6 Mayan Ruins Tours in Tulum to Build a Day Around

1.Tulum Ruins, Turtles in Akumal and Cenote tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,706 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $129Our pick

This 8-hour Ocean Tours Mexico outing links Tulum’s coastal Maya ruins, Akumal’s turtle snorkeling, and Parque de Cenotes Yax-Muul. Guides such as Alejandro, Yul, Suly, and Mimi have earned praise for clear instruction and friendly care. Hotel pickup, gear, snacks, water, and taco lunch are included, but plan for a long active day.

“Really friendly guide and driver. Saw the sights at our own pace. Learnt so much about Mayan history. The food at the cenote was delicious! Would definitely reccomend and is worth the cost.”

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2.Coba & Chichen Itza Ruins with Cenote Swim

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 627 reviews · 12 hours · from $971

You’ll visit Coba and Chichen Itza with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide, swim at Cenote Chichikan, eat a Mexican buffet if selected, and make a short Valladolid stop. Early departures help you reach Coba and the cenote before the heaviest crowds. Guides such as Juan, Rodrigo, Ramiro, and Arturo bring the Maya story to life.

“Effecient pick up with the tour operator contacting us regularly wiyh updates before hand. The coach was modern and comfortable. Coba was beautiful as the temples are hidden in a forest, but as we only had just over 1hr to see the site, we took a local tricycle tour, which was really nice as we got to have some more infor and also practise our spanish. Next was Chichen Itza which was really hot and crowded with tourists and traders. Beware, take bug spray! We had a quick guided tour ofthis location then some free time for photos. Next was the cenote that included a buffet lunch and tequilla tasting.…”

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3.Tulum and Coba with Cenote Swim and Lunch from Cancun

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 595 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $89Best value

Spend about 11 hours visiting cliff-top Tulum, jungle-covered Coba, and Cenote Kuxtal, with a guide, buffet lunch, and transport. Guides such as Tony, Mundo, Celene, and Zeferino have earned strong praise, but expect long drives, extra fees, and a late lunch.

“This trip is a long one so prepare yourself for a LOT of driving! We had a great guide, Tony, and driver, Pepe. The ruins were all very interesting. Glad we opted for bicycle taxi at Coba since the whole trip was a lot of walking. The buffet was very rustic and food not really to our liking. It was an incredibly hot and humid day in October so that affected our experience as well. There was a Mayan shaman at the Cenote who performed a cleansing ceremony which was cool until he picked all the obvious non-hispanic looking people to receive a piece of obsidian jewelry for a hefty…”

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4.Coba Ruins, Punta Laguna Nature Reserve, Cenote and Mayan family

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 489 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $184

Spend about eight hours combining Coba’s jungle ruins with Punta Laguna’s monkeys, canoeing, and zipline. Your small group travels with an English-speaking guide such as Carlos, Marco, Luigi, or Alonso, then shares a Mayan lunch before a quiet cenote swim. Pickup is available from Tulum and selected Riviera Maya hotels.

“We enjoyed the activities like bike, zipline, and canoe. We did not like the longgg talking, felt the tour could have been 2 to 3 hours shorter if not for all the long talks at each spot. a brochure to read would have been better. Just a banana and seed bar between 7am and 3pm was not enough...lunch at 3pm after so much physical exertion made us irritable, uncomfortable and very hungry. We also did not like getting picked up first at 7:15 and dropped off last.”

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5.Tulum Ruins Guided Tour from Cancun and Riviera Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 426 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $89

Visit Tulum with a bilingual guide such as Erika, David, or Saul, then return to your resort by air-conditioned van. Expect about two hours at the ruins, roughly 14 to 24 people, snacks and water, and a separate $25 archaeological-site fee.

“Easy and reliable pick up from hotel zone. About 2.5 hr ride with stops for other passengers. Really fascinating to see old ruins and hear about the cultural depth of many generations of civilizations there. Beware vendors and food stalls on the way out. Pricey! Spent $160 on a quick taco lunch for 5. Very expensive”

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6.Mayan Ruins & Sian Kaan Tour with Boat Ride and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 423 reviews · 3 - 6 hours · from $169

Visit the Tulum area’s Mayan ruins with guides such as Alondra, Niko, or Lea, eat a Mexican lunch, then cruise between Sian Kaan lagoons and float through clear mangrove canals. Choose the full tour with transfers or the shorter lazy-river option from central Tulum.

“We did the half day tour - choosing to go only to the Sian Ka'an Reserve and float down the canals. Alonzo was our fabulous guide - very friendly, helpful and we heard him speak 4 languages - maybe he knows more. The 'float' was the highlight our our week in Tulum, the water and air temperatures were perfect in the canal. We would highly recommend the tour and ask for Alonzo!”

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