Maya Pyramids & Temples of Yucatan

Saturday, January 20, 2024: Depart home on flights to Mérida, Mexico
Arrive at Mérida International Airport (MID) and transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the 4-star Villa Mercedes by Hilton for two nights.

Sunday, January 21: Mérida: City tour, The Great Museum of the Maya World, PM at leisure | Welcome dinner
This morning we will take a city tour and then visit Mérida’s anthropology museum, The Great Museum of the Maya World, housing artifacts from many of the sites we shall visit. After lunch and an introductory lecture, the afternoon is at leisure to shop for handicrafts, visit the marketplace, or relax. Gather tonight for a welcome dinner. (B,L,D)

Monday, January 22: Ek Balam | Chichén Itzá | PM at leisure
Depart Mérida for Ek Balam, a small site with spectacular, mythological creatures sculpted in the full round and then hidden 1,200 years ago by the Maya themselves, only to be re-discovered recently by archaeologists. There will be an opportunity to visit the cenote and take a swim. Caves and cenotes (sinkholes with groundwater) were (and are) very important openings to the Maya underworld, as both the abode of the rain gods and places of worship. After lunch, drive to Chichén Itzá and check-in to our hotel for some time at leisure. Overnight at the 3-star Hotel Villas Arqueológicas Chichén Itzá for two nights. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, January 23: Chichén Itzá | PM at leisure
A short drive from our hotel to the site of Chichén Itzá, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, takes us back 1,000 years as we gaze at spectacular 9^th-century temples and pyramids. We will see all the site’s highlights, including the Sacred Well, Ballcourt, Castillo, Observatory, High Priest’s Grave, and Nunnery. After lunch you may choose to join us to visit out-of-the-way parts of the site, enjoy time on your own to visit the bookstores and gift shops, or spend a relaxing afternoon on the hotel grounds. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, January 24: Izamal Convent | Kinich Kakmo | Uxmal
Drive to Uxmal, stopping along the way for lunch and to visit Izamal and its Convent. In Izamal, the Spanish conquistadors built their church atop a Maya pyramid. This was the home of the infamous Diego de Landa, who burned all the Maya books that he could gather. Climb to the top of Kinich Kakmo, the largest pyramid (in volume) in all Maya land. Continue on to Uxmal and check-in to our hotel. Overnight at the 5-star Hacienda Uxmal for three nights. (B,L,D)

Thursday, January 25: Uxmal
Uxmal is the capital of the Puuc region, on the western side of the Peninsula—a unique sub-area within the greater Maya zone with its own brand of architecture and mosaic-stone decoration. Uxmal’s “Governor’s Palace” was one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s favorite buildings. Spend a full day exploring this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there will be an optional light and sound show after dark. (B,L,D)

Friday, January 26: Labna | Kaxil Kiuic | Uxmal
We spend today in the Puuc region, visiting two sites that are remote and little-visited: Labna, with its famous arch; and Kaxil Kiuic, which was a Maya city of 5,000-8,000 people whose ruins comprise the oldest known settlement in the region. The Puuc area was first settled by the Maya in approximately 500 B.C. and became home to a series of impressive city-states. The Labna-Kiuic Regional Archaeological Project is a joint Mexican-U.S. research program being carried out in the Puuc region under the co-direction of Millsaps College, Mexico’s National Institute of Archaeology and History, and Davidson College. In 2013, the AIA bestowed its Best Practices in Site Preservation Award upon project co-director George Bey for his work at Kaxil Kiuic. Return to our hotel in Uxmal for a relaxing evening and dinner. (B,L,D)

Saturday, January 27: Dzibilchaltun | Progreso | Mérida | PM at leisure | Farewell dinner
Depart Uxmal for a visit to Dzibilchaltun, a 2,000-year-old site with a famous astronomical alignment. Highlights include the Temple of the Seven Dolls and a cenote. Enjoy a seafood lunch on the beach in the port city of Progreso, with the sea breeze blowing through the open-air restaurant. Return to Mérida, where we will have some free time to explore independently, do some last-minute shopping, or relax before our farewell dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Villa Mercedes by Hilton. (B,L,D)

Sunday, January 28: Fly home
Transfer to Mérida International Airport (MID) for flights home. (B)