vinolover

In reaching posts I've come away with two pieces of advice. 1. Don't book in advance since there is no guarantee of good weather in June. And 2. Don't book through the hotel concierge because it will cost more.

I'm not sure where to go to book a tour. We only have a couple of days (after our convention stuff is over) so we don't want a long day trip that includes other sights.

Is there a recommended tour company that can pick us up at our hotel (FAGCB) and provide us with transportation and a guided tour of the ruins at Tulum? Or, should we try to book a private driver/guide? Is there a kiosk or some other place near our hotel to book this type of tour directly with a tour company?

We don't want to rent a car so any advice on guided tours would be appreciated.

Diana

There are a lot of different tour companies that do the tours to Tulum.

The main things you want to do:

Get a tour that leaves early in the morning and does not spend a lot of time just picking up people from other hotels and resorts.

The best thing is to choose the compnay that gets you to the ruins as early in the morning as possible before it gets too hot and before the place becomes overrun.

Tulum is hotter thn 40 hells in June.

Be sure your bus is a first class bus with A/C and has a coller with water/drinks on it. Kkep yourself very hydrated as it is easy to get overheated there.

Be sure the tour allows for time on the beach after the ruins. The Tulum beach is amazing.

I don't know that booking throught the concierge would cost more.

Why don't you e-mail the concierge at the hotel in advance ans ask what companies he/she recommmends and check them out online for pricing?

For a private driver, I can highly recommend DITA at getdita.com
I don't know if they have tour guides, but I think you can get one of those once you get to Tulum.

Pausanias

Tulum is about 60 miles south of Cancun, so getting there can take about an hour and a half. I'd skip the tour companies and take a public bus. The site is small and a guide is not necessary. A guidebook with good descriptions should suffice. Stunning setting, but HOT. Dress comfortably.

vinolover

More research is showing that all the tour companies include Xel Ha in their Tulum tours which is too long a day for us. So it looks like either a private driver (which might make more sense if all 4 of us go) or the public bus (if only 2 of us go).

Where would we catch a bus?

Looked at the DITA site and they only seem to offer airport transportation. Any other recommendations on hiring a driver? Haven't heard back from the hotel, their web site is acting funky when I try to use it.

Thanks for the replies, any more input would be welcome.

Diana

No, DITA does not only offer airport transport. If you look at their website again, you will see an option to contact them about their prices and a custom itinerary. Just e-mail them, and they will respond promptly.

We had a private driver pick us up (exactly on time) at the ferry dock in Cancun to take us directly to our hotel in Tulum.

Their prices are very reasonable, and they will tailor-make an itinerary to take you wherever and whenever you want to go. They are so efficent and friendly too.

The problem with the bus is that you somehow have to get to the bus station, and I don't know how close to the ruins they drop you off. I am sure they travel to and from the ruins frequently, but I would hate to have to stand around in the heat waiting.

No offense to anyone, but if you are staying at FAGCB, you most likely want to be on your own schedule and not be concerned about spending a little more money to do so as opposed to saving a few bucks by taking shared transportation (which is a concern for a lot of travelers to the region).

If you are not budget travelers, then being able to go and come as you please is worth the (not a whole lot of) extra money to be able to do so.

Pausanias

The bus station is on Avenida Uxmal just west of Avenida Tulum. Across the street is the ticket office of Playa Express, which also runs buses down the coast to Tulum.

Meaning no offense to anyone, but exploring local options and making your own way does not reflect negatively on your financial resources or imply untoward frugality. If nothing else, you get to avoid the well-worn jokes of the driver, and quite possibly an irritating stop at a souvenir stand.

Anyway, I find "doing it yourself" to be more fun, but not everyone does.