We booked the Xichen/Xcaret combo to save money versus booking individual Chichen Itza and Xcaret trips: $166.10 vs. $187.10.
The Xichen Clasico Tour was very good for what it was -
experiencing all things Mayan in one day on a 48-person tour bus. You hit a
shopping area, swim in a cenote, have a Mexican buffet, and spend a couple of
hours visiting amazing ruins, and drive through a colonial town.
I said it was very good because the tour bus was very
comfortable, the guides were very friendly, informative and helpful. The buffet
was better than expected with multiple dishes to choose from (you have to pay
for drinks.) Having read mixed reviews ahead of the cenote ahead of time, I
wasn’t sure about it, but it turned out to be a highlight of our trip. (the
faster you eat lunch the more time you have to swim and jump off the ledge). I
also purchased the $30 waterproof case that floats they sold on the bus so I
could take pictures in the cenote, at Xcaret and kayaking during the rest of
our trip. I know I probably paid too much, but it was so worth it. Pictures
came out great. Finally, the guides got us through the Chichen Itza line pretty
quick and gave a good, but brief, tour.
Be forewarned about four items on this trip. By knowing
about them you will not be disappointed.
First, you are
only at Chichen Itza about an hour and
forty-five minutes. After the 45-minute guided tour, you have about an hour of
free time to get back on the bus. Walking fast, I only saw about three-quarters
of the site with not time to stop and read signs. I was taking pictures of
signs to read later. If you are looking to spend more time here, reading all
the signs, relax, get artsy with your camera, you might want to book another
tour. Of course, my teenagers were fine with the brief amount of time here.
Second, there is a 45-minute tourist trap souvenir stop. I
knew this was coming having read reviews of the tour before I booked it, but my
wife didn’t and wondered why we were wasting time here. I think most people
would much rather spend an extra 45-minutes at Chichen Itza where there are
other souvenir stores than at that place. I know they talk about supporting
education and writing your name in Mayan, but at Coba store there gave the same
pitch.
Third, you are on a 48-person tour bus. The way Experiencias
ran this tour is they either meet you at your hotel or you meet them at a
designated pickup location. Their bus
will then take you to their central bus depot where you’ll either pick up more
passengers or have you to change to another bus. That process was a little frustrating as we
watched other buses leaving for Chichen Itza while we waited for the rest of
our “designated group” to arrive. For guests at the Hampton Inn, you have to
take a 15-minute taxi ride to the Pasteleria restaurant at the Mall of Americas
to pick up the first bus.
Finally, the tour is conducted in both English and Spanish.
They spend a couple of minutes speaking in English, then a couple in Spanish.
At Chichen Itza, they did split up the group into a English speaking only group
and a Spanish speaking only group which I was very happy about.
I would recommend the Xichen Clasico Tour keeping in mind,
you will see a lot, fast. This was perfect for my kids. For me, I would have
liked to have spent more time at Chichen Itza, but for the family as a whole,
it worked out well.
For Xcaret, you are really just paying for the entrance fee
and transportation with the combo package. Once you are in the park, you are on
your own until do decide to leave at 4:45 or 9:30 - the only two times you can
leave. Pickups and drop offs were on time on their trademark signature snake buses.
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