Great communication (in English which our whole group spoke), clean van with well functioning AC, and super friendly and knowledgeable guide. Bottled water and lunch was provided, you can get food at the restaurant at Paradise Beach, and we brought our own snacks for in the van in case we needed them since I have some food sensitivities. You’ll get your exact pickup time the evening before based on where you’re located. We were in Playa Del Carmen and got picked up at 7 am and dropped off around 6:30 pm. They were perfectly punctual. After getting picked up, we drove an hour to pick up the last 2 people in Tulum for a total of 8 customers in our group. We went to the Tulum ruins first where we were given some extra time to explore by ourselves after the great guided portion. You can go to a restroom in a store before walking to the ruins. You can also find a rock or primitive bench to sit on under the shade of a tree at the impressive ruins by the sea. We saw several large iguanas. Then we drove awhile to Paradise Beach in Tulum where it was all free time to lay out or purchase food at the restaurant which had clean restrooms (but no food is included in your ticket price at this stop). Next we drove the 50ish minutes to Coba for the included lunch which was a buffet at an authentic Mayan restaurant which also has a souvenir shop and a restroom. There were limited options for the vegetarian in our group, but she did have a couple of things she could eat like rice and salad. After that we drove a short distance to the Coba ruins where we took the somewhat short walk to the first area. Then you can pay around $9 USD to have a guy take you the 2km up and back (4km total round trip) on a special bike with a seat in the front that can fit 2 people, but we chose to sit separately (even though we’re both pretty small) simply to avoid the extra body heat. It cost less to rent a standard bike to pedal yourself if you prefer. You could also walk but with no one in our group doing that, I'm not sure how you’d keep up with everyone as they’re pedaling quite fast. You’ll need cash for either bike rental (USD or pesos) and they were able to give me change for $20 USD (then I also tipped the bike driver in USD). We saw some wild turkeys in this area that’s more of a forest than the Tulum ruins which had more scattered trees in open areas. After that, we drove a few minutes to the cenote where you shower first then walk down some stairs into a hole in the ground to the underground cave that’s lit up with a bright light. I’m claustrophobic enough that I don’t like sleeping bags or full elevators, but I had zero issues with this cave (unlike another reviewer). The water was completely clear with a few small fish and I acclimated to the welcome cool temperature quickly. You’ll want to bring a towel to dry off with or you’ll have to try to air dry before getting back in the van. There are stalls with curtains to change out of your suit. The fabulous driver stays with the van all day so you can leave items like your towel in there until needed. After that, it’s time to drive back and start dropping people off so for us that was almost 2 hours back from Coba to Playa Del Carmen (dropping off the couple in Tulum) but longer for those going on closer to Cancun. It’s a lot of walking so bring comfy shoes and while we tried to stick to the shade, it was warm and sunny so be prepared. That being said, I wouldn’t call it super strenuous as my (almost 70 year old) mom kept up. Last but not least, we made sure to bring enough cash to tip both the driver and the guide, and they were worth every penny.
