Tulum with semi-small kids

[mjantz]

Hi! First post so be patient! We're planning a Disney Cruise for summer of 2006 (we're really hoping they don't do California again) & we're looking at shore excursions. We'll be doing the Cozumel route.
We'd really like to go to Tulum but it says not recommended for children under 8. DD will be almost 6 (probably within a month of being 6) & DS will be 8, almost nine (within 2 months). It will be the 4 of us, my parents & my brother.
I was thinking if it was a climbing issue we could all take turns staying at the bottom with her while others went up. If it's distances, she's very active & can out-go me!
So, has anyone taken (or seen taken) small children on the Tulum Ruins tour? Any feedback, positive or negative, is greatly appreciated.
I just hate to be that close & miss Mayan ruins. There's no telling when we'd be that close again.


M

 

[saturday97]

My DS was 5. He had no problem with the walking, distance, etc. But it was extremely hot and a very long day, with a nauseating ferry ride and a long bus ride on each end. There is a beach where everyone can cool off, but it is very small and for the most part there is little shade anywhere. Plus, it's hard to find a place to change (they do have restrooms but they were crowded that day and much like what you would find at a campground or state park).

Basically, it's not much fun for kids. If you really want to do this, I would suggest bringing things to entertain the kids, maybe a fan/ water bottle, and other items to make the kids more comfortable. Also, my DS is a picky eater and had trouble with the lunch they served, you might want to consider your own snacks.

The problem with one person watching the kids while the others see the ruins, is that there is a tour with your guide that someone will miss.

Some people have reported that their kids did fine. The ruins are really neat and if it hadn't been so terribly hot, we probably could have dealt with it better. My DH is really into ruins so this was the only thing he absolutely had to do.

I just wanted to let you know what our experience was, because we really didn't know that much about the excursion when we booked it. I feel as though if we had been more prepared it would have been better.

 

[MamaGriz]

In some of the pictures I've seen from other's reports, the ruins had string around them. Are people allowed to climb on the ruins? I think my kids would like the tour, but not so much if they couldn't climb on the largest one.

 

[Doctor P]

Mexico no longer lets you climb on the Mayan Ruins. You do however climb "around them" and do walk around the back of the large temple after climbing around.