Tulum Ruins and Playa del Carmen Tour

This excursion was very well organised and co-ordinated. Go Mexico was the local tour company used. The time spent in Tulum was adequate and a really interesting experience. We didnt swim as we didnt want to be sticky and uncomfortable for the rest of the day. There wasnt a lot of time for swimming anyway if you wanted to take your time looking around the Mayan civilisation ruins. We chose to be dropped off in Playa del Carmen and had 3 or more hours to shop and have a look around. Playa del Carmen is a vibrant and interesting place with a huge amount of bars, restaurants and shops and anyone who is staying in the resorts in Cancun should go there because its so much more the Mexican experience. There was also a very strong Police presence - all carrying large automatic weapons. They were on every corner of the main walking street. Not sure whether that made us feel safer but we didnt feel threatened in any way. We recommend this excursion to anyone visiting the area.

Tulum was very interesting and Playa del Carmen was fine. If only we had had better tour guides. The guide Jesus in Tulum was good and informative but the guy who appeared to be the lead guide for the entire tour was not good at all. This was supposed to be an English/Spanish tour but he informed very little in English and in greater detail in Spanish. The entire Go Mexico tour seemed designed to confuse. There were too many tour groups on the tour - one group went one place, another to another place, and a third group to another place. Very little direction was given to be able to know what was going on. To top it off, the bus let us off at the road leading up to the Marriott hotel. There was a marathon going on - on the OTHER side of the road - but the not-so-good guide said they would let us off at the bottom of the hill because of the marathon. Funny how other tour buses turned into the Marriott as we trekked up the driveway. An overall disappointing tour.

TIme in Tulum was too short and Playa too long. Multiple bus transfers required between hotel/meeting location/Tulum. Trip to Tulum was 90 minute sale of products/add-ons - no site info. Only real tour guide was inside Tulum not employed by tour company. About an hour in ruins, four in Playa.

I highly recommend this tour, put together by Translamex . This was one of the most organized guided tours that I have been on. They had a clean air conditioned bus that they used to pick me up from my hotel and also transferred me to other points along the tour -Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. They had English speaking guides on each aspect of the tour which was very helpful. I recommend upgrading to the plus package- This includes unlimited water, soda and beer on the tour plus a 3 course local lunch in Playa Del Carmen. I did not have to carry a heavy backpack of beverages- and was able to request as much chilled water/ beer as I wanted which was refreshing because the weather was extremely hot. After the guided Tulum tour- you have about an hour to explore the ruins or go to the beach on your own. The beach is very small. Quaint. You will definitely need a hat, sunscreen, and bug spray. You also have the opportunity of buying local crafts, coconut water etc. Playa was fun. You have about 3.5 hours to explore the city- you can go to the beach, shop at the high end malls which have Zara, Pull and Bear, Berskha and more or purchase local merchandise. If you want an enjoyable experience, exploring both cities in one day - this is the tour for you.

The Tulum Ruins and Playa del Carmen tour is a great experience for first time travelers to Cancun. The contrast between standing on the ancient grounds of Mayan ruins, to shopping, sightseeing, and enjoying the beach at Playa del Carmen it feels like you've taken a trip in a time machine. Learning the history of Tulum from a tour guide with Mayan ancestry added an extra level of connection and intimacy to the experience. After the guided tour, you will have an hour for individual exploration where you can get a more up-close look at the ruins, wild life especially iguanas, take pictures, and enjoy the breathtaking view and swim at the beautiful beach. Id highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes, sunglasses, a hat, and bringing a backpack filled with water, snacks, a towel, and eco-friendly sunscreen and bug spray. In addition to the Ruins there is also a street market with vendors selling home-made collectables, cold fresh coconut water and other refreshing drinks, and stores for souvenirs. At Playa del Carmen youll have the opportunity to shop at a high-end outdoor mall, street vendors, and get lunch at one of the many nearby restaurants. For a delicious authentic Mexican meal, I recommend Los Rancheros try the guacamole made to order tableside and the fajitas. After you walk off your meal shopping, enjoy the rest of your evening at the beach and enjoy a drink from Senor Frogs.