The Ultimate Adventure in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

The whole tour was exceptional from beginning to end. Each day was perfectly pitched with a great variety of activities - nothing was too rushed, too long or too hard and each day there was a good mix of things to do. Particular highlights were the cenotes, the visit to Ek Balam and the food! The one day marked as having 4. 5 hours of driving, really didn't feel like it. The driving was broken up into stints with activities along the way so you didn't really notice you were in the car for that long (it's also unavoidable to get to the different places, so you just have to go with the flow!)

Easy is the right grade for this tour - you need to be generally fit but everything can be tackled by a complete beginner. You just need a bit of confidence and willingness to give it a go. The biggest challenge was contending with the heat - the cenotes helped with that - and the steep climb at the ruins at Ek Balam. Some training at the gym on the stair master and you'll be fine.

The tour leader, Marco, was extremely knowledgeable about history and the local wildlife. He made sure everything ran like clockwork and that all tour members had a great experience. Pablo, who also supported the tour, had a great sense of humour and helped the group really bond.

Would recommend this as a great trip for anyone who wants a taste of Mexico and MBA.

We covered so much of this beautiful area in a week, ancient ruins, town life, village life, amazing wildlife and water life! We snorkelled, swam, kayaked, ziplined, then drifted down the natural lazy river! A cleansing ceremony and tent in the jungle all added to balanced mix of activities in line with the 'Easy' rating. Expertly guided by Marco, (thank you,) backed by Tamara in the office with a great group of fellow travellers. I'm already looking for the next adventure.

Beautifully put together and jam packed trip spanning two regions of Mexico. Crystal clear cenotes, Mayan culture and friendly locals. Who knew Mexico has the world’s largest underground river ecosystem? Well, for these tips/nuggets of wisdom we thank our guide Marco, (could call him “David Attenborough” of Mexico), who shared knowledge of his country with us throughout the trip. Not to forget lovely Ursula who was our guide for a couple of hours on the bikes around chilled Tulum, showing us all the street murals and quirky places. Big thanks to Tamara for her kindness and immaculate organisational skills. Highlights? Where do I start? Turquoise cenotes, zip lining, snorkelling, food, Ochos home stay, birdwatching. Float in the lazy river of Sian Kan natural reserve, crocs, Mayan ruins, Caribbean Sea, colonial town of Valladolid and pink salt flats, flamencos and food. I, myself, usually book challenging MBA trips. But I can tell you, although this one is classed as easy, it’s a nonstop full on trip. Very fun and educational adventure, totally opposite of January 2025 review! Did not know much about Mexico prior to the trip and will definitely be back.

This was such a fantastic week. Really well organised - Tamara was lovely and so helpful, and Marco was a wonderful guide with so much knowledge to share. We also loved the cycling tour with Ursula!

Highlights included seeing howler/spider monkeys, crocs, flamingos, even a snake or two! We also swam in some beautiful cenotes, met interesting people (really enjoyed the night at Ochos), and each archeological site offered different insights into ancient mayan life! Pink salt lake was stunning. The food was tasty, and hotels were very comfortable. Overall, a great trip!

Being my first MBA tour I wasn’t sure what to expect, it was great & better than expected. We had a great group of people, our tour guide Marco was so friendly and funny. Each day was filled with activities, sometimes too filled but never a dull moment & everyone we met were so lovely. The food was delicious, the breakfasts were amazing & the granola bars provided each day while staying in Tulum were so so good. Great and very safe way to experience the east side of Mexico.

This an an excellent trip. The days were varied and busy. It's hard to pick a highlight as we did so much. It is definitely an easy trip: no need for hiking boots and the cycling was very gentle. There is quite a lot of transport time throughout the week and I would have liked to have seen more of the beaches in Tulum and spent a bit more time in Valladolid. We had a lovely friendly group which really made the trip.

This is a fantastic tour through a beautiful country with friendly people. Tour guide Marco is excellent, always helpful, upbeat and flexible, ably helped behind the scenes by Tamara. Highlights for me included floating through mangroves in Sian Ka’an (and yes, it’s a novel way to wear a life vest), cooling off in several cenotes, kayaking in El Cuya and the beautiful town of Valladolid. The food (several meals included as part of the trip) was excellent. Oh and how I struggled being the only bloke on the trip with seven lovely ladies!

As has already been noted, some of the timings are fluid and I would have gladly sacrificed some time elsewhere for an extra night in Vallidolid; the camping wasn’t was remote as it could have been (you don’t fall asleep to the sound of nature, more like music from the nearby village), and for me Las Coloradas is worth a visit but perhaps not a full tour, but these are minor niggles.

I thoroughly recommend this trip!

I had an incredible time on this tour. The scenery is stunning, and for me this was a fantastic mix of activities, none of which are strenuous (but all of which are fun!)

Marco is a friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, so thanks to him and Tamara. Marco also helped me with my Spanish phrases! I was lucky enough to have a great group, which makes the trip even better.

I would agree that the activity times are less than advertised, but somehow most of the days were still full, and I don't think this detracts from the trip. You definitely don't need hiking shoes, trainers and water shoes are fine!

Lastly, if you're on the fence having read the negative review from January, ignore it! The activities are fun, and the places and food are lush. If you want a challenging trip, book a challenging trip! This one is 'easy' as stated in the trip notes :-)

This is a fantastic trip. The itinerary was perfect for the week: well paced, variety of activities, balance of relaxation and activities. Marco and Tamara were excellent in organising and guiding the trip during the week. There has been thoughtful attention to the details of the trip such as the homemade flapjacks as snacks, managing the heat, recommendations for eating in different locations. Expectations well managed for the description of the trip and activities. Mexico is a great country and I will definitely return. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this trip.

Excellent week which exceeded all my expectations- perfect itinerary balancing a range of activities and experiences which never got too much as was all done at an easy pace while enjoying the gorgeous weather and scenery of Mexico. Marco was an incredible guide, with Tamara behind the scenes looking after each detail. I don’t agree with previous negative reviews about the camping night - the intention is to experience a night in the jungle with the sounds and feel of this, whilst having he comfort of a place to eat and wash. None of the distances driven were too much, food and cocktails great, activities such as kayaking, easy zip lines, swimming etc enabled different ways of exploring yucatan whilst also funded local environmental preservation. I can’t recommend this trip enough. Much better than staying in an all inclusive in Cancun!

We spent a fantastic week touring Quintana Roo and Yucatán with Marco, one of the best guides we’ve ever had with MBA. The itinerary was a perfectly balanced mix of natural beauty, history and culture. Oh, and tacos! We loved the multiple opportunities to cool off in cenotes and lagoons, as it was very hot when visiting the various sites. Expect to spend half your time sweaty and the other half wet, in a good way! Pack more swimwear than you think you need, and would recommend a rash vest or sports t shirt to cover up when swimming in the sun, as sunscreen is prohibited in the cenotes and lagoons. The hikes would best be described as gentle rambles, you don’t need particularly sturdy footwear, a good pair of trainers will suffice in dry weather. El Cuyo was a highlight for us, and we kind of regret not spending a couple of extra nights there after the tour. We also want to thank Tamara for being an ace “flight controller”. To sum up the week, “ Paciencia, ¡vive en el paraíso!”

Really enjoyed this trip. It’s stated as easy and I’d agree with that, which means no crazy early mornings or big activities. So it did feel like a proper holiday. Particularly loved floating down the lagoon river in Tulum, snorkelling in the quiet bay (so many fish), meeting the guy running the regeneration project and kayaking in El Cuyo. Often felt like we were the only people wherever we went, which was great! We were all hankering for a little bit more adventure though, I’d have loved a hike at some point to get us further off the beaten track, that’s why I’ve knocked off a star. Also the activity times on the MBA itinerary are somewhat exaggerated 😂 Marco was a brilliant guide, he had so much time for us and Tamara couldn’t have been more helpful. It’s a wonderful place to visit.

The main reason for the poor experience is the itinerary. It just doesnt make much sense and is not suitable for an MBA trip.

Firstly, there is almost zero physical activity. I don't think I've ever sat down so much in a week as on this trip so how it can be called an adventure holiday I don't know.

Secondly, the sights you are shown are so repetitive, 3 sets of Mayan ruins (would have been 4 if the site was open) is over kill. 5 different cenotes is too much 1 or 2 would be enough. Every day has 3/4 hours driving which is not listed on the itinerary.

The first night meal is just some food trucks in a park and then you go back to the hotel, there was no MBA Briefing until half way through day 2 which was disappointing. It would have been nice to go out in Tulum and to eat in a nice restaurant. The cycling tour in Tulum on day 2 was meant to be a street art tour but we just cycled down some streets until the guide decided the murals weren't any good so they took us to a hotel which had a nice art installation which was cool but lasted about 20 minutes so it was really a waste of a morning. The afternoon on the first day was good where we went to a lagoon and the first cenote but there was no hike as as advertised.

Day 3 was pretty bad, it starts off ok at the Tulum Mayan site which is very pretty but then the rest of the day is spent driving an activity centre which felt like a Mexican go ape. The 1 hour kayaking, walking, swimming are completely misleading. You canoe for literally 5 minutes, the zip lines are ok but there is no really hiking it's a 10 minute walk through the woods. Not authentic and the cenotes aren't as good as the one you visit the next day, 3 in one day is overkill. The lunch here is ok and what saved the day was the snorkeling which is very good.

Day 4 is pretty much exactly the same as day 3 and the worst day of the trip. Mayan site which isn't as nice as the Tulum one on some very old, dangerous bikes which are rusted and the brakes do not work. The activities last about 5 minutes each and are not even remotely challenging, again it's just a Mexican go ape. The strangest part of the trip is to a strange man's house who claims to be a Shaman, but he is just a weird egotisal man who made a few inappropriate comments during our time there. The ceremony was ok it lasted like 30 minutes but then we should have left. The dinner served there was awful it was littlerally a plate of white rice, beans and the smallest piece of chicken (a quarter of a chicken breast in size). What made this even worse was that Ocho was sat there eating with us, had more food than the rest of us and avocado which none of us were allowed. Furthermore the food on this night upset my stomach so it's probably prepared in unsanitary conditions (his house is dusty and dirty and not a place to be eating food). The 'wild camping' is a joke you are camped in his garden (it's like a sleepover you'd have as kids) and there is literally no reason to be there. No towels, toiletries or things to make the stay comfortable are provided. This part of the trip should be scrapped completely and you should go straight to Valladolid and have 2 nights there.

Next day better the Mayan site you visit is the best one and the cenote also but by this stage it is getting repetitive so this should be kept in favour of scrapping the visits on the previous days. The itinerary makes zero sense here because you drive past Valladolid to go back on yourself. Change the itinerary to stay in Valladolid the previous night. This is the best town you visit on the trip but your time there is rushed because you only have half a day there which was frustrating.

Next day you drive yet again (6 hours not the 3 advertised). 2 hours to Rio Lagortas where the boat tour to see flamingos and crocodiles is ok. The visit to the salt farm is a complete waste of time and adds 90 minutes onto a day already full of driving.

El Cuyo was very pretty but not a lot happening in the town, I was too ill by this stage from the food poisoning to fully participate in the kayaking but I heard from the others it was good. Here the itinerary would make more sense to go straight to El Cuyo from Valladolid rather than Rio Lagortas and the salt place. There are plenty of day trips that could be done instead from El Cuyo to make it more interesting and make up for not going via Rio Lagortas.

Recommendations: More actual hiking a physical activities which are more natural (not an activity centre) More variation to the itinerary as there is too much repetition Less driving between places even if more free time to explore places Better drivers, the driver was dangerous and I commented this on the way from the airport. It didn't suprise me when a few days later he ended up having an accident with a bike which made us late for day 6 and made meaning we got no time in El Cuyo in the evening Cycling should be better thought out and more interesting locations Cut down on the cenotes and the ruins, 2 of each is enough Replace jungle camping with an extra night in Valladolid and replace the evening meal there with somewhere better A food tour in Valladolid would have been better than the mezcal tasting The van used is quite uncomfortable on the poor roads in the north. A 4x4 would offer a better experience on this leg of the tour Trips to some of the islands would have been interesting locations for hiking/cycling (Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, Holbox)

This was the first time this tour had been offered, and it was also my first trip with Much Better Adventures. Despite a few minor bumps, the experience was fantastic. Marco, our guide, was outstanding—going above and beyond to keep things running smoothly. When I needed a SIM card, the team helped me purchase one, and they even arranged transport for my onward journey when I continued exploring Mexico, which I really appreciated. The itinerary was packed but never felt rushed. When one activity was cancelled, the replacement—snorkelling in a fish cove—ended up being even better. On the final day, an activity mentioned in the itinerary wasn’t initially planned, but the team organised kayaking as a substitute, which was great fun. The jungle experience, while enjoyable, wasn’t quite as wild as advertised since it’s near a house, but it still had a sense of adventure. Don’t stress about the weather forecast either—ours predicted thunderstorms all week, but we had sunny skies almost every day. Overall, it was a well-organised and memorable trip, thanks to the flexibility and effort of the MBA team.

Brilliant week in Mexico exploring the Yucatan peninsula with a really nice group. Activities were varied and fantastic fun and despite the trip being jam packed you never felt rushed from one activity to another. Highlights included the private Cenote park, kayaking and floating down the Sian Ka’an reserve (fantastically named 😀) Being the trailblazer trip there were a few things that could be improved on such as a couple of the accomodation choices and two deviations to the itinerary activities but these turned into two of the best days, please keep the kayaking and the fish pond snorkelling in the trip!! The food was amazing, Marco was the best guide, and thanks to Reuben for driving us (amazing air con skills) and Tamara for organising.

Relaxed but reasonably full way to eat, zip, swim, cycle, canoe and explore ruins with colourful characters and mezcal!

A great trip! We were on the trailblazer trip so had some deviation from the original itinerary and room for improvements. Loved the activities included including the private cenote park in Tulum and kayaking in El Cuyo. Thanks to Marco, Ruben, Tamara and all those who organised 😃

First trip with MBA and had such an incredible experience. Our guide, Marco, was extremely knowledgable and flexible - updating us on the go about any changes required to the itinerary. Despite an action packed schedule, we never felt rushed at any point.

Highlights included floating through Sian Kaan reserve (will never be able to wear a life jacket the normal way again) and kayaking through waterlogged forests (not part of the original activity but added to replace SUP on the final day).

Only real let down I would say was "jungle" camping which did not live up to expectations. Otherwise, an incredible week all round!