Tulum ruins & Snorkeling in Cenote Private Tour
When it comes to the Riviera Maya, there are two things every visitor simply must do: visit one of the area’s impressive Mayan archaeological sites and take advantage of its breathtaking natural beauty.
With our Tulum Cenote Tour, you’ll be able to check both things off of your list in a single day, and you’ll enjoy them even more because our private tours allow you to avoid the crowds in order to have a much more personal experience.
Our private guided Tulum Cenote tour starts with a visit to the Mayan ruins of Tulum, one of the most important Mayan archaeological sites in existence. It was primarily used as a trading hub, where everything from precious stones to chocolate and textiles were traded.
Due to its prime coastal location, it also offers some of the world’s finest views of the Caribbean Sea. As you explore the ruins, your guide will point out highlights like the main temple and the impressive Temple of the Frescoes, where you can see ancient Mayan artwork.
Our next stop is one of the Yucatán Peninsula’s famous cenotes, underground caves that formed from rainwater eroding limestone for centuries. One of the best ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the Riviera Maya is to go snorkeling in cenote in their crystal clear waters.
It’s a fun, relaxing activity that is perfect for everybody since there are no waves/current to contend with. We also provide all the equipment you need, with a professional guide to show you around! Best of all, the cool, refreshing water is one of the best and most beautiful ways to escape the constant heat for a while.
After you’ve fully explored the cenote, we’ll end the tour by stopping at a local restaurant in the jungle where you can enjoy a delicious traditional meal.
General info
- Duration: 6/7 hours
- 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.
For the tour option with 2 cenotes, you can visit one more cenote from the same list above.
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.
- Mobility: We can adapt this tour for people with disability.
This is an exclusive private tour to better meet your expectations.
Itinerary
Our tours are scheduled at the best hours to avoid high traffic and heat on the sites.
07:00am Private transportation from your hotel to Tulum
Discover the benefits of early departure to visit Tulum
08:00am – 10:00am: Visit of Tulum ruins
10:00am – 10:30am: Transportation
10:30am – 12:00pm: Snorkeling in cenote
12:00pm – 01:00pm: Lunch in a restaurant
01:00pm – 02:00pm: Transportation to your hotel
Itinerary is based on a departure from Playa del Carmen.
Pick up time is recommended time to avoid the crowds. We can leave later if you want to.
This tour doesn’t include Tulum centro/Tulum beach-hotel areas. Only Tulum Mayan ruins.
What to bring
- Swimsuit and beach towel
- Comfortable shoes and light clothes to visit the ruins
- Flip flops or water shoes for swimming activities
- Hat or cap and sunglasses
- Rashguard or Biodegradable sunscreen. We recommend wearing a rashguard. With a rashguard, you’ll enjoy sun protection throughout the day as you won’t need to reapply sunscreen where you’re covered, also this protects natural environment, not to pollute water and species of the cenotes.
- Biodegradable mosquito repellent
- Camera/Underwater camera
- Cash for souvenirs/tips
You can bring personal belongings you require during the tour (phone, camera, extra set of clothes…). While you are visiting or snorkeling you can leave the things you don’t need in the van. Our driver will always be in the van, so keeping your things safe!
Joey –
Our tour guide Dulce was really nice and knowledgeable. Dulce picked us up from the Hilton in a van with a driver who stayed while we visited Tulum and a Cenote. They provided lunch as well as waters and cola in between stops. We had a great time! Highly recommend this tour company.
Ashley R. –
Excellent tour guide!! Very informational, patient, and kind
Jared –
Tulum & Cenotes
We had an amazing tour led by Dulce of Absolute Adventures Mexico. We started our day at the magical ruins of Tulum, where Dulce gave us an exceptionally thorough education in the history of this unique Mayan community. She was happy to answer our questions, patient with us when taking photographs, and also acted as a great photographer for us to be included in photos.
Following Tulum, we visited two cenotes: Nicte Ha and Taak Bi Ha. Each were exquisite and unique. Dulce expertly guided us through and around each. We finished our tour with a fun lunch at a local restaurant where we were able to further enjoy Dulce’s delightful personality.
If you are considering a tour of Tulum and/or the cenotes, do not hesitate to book with Absolute Adventures Mexico; and ask for Dulce!
Dee W –
We went to the tulum ruins not chicken itza due to our time schedule for a wedding, but this was still one of the best tours ever!! Ask for Juan, he was amazing!! We had the time of our lives! Juan was so informative and fun, he was simply amazing.
The experience of swimming in the cenote was not to be missed. And lunch was delicious. I highly recommend this tour and this tour company.
Natasha –
We had a great time on our excursion with Dulce (our guide) and Omar (our driver). We were picked up on time at 7:30 a.m. We got to Tulum about five minutes before it opened. Dulce guided us through the ruins, gave us a lot of historical information and took pictures of us. Then we went to two cenotes where she swam with us. Highly recommend going to the cenote in a cave. That was a very unique experience. Omar also came along to take pictures of us. Then we had a nice lunch at the restaurant with Dulce and returned to the hotel by about 12:30. We loved doing this completely private tour and would use this company again.
Lynn –
We had a great private tour with Juan! We beat the crowd at the ruins and then headed to two Cenotes. The Sac Actun Cenote exceeded our expectations. It was huge and spectacular! Every turn was a visual wonder and exhilarating! Totally recommend this Cenote. Thanks Juan for being such a great sport with our daughter.
Mikayla –
Our favorite excursion of our trip! Easy communication with the tour company throughout the entire process, and 100% worth the price to have our own private tour. Claire was our tour guide & she was outstanding. Very knowledgeable about Tulum, the cenote, and Playa in general. She knew where to get the best photos and how to maximize your experience. Being able to leave our bags with Angel (the driver) in the van was an added bonus. Tulum was beautiful, but the cenote (we chose Dos Ojos) was in a class all on its own. Gorgeous clear water, perfect for snorkeling. Claire swam with us and took all the photos we wanted. Lunch & a nice chat afterward at the lunch in the jungle was a wonderful bonus. We would take this excursion again in a heartbeat.
Travis –
Booked this for my honeymoon. Juan was our guide for this, did xplorer park the day before for reference so we were pretty tired. Juan went at our own pace as we were slow to move along. The 1st stop was to the ruins which are quite a scene if you have never seen anything like this before it’s worth a look. There is a bit of a walk so wear comfortable shoes. They also provided refreshments immediately. After the ruins we stopped at the shops so if you forgot something you can get it there and save yourself a cab ride and fare beforehand. After the ruins we went to the cave cenote( I mentioned earlier I went to xplorer ) this by far was head and shoulders above anything I saw the day before. Water was refreshing and clean snorkeling gear was provided for use. We wrapped up the trip on my own schedule as he provided my and my new wife some alone time in the cave. Once we completed this we went to a nearby restaurant. The food was great and the best tacos I’ve had in Mexico so far. We took tons of photos and rode back comfortably. This is worth the money and exclusivity compared to the larger groups. If you value time this is a no brainer.
Ben –
This was a truly amazing experience and a must do in Tulum. I recommend this crew specifically. The driving was safe and comfortable. The guide was knowledgeable and showed you all the secret spots. Listen to his suggestions and you will have a great time. The lunch was excellent. The adventure will be told many times over. Book this for Tulum!
Chad –
Juan and Roderigo were awesome! We had a great experience with our teenagers and they took great care of us. We will come back! We ate an outdoor restaurant near the denote in the jungle that had great food. The company was great to work with and made us feel comfortable with booking with then (we talked via e-mail, phone, and text).
Amanda –
I had searched for a while and read a ton of reviews before going with Absolute Adventures. It was above and beyond anything I could have expected!! Claire was so amazing, so friendly, so knowledgeable. The driver drove very safe and made us all so comfortable. The van was new and clean, they even kept cleaning it out in between each stop while we were doing an adventure! The guide knew all the right places and ways to go to skip lines… it was just so fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better day and I will most definitely be back for another adventure!!
Camper –
This company is a gem! Private tour of the ruins, swimming in a cenote & lunch in the jungle. Our tour guide Manuel was so friendly and knowledgeable. We were picked up from our hotel promptly at 6 am. The early wake up was so worth it to be the first one at the ruins. We had the place to ourselves. as we were leaving the mobs of people were first arriving. The lunch at Juanita’s was the best authentic food we had the entire trip.
We were back at our hotel by 2:30. We would definitely book again with this company.
Jeffrey –
Had Juan as our private tour guide who took care of every need, guiding, educating and picture taking. Had a great time wondering through Tulum with his understanding of culture and history. Moved at our desired pace and then to the next site. The cenote was amazing and he guided us through a unique safe experience. We ended with a wonderful Mayan lunch before heading back to resort. We truly felt cared for for the entire trip. Thanks Juan and absolute adventure!
Carley –
We had an absolute blast on our tour including the cenotes. JJ was THE best tour guide and completely made the adventure. He was super knowledgable, fun, friendly and great at making sure we had amazing photos to remember our trip. Can’t recommend him and this group enough!!
mmtom –
Great guide to fully appreciate Tulum. Jose Manuel was a wealth of knowledge, and helped us better understand Mayan history. The cenote visit was wonderful.
Ross –
My friend and I booked a private, half-day Tulum ruins and cenote tour with Absolute Adventure. The booking process was extremely easy, pre-departure communication was great, and it was a great value for a private tour. Daniele (tour guide) and Rodrigo (driver) were amazing – funny, knowledgeable, personable. We really enjoyed that we were able to go at our own pace throughout the day and LOVED that we got to experience the ruins and cenotes early before the crowds arrived. It felt like we had the place to ourselves. All in all, I will definitely be using Absolute Adventure for my next trip to the Riviera Maya.
Ross M –
Everything was great! Daniele and Rodrigo were exceptional. Gracias por todo!
Kelly –
Do not Hesitate to book with Absolute Adventure Mexico. Four of us (from the U.S.) travel yearly to the Riveria Maya and this was by far one of our best experiences ever! It was great to be able to customize our day, choosing to tour Tulum and snorkeling the ‘Pet Cemetary” cenote. We felt comfortable and safe the entire time.
Booking on line was easy, their pricing is reasonable, and I can not say enough good things about our driver Pascual and our tour guide Manual. It was just us and them, and we had an Absolute Blast! Both of them were very accommodating and seemed to genuinely enjoy what they do. Conversatiion was easy and interesting, and Manual is very knowledgeable on so many different topics. Not only was he able to answer any question we had, but also gave us much insight to their culture, past and present. Tulum and the cenote are breathtaking on their own, yet Pascual and Manual made our experience truly incredible! Also, I have to mention that at the end of our tour, we had the freshest, most delicious taditional meal I’ve ever had in Mexico. I whole heartedly recommend Absolute Adventure Mexico and look forward to being a repeat customer soon!
Kevin –
Great tour of Tulum and beautiful cenotes.
We had a tour of the Tulum ruins and two cenotes recently, and it was great. Our guide Daniel and driver Rodrigo were helpful and friendly, and did a great job showing us all the best spots. They also accommodated our group on very short notice. Would highly recommend.
Anne D –
We had a private tour of the Mayan Ruins near Tulum with Daniele and Pascual. Daniele was very knowledgeable and so much fun. We never would have learned any of the information by wandering around by ourselves. We went to an underground cenote afterwards and Daniele was very patient and made sure we had the experience that we wanted and our safety was never in question. Afterwards we had a spectacular lunch at a family restaurant in the jungle. Pascual did an excellent job as our driver navigating the roads. That day was truly the highlight of our trip to Mexico!
Dan H –
Just wanted to tell you how fantastic our tour was today. Jose was an incredible guide and really went above and beyond to show us such a great time. My wife and I had such an amazing time!!!
Emily –
1000/10 recommend! We got an early start and beat the crowds which was awesome. Chris was such a friendly, knowledgeable guide! He knew all the best spots to take pictures and went above and beyond by using the different iPhone features to make sure we have great photos/memories to look back on. Omar was awesome as well. We had an absolute blast!! We will definitely be booking our future tours here!
Kim S –
Tour was great…Daniel was awesome!! To finish at the Cenote was very cool and lunch in the jungle was excellent!!
Adam –
Extremely fun trip! Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly and driver was very safe! 10/10 recommendation. We will be back and using this same company!
Brian –
We had an amazing trip to Tulum that included pick up, lunch and 2 cenotes. 100% recommend!
Haley –
The tour was AMAZING! We had a great time and both our driver Omar and our guide Daniele we’re super! Daniele was very informative and easy to talk to! Thanks a million!
Kevin –
We had a wonderful day with Chris. Loved visiting the ruins, 2 cenotes and lunch was delicious.
Stephanie –
Our private tour with JJ and Daniel was a blast. We had 18 people who wanted a “speed” tour of the ruins and then 2 cenote stops. We had a blast with them throughout the day and at all stops. Both JJ and Daniel were knowledgeable, fun and great tour guides. Booking the tour was easy and Claire was quick to make suggestions and respond to emails. We highly recommend Absolute Adventure.
Victor –
Perfect day trip! Our guide, Chris, was very knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend!
Jessica –
Amazing and relaxing adventure with Claire today exploring Tulum and swimming in an underground cenote. Absolute Adventures is absolutely the way to go for personal tours around Playa del Carmen. Claire even provided wetsuits for us. There was time to pick up gifts at artisan shops and lunch was delicious. I hope to return one day for another tour with my kids!
Penny L –
This was great and definitely worth the money!!
Amber –
did some research before deciding to book a private tour with Absolute Adventure, and this is the best decision we could have made! My boyfriend and I had our tour on October 22, 2019, and were picked up at our hotel in Cancun, at the recommended time of 6am. Ervin was our driver, and Hector was our tour guide. They were both so friendly and made the 2 hour drive to Tulum fly by quickly. The van was air conditioned and also had plenty of cold drinks to choose from. Hector is really knowledgeable about Mayan and Aztec culture, and educated us on the entire history on our drive over. He really made us feel as if we were close friends. When we got to Tulum, Hector took many amazing pictures of us, and knew exactly where we needed to stand to get the best shots. Hector was also very patient; we were not rushed at all and went at our own pace. After Tulum, we went snorkeling in the cenotes, followed by a lunch at a Mayan restaurant. I was not sure what to get, and ended up ordering a dish that Hector had recommended, which was absolutely delicious. Overall, this was the best excursion that we had ever gone on, and definitely recommend booking a private tour with Absolute Adventure. When we come back to Mexico, we will definitely be booking different tours with them!
Sean –
Great Tulum Adventure
I would highly recommend this group for private tours of Tulum. We selected the half day tour of the Mayan Ruins and a Cenote to tour. Nothing disappointed as they provided extensive knowledge and entertainment at each venue. Our tour guide Hector was great for the Cenote and Claire was very knowledgeable about the history of the ruins. The tour was reasonable in price and included waters, beers and sodas and a Mayan jungle lunch, which provide the best fish tacos I’ve ever eaten. They even take a ton of photos for you and send them to you the next day. Absolutely love it and would do it again!
Hillary C –
We started our trip at 630 am from our hotel, which I highly suggest! We were able to get to the Tulum ruins early and avoid the huge crowd that was lined up while we were leaving. We then visited 2 separate cenotes where our small group of 4 were the only ones there! They were absolutely breathtaking! My very favorite part of the whole week long trip to Mexico. It was a very laid back trip but we saw and learned so much. Our guide, Jose Manuel, was very knowledgeable and so much fun. And a big thanks to our driver, Rodrigo, for safely transporting us and watching our things so we could enjoy the day with lugging around a bunch of bags. The lunch at Juanita’s was fantastic and a great experience as well.
N.S. –
My fiance and I did a tour to Tulum and snorkled in a cenote. Juan was full of information and his passion for the Mayan culture showed. We had the best time and recommend Absolute Adventures 100%
Sir A –
Absolutely amazing!! We did a private tour for the two of us and was amazed at the level of communication before the trip as well as amazing service during our tour. We were able to leave super early to beat the rush of the other tourist and also literally had the cenote’s to ourselves (hello isnta worthy photos). Worth every penny and will always use when I am in the area! Highly recommended!!
Nick –
Absolute Adventure met all our expectations. Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable, the whole experience was incredibly simple and fun.
LIZZ –
Juan and Pascual were nothing short of amazing. Juan was entertaining and adjusted to the family like he was a member of our unique family group. When my granddaughter was a little apprehensive about the underwater cave he led her through it while we explored on our own. She is 7 and was not bored one bit with this tour. I would highly recommend this tour to everyone!
Maria –
The Tulum and cenote tour was definitely one of the best moment of our holidays in Mexico. We chose a private to avoid waiting for other guests and move at our own pace. Claire explained us everything about the Mayan ruins and history, and made sure we were having a good time snorkeling. I can’t recommend Absolute Adventure enough!
Justin –
Our guide was timely, knowledgable and passionate about his work. Although this tour starts quite early it is WELL worth it. They are treating guests to a unique experience to be away from the crowds. I highly recommend this tour.
Mark –
So happy we booked with Absolute Adventure and not some other of the hotel. This is a small business where they give great service and attention to detail to their guests. Excellent service and safety shown throughout the day. Lovely lunch in the jungle. Private tour makes it even more special.
Curtis –
This tour was absolutely amazing and my favorite while visiting Playa del carmen Our guide Juan was very informative. We were alone at the Cenyote. Loved this tour and would do it again! Water was beautiful and amazing. Tour van was air conditioned with drinks in the cooler! We got pics by email after the tour.
Alex –
I recently traveled to Riviera Maya with my family of 4 as well as my brother’s family of 4. One of the highlights of our trip was our day spent touring Tulum and snorkeling in a cenote. We had children ranging from 6-13 and all had a wonderful day. Chris, our guide, was fun, knowledgeable, and always working to ensure everyone was enjoying themselves. Our lunch in the jungle was wonderful too!
Vic –
They made sure we had the best time! the guide that rowed us was amazing and super funny. He took care of us and also made sure we were safe in the cave. I can’t describe enough what an amazing time we had.
The tour starts early and there is a very legitimate reason! which is that we were able to visit the ruins before the crowds. The cenote was a unique experience, we were the only ones snorkeling! Well done
Andrea –
Athuro did an amazing job guiding us in Tulum and Tak Be Ha cenote! He was knowledgable and passionate about sharing his culture with us. Waking up early was 100% worth it. We got ruins and cenote for ourselves. We had such a great family moment, away from the crowds. Would definitly recommend this tour to families !
Morgan –
The outstanding professionalism started with the booking process. Clair and Chris were wonderful to work with and were willing to answer any question we had during the booking process. Our trip to Tulum was amazing, we were the first group to enter, which in itself was priceless. We were able to truly take the experience Tulum without being crowded by other tourist. The authentic Mexican meal that we had was outstanding. We were also very impressed how willing they both were to work with us the week of our vacation and accommodating our trip around the weather so that we got the most out of our trip.
Justin –
The Absolute Adventure team did a great job on the day. Our guide was very personable, the trip was well organized, everything went exactly as described and as we had planned. I am really happy that I selected Absolute to help us experience the Tulum area.
Brad –
Claire was an amazing guide for my wife and I on our vacation away from kids. Private tour of Tulum ruins was exquisite and a must experience to avoid the crowds and heat! Swimming in caves is an experience not to be missed, followed by an authentic local Mayan lunch. Would highly recommend Absolute Adventure to any friends, family or fellow travelers. We will book again with Absolute Adventure for the personalized experience and authentic tour.
David –
Visiting Tulum and a cenote with Absolute Adventure felt like being a special guest. Not only we had a guide, a driver, a van for ourselves but we also enjoyed Mayan ruins and cenote before everyone else. Excellent organization and service, safety was on point. We didn’t have to pay anything during our tour, the snorkeling gear, drinks and lunch were included. We had an amazing moment, glad we booked this tour with Absolute Adventure!
Trevis –
We recently took this tour and I have to say it was worth every penny. It is an early start (pick up 6:30am from our hotel in Puerto Morelos) but that was one of the reasons I booked this tour so that we could avoid the masses arriving at the beauty spots later in the day. They provide you with lunch and drinks all day. The guide and the driver were friendly and welcoming, our guide constantly offered to take photos of us which was nice.
Susie –
I was traveling with a 15 people group. We were picked up in 2 comfortable vans and drove to Tulum early which was amazing because there were literally about 20 people there total. I have been to Tulum before on an afternoon tour and it was so crowded that we could barely take pictures. Tulum was incredible and Chris gave our group so much knowledge and took tons of group pictures for us. Finally we headed to the cenote (all snorkel gear was included). Most of our group was having a great time but my son was panicking so Chris helped him. We went back to the hotel, we were all very exhausted and I cannot imagine renting a car. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a tour in the riviera maya area!
Vicky –
Great for all ages and good value. From the efficiency of the transfer and pleasant informative points offered by the guide even the drive to this activity is enjoyable.