YOUR OWN PRIVATE ADVENTURE

Tulum ruins, Snorkeling in Cenote and with Turtles

390 tour reviews
PRIVATE TOUR: Our top-selling adventure includes a private guided tour of the Tulum ruins, a swim in a stunning cenote, and snorkeling with sea turtles. Plus, savor a delicious lunch at a charming jungle Mexican restaurant!
  • Exclusive Experience: Just you, your personal local guide, and driver!
  • Private Transportation: Convenient pick-up from your hotel or rental.
  • Escape the Crowds & Beat the Heat: Skip the lines & enjoy a relaxed, stress-free guided tour.
  • Breathtaking Cenotes! Pick from open-air or cave options - You’ll love the adventure!
  • Encounter Sea Turtles: Snorkel from shore in Akumal for an unforgettable aquatic journey!
  • Lunch in a One-of-a-Kind Jungle Spot: Mexican flavors await you!
  • Set Your Own Pace: Stay longer or move on, the choice is entirely yours.
  • All-Inclusive at the Best Price: Transport, guide, entrance fees, gear, lunch & more!

Early bird discountBook 60+ days ahead and save 10%.

Multi-tour discountBook 2+ tours and save 10%.

Offers cannot be combined. Holiday exclusions apply. See terms and conditions.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

The details of your private day.

Tulum ruins, Snorkeling in Cenote and with Turtles Private Tour

 

Experience the magic of the Riviera Maya in one expertly crafted private tour. Our Tulum Ruins, Snorkeling, Cenote & Turtles private tour is a perfect blend of cultural discovery, ocean exploration, and refreshing nature escape. Whether you’re passionate about Mayan history, fascinated by marine life, or simply craving a serene swim in a cenote, this full-day tour offers a personalized adventure away from the crowds.

Led by a certified private guide, this experience is designed to move at your pace. You’ll visit the famous Tulum Ruins, snorkel with wild sea turtles in Akumal Bay, and cool off in a breathtaking cenote. With private transportation, flexible scheduling, and a tailored itinerary, you’ll enjoy comfort, intimacy, and expert insights throughout the day.

A Day of Discovery of Mayan Heritage and Marine Wonders

  1. 1. Explore the Tulum Archaeological Site

    Start your day with a visit to the majestic Tulum Ruins, perched on cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. As one of the most iconic Mayan cities, Tulum Mayan ruins offer rich history, stunning ocean views, and well-preserved structures like El Castillo and the Temple of the Frescoes. Your private guide will bring the past to life with fascinating stories of ancient rituals, trade, and daily life in this walled city.

    With early access and private transport, you’ll beat the crowds and the heat—perfect for photos and peaceful exploration.

    Highlights:

    • Personalized guided tour of the ruins
    • Stunning sea views from cliffside temples
    • Insight into Mayan culture and architecture

  2. 2. Refresh in a Stunning Cenote

    After your journey through Mayan history, it’s time to cool off with a swim in one of the Riviera Maya’s magical cenotes. These natural freshwater sinkholes are formed by collapsed limestone, revealing hidden pools of crystal-clear water.

    You’ll visit a hand-selected cenote, and on the day of your tour, you can choose between Cenote Nicte-Ha, Taak Bi Ha, or Jaguar. If you prefer to visit the more advanced cenotes like Dos Ojos or Pet Cemetery, we can arrange that for an additional $10 USD per person. Your guide will be happy to help you select the cenote that best matches your expectations and snorkeling skills.

    Why you’ll love it:

    • Cenotes for everyone: peaceful swims, snorkeling, cliff jumping, or cave exploration
    • Whether you’re adventurous or looking to relax, we’ve got you covered
    • Great for young kids, teens, adults, and older guests alike
    • Unique geological formations and refreshing natural beauty
    • A tranquil, sacred setting to unwind and reconnect with nature

  3. 3. Enjoy a Local Mexican Lunch

    Recharged from your cenote dip, you’ll enjoy a relaxing lunch at a local restaurant in the jungle under a traditional palapa, offering shade and a laid-back jungle vibe.

    We serve a variety of freshly prepared Mexican dishes, and vegetarian or special dietary needs can be accommodated with advance notice.

    It’s the perfect moment to fuel up, rest, and reflect on the incredible experiences so far—before heading to the sea for one final highlight of the day.

  4. 4. Snorkel with Sea Turtles in Akumal Bay

    To end your day, you’ll visit Akumal Bay, a calm, protected marine area known for its resident population of green sea turtles. After a briefing and receiving your gear, your snorkeling guide will lead you into the shallow, clear water where you can spot turtles grazing on seagrass, colorful tropical fish, and perhaps stingrays or coral gardens.

    This guided snorkel is suitable for all levels. You don’t need prior experience—just basic swimming ability—and your guide will be with you the whole time for safety and support.

    What to expect:

    • Snorkeling with sea turtles in their natural habitat
    • Calm waters and great visibility most of the year
    • Full equipment and guidance included

     

Price includes

  • Pick up and drop off at your hotel with private air-conditioned transportation (Booster car seat and baby car seat available on request)
  • Experienced certified private guide
  • Tulum ruins entrance fees (INAH + CONANP + JAGUAR) with pre-purchased tickets for direct entry
  • Optional electric shuttle from the parking area to the ruins entrance (750 m / 0.5 mile), for guests who prefer not to walk
  • Cenote entrance fee
  • Akumal bay cooperative and CONANP fee
  • Snorkeling gear: mask, snorkel, wetsuits, life jackets
  • Cool drinks in the van (waters, soda)
  • Lunch in a restaurant with one main course a la carte and one bottle of water

Price excludes

  • Extra drinks at the restaurant
  • Ruins: If you bring a GoPro, video camera, or phone with a selfie stick, a fee of 60 pesos (about USD 3) per device is charged at the entrance to each archaeological site and must be paid in pesos (INAH fee). Drones and camera/video tripods are prohibited.
  • Tips
Exclusive Private Tour:
Only you, the guide and the driver, nobody else!
Duration:
7/9 hours (check the itinerary tab, as it depends on your pick-up location)
Physicality:
Easy
Age:
All ages
Snorkeling:
Basic swimming skills required. This excursion suits everyone from novices to experts.
Which cenote will you visit? 
The day of your tour, you can choose one cenote between Nicte Ha, Taak bi Ha, or Jaguar. 
If you prefer to go to Dos Ojos or Pet Cemetery, we will add 10 USD per person on your balance. Your guide will be happy to help you to select the best cenote for you and your party according to your expectations and snorkeling skills.
Swim with turtles:
Absolute Adventure is working with a local cooperative according to the Mexican law.(Consult Akumal Swim with Turtles regulation.)
In the event of the port being closed by the authorities making swimming with the turtles unauthorized, the tour will be amended to the Tulum Cenote tour and the price adjusted according to the option chosen.
What's on the menu?
Quesadillas, tacos, empanadas, salbutes, fajitas, fish, shrimp, chicken, soups, vegetarian and special diet options available.

Itinerary options

Times at each stop are estimates. Driving and your exact pickup location affect the schedule.

Tulum ruins, cenote and turtles

  1. Tulum ruins — 90 min
  2. Cenote snorkel — 60 min
  3. Lunch at Juanita restaurant — 40 min
  4. Akumal turtles — 75 min

The recommended early pick-up time helps you avoid traffic, crowds, and heat at the sites, but you can opt for a later pick-up when booking.
Timing may vary based on traffic and your exact location.
We can spend more or less time at Tulum, the cenote, and Akumal, moving at your own pace.
Want a faster tour? Free time can be reduced or skipped; your guide can adjust the pace on the day of the tour.

Discover the 3 benefits of an early departure to visit Tulum.
This tour doesn't include Tulum centro/Tulum beach-hotel areas. Only Tulum Mayan ruins.

  • Resusable water bottle: at Tulum Ruins, it is forbidden to enter the ruins with plastic water bottles. If you wish to bring water for the visit, please bring your own reusable water bottle. We’ll have water in the van for you to fill or refill.
  • Beach Towels
  • Swimsuit (We recommend wearing it in the morning and feel free to change after snorkeling activities)
  • Comfortable shoes for the ruins (We recommend tennis shoes)
  • Flip flops or sandals for water activities (Water shoes are optional but can be worn for added comfort)
  • Hat and sunglasses
  • Sunscreen and we recommend wearing a rash-guard/UV-Shirt for water activities*
  • Mosquito repellent*
  • Cash (for tour payment, tips, souvenirs…)
  • Camera/Underwater camera/Waterproof case for your phone

FROM OUR GUESTS

A day worth remembering.

5.00/5 · 390 tour reviews

Showing reviews 343–351 of 390

Absolute Adventure is the best tour group I've ever found! We recently took our family of 6 to Cancun and the two tours we did with Absolute Adventure were the highlight of the trip! Claire was amazing to accommodate with our travel plans not to mention she responded so quickly to our emails! We also loved that we were able to customize one of our…

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Absolute Adventure is the best tour group I've ever found! We recently took our family of 6 to Cancun and the two tours we did with Absolute Adventure were the highlight of the trip! Claire was amazing to accommodate with our travel plans not to mention she responded so quickly to our emails! We also loved that we were able to customize one of our tours. Absolute Adventure is helpful in suggesting the best time for tour pick up from your hotel -we were literally the first group to enter the Tulum Ruins and we beat all the crowds of people to the best photo op places within the ruins. Our second tour we visited the "Pet Cemetery" and again we were the first people into the cenote and had it all to ourselves. Our driver, Rodrigo and our tour guide, Juan were AMAZING! They were so personable and friendly! They gave great advice throughout the day and also educational tidbits. They took pictures of our family for us and we had all the equipment we'd ever need! The van was extremely clean and they took great precautions with Covid 19. We loved the two lunch spots we visited during our two tours-they were far better than any "box lunch" other tour groups include. We felt like they went above and beyond any typical tour!!! We honestly felt like we gained new friends during our two days and I'm so glad we booked with Absolute Adventures! I would recommend them to everyone!

V86 · Jan 2021

We did a tour with Absolute Adventures to Tulum, Nicte-Ha ceynote and Akumal beach to swim with sea turtles. Dulce was our guide and she was extremely professional and knowledgeable and very nice to spend the day with. Our driver Pascual was safe on the roads. The ceynote was a very cool experience but Akumal blew us away, we saw so many sea turtles so…

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We did a tour with Absolute Adventures to Tulum, Nicte-Ha ceynote and Akumal beach to swim with sea turtles. Dulce was our guide and she was extremely professional and knowledgeable and very nice to spend the day with. Our driver Pascual was safe on the roads. The ceynote was a very cool experience but Akumal blew us away, we saw so many sea turtles so close up, as well as two species of rays and countless fish. Cannot recommend this tour company highly enough, they did everything right!

Marissa · Dec 2020

This was an amazing experience! Claire was very nice and quick to respond, she was very helpful and helped us decide which tour to do! Chris our tour guide was amazing!! Very knowledgeable and so friendly!!! Pasquale was such a great driver!! Felt very safe!! Can’t wait to come back and book again!!!

Jessica · Sep 2020

Highly recommend! The whole day was a blast! Great value for the cost. So much fun!

Lettie · Sep 2020

Great tour. Saw Tulum, went into a cenote, had a delicious lunch, and swam near sea turtles. Very knowledgeable and interesting guide.

peggylE3890WK · Mar 2020

This is the best private tour in Tulum - I recommend choosing the tour that takes you to the Tulum Ruins, and then to snorkeling with tortoises/cenotes. Hector and Rodrigo were the best duo and showed us so much of Tulum/taught us so much about the history. HIGHLY recommended - and can't wait to return to do this again!

Lani · Mar 2020

FANTASTIC! Our guide Manuel was tri-lingual, extremely knowledgeable, interesting and has a wonderful sense of humor! We had the ruins mostly to ourselves and we spent as much time as we needed to get every picture and every question answered. The Cenote was fabulous! Clear cool water, bats in the cave and again we had the place almost all to ourselves. Lunch here in the…

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FANTASTIC! Our guide Manuel was tri-lingual, extremely knowledgeable, interesting and has a wonderful sense of humor! We had the ruins mostly to ourselves and we spent as much time as we needed to get every picture and every question answered. The Cenote was fabulous! Clear cool water, bats in the cave and again we had the place almost all to ourselves. Lunch here in the jungle was some of the best Mexican food we have ever eaten. Then we were off to the beach to snorkel with turtles we saw 5....big ones but also one little cute young turtle. The beach was beautiful and we were exhausted from all the fun and excitement so we packed it in early and Manuel obliged and we were able to take our time coming off the beach and heading back to our resort. Pasquale our driver was an excellent chauffeur and stayed with our belongs and kept them safe. We felt privileged as he is of Mayan descent and speaks the Maya language as well as Spanish. Our guide Manuel and us learned a new fact of how Playa del Carmen was named from Pasquale and we all delighted in this new tidbit. He picked us up curb side and had refreshments at the ready! It was a spectacular day...we had planned to make this our last trip to the Yucatan but we are now planning to return and do an alternate tour with the company!

Camper55087 · Mar 2020

This tour was one of our favorite things we did on our vacation. We were on a cruise that stopped in Cozumel and we decided to book a tour to see the Tulum ruins with turtle and cenote snorkeling. The company was wonderful with following up and answering all of our logistical questions. We missed the ferry we had planned to take from Cozumel to…

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This tour was one of our favorite things we did on our vacation. We were on a cruise that stopped in Cozumel and we decided to book a tour to see the Tulum ruins with turtle and cenote snorkeling. The company was wonderful with following up and answering all of our logistical questions. We missed the ferry we had planned to take from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen and our guides patiently waited for us to catch the next one. Our guides, Manuel and Pascual were knowledgeable, accommodating, and made it wonderfully fun for all of us. The cenotes are not to be missed!

PMadden · Feb 2020

We booked this tour for our family f 11 (6 adults; 5 kids 3-15) based upon the Tripadvisor reviews. We were not disappointed, we were pleased in every way. Our guide Hector and the driver Rodrigo did an awesome job dealing with a large and varied group. Hector got to know each of us as best he could in a short time, he made special…

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We booked this tour for our family f 11 (6 adults; 5 kids 3-15) based upon the Tripadvisor reviews. We were not disappointed, we were pleased in every way. Our guide Hector and the driver Rodrigo did an awesome job dealing with a large and varied group. Hector got to know each of us as best he could in a short time, he made special efforts to deal directly with each of the kids as well. Hector was extremely knowledgeable and patient. His descriptions of Tuluum were interesting and the historical references added greatly to the experience. The Cenote and zipline were a highlight for the kids...especially the 3 year old who loved flying over the trees. It was a pretty rough day at the snorkeling sight with wind and waves but again the guides made it as easy for us as they could. Even with the turbidity of the waters we were able to see Turtles, fish and rays.

All in all it was an awesome day, with awesome guides. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants a variety of experiences in one day. We would definitely use Absolute Adventures again if we come back in the future. Great company, great tour and great people....doesn't get much better than that

Steve C · Feb 2020

A FEW THINGS TO KNOW

Your tour questions, answered.

Tour basics

Is the Tulum Ruins tour private or shared?

This is a private tour, just for you and your group.

You’ll have a dedicated guide and vehicle all to yourselves—no crowds, no waiting, just a smooth and personalized experience.

Is the driver also the guide?

No. The driver and guide are two different professionals.

All our tours include a dedicated driver and a separate certified guide. 

While some companies offer a guide-driver, we believe this is not safe. Having a driver focused solely on the road and a guide fully dedicated to our guests ensures a safer and higher-quality experience.

How long does a private Tulum tour take?

Please check the full itinerary in the “Itinerary” tab for more details.

It typically lasts between 6 to 8 hours, depending on your hotel location and how much time you’d like to spend at each site. 

Pickup & transport

Is transportation included from my hotel or Airbnb?

Yes, round-trip transportation is included from Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal and Tulum. We’ll pick you up right from your hotel, resort, or Airbnb for a stress-free start to your day.

Please note: we don’t offer pick up from Cancun Playa Mujeres hotels unless your group has 6 or more adults.

What vehicles do you use for your tours?

We offer a range of modern, air-conditioned vans to suit the size of your group and ensure a safe and comfortable journey.

Visit our fleet page for more details.

Can I change the pick up time?

Yes, you’re welcome to choose your preferred pick-up time when booking.

That said, we recommend an early morning start to help you beat the crowds, skip the traffic, and enjoy cooler temperatures—it really makes a difference!

Activities & facilities

How much walking is there at the Tulum ruins?

We take a shuttle from the parking lot to the main ruins entrance, so you won’t need to walk far to get to the site.

The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes and we go at a comfortable pace, with breaks if needed.

Just a heads-up—there aren’t many spots to sit. If you have any limitations with walking or taking steps, keep in mind that a few are required to get in and out of the site and to reach the cliff area.

Can we spend some time at Tulum beach during the tour?

No, unfortunately, we cannot. The beach located within the Tulum ruins has been closed since 2020 and remains inaccessible to visitors.

Additionally, this tour does not include any stops at the Tulum beach area, the hotel zone, or Tulum town center.

Is snorkeling experience required for this tour?

No previous snorkeling experience is required, but basic swimming skills are necessary.

We provide mandatory life vests, and our guide ensures a safe and comfortable experience for everyone.

Which cenote do we visit on this tour?

You can view the list of cenotes available for this tour under the ‘Tour Description and General Info’ tab, where you'll also find links to full descriptions of each cenote.

We offer a variety of cenote types, including open-air, semi-open, and cave cenotes.

Unless you've already made your choice, you can decide which cenote to visit together with your tour guide on the day of your tour.

Are turtle sightings guaranteed in Akumal?

Turtle sightings are very likely but not guaranteed, as they are wild animals.

Akumal is one of the best places in the region to see them.

What type of boat is used to swim with the turtles?

There is no boat involved. The swim starts directly from the shore, and you’ll enter the water with your guide to reach the turtle area.

Are there showers or changing rooms at the cenote or at Akumal beach?

Yes. Facilities include clean showers, restrooms, and changing areas at both locations.

Planning & booking

What should I bring for the tour? Where can I leave my belongings?

Check the "What to bring" tab on the tour page for the full packing list.

Essentials include swimwear, a towel and comfortable shoes.

You can safely leave your belongings in the van—our driver stays with it the entire time while you're out enjoying the activities.

Are vegetarian or special dietary meals available?

Yes, we’re happy to accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary needs or allergies.

After booking, you can let us know your needs by filling out the check-in form—just follow the link in your booking confirmation email.

What is the cancellation policy?

Go ahead and plan with confidence—your booking is fully flexible!

You can cancel free of charge or reschedule (subject to availability) up to 24 hours before your tour.

We’re a small team and often fully booked 1–2 weeks in advance, so we recommend booking early to secure your spot.

Bonus: if you book at least 2 months in advance (60 days), you’ll qualify for our early bird discount*!

For full details, check out our booking policy page.

More questions?

Visit our main FAQ page or contact us by email, WhatsApp or via chat, we're happy to help!

Come explore the Riviera Maya with us.

Private adventures, thoughtfully planned by our local team.

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Coupon terms & conditions

EARLY2MONTHS — 10% off
Book at least 60 days before your tour date.

MULTITOUR — 10% off
Book at least 2 tours in one transaction.

If part of a multi-tour booking is canceled and only one tour remains, the discount becomes void and the remaining balance will be adjusted.

Enter your coupon code at checkout.

Tour photos

MAKE IT YOUR DAY

Book with Confidence

Tulum ruins, Snorkeling in Cenote and with Turtles

Choose your date, number of guests and pickup location to see your exact price.

Enjoy free cancellation up to 24 hours before your tour.