Tour to Ek Balam and Chichen Itza?
 

Is it possible to do the two reasonably on the same day? There seem to be a myriad of tour companies, anyone have good experiences wiht one for this itin?

What are your plans (where staying, how many days)?
My recommendation would be to do an overnight in charming Valladolid, and do one ruin each morning and a cenote in the afternoon. As a one day, doing both ruins would be a very long, hot, and exhausting undertaking with visual and historical overload likely.

It's a long weekend on a cheap fare to get some warmth. Using a BOGO certificate at the Intercontinental Cancun and so no change to move around hotels. Looks like you could do a really nice tour roaming the Yucatan peninsula, but not on this trip. I've got a one day out and back from Cancun only.

We did basically what I described above, during a week's trip. I really don't think I could have taken in more than one ruin in a day, let alone in some huge bus full if tourists, but clearly YMMV.
I have heard good things about LocoGringo and Yucatreks, who run smaller tours.
Both of those ruins have their merits. At Ek Balam, smaller, quiet, and more in the middle of the jungle, you can climb a pyramid, and there are some beautiful sculptures. CI has the central massive pyramid (not to climb), a big ball court, other structures and sculpture..... and tons of tourists and vendors.

The cost of doing a private tour, which was what it would have taken to do both CI and EkB on one day, was prohibitive, and I didnt feel like renting a car and dodging the banditos, so just did an organized tour to CI Just as well, we werent sure we would want to climb the pyramid after a few hours trekking around the site of CI int he AM heat.

"dodging the banditos"? Is that like a nine banded armadillo? ;)

Lots of banditos to worry about, I hear. Evidently there is even this card which you get from the rental car agency that gets you out of 3 minor traffic offenses without paying a "fine." I assume those 3 would be the ones the policia fabricated...

There is no such word in the various flavors of Castilian Spanish language spoken around the world, including in Mexico; it's a negatively stereotypical slang term most likely derived from grade B movies that serves no purpose.

The card you mention is available in the Delegación of Cancún and surrounding area, iirc, and it was instituted as a measure to head off propensity to solicit, or pressure to give, "mordidas" or small bribes.

In my experience (driving in Mexico over fifty years), road police trolling tourists with visitor or rental plates has decreased considerably over the years.

Having just driven around for a few days in Quintana Roo and Yucatán, I can attest to the lack of "banditos" [sic]. Driving in Mexico is surely not like driving in other North American countries, but at least on the Yucatán peninsula it is not a problem either.

For any one else considering doing this, yes, very easy to do both - I did both, plus lunch in Valladolid and a dip in the Ik Kil cenote in a day last year.

I used Canada Transfers, private driver in an immaculate van (cold water and towels provided, which was a nice touch after CI) and he was totally willing to go off book, stopping at roadside snack places, loo stops he spoke excellent English, gave some colour about the area, history, etc. but was not a tour guide per se. He helped arrange an English speaking guide at CI, we didn't use a guide at Ek Balam.

Found it very relaxing, as we got everywhere before the tour buses did, so all the sites were very quiet

Can I get a guide on-site if I just show up at Ek Balam? All of the tours I've seen are hilariously expensive if you're just one person by themselves, so I'm thinking about renting a car and driving to the spots by myself.

I know CI won't be a problem for finding a guide, but Ek Balam? Do I even need a guide or is the site still that much of a mystery to everyone?

When we were there, there were a few guys in the visitor center, but mostly selling cenote tours, I think. It's a small, but very beautiful, site, and the explanation on LocoGringo was enough for us. The main attraction is the Jaguar's Mouth sculptures halfway up the pyramid, and climbing to the top for the view of the jungle, and the pretty area around.

When there about a month ago, there were several licensed tour guides (locals, speaking Maya amongst themselves) in the entrance pavilion right by where you go in. I don't think you will have any problems finding a guide.

I second renting a car and finding a guide when you get there!

Enjoy! "ek' balam" means "dark (or black) jaguar", very fitting.