Exklusivt för Viator: Arkeologguidad tur med tidigt inträde till ruinerna i Cobá från Playa del Carmen

We booked this tour with Viator as it seems to be the best value. We stayed very near 5th Av in PDC and so were asked to go to HM hotel at 6:15 am to wait for the pick up. The mini-bus was punctual. The next 45 mins was then spent picking up 6 other travellers staying in various places in Playacar. We then travelled another 20-30 mins to another location where we were then transferred to a big coach with probably another 25-30 people. Only after this did we proceed to Coba - arriving there about 9 am, where there were already a few other coaches. We were there in the low season so it wasn't crowded. I am not sure what it would be like during the busy season. I am giving these details so that those booking would be aware that Early Access doesn't really mean very early. A straight journey from PDC would probably only be 90 mins but the journey time here was doubled because of the pick-ups and transfer to the other big coach.
We had booked a English guided tour but were the only English speakers in the entire group. The guide spoke Spanish and English but I think the English translation bits of everything he said was probably only about 20-30 of all the info he gave. We got the gist of it but did get rather bored at various times. I guess maybe it was the low season and they didn't have enough takers to make a full English tour.
Coba is certainly worth visiting, even if you've already visited Chichen Itza and Tikal. The area is big and the bikes were therefore very useful hire cost included for getting around. If you didn't fancy cycling in the heat or want to save your legs for the climb up the temple, you could pay an extra 50 pesos in sit in a pedi-bike instead.
Climbing up the temple is the highlight and the view from the top is fantastic. Going up is certainly less scary than coming down. There is a rope to help but beware that quite a few of the steps are rather worn and sloping and can be slippery. We've heard that they may stop visitors from climbing up by the end of 2018 so were glad we got the chance to do it.
After Coba and before lunch, we were brought to the Tamcach-Ha cenote. This is an underground, mostly covered cenote so the water is cooler than the open ones we've been to. You descend into it via a winding staircase and along the way, you can choose to dive off platforms around 10m or 5m above the water. Those in fact were the best bits according to by kids!!
The buffet lunch was pretty OK - we weren't expecting too much and was surprised by the variety. Drinks had to be paid for but were reasonable.
The journey back was the reverse of the outward journey, with the transfer back to the minibus and the various drop-offs - but probably shorter by a few minutes as it was minus any waiting time for people to arrive for pick up.
I think if we had a car, it would have been better to do the visit ourselves to avoid the extra 3 hours of travelling time but in the absence of one, this tour of Coba is worth doing.

I'm afraid that there were pros and cons with this tour. We went to Coba a couple of years ago on a tour. At that one, they provided bottled water whenever we needed it, and we were told to bring sandals to walk down into the Cenote. We were also provided with towels. The notes for this tour said that we were supposed to arrive before the gates opened, but by the time we arrived there were already tons of people there. Our guide was awesome, and taught us so much about the history of the Mayans and explained the ruins that he took us to. We were not told to bring sandals, bottled water and towels, and none of these were provided for us. You should stress to people that they really need to bring these things, and to specify that none of them will be provided. Take a bike ride to the main temple, as it's too far to walk. Definitely hike up to the top of the temple, as the view is incredible. It's humid, so make sure you have a lot of water to hydrate yourself. The buffet lunch was o.k.

This was a great trip. We took two kids and did not want an all-day trip. Bring snacks, as it is a long morning before lunch. Coba was impressive and accessible the climb is a bit scary and probably not for everyone, but the view from the bottom is good too!. Riding the bikes in the jungle was a treat for the kids. The cenote was beautiful and impressive and so was the buffet lunch in a lakeside restaurant. Very nice trip!

You get a lot for a great price!! David was our guide, he was nice and very knowledgeable. I loved that we were able to ride bikes to each location, and the cenote was absolutely beautiful! Made for a pretty early morning, but it's worth it to get there before the heat and the crowds.

Very nice day, our guide Alvaro is a wealth of information on the history of the area and the culture of the Mayan's...And the bus driver was great. The lunch provided was at a restaurant nearby and featured many delicious authentic Mexican dishes. We appreciated being picked up in front of our hotel and dropped off as such. Be sure to dress for warm weather and wear some comfortable walking/hiking shoes, as you will want to climb the ruins for the spectacular view from above. Also, swimwear for the underground Cenote For the price, this would be a tour to book!

We were picked up on time. This was one of the best trips we have ever done. Normally we are people who like to be independent and go to places alone but the draw of the archaeologist made us book this trip. Our guide from Amigo Tours was Alvarro. He's a great guy and very knowledgable. We would not have learnt what we did without him. It was an amazing sight. You can still walk up the pyramid but we didn't. The descent looked too scary for me! The whole sight is fantastic and we are so pleased we booked this trip. Great also to swim in a cenoteh. If you are planning a trip consider this one.

Tour guide was great, lots of background information about the Mayan culture and the Coba Ruins, and very kind and patient. Spoke English and Spanish fluently. It was nice to be picked up at our resort right on time too! and fantastic to get to Coba early before the big crowds. The view from the top of the pyramid was worth the climb. Bikes made it easy to get around the site quickly and were fun to ride, but they definitely need some maintenance work.
The downside which was not the tour's fault is we had very young children and people that didn't know how to ride bikes! So a scramble was made to find/hire workers to cart them around. People, if you cannot physically do the activity or your children are too young to appreciate what they are seeing then don't book this tour. And if you must bring young children realize they will get hungry, thirsty and tired. So be prepared with snacks, water and the ability to either carry them or stay back and not insist the entire group wait while you deal with the meltdown. I have children, I get it that things happen, but thought and preparation go a long way in making everyone's experience better. So if people cannot figure out on their own that young kids are not going to enjoy this perhaps the tour company can make a minimum age requirement?

This tour to Coba was outstanding Value! Pick up place was close to our location and was on time....very very efficient and friendly staff and drivers....the trip to Coba was comfy in the van and Sarah, our guide was efficient in English and Spanish and addressed all tour passengers politely and effectively. She was very knowledgeable and a very patient and pleasant guide. Everything was addressed and ran in time. We got to see Coba for over two hours...remember the walk to the largest and tallest temple bldg is 2km so do take advantage of a bike or pedi- cab , ,these were included in the tour cost! Extremely cool.and enjoyable visit to the Cenote Tankach-Ha ...the best cave swimming yet! Crystal blue clear waters, good change area with shower and bathrooms.....very Important in Mexico for s cenote was not busy as we took the early morning Coba tour....steps down into the cave cenote have a handrail but remember these are slippery..diving platforms at different levels...beautiful water and cave. Do take your camera!! One good hour there then off to lunch...extremely clean and very pleasant lu cheon...lots to chose from in the buffet...really fresh and good local,foods....the only extras are drinks and they were very reasonable. As in 25 pesos for water and lemonade and 40foe beer...just remember to tip these very pleasant, clean and helpful servers.....nice touristy shop there as well, bit expensive but one of a kind rocks and jewelry creations......no,pressure to buy anything or order more drinks...wonderful. We had a fabulous day, its a 90km triomthat went fast...we left at 7 am and back home in Playa by 4pm....bathroom stops along the way and at each venue.....awesome...you MUST go on this tour with Viator to see the real Mexico....enjoy

It is always a challenge with trips like these to get everyone on the bus at the right time! Make sure you know where to meet and arrive early - that is expected. The guide handled it very well and had taxis bring the other guests to meet our bus to stay on schedule. Coba ruins were spectacular and at this time in the morning we had space to enjoy. Take your time climbing - the view is amazing. Bring a towel for the cenote swim and do go in - the water is lovely and warmer than the ocean! The guide was very good, knowledgeable and patient. This is well worth the effort and cost to have a really memorable experience. Well done Amigo tours!!

This was a great tour and well worth the money. Our tour was through Amigo Tours and our guide, Alvarro, was very good indeed. The whole trip was very well organised and it was definitely worth getting to Coba early and the use of the bikes, included in the price, added to the fun. Lunch was OK and the cenote was great and very deep!. The only problem we had was with communicating with Amigo Tours. I sent 2 emails and got no initial reply. Using the supplied phone numbers proved difficult and in the end the Concierge from the hotel managed to get hold of them for me. Amigo Tours did eventually send and email late evening of the day before the tour! So, for the tour itself a 5, but for the pre tour communication a 1. Don't be put off doing the tour, just be prepared to spend a bit of time sorting out the pick up time and place.