15 Cenote Swims in Merida to Build a Day Around

1.Chichen Itza, Private Cenote/Food Experience & the magic Izamal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 385 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $95Our pick

Review of a small-group Merida tour to Chichen Itza, a private family cenote, Yucatecan lunch, and yellow Izamal.

“Everything was as advertised, and it was a really good idea to go early in the morning. It was easy to find the spot to meet our guides, they were there earlier with coffee. There are two big churches near each other, but only one is the cathedral, that might’ve caused another reviewer some confusion. The day was great, the pace was nice. We didn’t feel rushed or bored and the family meal and cenote was a highlight of the experience. Our guide was enthusiastic provided various details at the sites and was open to answering any questions that came up from the group.”

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2.Chichen Itza, Cenote Swim & Izamal Magic Town with Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 317 reviews · 11 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $84

Review of Merida’s Chichen Itza, cenote, buffet, and Izamal day trip, with honest advice on timing, extra fees, heat, and value.

“This was a very memorable trip, it was made more engaging by the guides Michelle and Emilio. Michelle was more than happy to share the history of the site and answer anyway questions we might have. She was very engaging, energetic and made the trip more fun. The trip to the cenote was also a highlight of the trip, it was a unique experience and we had a ball there. They had a platform where you could jump in and we also spotted a turtle in there. Managed to take some great photos there.”

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3.Chichen Itza Tour, Izamal, Cenote Ik Kil and Food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 246 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $79

Visit Chichen Itza, swim at Cenote Ik Kil, eat a Yucatecan buffet, and explore yellow Izamal on a full-day trip from Merida.

“You really get the Merida nearby historic locations experience. It was also cool to swim in the cave. Pedro was our tour guide and very friendly and took great care of the group. Fun meeting other travellers as well. Great value for the price. In my opinion it could actually even be shorter; after the lunch and by the trip to Izamal I was very tired after doing so much in a day, but it was cool being able to climb up the pyramid after. Thank you for a great day! Recommend if you want to visit a lot within a day just outside of Merida.”

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4.Uxmal and amazing cenotes guided tour with lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 175 reviews · 8 hours · from $93

Explore Uxmal, enjoy a home-cooked Yucatecan lunch, and swim in two quiet cenotes on an eight-hour day trip from Mérida.

“Our guide Gorge was passionate about teaching us about the Mayan culture and specifically Uxmal. Lunch was authentic and the cenotes were beautiful.”

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5.Guided tour of Uxmal, Kabah and Cenote with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 156 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $94

Visit Uxmal, Kabah, and Cenote Peba from Mérida with bilingual guides, regional lunch, hotel pickup, and practical tips on fees and timing.

“It was fun field day of exploring Uxamal, Kabal and a cenote . I highly recommend taking this tour!!”

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6.Uxmal, Cenote and Kabah Archaeological Site Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 139 reviews · 7 hours · from $83

Explore Uxmal, Kabah, and Cenote Sámbula from Mérida with a bilingual guide, air-conditioned transport, regional lunch, and practical tips.

“Excellent tour; I would come during the cooler season.”

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7.Chichen Itza, Izamal and Cenote with lunch and pick up

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 132 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $86

Review of a full-day Mérida tour to Izamal, Cenote Ik Kil, and Chichén Itzá, with lunch, bilingual guides, transport, costs, and practical tips.

“An amazing guide, Birdie, who has a great sense of humour, extremely knowledgeable and very sensitive to all members on the tour. The bus driver was careful and safe as well as willing to communicate with the members of the group.”

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8.Chichen Itza, Izamal & Cenote with Buffet Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 131 reviews · from $84

Visit Chichen Itza early, swim in Xcajum Cenote, eat a Yucatecan buffet, and explore yellow-painted Izamal on a full Mérida day trip.

“Amazing trip with an excellent, friendly guide. Highly recommend!”

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9.4 Cenotes Tour in Homún all inclusive from Merida

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 96 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $85

Swim in four very different Homún cenotes from Mérida, with transport, guide, gear, and a Yucatecan lunch included.

“Had a great experience with Jair. He spoke both English and and Spanish with our mostly Spanish-speaking group and made sure we caught all the highlights. The cenotes were very interesting, something you won’t see many other places. Facilities (bath and changing rooms) were as expected and we managed to miss the cruise line crowds (Tues and Thursdays mostly). Very fun tour.”

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10.4 Santa Barbara Cenotes and Bikes with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 95 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $108

Swim through four Santa Bárbara cenotes, ride bikes, visit Acanceh ruins, and enjoy a Yucatecan lunch on an 8-hour trip from Mérida.

“The rating I gave was for the tour itself based on the friendly guide and the expert driver. My problem comes from the misleading Viator ad for the tour. All other cenote tours described the opportunity to swim in the cenotes and the time given to swimming. Since I wasn’t interested in the swimming part, I went with this one. There was no mention of swimming, just visiting cenotes and a historical site. I became suspicious when the pre-tour communications I received mentioned bring a bathing suit and towel. I questioned that, explaining that the trip description said nothing about swimming, and that I had concerns about how I and…”

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11.Chichen Itza Cenote and Magic Izamal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $101

Visit Chichen Itza before the crowds, swim in a cenote, enjoy Yucatan food, and explore Izamal on a full-day trip from Merida.

“Our guide answered all of our questions and was very informative. There were enough breaks that the day did not drag on and the sites are definitely worth seeing! Lunch was good and in a covered outdoor restaurant. Definitely recommend if you’re new to the area! The guide’s English was quite valuable as this is definitely a predominantly Spanish speaking area and some of the areas are remote.”

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12.Chichen Itza Cenote, Food Experience & Izamal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 10 hours · from $110

Explore Chichen Itza before the crowds, swim in a private cenote, eat Yucatan food, and visit yellow Izamal from Merida.

“This tour is really worth its price! Hernan took good care of us, he drove us safely and gave us good information about the places we visited. We were a group of four and the tour was almost personalized. The itinerary is perfect and very complete, the best of Maya and Spanish heritage plus a break at an unexpected cenote with a tasty lunch. Highly recommended!”

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13.Hacienda Sotuta de Peon w/ Cenote & Henequen Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 62 reviews · 3 - 4.5 hours · from $58

Tour a restored Yucatan hacienda, ride mule-drawn rail trucks through henequen fields, swim in a cenote, and enjoy lunch near Merida.

“Our guides Evan was fantastic. Very passionate about the subject. The cenote was lovely too.”

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14.Uxmal, two Amazing Cenotes & Local Food Tour from Mérida

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $89

Explore Uxmal, enjoy Yucatecan food, and swim in two striking cenotes on a small-group day tour from Mérida.

“We had the most terrific time with Jorge! He was kind, funny, knew tons about Uxmal, took us to some hidden Cenotes which only locals knew, and was a pleasure to be with. The tour was extremely well organised, moved swiftly but never in a rush, and does not include too much driving - which other tours regularly do. Would highly recommend for a well priced and highly enjoyable day out !”

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15.Chichen Magic Towns and cenote with Zipline

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $29Best value

See Chichen Itza, swim in a cenote, eat a Yucatecan buffet, and visit Valladolid and Izamal on a long day from Merida.

“Our guide provided a lot of interesting historical and cultural context to the different places we visited.”

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