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Cancun and the Riviera Maya This Winter: Best-Value Tours Compared (Viator vs GetYourGuide vs Klook)
Viator prices and ratings come from Viator's partner data and GetYourGuide's from its listing pages, both read on the evening of Oct 20. Klook blocks automated checks, so Klook prices come from search-engine copies of its listings. Treat those as rough; where two different Klook prices showed up, we give both. "From" means the lowest date or option, which often leaves out lunch, hotel pickup or site taxes. Prices are in US dollars as shown. Where a site didn't show a price or we couldn't find a matching listing, we say so. Always confirm the live price for your dates before you book.
Mexican Caribbean questions keep coming up in trip-planning threads this week. One couple is deciding between Cancun and Tulum after a few days in Playa del Carmen. Another arrives in December and is staying in the Hotel Zone. Others are planning 20-day drives around the Yucatán over Christmas and New Year with a list: one Mayan ruin, calm beaches, a wildlife and birdwatching trip, and maybe Cozumel. The day trips they ask about — Chichen Itza, an Isla Mujeres catamaran, the Tulum ruins, snorkeling with turtles in Akumal, Xcaret Park, a Cozumel snorkel trip, Sian Ka'an and the pink lakes of Las Coloradas — are sold on Viator, GetYourGuide and Klook, often by the same operator at different prices. We matched the most popular versions so you can compare before you book.
The short answer
- Viator had the lowest "from" price in 4 of 8 rows: the Amigo Tours Chichen Itza day trip (from $39, against $57 for the same company on GetYourGuide), Ekinox's Tulum, cenote and Playa del Carmen tour (from $39), Xcaret Park with the evening show (from $113.25) and Ekinox's Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos trip (from $99, against $129 on GetYourGuide).
- Two were ties between Viator and GetYourGuide: the Amigo Tours Isla Mujeres catamaran ($35 on both) and Mexico Kan Tours' Muyil and Sian Ka'an float ($219 on both).
- GetYourGuide was cheapest in 1: the Cozumel turtle sanctuary snorkel from $60, $1.19 under the same operator on Viator.
- Klook looked cheapest in 1: a half-day Akumal turtle and cenote tour at about US$79.20, against $99 for Viator's best-reviewed version. That Klook price comes from a search summary, so check it.
- The cheapest version is often a bare-bones option. The $39 Chichen Itza price and the $35 Isla Mujeres price are for the most basic option. Lunch, hotel pickup and an open bar cost more.
Fees the "from" price leaves out
- Chichen Itza site tax: the Klook listing says the state CULTUR tax of 42 USD per adult (7 USD per child) is paid on arrival. An Amigo Tours Chichen Itza tour on GetYourGuide lists the site fee as 44 USD and not included. Bring cash or a card and budget for it on top of the tour price.
- Isla Mujeres dock fee: the Amigo Tours catamaran excludes a 20 USD port fee, and Klook's listing mentions a 20 USD dock tax too.
- Tulum and Coba taxes: Klook's Tulum and Coba tour adds about US$45 per person in site taxes, according to a search summary of the listing.
- Cozumel marine park fee: Klook's Cozumel snorkel tour adds a US$6 marine park fee, according to a search summary.
Same tour, three sites
Each row is the same tour from the same operator, or the closest popular equivalent on that site. Ratings are shown as score out of 5 (number of reviews) where the page or summary showed them. The highlighted cell is the lowest price we saw. Where two sites tied, both are highlighted. We didn't highlight Klook prices that showed up as two different numbers.
| Tour (operator) | GetYourGuide | Viator | Klook |
|---|---|---|---|
 Chichen Itza day trip from Cancun with a cenote swim and a stop in Valladolid, about 12 hours (Amigo Tours on GetYourGuide and Viator; Klook operator not confirmed) | From $57 · 4.6 (8,691) · Amigo Tours See tour → | From $39.00 · 4.7 (17,010) · Amigo Tours See tour → | About US$57–67* · 4.5 (71) · *two different prices shown in our check See tour → |
 Isla Mujeres catamaran day from Cancun with open bar and a reef snorkel stop, about 7–10 hours (Amigo Tours on GetYourGuide and Viator; similar tour on Klook) | From $35 · 4.2 (3,339) · Amigo Tours See tour → | From $35.00 · 3.6 (655) · Amigo Tours See tour → | About US$68 · 5.0 (3) See tour → |
 Tulum ruins and cenote day trip from Cancun, about 10 hours (Ekinox Tours on Viator and GetYourGuide, with a Playa del Carmen stop; Klook's adds Coba instead) | From $45 · 4.6 (459) · Ekinox, Cenote Mariposa See tour → | From $39.00 · 4.8 (339) · Ekinox See tour → | US$59.20 · Tulum, Coba and a cenote · site taxes extra See tour → |
 Akumal sea turtle snorkel and cenote swim from Cancun (half-day on Viator and Klook; a longer 8-hour version on GetYourGuide) | From $103 · 4.8 (27) · 8 hours, two cenotes See tour → | From $99.00 · 4.8 (2,691) · Ocean Tours, about 5 hours See tour → | About US$79.20 · half-day Akumal and cenote See tour → |
 Xcaret Park admission including the Xcaret México Espectacular evening show (sold by Grupo Xcaret on Viator; resellers on GetYourGuide and Klook) | From $136 · 3.1 (7) · reseller See tour → | From $113.25 · 4.4 (2,704) · Grupo Xcaret See tour → | From about US$151.10 See tour → |
 Cozumel turtle sanctuary and El Cielo snorkel boat tour, about 4 hours (Cozumel Snorkel Center on GetYourGuide and Viator; Klook operator not confirmed) | From $60 · 4.5 (295) · Cozumel Snorkel Center See tour → | From $61.19 · 4.6 (1,231) · Cozumel Snorkel Center See tour → | About US$65–66 · 4 hours See tour → |
 Muyil ruins and Sian Ka'an lazy-river float from Tulum, about 6 hours (Mexico Kan Tours on GetYourGuide and Viator; a different Sian Ka'an boat tour on Klook) | From $219 · 4.8 (439) · Mexico Kan Tours See tour → | From $219.00 · 4.9 (846) · Mexico Kan Tours See tour → | Price not shown in our check · Sian Ka'an boat tour from Tulum See tour → |
 Las Coloradas pink lakes and Río Lagartos flamingo boat trip from Cancun, about 12 hours (Ekinox Tours on Viator and GetYourGuide; Klook operator not confirmed) | From $129 · 4.5 (531) · Ekinox, lunch included See tour → | From $99.00 · 4.7 (30) · Ekinox See tour → | About US$99–114* · *two different prices shown; pickup in Riviera Maya See tour → |
Best-value picks by activity
Chichen Itza, a cenote and Valladolid
Lowest "from" price we saw: Amigo Tours on Viator, from $39.00 (4.7 from 17,010). The same company was from $57 on GetYourGuide (4.6 from 8,691), and Klook's version with a tequila tasting was about US$57–67. All three stop at a cenote and in Valladolid on the way back.
Two other big sellers on Viator are worth a look: Ekinox's tour with Mayan cuisine from $29.00 (4.9 from 3,111) and Sat Mexico Tours' trip with the Ik Kil cenote from $49.00 (4.7 from 25,631). Expect a very early pickup and a 12-hour day.
An Isla Mujeres catamaran day
Lowest "from" price we saw: a tie. The Amigo Tours trip was from $35 on both GetYourGuide (4.2 from 3,339) and Viator (3.6 from 655). That price is the open bar and snorkel option without lunch or transport, and the dock fee is extra. Klook's open bar and buffet version was about US$68.
If reviews matter more than the last few dollars, Caribean Golden Tours' all-inclusive catamaran on Viator (from $77.88, 4.5 from 3,086) and the calmer luxury sailing trip from Puerto Morelos (from $55.00, 4.6 from 3,670, with adults-only departures) have better scores.
The Tulum ruins and a cenote
Lowest "from" price we saw: Ekinox's Tulum, cenote and Playa del Carmen tour on Viator, from $39.00 (4.8 from 339). The same company's version on GetYourGuide, with a swim at Cenote Mariposa, was from $45 (4.6 from 459). Klook's tour swaps Playa del Carmen for the Coba ruins at US$59.20, plus site taxes.
Snorkeling with turtles in Akumal
Lowest "from" price we saw: Klook's half-day Akumal and cenote tour at about US$79.20. That figure is from a search summary. Ocean Tours' half-day trip on Viator was from $99.00, with far more reviews (4.8 from 2,691), and GetYourGuide's 8-hour version with two cenotes was from $103 (4.8 from 27).
To see the Tulum ruins and the turtles in one day, Ekinox's combined tour was from $89.00 on Viator (4.9 from 408) and from $110 on GetYourGuide (4.5 from 377).
Xcaret Park
Lowest "from" price we saw: Viator's Xcaret ticket, from $113.25 (4.4 from 2,704). It is sold by Grupo Xcaret, which runs the park, and includes the Xcaret México Espectacular evening show. GetYourGuide's ticket with the show comes from a reseller and was from $136 (3.1 from 7). Klook's Xcaret ticket was from about US$151.10. Transport and the buffet are extras on the basic ticket.
A Cozumel snorkel trip
Lowest "from" price we saw: GetYourGuide, from $60 (4.5 from 295) for Cozumel Snorkel Center's turtle sanctuary and El Cielo tour. The same trip was from $61.19 on Viator (4.6 from 1,231), and a similar 4-hour tour on Klook was about US$65–66. For more reefs, the Palancar, Columbia and El Cielo tour was from $65.00 on Viator (4.3 from 1,632). All of these leave from Cozumel itself, so add the ferry from Playa del Carmen if you're staying on the mainland.
Sian Ka'an and the Muyil ruins
Lowest "from" price we saw: a tie at $219 between Viator (4.9 from 846) and GetYourGuide (4.8 from 439) for Mexico Kan Tours' half-day trip from Tulum. It visits the Muyil ruins, then floats you down an ancient canal through the reserve. Klook's Sian Ka'an boat tour is a different trip and didn't show a price in our check.
Birdwatchers have cheaper options: a shared birdwatching tour in Sian Ka'an and Muyil was from $119.00 on Viator (5.0 from 125), and Community Tours Sian Ka'an's canals trip was from $162 on GetYourGuide (4.8 from 611).
Las Coloradas and Río Lagartos
Lowest "from" price we saw: Ekinox on Viator, from $99.00 (4.7 from 30). The same company's trip with lunch was from $129 on GetYourGuide, with many more reviews (4.5 from 531). Klook's full-day tour showed two prices, about US$99–114, and picks up in the Riviera Maya. TourBalloon's version includes entry fees and was from $154.00 (4.7 from 111). It's a long day, roughly 12 hours.
Which tours fit your kind of trip
Deciding between Cancun and Tulum
If you're staying in Playa del Carmen or Tulum, the Tulum ruins, Akumal turtles and Sian Ka'an are all close by. A Cancun base puts you next to the Isla Mujeres catamarans, many of which leave from marinas in the Hotel Zone. Most tours here pick up across the region, so either base works for the big Chichen Itza day trip.
Arriving in December and staying in the Hotel Zone
Pick options with hotel pickup if you don't want to deal with taxis. The Isla Mujeres catamaran, the Chichen Itza trip and the Tulum tour all list pickup, though on some it's a paid option rather than part of the "from" price. One catamaran listing says the snorkel stop can be cancelled in bad weather without a refund, so keep a spare day.
A long Yucatán road trip over the holidays
With a car and a list that includes one Mayan ruin, a wildlife trip and a calm beach, the guided trips worth paying for are the ones that are hard to do alone: the Sian Ka'an canal float or a birdwatching tour, the Río Lagartos flamingo boat trip, and a guide at Chichen Itza. If you're unsure about Cozumel, a 4-hour snorkel tour there costs about $60.
Families with kids
Xcaret Park fills a whole day, with underground rivers, animals and the evening show. For a first snorkel, the Akumal turtle trip is a half-day option. Check the age limits for snorkeling on each listing; some Isla Mujeres catamarans don't let children under 8 snorkel.
Booking tips
- Match the operator name. Amigo Tours (the Chichen Itza and Isla Mujeres trips), Ekinox (the Tulum, Tulum and turtles and Las Coloradas tours), Cozumel Snorkel Center (Cozumel) and Mexico Kan Tours (Muyil and Sian Ka'an) sell the same trip on more than one site at different prices.
- Compare the option, not the headline price. The cheapest Chichen Itza and Isla Mujeres options leave out lunch, pickup or drinks. Add those before you compare.
- Budget cash for fees. The Chichen Itza site tax and the Isla Mujeres dock fee are paid on the day.
- Check the pickup zone. Klook's Las Coloradas tour picks up in the Riviera Maya, and the Cozumel snorkel tours start on the island.
- Look at the cancellation terms. The Amigo Tours and catamaran listings on GetYourGuide allow free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, which helps if the weather turns.
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