There are several options to visit while on a beach vacation in Mexico:

1. If you fly with a tour operator, you will most likely be offered some kind of excursion package.
2. You will rent a car and visit on your own the places you have studied beforehand.
3. Buy an excursion at a local tourist kiosk or store.

Individual trip

You can buy tickets for many places online. If you buy tickets in advance, you can get a discount, for example this applies to parks, and the purchased ticket is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase, that is one time you can enter for 1 year from the date of purchase.

Mayan pyramids – no problem, choose a location on the map and go there. On the spot you buy tickets, and if necessary take a guide, bike, cycle rickshaw and explore the settlements.

Cenotes – here google maps to help, payment at the entrance, read reviews and see there the same prices.

Beaches – they are both paid, reserved, as in Tulum, and with public access.

Buy a tour at a tourist shop

There are many of these tourist shops in Tulum, and they are also found in Cancun, but less often, more in shopping centers.

The prices can vary and include various services such as transfers, food and so on.

What to see

Definitely visit at least one cenote. Globally it’s nothing special, an underground clean river, but if you are in Mexico, you should go there.

National Parks – it is a full day attraction, you go here with the included program of meals and spend the whole day here.

Mayan pyramids – since you are in the homeland of such a famous civilization, it is impossible not to look at this ancient civilization at least with the corner of your eye.

Transport and food during the tour

If you decide to go on your own using the guidebook, you need to either rent a car, take a bus, or a cab if the purpose of your trip is not very far.

Cabs in Mexico

Cabs are very expensive here, even after European capitals. If I were to compare the price of a cab in Berlin and Cancun, the price in Cancun would be 2-3 times higher.

The reason for the high prices, the monopolization of the market, as well as not allowing players like Uber, Lyft, ….

As I wrote in another publication, the cost of a trip of 20 km from the airport for 6 people was offered for 150-250 USD, the lowest we could get was 70 USD, with the price of Uber at 30 USD, but the latter does not serve at the airport, and in the city to call Uber is just a quest, drivers are just afraid of cab mafia.

Tips

During any tour, every tourist visits local bars and restaurants to satisfy his hunger. As always, in any country, there will be a question about tipping.

Most restaurants immediately include tips in the bill, which is called service, so do not rush to give something else. The amount of tips that are assigned to themselves is often very generous and reaches 10-20%.

I did not meet the included tips in a very small number of restaurants and there we certainly left something for a tip.