Tours and Day Trips from Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen is a beautiful coastal city located on the Caribbean coast of the Riviera Maya, in the Yucatan Peninsula. It is spectacular for many reasons, its paradisiacal beaches of turquoise waters and white sands, its popular coral reefs, the pedestrianised fifth avenue that concentrates all the fun, shops and restaurants, emblematic cenotes and much more.

But the best of all is that Playa del Carmen is located in a strategic place, which will help you to get to know the surrounding areas. You will be able to get to dream places in a short time and make the most of your trip. Take note, here is a guide to the best excursions to do from Playa del Carmen.

The Contoy and Mujeres Islands are two amazing destinations, but together they really are a great plan. You will live a unique experience exploring the Caribbean Sea aboard a high speed catamaran and getting to know the beautiful Contoy and Mujeres Islands.

Contoy Island is also known as "the island of birds" and is a small jewel that is home to unique wonders. This island is surrounded by crystal clear waters and has been a protected area by the state of Mexico since 1961 and was even declared a national park in 1998. In addition, it hides a particular charm, since to the south of the island is the Ixlaché reef that forms the second largest barrier reef in the world.

Isla Mujeres is one of the most popular and touristy islands. Its beaches are famous and its warm and transparent waters, home to a great marine biodiversity, are one of the most popular for snorkelling and scuba diving. The Manchones reef is ideal for this type of sport, as it has a coral bank 12 kilometres long and 700 metres wide, ideal for this adventure. In addition, among so many other wonders, at Punta Sur you will find the remains of a Mayan temple, a lighthouse and an incredible sea turtle sanctuary

As Isla Contoy is a protected area, it is only possible to access it on a guided excursion, so I recommend that you choose one that also includes Isla Mujeres to be able to do this complete tour and get the most out of it. You will be picked up from your hotel and will be accompanied by an expert guide who will tell you all about these two unique destinations, you will be able to snorkel and you will have a continental breakfast, buffet lunch and drinks included, very complete!

Details of interest

• Price: you can experience an excursion of this kind for a price starting from 136 € per person.
• Duration: 8 hours.
• Time: starts at 8:30 in the morning.
• Advantages: you will discover two paradisiacal islands, you will be able to do water sports and you will have meals included, a unique experience!
• Disadvantages: it is not a very exclusive excursion and you may have to share it with many other tourists.

A day trip from Playa del Carmen, with the company of an expert guide to help you discover every corner, is the best option to get to know Chichen Itza in depth and fall in love with this emblematic place.

Chichen Itza is the ancient capital of the Mayan Empire, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and today it is a complex of Mayan ruins recognised worldwide. There you will find the imposing pyramid of Kukulcan known as El Castillo, among other sites, and you can learn all about the traditions of Mayan ceremonies.

On a guided excursion to Chichén Itzá, you can take the opportunity to get to know the emblematic places much better and experience unique experiences, such as exploring the crystalline waters of a nearby cenote like the Cenote Saamal and tasting typical Mayan dishes.

Plus, you won't have to worry about anything, as the excursion includes pick up and drop off at your hotel in Playa del Carmen, all included!

Details of interest

• Price: you can experience an excursion of this kind for a price starting at 68 € per person.
• Duration: 12 hours.
• Schedule: starts at 8 am.
• Advantages: with the company of an expert and certified guide you will visit Chichen Itza and learn all its secrets, including a visit to one of the best cenotes in the surrounding area and meals.
• Disadvantages: it is not an exclusive or small group tour and you will have to share it with up to 55 people.

Spend an unforgettable day discovering the beauty of the archaeological site of Tulum, once a walled city of the Mayan culture, and then embark on an adventurous tour of its caves, the best cenotes and underground rivers of crystalline waters, with the company of a certified guide in Tulum.

In addition, you will visit one of the best cenotes with an expert guide in the Kantun Chi park and with an exclusive tour of the Mayan ruins of Tulum.

Tulum National Park has become one of the main tourist attractions of the Riviera Maya and its tour is an unforgettable experience. The tour includes lunch and transfer to and from your hotel, so you don't have to worry about anything.

Details of interest

• Price: you can experience an excursion of this kind for a price starting at 280 € per person.
• Duration: up to 9 hours.
• Timetable: starts at 8am.
• Advantages: it is a private excursion, with the company of an expert and certified guide, you will visit Tulum National Park and Kantun Chi Park.

Touring the Rio Secreto Nature Reserve is a unique and mind-blowing experience, including a trip to the heart of one of the best cenotes with crystal clear turquoise blue waters and the underground cave with stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years.

For this tour, an expert guide will tell you all the geological secrets hidden behind these limestone formations and show you the local flora and fauna. In addition, a lunch of Mayan food will be included to make the experience complete and unique.

Details of interest

• Price: you can experience an excursion of this type for a price starting at 80 € per person.
• Duration: up to 8 hours.
• Schedule: starts at 8 in the morning.
• Advantages: the company of a specialised guide is a great advantage on this type of excursion, as you will be able to get to know the Río Tercero Nature Reserve in depth. In addition, lunch is included and the number of passengers is quite small.

You definitely can't leave Playa del Carmen without taking a guided tour to the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean, Cozumel!

On a guided tour to Cozumel, all you have to worry about is enjoying yourself and getting ready to get to know paradise. This island has unique attractions such as its centre where you will find the Cozumel Museum with a lot of Mayan history to explore. In the Malecon area you can enjoy a restaurant with typical Mexican food and spend a luxurious day on its paradisiacal beaches.

Cozumel is an undeveloped Mexican Caribbean island that is home to a popular port and is one of the most popular destinations for diving enthusiasts, mainly because of the Cozumel Reefs National Park, where there are sculptures from the Underwater Museum of Art.

Another famous spot is Chankanaab, an ecological park with underwater caverns and a very interesting and diverse biodiversity of dolphins, manatees and sea turtles.

Details of interest

• Price: you can experience an excursion of this kind for as little as 99 € per person.
• Duration: up to 14 hours.
• Time: starts at 7:30 in the morning.
• Advantages: you will get to know one of the main Caribbean islands without having to worry about organisation, as all transfers and activities are included.
• Disadvantages: meals are not included.

A different way to get to know Tulum with all the adventure included, is with this complete guided excursion aboard a huge truck. You'll tour the ancient city of Tulum, rappel and zip-line through the depths of the Yucatan Jungle and discover the underground caves of Sac Actun and Nohoch Nah Chich, home to the best cenotes in the area. In addition, in the cenotes, you will be able to participate in a Mayan purification ritual.

You will be accompanied by an expert guide who will make the whole tour much more interesting and will tell you secrets and curiosities of everything you see along the way. The tour will also include a hearty lunch and transfers to and from your hotel, so you'll have nothing to worry about!

Details of interest

• Price: you can experience a tour like this for a price starting from 129 € per person.
• Duration: 6 hours.
• Timetable: starts at 7:30 in the morning.
• Advantages: it is a different and fun way to get to know the jungle of Tulum and its most emblematic sites without having to worry about the organisation, as all transfers and activities are included.

You can purchase any of these excursions online and you will receive confirmation of your booking immediately upon purchase. On websites such as Hellotickets you will have several options to choose from at a very good price.

Remember that you must choose an exact date when you want to do the excursion. In case your plans change for any reason, there will be no problems, you can cancel the excursion for free 24 hours before the excursion time.

To do some of these excursions from Playa del Carmen, you will need a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 14 hours.

You should consider that doing some of these excursions you won't have much time to do anything else that day, as they are usually full day excursions.

You will be able to enjoy these excursions for very varied prices that stay between 60 and 300 euros approximately and choose the one that best suits everything you want to know and the experiences you want to live.

When choosing the perfect excursion for you, consider that the main variables in relation to the price will be the attractions or places you want to visit, the duration of the tour, the number of passengers for which it is available and what is included in each one of them.

I recommend that you wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing for these excursions, as although you will travel to each of the destinations by bus or ferry, there will be plenty to explore on foot in these places. Bear in mind that the excursions last for hours and during that time you'll be walking around doing activities and you don't want to be uncomfortable.

Another essential ally will be a swimming costume, towel and sunscreen. All excursions include water or outdoor activities, so it will be essential to have adequate clothing and protection from the sun. A personal tip: take an extra set of clothes in case you get wet.

Last but not least, always check the additional information and requirements for each excursion very carefully, as there will be certain physical restrictions to consider due to the type of activity included in the itinerary. For example, if the experience includes ziplining, it is made clear that you must not have back problems.

Let me tell you the main reason why these excursions DO make sense: you can't miss the chance to get to know the most emblematic and culturally rich natural wonders that are just a few hours away from Playa del Carmen.

With these excursions, you will be able to live a unique experience, getting to know the most impressive places of the Mexican Caribbean, doing water sports and different adventures, accompanied by an expert guide who will make your tour more interesting and tell you the secrets and unique details of each place.

Another fundamental point is that there are many sites that are very worthwhile and are only accessible with the company of a specialised and certified guide because they are protected areas.

Now I will tell you when NOT to go: if you are travelling to Playa del Carmen for a short time. As you will see, to do any of these excursions you have to spend a whole day and probably you will not have time to do much else that day. In that case, if you only have a few days to visit Playa del Carmen, I recommend you to make a list of the places you want to visit in order to make the excursion that best suits your wish list or even go on your own.