Coba Mayan Ruins and Cenote Cultural Full-Day Tour from Riviera Maya

Coba Mayan Ruins Tour

We booked and paid for the Coba Maya Ruins Tour with lunch and Cenote Swim at our local TUI store in the U.K. This was due to take place on 28th March 2024. The day before the trip we were advised by the TUI rep in our Hotel Riu Palace Costa Mujeres that our trip was cancelled due to not enough people having booked. We were suspicious as this appeared to be an excellent excursion. We rebooked for the only available day, the day before our departure from Mexico. The departure time from our hotel for the trip was 4.50 a.m. The ticket said the trip duration was 8 hours. We were surprised to be picked up by large coach, typical for the airport run, rather than a minibus that we had for another trip. The reason for the large coach soon came to light as on arrival in the Playa del Carmen area we made eight stops at different hotels, which took ages as each hotel is situated in a complex off the main road and behind a security check in. It took 6 hours to reach our destination. Our tour guide was excellent, but we were dreading the journey back as we had not expected just the transportation to take 10 hours. We arrived back at our hotel around 7.30 p.m. - a total of 14 and a half hours, not 8 as on the ticket. Had we known that getting to the excursion and return would take 10 hours, we would not have gone on this trip the day before our 10 hour return flight to the U.K. We complained to the TUI rep in our hotel, who had rebooked our trip, that we had not been informed of the extended duration. We questioned why we were the only pick up from our area and the other people were from the Playa del Carmen and Tulum area. It was ridiculous to include people from the Costa Mujeres area on a trip that was designed for collection for people located nearer Tulum. We wanted to warn other people about this trip.

Response from the operator: Dear barrycG, Thank you for sharing your experience with us regarding the Coba Mayan Ruins and Cenote Cultural Full-Day Tour. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment you encountered during your excursion. First and foremost, we regret any confusion regarding the cancellation of your initial booking and the subsequent rebooking process. It's understandable that this would cause concern and frustration, especially when you were looking forward to such an exciting excursion. Regarding the transportation arrangements, we appreciate your feedback regarding the use of a large coach for the journey and the extended duration of the trip due to multiple hotel pickups. We understand how this unexpected delay could impact your overall experience, particularly when considering your return flight the following day. We assure you that your comments regarding the transportation logistics and duration of the tour have been noted and will be carefully reviewed with our team to make necessary improvements and ensure better communication regarding trip duration and logistics in the future. Furthermore, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the inclusion of pick-ups from the Costa Mujeres area, which resulted in a longer journey time for you and other participants. Rest assured, your concerns will be addressed with the relevant parties to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. Please accept our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused, and we hope for the opportunity to regain your trust in the future. If you have any further concerns or would like to discuss your experience in more detail, please feel free to reach out to us directly. Warm regards,

via Tripadvisor

Great time!!

Great tour and guide, Gama was full of information! TripAdvisor tickets at 7 AM to her was actually at 9 AM to double check with your door operator.

Response from the operator: We're so glad you found our guide to be full of travel wisdom and cool demeanor! We strive to provide the best possible experience for our guests, and it sounds like we succeeded in your case. Hope to see you soon again in Mexico!

via Tripadvisor

Blessed by a shaman

Wow! What an amazing day. Raoull was awesome, arriving at Coba we decided to take a ride to and from the pyramids. The guy taking us was amazing, stopping along the way to show us things and his knowledge of his culture was immense. We then went to a cenote where we were blessed by a Mayan shaman, a very humbling and spiritual experience, went for a dip in another cenote, then some lunch and then to Marie’s home. Remember to tip - this is how these people earn a living and if you’re going to Marie’s home then take an apple or a pear ….. all will become clear. All in all an amazing and informative day. Take a camera, good shoes, bug spray, a swimsuit and loose clothing. Umbrellas, water and snacks are provided on the bus. Raoull, you are a credit to your employer!

Response from the operator: Dear Sarah, Thank you for your amazing review! We are happy to know you had a great time during this cultural day full of magic. We hope to welcome you and your companions soon again in our beautiful destination. Hasta pronto!

via Tripadvisor

Great cultural experience

Already seen some of the other major tourist site on the peninsula so this was something different. Prompt pick up then changed buses which was ok but made it A long day - esp for kids who might get bored listening to Mayan traditions. Comfy bus. With air con. LOTS of walking so bring light clothes , hat and good shoes - not sandals. Water provided so u can leave your stuff in the bus. It was sunny but waterproof might be useful. Got a snack but worth taking own. Nice guides Carlos and Angle. Worth hiring the transport provided at Coba - one way provided already - the bike was fun. Lovely Mayan village at end of the day. I did try the chocolate spicy chicken pancake but not to everyone’s taste. Nice cenote- keep quiet to see the bats. Worth taking water shoes. Floats provided. Save your shopping til the village - but it’s quality stuff so does cost - they take cards! Got my Obsidian turtle blessed by the Shamen for luck! Back to hotel for about 7pm so full day. Lots of variation on price so worth looking. I tried twice booking with TUI. Once said wasn’t enough people but seemed busy enough so got my money back n booked via Trip advisor / Viator and easy to do.

via Tripadvisor

Brilliant day

My husband and myself went on this trip as it looked very interesting as your able to climb the great Pyramid. We were picked up at 7:00 am in the morning so a nice early start to the day. We got on the coach to be greeted by our tour guide for the day Raul. What a lovely guy. Raul is so full of information and history he is amazing. Raul really makes the trip for you as he has information overload. Raul is fantastic with the children on the tour he makes sure that they entertained at all times . The Pyramid was a wonderful experience in itself, we walked from the entrance to the Pyramid and after climbing the Pyramid we were both a bit tired so chose to catch the bike ride back a very good choice. You are the taken for food then on to Marie’s place . Again Raul will give you all the history that surrounds the Maya people. You then go to the cenote for a very welcoming swim. Raul will try and kid you into thinking that the water is nice and warm!!!!! Do not believe him!!!! It might be cold but after your day of exploring you will need this very welcoming dip in the cenote. We found Raul very informative and entertaining would highly recommend this trip if you have Raul as your tour guide. The trip will cost you £139:00 sterling but if you want a bit of Mayan history and able to be part of it I would recommend this trip as your able to touch history.

via Tripadvisor