Private Full-Day Guided Tulum Coba and Cenote Tour with Lunch

I am glad we splurged for the private tour so we could have flexibility in our day. This tour has many positives and I will share a few things we would have appreciated knowing in order to be more comfortable and better prepared. First the positive: The driver and guide was super friendly and informative. We could tell that he has a passion for Mayan culture and the area. We were grateful for his tips, sense of humor, and insight. Salvador offered to take pictures of us at the ruins and is a great photographer! The van was ample, comfortable, and had air conditioning. Although I have not really suffered from this in the past, I was feeling claustrophobic when getting down into the cenote, so we chose not to stay and swim. This made us grateful for the private tour. The guide went in for 10 minutes or so to cool off and we waited outside before heading to the delicious lunch. Both Coba and Tulum were amazing. We cannot recommend Coba enough! We love and recommend that you rent bikes or a tricycle there! We recommend the private tour as it allows you the flexibility to explore and/or shop at your party's leisure. Things to be aware of: We received no communication prior to the tour from Best Maya Tours but I was able to reach out to the company via Watsapp to confirm the date and was told I would receive a detailed email with the pick up time. I reached out the day prior to the tour since I had no pickup time and was told 7:30 am but that I would get a detailed email - this was never sent/received. As a party of 2 women, we would have appreciated knowing the name of the guide and description of vehicle that was picking us up from the resort. The guide got to the resort 20 minutes after the confirmed time given through Whatsapp due to going to the incorrect resort, so it appears the company has some opportunity for growth with communication all around. There were a few issues that are probably cultural differences, like I would have appreciated a call or text to advise us that the guide was running late. The guide was also talking on the phone while driving, which may be legal and common in Mexico. On the way back to the resort from Tulum, the guide stopped to pick up his wife from running errands. This was a little odd to us since we paid a lot for this tour and are a bit hyperaware of safety, but we also understand that it might be completely acceptable in Mexico. Tips and things we wish we would have known: The guide will bring water but it is room temperature. It gets quite hot so bring extra cash to purchase cold waters at your stops. We wish we would have brought an umbrella for the afternoon tour in Tulum since the sun is quite warm (understatement) and the company will not bring one to provide shade. Tulum has a $2 each way tram that you can take from the parking lot to the ruins. You can also walk this, which is a 10-15 minute walk. The tram is a great option if you are hot or getting tired but you will want to let the guide know if this is an option you are interested in, since it was not offered until we asked about the bus passing us as we walked.

Highly recommend going on the private full day tour with sal. I felt like having a family member that was well knowledgeable about the Mayans. Being on a cruise we were very time restricted. Even though we were time restricted so I was able to show us the Tulum, cenotes, and snorkeling with stingrays and turtles. He was there for us once we got off the boat all the way until we got back on our cruise. Bonus human took pictures for us. That’s letting me a picture taker usually to be part of the pictures. Once again highly recommended great on arranging time (especially for those people taking cruises), very friendly, and Vastly knowledgeable.

Great tour experience! The ruins, cenote, and lunch were all great! Captain Snake was very knowledgeable and engaging! We HIGHLY recommend him and this tour!