merida, Mexico
- Insurance. Travelers are strongly encouraged to get trip and medical insurance. Travelers have used goreadyinsurance.com, part of Aegis General Insurance
- Ground transportation to and from the relevant airport in the United States
- Tips. Outbound Tours does not cover tips and gratuity for hotel staff, drivers, or local tour guides
Some of our reservation costs are non-refundable and non-transferable. Once spent, that money is non recoverable. For that reason, we do not have the option to refund some costs.
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance and checking with your healthcare provider to find out what the restrictions are regarding your health insurance. These precautions are relatively inexpensive and should be a standard of your travel. In the past, we have been happy with GoReadyInsurance.com (formerly April Travel Insurance).
The best option is to use an ATM once we arrive at our destination. It is best to reject the ATMs suggested exchange rate because your card company (Visa or MasterCard) will provide a better rate in the end. **Be sure to contact your card provider to let them add travel notes to unlock international use on your card before traveling. You can also pre-purchase foreign currency by visiting your bank and ordering an amount from them. In our experience the extra fees are more expensive than the ATM option.
Passports must be applied for well in advance of traveling. Although times vary, the standard processing time is around 8-10 weeks. Passport applications can be completed at the County Courthouse, but come with several requirements such as passport photos, birth certificates, etc. Minors must be accompanied by both parents when applying. Please contact your County Courthouse for specific details.
A tourist visa is a travel document that allows a person to enter a country for the purpose of tourism. The length of validity for tourist visas differ for each country. Starting in 2025, Britain will require online Visa applications to be completed before travel. Some countries, including Mexico, will distribute an immigration form that you must keep with your passport throughout the duration of your visit that will be required from you on the day of departure.
The traveler is responsible for arranging round trip flights from wherever they prefer to depart. Always double check the itinerary to
make sure you are using the correct airports in your foreign destination. We can assist in finding airfare, please contact us for further information
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