YOUR OWN PRIVATE ADVENTURE

Tulum ruins and Snorkeling in Cenote

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

The details of your private day.

Tulum Ruins Cenote Private Tour

When visiting the Riviera Maya, two unforgettable experiences should be at the top of your list: discovering the region’s rich Mayan heritage and immersing yourself in the area's spectacular natural beauty.

With our private Tulum Ruins & Cenote Tour, you’ll enjoy the perfect balance of culture and adventure in just one day—without the stress of large groups or rigid schedules. This private experience is fully customized to your pace and preferences, offering exclusive access, expert guidance, and the flexibility to make the day your own.

Led by a certified guide, you’ll explore the Tulum Mayan ruins perched above the sea, then cool off in one or two handpicked cenotes. With private transportation, a flexible start time, and personal service, this journey offers a seamless and enriching escape.

Journey Through Mayan History and Jungle Cenotes

1. Discover the Tulum Mayan Ruins
Your experience begins with a guided visit to the ancient city of Tulum, one of the most iconic and scenic Mayan sites in Mexico. Once a thriving port and ceremonial center, Tulum was vital for trade along the Yucatán coast—where goods like jade, obsidian, and cacao once changed hands.
Set on a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, the site offers postcard-perfect views and a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the ancient Maya. Your guide will share the stories behind structures like the Temple of the Frescoes and El Castillo, along with cultural insights and fun facts tailored to your interests.
Thanks to early access and private transport, you’ll avoid the crowds and midday sun—perfect for uninterrupted photos and peaceful exploration.
Highlights:
- Guided exploration with a certified private guide
- Stunning cliffside views over the Caribbean
- Fascinating Mayan history and architecture
- Early arrival to beat the crowds and heat
2. Swim and Snorkel in a Cenote (or Two!)
After exploring the ruins, it’s time to unwind and refresh in a stunning cenote—a naturally formed freshwater pool hidden within the jungle. Whether you choose one or opt for two, each cenote offers a different experience, from sunlit open-air lagoons to mystical underground caverns filled with stalactites.
You’ll be provided with all the gear needed to swim or snorkel in crystal-clear waters, with a professional guide by your side to ensure safety and help you discover hidden details within the rock formations.
You can select from guest favorites like Cenote Nicte-Ha, Taak Bi Ha, or Jaguar, depending on your comfort level and interests. Want something more adventurous? For an additional $10 USD per person, you can upgrade to world-renowned cenotes like Dos Ojos or Pet Cemetery.
Why you’ll love it:
- Enjoy the flexibility to book one or two cenotes
- Great for all ages and skill levels—no current or waves
- Snorkeling, cliff-jumping, or peaceful floating—your choice
- Unique geological formations and sacred surroundings
- Refreshing escape from the tropical heat
3. Savor a Jungle Lunch Experience
After your refreshing cenote swim, we’ll head to a peaceful jungle setting where a local restaurant awaits. You’ll relax under a thatched palapa and enjoy a homemade Mexican meal, with options available for vegetarians and guests with dietary restrictions.
This serene setting offers a chance to recharge and reflect on your day’s discoveries while enjoying traditional flavors and warm hospitality.

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
High quality 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

General info

Private Tour:: Only you, the guide and the driver, nobody else!
Duration:: 5/7 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.
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.
What’s on the menu?: Selection of quesadillas, tacos, empanadas, salbutes, fajitas, grilled chicken, grilled fish, tortas (sandwiches), soup of day, … with vegetarian, fish, shrimp, chicken & meat options. With corn or flour tortillas. We can accommodate special diets and allergies, just let us know!

Itinerary options

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

Tulum ruins and cenote

Tulum ruins — 90 min
Cenote snorkel — 60 min
Lunch at Juanita restaurant — 40 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 and the cenote, 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.

What to bring

Reusable 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*
Camera/Underwater camera/Waterproof case for your phone
Cash (for tour payment, tips, souvenirs…)

FROM OUR GUESTS

A day worth remembering.

5.00/5 · 357 tour reviews

Showing reviews 217–225 of 357

We did the Maya ruin tour at Tulum and a cenote with fish, underwater lillies, small cave. Our tour guide, Alex, was very knowledgeable, professional, personable and courteous. English being our first language, he spoke very good English and was easy to understand. Very smooth process, start to finish. We did not feel rushed and thoroughly enjoyed our time. We are planning our next snorkeling…

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We did the Maya ruin tour at Tulum and a cenote with fish, underwater lillies, small cave. Our tour guide, Alex, was very knowledgeable, professional, personable and courteous. English being our first language, he spoke very good English and was easy to understand. Very smooth process, start to finish. We did not feel rushed and thoroughly enjoyed our time. We are planning our next snorkeling tour with them in a couple days before we head back home.

Deanna · Feb 2024

Arturo was an excellent guide! He was professional and knowledgeable also personable and patient. We would recommend this tour and would also consider other tours this company operates.
Frank · Feb 2024

Really the BEST experience Went with to Tulum for a bachelorette party, and our group wanted to go to a Cenote during our stay. As you can imagine, no one was fond of the idea of leaving super early in the morning, but we are so glad we did. Alejandro and Rodrigo picked us up at our airbnb in Tulum town, and patiently waited for…

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Really the BEST experience
Went with to Tulum for a bachelorette party, and our group wanted to go to a Cenote during our stay. As you can imagine, no one was fond of the idea of leaving super early in the morning, but we are so glad we did. Alejandro and Rodrigo picked us up at our airbnb in Tulum town, and patiently waited for all 6 of us to get in the van. Alejandro was extremely knowledgeable and able to answer all of our random questions while touring the ruins. There were hardly any people when we did our tour, so we were able to appreciate the ruins and enjoy the beauty of the landscape. We realized how lucky we were to beat the crowds as other tours started to pour in as we were walking out. The cenote was absolutely magical, and once again we arrived before any of the crowds. At one point we had the whole cenote to ourselves. Alejandro made sure we were comfortable the whole time, often helping take pictures, bringing us snorkels or lifejackets so we didn't have to get out of the water, etc. Do not even hesitate to book this tour - and 100000% ask for Alejandro. He's just one of those people that truly stands out as a kind soul.

Sarah · Feb 2024

We loved our tour with Aquaman/Alejandro (we’re big fans of his work). I wanted a tour that wouldn’t take all day and was attracted to the exclusivity of a private tour. It is absolutely worth it. Alejandro and Rodrigo were punctual and stopped for coffee on our way to Tulum since our pick up time was 6AM. We arrived at the entrance of Tulum a…

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We loved our tour with Aquaman/Alejandro (we’re big fans of his work). I wanted a tour that wouldn’t take all day and was attracted to the exclusivity of a private tour. It is absolutely worth it. Alejandro and Rodrigo were punctual and stopped for coffee on our way to Tulum since our pick up time was 6AM. We arrived at the entrance of Tulum a few minutes before the gate opened and we experienced total serenity in a magical place. As we left it was filling with tourists and we were so glad we got there early. Alejandro is an amazing tour guide. He is incredibly knowledgeable and considerate. We appreciated that he was passionate about the Mayan culture and loved the history. He allowed us to explore the cenotes but also taught and showed us interesting aspects of them. We had plenty of time at each location and were well cared for. Do not hesitate to book and make sure to ask for Alejandro!

Kha-Mei B · Feb 2024

Cenote and Ruins in Tulum. Arturo, our guide, was excellent; from his knowledge of the area, to his friendliness and easy going mentality, it was a treat to spend the day with him. They were on time in a nice clean vehicle waiting to welcome us. Would highly recommend.
Tom · Feb 2024

Not the cheapest option but you get what you pay for. Timely, informative, friendly, and helpful. What else can you ask for? Highly recommend this if you're looking for an exceptional guided tour in playa.
Mitchell Hecht · Jan 2024

Tulum Ruins with Cenote snorkel Excellent tour. Private is the way to go. Just the two of us, our guide, Juan, and our driver (sorry can't remember his name!) Pick up right on time in a van, very early to beat the crowds. Juan was very energetic and gave us lots of information. We arrived at the ruins early, very quiet, not busy. Good tour…

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Tulum Ruins with Cenote snorkel
Excellent tour. Private is the way to go. Just the two of us, our guide, Juan, and our driver (sorry can't remember his name!) Pick up right on time in a van, very early to beat the crowds. Juan was very energetic and gave us lots of information. We arrived at the ruins early, very quiet, not busy. Good tour around the site, lots of information. As we were leaving, the crowds were pouring in! Good timing! Off to the Cenote. Beautiful cave and not very crowded. A little scary getting down there and into the water, but Juan was very patient and helpful and got me in there in one piece! Lunch was a great choice, with great food and great conversation with Juan. Would highly recommend for couples or small groups. Claire (co-owner) also very prompt at returning email requests.

610dcd · Jan 2024

Excellent experience Josh and Enrique were excellent! Josh was extremely knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the Mayan ruins. He took some family photos of us at the site that turned out great. We have good photos to remember our time there. At the cenote, Josh was great with my kids. He even jumped off the rocks into the cenote to make my kids…

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Excellent experience
Josh and Enrique were excellent! Josh was extremely knowledgeable and taught us a lot about the Mayan ruins. He took some family photos of us at the site that turned out great. We have good photos to remember our time there.
At the cenote, Josh was great with my kids. He even jumped off the rocks into the cenote to make my kids more comfortable with it and both my 11 year old and 6 year old jumped in! He made it a good thing for them to try it and experience that. Definitely recommend them for anyone going there.

April · Jan 2024

I can not rave enough about our tour and our tour guide, Alex! This was my sister and I’s first time in Playa Del Carmen and I really wanted to swim in a Cenote and see the Tulum Ruins and this was the perfect way to do it!! They picked us up right at our hotel and we got to Tulum right away when it…

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I can not rave enough about our tour and our tour guide, Alex! This was my sister and I’s first time in Playa Del Carmen and I really wanted to swim in a Cenote and see the Tulum Ruins and this was the perfect way to do it!! They picked us up right at our hotel and we got to Tulum right away when it opened when there was hardly anyone else there. After we chose to swim in the Cenote Taak bi Ha, which was absolutely incredible!! Alex was so informative teaching us all about Mayan culture and Mexico, not to mention just an all around good person and super easy to talk to, and I’m so glad we got to “hang out with a local” having an amazing experience! He also took some great pictures of us to capture the experience! The lunch was also incredibly delicious!! This was without a doubt the highlight of our trip and an experience I know I’ll be talking about for years to come. I can not recommend this company and tour enough!

Kim · Jan 2024

A FEW THINGS TO KNOW

Your tour questions, answered.

Tour basics

Is the Tulum Ruins Cenote 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 Ruins Cenote tour take?

It typically lasts between 5 to 6 hours, depending on your hotel location and how much time you’d like to spend at each site. Please check the full itinerary in the “Itinerary” tab for more details.

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(s) 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 cenotes cold? Are they easy to access?

No, cenotes aren’t too cold—they stay at a refreshing 75–79°F (24–26°C) year-round, which is perfect for a swim.

Most cenotes have easy access with platforms and just a few steps to get in and out comfortably.

Are there showers or changing rooms at the cenotes?

Yes. Facilities include clean showers, restrooms, and changing areas.

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.

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