Day 1: Your driver and guide will pick you up at your hotel (anywhere between Cancun and Tulum) at 8 am. Then you journey inland for your tour of sites in the Yucatan peninsula.  First stop will be the exquisite ruins of Ek Balam, a newly uncovered Mayan archeological site with some very distinct features. The wonderfully preserved state of the sculptures and frescos Ek Balam are some of the most outstanding examples of the art of the ancient Maya. Some figures are winged, some in the meditative ¨lotus¨ position, one sits headless above the center of the "monster mouth". All are beautiful and exquisitely crafted.

You´ll stop for lunch in the charming colonial city of Valladolid, where one can experience the best in traditional Yucatecan dishes and take time out to shop in the plaza, where authentic Mayan goods are sold.

Then you go to historic colonial Merida for the evening. Stroll the main square, enjoy live traditional music, take a horsedrawn carriage on a tour of local monuments. You'll overnight at the authentically restored Casa Del Balam Hotel located 2 blocks from the main square in Merida.  (If possible, MayaSites schedules this tour for you to be in Merida for "Merida Sunday", a weekly local fiesta with live entertainment, music and market.)

Day 2: This morning you visit the elegant ruins of Uxmal. Uxmal is one of the finest examples of the Puuc architectural style. Graced with two of the largest pyramids in the Yucatan and a multitude of incredibly preserved frescos paying homage to the rain god Chac and the serpent god Quetzecoatal, it is a site that inspires both awe and mystery.

In the afternoon you'll visit nearby Kabah. Although only a small part of this site has been excavated the Palace of Masks, with its 250 masks of the Mayan rain god Chac, is one of the most impressive in Mayan architecture. Kabah also has a large and remarkably preserved arch with a sacbe (ancient Mayan road) leading to Uxmal.  Overnight at the Villas Arqueologicas Uxmal adjacent to the archeological site with excellent restaurant, pool and bar.  In the evening attend the entertaining light and sound show at the ruins.

Day 3: Today you explore more sites on the ¨Puuc Maya Route", beginning with Labna, also home to many Chac masks and a beautiful corbeled arch. One of the interesting features at Labna is a carving of a Vision Serpent with a human head emerging from its outstretched mouth.

After a lunch stop you´ll visit the interesting ruins of Mayapan - one of the last cities built by the ancient Maya and a "mini-Chichen Itza" with many structures designed exactly like those at Chichen Itza but smaller in scale. Then you'll travel to Chichen itza.  Your hotel for the night is the Villas Arqueologicas Chichen Itza which is adjacent to the ruins, and located on lovely grounds in a jungle setting with pool, restaurant and bar. In the evening you can attend the entertaining light and sound show at the ruins.

Day 4:  By overnighting in Chichen Itza you'll beat the "big bus" crowds this morning while you visit majestic Chichen Itzá, the most famous of Mayan archeological sites and one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World".  Chichen Itzá has numerous monuments to explore. El Castillo, or the grand pyramid, has staircases on all four sides, each with 91 steps that totaled with the last step on top equal the 365 days in a solar year. Other not to be missed areas of this great ancient city are: the Main Ball Court - the largest discovered in the ancient Mayan world; the Sacred Well or Cenote, where archeologists have discovered a number of well-adorned skeletons of sacrificial victims; the Temple Of The Warriors, with its 1,000 columns dedicated to the warriors of Chichen Itzá; and the Caracol or Observatory.  You may spend a whole day at the site or visit a nearby cenote or underground caves in the afternoon.  At the end of the day we´ll drop you off at any coastal or Merida hotel.