Mexico: Yucatán Adventure

561 Days until departure
March 13, 2028 - March 20, 2028
Trip ID: Mercado-6388

The Explorica Experience

This program delivers the proven Explorica Experience that teachers and students know and love – now powered by greater flexibility through TourFlex and backed by the WorldStrides legacy of experiential learning and consistent quality.

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Tour Itinerary print itinerary

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Day 1 Hola Cancún
Meet your LEAP-trained Tour Director
Travel to Valladolid
Details: Meet your LEAP-trained Tour Director
LEAP encompasses the best practices of student-centered learning. Your Tour Director will get to know you and your group, will push you to think deeply, and will prepare thoughtful, hands-on opportunities to display your learning. LEAP is exclusive to WorldStrides and is what makes our Tour Directors unique and our programs transformative.
Details: Travel to Valladolid
Visit the small city of Valladolid where the townspeople still dress in traditional Mayan clothing, the buildings in the main plaza are painted in brilliant pastel colors, and the local women sell their home-made arts and crafts in the central square. Wander through the main plaza and browse through the embroidered blouses and shawls for sale, explore the historic neighborhoods, the seven local churches and visit the impressive San Bernardino Convent for a true feel of this Yucatan city.
Day 2 Valladolid
Ek-Balam archeological site visit
Las Coloradas guided bicycle tour
Flamingo-watching tour at Rio Lagartos
Rio Lagartos beach time
Details: Ek-Balam archeological site visit
Ek-Balam is an ancient city that was founded around 100 BC and thought to have once been the most powerful pre-colonial Mayan city in Mexico. Explore its impressive ruins and see examples of Mayan masks, hieroglyphics and figurines.
Details: Las Coloradas guided bicycle tour
Get active and take an incredible bike tour around 4 crystallizers with pink waters, where you will have the opportunity to visualize a unique landscape and take pictures in places that are otherwise inaccessible. All of the above at the hands of an expert nature guide who will explain in detail the entire sea salt production process and who knows the best photography tricks to take home the best memories of your visit.
Details: Rio Lagartos beach time
Sit back, relax, and remind yourself: You’re in Mexico! Grab your suit, your sunscreen, and your sunglasses and prepare to soak up the sun.
Day 3 Valladolid--Mérida
Chichén Itzá guided visit
Cenote visit
Travel to Mérida
Details: Chichén Itzá guided visit
Ruins, ruins everywhere. Join a licensed, local guide for a visit to Chichén Itzá, one of the country's most famous Mayan sites. The city dates from around the 7th century AD (though there is evidence of farmers living here as early as the 4th century BC). A major trade and ceremonial center, Chichén Itzá is known for its huge, 365-stepped, four-sided, pyramid El Castillo, as well as other buildings, sculptures and carved murals.
Details: Cenote visit
Slip into the cool and shadowed world of Yucatan cenotes, where the turquoise water promises relief from the blistering heat outside. These underground caves were held sacred by the Mayans and have been a source of fascination for travelers since ancient times.
Day 4 Mérida
Mérida tour director-led sightseeing
Government Palace, Mérida Cathedral, Paseo de Montejo
Progreso Beach free time
Mangrove kayaking tour
Details: Mérida tour director-led sightseeing
Tropical flowers in fuchsia, yellow and orange. The dark green leaves of almond and tamarind trees. Couples dressed all in white, sitting on ornate stone benches ringing the central plaza or "xocolo". The capital of the state of Yucatán, this sunny city is also the perfect base for excursions to the ancient Mayan Empire. But check out the city's sites first: A licensed, local guide will take you to the Cathedral of San Il defonso, located on the central Plaza de Armas. Begun in 1563, the Cathedral is the oldest on the American mainland, with the oldest true dome in Mexico. See what many consider Mexico's most "dignified" church interior, complete with thick Tuscan columns, a coffered nave and high altar. Step back outside and walk across the sunny plaza to the Government Palace to see huge murals depicting scenes of the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán Peninsula and aspects of the Mayan culture that still flourish.
Details: Paseo de Montejo
Modelled after famous French avenues like the Champs Elysees, Paseo de Montejo is a notable avenue of Mérida, México. It is named after Francisco de Montejo, the Spanish conquistador who founded the city in 1542, and is the location of some of the most iconic buildings and monuments of the city.
Details: Progreso Beach free time
Enjoy time at Progreso Beach, a favorite seaside resort lined with turn-of-the-century mansions.
Details: Mangrove kayaking tour
Take a kayak ride through the most luscious mangroves located near the Yucatán capital, home to regional fauna and flora that will keep you marveled. Learn all about the local ecosystems as you make your way through tunnels and islets.
Day 5 Mérida--Playa del Carmen
Cobá Archaeological site visit by bike
Travel to Playa del Carmen
Details: Cobá Archaeological site visit by bike
Hop on your bike and explore the extended maze of ancient roads and walkways and see the great pyramid of Cobá, Nohoc Mul, that are all surrounded by the thick lush Mexican jungle.
Details: Travel to Playa del Carmen
Add to the record books -- Playa del Carmen is now, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the fastest growing town in the world. Attracted by the gorgeous white-sand beach and stunning blue water, the town's newcomers maintain Playa's friendliness and vibrancy. Check out the beach or shop for souvenirs along the bustling main strip.
Day 6 Playa del Carmen
Tulum guided visit
Snorkeling at Akumal bay
Playa del Carmen beach time
Details: Tulum guided visit
See the Mayan idea of a beach town. Tulum is the largest Mayan coastal city and one of Cancún’s favorite daytrips. Survey the limestone ruins, the surrounding lush jungle, and the super-blue ocean with your Tour Director.
Details: Playa del Carmen beach time
Spend an afternoon soaking up some vitamin D on the fine white sands of Playa del Carmen, named for the patron saint of Cancún. The turquoise waters offer ample opportunity to explore the marine life and reefs in the Caribbean Sea. So pack your snorkel and fins!
Day 7 Playa del Carmen
Playa del Carmen beach time
Optional  Xcaret visit & folklore show  $150
Details: Playa del Carmen beach time
Spend an afternoon soaking up some vitamin D on the fine white sands of Playa del Carmen, named for the patron saint of Cancún. The turquoise waters offer ample opportunity to explore the marine life and reefs in the Caribbean Sea. So pack your snorkel and fins!
Day 8 Flight home from Cancún

Tour Includes

  • WorldStrides Tour Director: An experienced education and destination professional, trained in LEAP, who engages students with hands-on learning opportunities.
  • LEAP – Learning through Exploring and Actively Participating increases engagement, critical thinking, understanding of diverse perspectives, and personal growth.
  • Round-trip airfare and transportation to activities in the itinerary
  • Hotel accommodations
  • Breakfast daily except on arrival day
  • Dinner daily except on departure day
  • Guided sightseeing tours and city walks as per itinerary
  • Visits to select attractions as per itinerary
  • Discovery Journal (available upon request)
  • Traveling educators can earn professional development hours/CEUs.
  • Earn high school credit (grades 6–12) or college credit (grades 9–12) — available to travelers who complete the program and WorldStrides coursework.
  • Basic medical, dental, and emergency‑evacuation insurance during the trip
  • WorldAssist staff members available 24/7/365 should your group need extra help
  • Tips for local guides and drivers are included (except multi‑day bus drivers). Tour cost doesn’t include optional pre‑paid tips for the Tour Director or multi‑day bus driver unless the pre‑paid tip option has been purchased.
  • Note: Tour cost does not include airline-imposed baggage fees.
  • Note: Tour cost does not cover entry requirements or related fees. This includes, but is not limited to, REAL ID, passports, visas, and travel‑authorization fees.
  • Note: Tour cost does not include optional excursions and other individual and group customizations will be listed as separate line items in the total trip cost, if included. Listed inclusions may not apply if the program is customized.

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