Has anyone ever done the Tulum ruins on their own?

[lilo62]

Instead of doing the booked excursion that is offered?

 

[Dis]

It is a long bus ride to Tulum. I have no idea what a taxi would cost, but after seeing how they drive there, I would not rent a car.

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

To get to Tulum, there is a 45 minute boat ride, which was followed by a 1 hour bus trip to get there. It is not something I would attempt on your own.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

It is doable. I actually prefer doing things like this by myself, rather than booking the ship's excursion, as it allows me to go at my own pace. You can either take a bus, taxi, or rent a car. I would probably suggest renting a car, as it gives you the most freedom. I personally would rather drive in Mexico than in say, Boston or NYC, and this from someone who navigates the LA freeways on a daily basis.

I found some good information on the Cruise Critic boards. One of the forums is a ports of call forum, and if you search either the Cozumel or Playa Del Carmen forums, you can find information and various accounts of how people have done this.

 

[lilo62]

Thanks for the link to cruise critic - that was extremely helpful info.

I didn't realize that the travel time was so long to get to the ruins, but apparently it's worth it. I think this is an excursion we can't miss out on!

 

[Drcell01]

Tulum was well worth the time and the money to visit. Don't miss it! Be ready to walk quite a bit, bring your bathing suit to swim at the beach, bring your camera, and don't forget the sunscreen...there are not many places at the ruins to get out of the sun.

 

[my3princesses]

I agree that this is one place not to miss. We have been to Tulum 3 times now and you can't beat the view let alone the history. You can take the guided tour which is very educational and then they always give you free time to hang out and go down to the beach or shopping. If you were on your own you would have more time to do this however. A camera is a must as we have several amazing pictures of the ruins and the ocean.

 

[padalyn]

I was on the second of the 7 day western cruises. I was VERY disappointed in the Tulum ruins excursion. If you are going to see the ruins (they are worth it) don't use the ships excursion unless they have changed the vendor in the last few years. We had a horrible 1hr 20 minute ride with soggy sandwiches, then the "private" beach - well that was a long drive through a garbage dump to find a beach so loaded with cruise people from many ships that there were no seats, the showers were forever blocked, and the bathrooms better left undescribed. My companion and I complained bitterly and were reimbursed 50% of the cost. The ruins themselves are magnificient. Just not with that vendor.

good luck!

Padalyn