The Best Cancun Excursions

The tropical paradise of Cancun is an ideal vacation destination for practically every traveler. Whether you’re invested in the cultural heritage of the region, prefer to indulge your inner wild side, or just want to enjoy some quality time with surf and sand, there’s something in Cancun we’re sure you’ll love. For many, exploring and enjoying Cancun takes the form of excursions—to adventure parks, to wildlife parks, or out to Mother Nature. Check out a few of our favorite Cancun excursions below.

The Best Cancun Excursions for Families

• If your kids love aquatic animals, then a trip to Isla Mujeres should be on your to-do list. The Sea Life Royal Swim Plus allows your little ones time to swim with dolphins, sea lions, and manatees, and offers some extra special VIP treatment for you.
• For families looking for that ideal combination of swimming, tours, cultural attractions, and more than 50 different attractions, Xcaret Park is ideal.
• Enjoy the fascinating and unique experience of an underwater museum with a trip to Paraiso Nizuc, where you can marvel at tropical fish alongside the sixteen underwater statues that make up the museum. It’s a nice way to work some art into the kids’ play.
• Kids adore the Subsee Explorer experience, which is another option for exploring Paraiso Nizuc. Take the Subsee to the best snorkeling spots, then poke around the underwater museum.

The Best Cancun Excursions for Couples

• If you’re the adventure-loving type of couple, then the Xplor Park is a smart choice for your romantic excursions. Hike, swim, raft, zip-line, and much more at this all-inclusive paradise.
• Looking for something particularly romantic for your Cancun excursion? Head out to Garrafon Natural Park and the Great Mayan reef for a day of snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, and much more—all at the gorgeous Isla Mujeres. Kick up the sexy factor with some time spent in a pre-Hispanic steam bath.
• Want to elevate the romance to the next level? How about snorkeling in the evening by the light of a bioluminescent spot? This Moonlight Bioluminescence Snorkel excursion is a unique experience that neither of you will soon forget.
• Hit up Parque Maya to explore ancient and modern Mayan culture with a variety of exciting activities that outdoorsy couples will relish. Zip-line over Nichupté Lagoon, then take a leisurely boat ride through this mangrove forest. End the morning with an authentic Mexican lunch—what couple doesn’t love some tasty Mexican fare?

The Best Cancun Excursions for Culture Buffs

• If Mayan culture drew you to Mexico in the first place, then this excursion is the perfect activity. Explore Tulum, the Mayan Temples, and the Tankah Eco-Adventure Park, learning all about ancient Mayan people and history alongside some fun activities like zip-lining and cenote-dipping.
• Visit the pre-Columbian city of Chichén Itzá, one of the most beloved and well-known archaeological sites in all of Mexico. Here you can explore ruined temples, surviving columns, and much more, as you learn all about their culture. End the day with some swimming at Mayaland Resort.
• Another top option for history buffs is a quick trip to Tulum, home to amazing Mayan ruins that have told us so much about their culture. Take a one-hour guided tour, then spend some time exploring yourself, or roaming the nearby beaches.
• If you’d like to see more Mayan sites and really immerse yourself into their history, the Full-Day Mayan Encounter & Coba Tour offers more than some other options. You can explore multiple ancient and modern Mayan sites, and even witness a real Maya ritual performed by a shaman.
• An older city than Chichén Itzá, Ek Balam is another Mayan heritage site worth exploring. Combine your wanderings here with some exciting rappelling, vine-swinging, and swimming—to make it a true Cancun excursion, of course.

The Best Cancun Excursions for Adrenaline Seekers

• What’s more exhilarating than zip-lining through an adventure park at night? Not much, we’d say! Unless you count swimming in an ancient cavern, zipping through the waters, or leisurely rafting. Head to Xplor Fuego to enjoy it all.
• Puerto Morelos is a quick drive from Cancun, but feels like a whole new world. Spend the whole day at the Extreme Adventure Park, where you can glide on a zip-line, embark on an ATV ride, enjoy multiple snorkeling sessions, and pop into a real Mayan cenote for a swim.
• Combine ten different zip-line courses with a zip-line roller coaster and you’ve only captured the start of the Extreme Canopy Tour at Selvatica Park. There’s even an Aqua Zip, a half-airborne, half-aquatic zip-line route that’s certainly among the most unique things to do in Cancun.
• Visit Jungle Maya Native Park to enjoy a jam-packed day of adventure and excitement. Tour the park in a 4x4, zip-line above the forest canopy, snorkel and abseil in an underground cenote, and more. You’ll leave nothing on the table with this excursion.

The Best Cancun Excursions for Animal Lovers

• A fantastic animal park brimming with snorkeling hot spots, hiking trails, waterslides, zip-lines, and, of course, dolphins, Xel Ha Park is ideal for nature lovers. Enjoy any of these eco-friendly attractions alongside an unforgettable Dolphin Swim Experience.
• Explore the second-largest barrier reef in the entire world (after only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia) with a snorkeling trip unlike any other. Take a trip out to the reef for two separate snorkeling spots, and then explore Puerto Morelos.
• Another top option for animal lovers is a trip out to Cozumel, where your Manatee Encounter excursion awaits. Revel in this guided interaction where you can swim with, hug, and perhaps even feed the friendly manatees. Then, spend some time exploring the eco-friendly paradise of Chankanaab National Park.
• Combine snorkeling, swimming, and cultural explorations into one fun adventure. This Reef, Turtle and Shipwreck Snorkeling Tour has a little bit of everything, with four different stops that encompass everything from sea turtles to an underwater museum.

Save on Cancun Excursions

If one, or several, of these excursions strike your fancy, then you’ll want to grab a Go Cancun pass. This convenient digital pass provides admission to any of these top Cancun excursions, plus other attractions like museums, tours, cruises, open bars, and shopping trips. Save up to 53% on these attractions, and make the most of your Mexico adventure.