Arrange a flight to Cancun. Although it is known as a party city filled with hotels and restaurants, populated almost exclusively by tourists on package beach vacations, starting in Cancun has its distinct advantages. Flights tend to be cheap year-round, and usually you can find package tours for beach resorts last-minute at a discount. You can choose an all-inclusive package that covers your meals and drinks, leaving the bulk of your travel money for arranging day trips to the pyramids.
Book a tour with a company that specializes in Mayan pyramid sites. There are dozens of companies with English-language websites that allow you to customize tours to sites in which you are most interested. For example, head to the Maya Sites Travel Service website and click "Custom Vacation Packages." Knowing which pyramids you want to visit before booking a tour is essential; ask companies to arrange to get you to that specific locale. Tell them when you are arriving in Cancun and the name of your hotel, and arrange for a pickup from the hotel each day. If you want to head to some of the more remote sites in Campeche, you'll need to plan on staying the night in another city; the local tour company can arrange that for you.
Book locally for more variety. Most major hotels in Cancun will offer day trips to the pyramid sites, so don't worry too much if you can't find a tour provider before leaving home. The other major advantage to organizing a tour once in Mexico is that you can save money. Shop around Cancun to find the best deal. Customize your tour to your liking: have a list of sites you wish to visit and see which company will take you to the places on your list. A custom tour like this may cost as much in Cancun as booking a group tour online.
See the big pyramids, then go off the beaten track. The pyramids in Chichen Itza and Uxmal are spectacular, and you could spend days basking in their size and magnificence, but throngs of other tourists will be trying to do the same. A few hours at each site will probably be enough. When organizing your tours, insist upon visiting remote sites like Yaxchilán, which can only be accessed by boat. The feeling of grandeur at these Mayan sites is magnified by a bit of solitude.
