You probably have heard about Tulum, Mexico and its sandy-white beaches, turquoise waters, and glamorous hotels and restaurants, but there is much more to it! Want to know the best places and adventures to add to your family Tulum trip? 

Disclaimer: This blog post is in collaboration with Mexico Kan Tours, however  all opinions are my own, and we would absolutely do it again on our own dime.

Tulum is a great family destination, as there are endless fun things to do with kids, such as exploring Mayan ruins, diving into crystal clear underground cenotes, ziplining over the jungle, or eating delicious food prepared by locals at the Mayan village. We visited Tulum with our family in June, and had a blast. One of the trips we took was the Mayan Inland Expedition and it was hosted by Mexico Kan Tours. 

Why should you use Mexico Kan Tours on your next adventure to Tulum?

Mexico Kan Tours was founded in 2007, and since then they have been at the forefront of responsible tourism in the region. They state, “our mission and core values of respect, conservation and education have led us to create lasting bonds with the many people and groups who share an interest in protecting the local environment and in the promotion of culture and conservation.” They have an amazing team, who will guide and help you pick the best tour for you and your family. I told them that we have a toddler and a teenager and that we wanted something relaxing with a bit of adventure. We also wanted to see the local Mayan Village, and try some of their freshly cooked food. They listened to my request and offered us a day trip to Coba& Punta Laguna – Mayan Inland Expedition. It was everything we wanted! Our driver Daniel and tour guide Niko were very friendly, knowledgeable, and spoke excellent English. They had extra water and delicious homemade cookies available for all of us through the day. Mexico Kan Tours have very small group sizes and clean vans that will safely take you on your adventure. So yes, I highly recommend you booking your next adventure with Mexico Kan Tours.

What’s included in the Mayan Inland Expedition day trip?

Visit the ruins of Coba

We started our day by visiting the Mayan Ruins of Coba located just a short drive from downtown Tulum on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.  

The Coba ruins are surprisingly large and quite spread out. From the entrance to the main pyramid (the highest pyramid in the Yucatan peninsula) it is about 2 km so you will likely not enjoy walking in the jungle heat, especially with children. Thus, you have two options of exploring the Coba ruins. You can get a bike and pedal yourself or you can hop on bicycle rickshaws aka “Mayan Taxi” being pedaled by locals that will take you around. In my opinion “Mayan Taxi” is perfect for families with small kids who can’t pedal yet. Our boys sure had a lot of fun. 

Swim in private and an immaculately kept cenote

Next we visited an amazing family owned and run cenote. It was a perfect way to cool down after a hot day. We all enjoyed swimming and snorkeling, but if you like to feel the adrenaline this beautiful cenote has an incredible cliff jump. My boys jumped off, but I wasn’t brave enough. 

Eat a delicious meal in the house of a Mayan family

After biking around the Mayan Ruins of Coba and swimming in the beautiful cenote, we stopped in the nearby village of Nuevo Durango for lunch at the house of a local family. They showed us their gardens, medicinal plants, and beehives, and told us all about their project of reintroducing the endangered animals into the wild.

They also taught us how to make tortillas from scratch, and of course, fed us a delicious home cooked meal all made from local ingredients. 

It was the best experience of our trip! 

Visit the Punta Laguna nature reserve

The last stop of our day trip was the Punta Laguna Nature Reserve run by a local Mayan village. This is the perfect off-the-beaten-path place to see wildlife, like spiders and howler monkeys, in their natural environment. It was a bit hot, so they weren’t feeling particularly social that day, and hid behind the branches. Can you spot the monkey here?

We also paddled a canoe on the calm turquoise waters of the lagoon and enjoyed a thrilling zipline. This zipline is perfect for little munchkins.

They also do a Mayan purification ceremony, before you enter the jungle. I never saw anything like this so it was very interesting. 

Overall, we all had a great time on our Mayan Inland Expedition day trip with Mexico Kan Tours and would absolutely recommend booking your next adventure with them if you are visiting Tulum, Mexico. There is no way you will find this kind of trip in another company.

What to bring on your adventure?

Mayan Inland Expedition Adventure includes everything from hiking and biking, to ziplining, canoeing, swimming in the underground private immaculately kept cenote, and even eating a delicious meal in the house of a Mayan family. Be prepared for a busy day, filled with fun activities for the entire family. 

To make your planning easier, here are few things to bring with you:

• Comfortable sun-protective clothing with UPF and shoes. We all wore our Chacos sandals, and they were perfect. I highly recommend investing in a pair if you’re looking for a high-quality, fun and durable sandals for your adventures. 
• Bathing suit, sun glasses, sun hat and towel. 
• Camera, go pro, phone to record your adventures. 
• Reef-safe and eco-friendly mineral sunscreen.
• Some cash, as there are no ATM machines in the area, and most of the vendors don’t accept credit cards. TIP: from our experiences it’s recommended and easier to buy pesos before you land in Mexico, and the most economical way to do this is to buy pesos from your bank in the U.S. Our bank does this for free, and usually this way we receive the best exchange rate.

This is definitely a MUST-DO Bucket List trip!

Have you visited Tulum, Mexico before? What are some other fun and family friendly places we need to check out next?