Riviera Maya · HALF-DAY
Good half-day tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
See Tulum’s seaside Maya ruins, swim in two clear cenotes, and travel from the Riviera Maya with guides, water, and hotel pickup.
“Wonderful trip. The tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful.”
Review of the Riviera Maya jungle tour with ATVs, zip lines, cenote swimming, rappel, temazcal, snacks, and transport from Playa del Carmen.
“Well organized trip And our tour guide Javier was outstanding. He really make sure we all had a good time The only thing I didn’t like was lunch. Two tacos de pollo, rice and beans after all the activities wasn’t enough”
Review of Tulum’s half-day luxury catamaran tour with snorkeling, paddleboards, lunch, open bar, transport, and practical booking advice.
“The positive. The tour operator (Clement) and staff is what made this cruise exceptional. They were informative, helpful, energetic and fun. Views were gorgeous, snorkeling was fun, food was great and drinks were on point. I would say that this was the highlight of my trip to Tulum and definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing boat/catamaran ride. The negative. It was our first day in Tulum and so getting to the meeting point was a little difficult for us. Instead of assist us with how to get there we were berated and disprespected by whoever operates the Paradise Adventours CUSTOMER CARE Whatsapp AND CUSTOMER CARE Viator accounts…”
Review of Mexico Kan Tours’ Sian Ka’an boat trip from Tulum, with wildlife, mangroves, optional snorkeling, lunch, tips, and honest value advice.
“One of the best trips in the area. So fun, beautiful and educational. The guides were great. Luigi and Cesar were fun and had a lot of great information to share.”
Tulum ATV, zipline, and cenote tour with a Mayan ceremony, lunch, guides, and transport. A lively four-hour jungle adventure.
“We had a great time on our tour, thanks to our guide Rafael. He went above and beyond to help us and made it a memorable experience. Cannot recommend this tour enough!”
Visit Tulum’s Maya ruins and swim in two cenotes on a practical six-hour morning tour from Tulum, with transport and water included.
“Great experience, amazing views and such a wonderful time. The tour guide was funny knowledgeable and sincere.”
Review of a private half-day cenote tour from Playa del Carmen, with jungle swimming, cave exploring, snorkeling, and fresh ceviche.
“Abraham was the best! Patient with us. He was very accommodating for my dad that is a senior citizen. We got to the cenotes early so we had them both to ourselves!”
Explore two Playa del Carmen reefs on a small-group scuba outing with full safety guidance, coral, turtles, moray eels, and flexible certification options.
“Andrea was super friendly and knowledgeable. First time we have had a guide teach about fish and the different rays. Beautiful water with educational appreciation for the sea…doesn’t get much better!”
Swim a private cenote, snorkel the Caribbean reef, and enjoy a small-group tour with lunch, transfers, and an expert guide from Tulum.
“Great tours - information: details, hospitality were all fantastic! Karen (our guide) was fantastic and made sure we were all taken care of. The Cenote was secluded (we were the only ones there) and the experience em was unforgettable.”
Ride ATVs, soar on four jungle ziplines, rappel, swim in a cave cenote, and enjoy a Mayan-style lunch near Tulum.
“The zip lines were cool, but it was a bit different from what we expected. The ATV ride was pretty slow and nothing to really see or enjoy the view. We had a local lunch whoch was pretty simple and we were still hungry afterwards.”
Review of Tulum ruins, a cave cenote, and Mayan lunch from Playa del Carmen, with honest advice on fees, transport, timing, and value.
“We had an excellent time on this tour! The guide was very clear and informative. His stories of the history of the ruins was very interesting and captivating. Swimming in the cenote was a dream that I never knew I had. Transportation was clean, fast and on time. I'd definitely recommend this tour to friends.”
Tulum jungle ATV tour with seven ziplines, cenote swim, rappel, Mayan ceremony, snacks, and hotel pickup for $89 per person.
“Even with a confirmed and fully paid for booking and a scheduled pickup time of 9am at our hotel lobby, the company claims that they were not notified that we were scheduled to go on the tour that day. After repeated calls and asking “Get your guide” to contact them on the same day as our tour, around 10am the adventure tour said they couldn’t pick us up for our scheduled time but would do a 12pm pickup instead. We agreed and then make preparations. They then texted and said 12:20pm instead. They arrived around that time and then did not leave with us until 12:45pm. The rushed last minute…”
Explore three Yucatan cenotes and colorful Valladolid on a private six-hour tour from Playa del Carmen, with pickup and photo stops.
“My friends and I booked this because of the other good reviews and it was by far the best decision we could have made! Dany was our guide and he made the day so enjoyable, genuine, and so much fun! Bonus points for being an amazing photographer too! This day was worth every penny and more - I’d recommend to anyone! Also, such a well-curated list of activities. From the amazing choices of cenotes to the authentic Mayan lunch, it was an unforgettable experience that made our trip :)”
Bike between four quiet cenotes near Chemuyil, learn to make cochinita pibil with Gilmer, then enjoy a fresh Mayan meal at his home.
“Gilmer and Gael were fantastic hosts. They made this actually our favourite activity on our trip. It was personal and the communication throughout was amazing.”
Swim with sea turtles in Akumal Bay on a small-group tour from Playa del Carmen, with transport, gear, guide, snacks, and beach time.
“Great experience - a really brilliant day out. Started around 8:30am with hotel pickup and took around 30 minutes to get to Tulum. Very very hot and not much opportunity to stand in shade so bring plenty of water and be careful. Lots of interesting and some funny facts from our amazing tourguide. Think we spent around an hour in total at the site. We then headed to cenote swimming which was in a big beautiful cave. 3 chambers, the last one being almost pitch black - not for the faint hearted but its optional to go in that last one. You have to push against the roof of the…”
Pick a cenote, a ruin or a stretch of reef.
