Things to do in Cancun in the Morning

Cancun sunrises are among the planet’s most beautiful, the sky moving through painterly hues of cobalt-blue, bruise-purple and flamingo-pink as the day begins. Mosey down to popular sunrise spots like Playa Tortugas and Playa Forum, where you can bury your toes in the warm sand and watch the pelicans diving for their breakfast  Many Cancun beach resorts also run regular sunrise yoga classes, for a mindful way to start your day. Or head for Parque Los Fundadores behind Playa del Carmen to see the sunrise beautifully framed through the bronze Portal Maya sculpture. Adventure-seekers can even take to the water on a sunrise paddleboard tour, looking out for barracudas, rays and stone crabs in the early morning light. The tour is available with a Cancun pass from Go City.

That Chichén Itzá was selected as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World at the beginning of the 21st Century – alongside other bucket-list monuments including the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Taj Mahal – may give you some idea of its popularity. Beat the crowds (and the sweltering midday heat) by getting up early (like, really early) for a trip to the magical ruins of this extraordinary ancient Maya city. Some tours depart Cancun as early as 5AM for the 2.5-hour journey there. As one of the first to arrive, you’ll be in with a fair chance of nabbing those coveted El Castillo and Sacred Cenote selfies, minus the photobombing tourists. You can book a Chichén Itzá and Valladolid day trip with an All-Inclusive pass from Go City. The pass can save you up to 50% on the cost of regular admission and also includes entry to the epic Xcaret and Xel-Há parks, plus dolphin encounters, snorkeling tours, parasailing and many more top Cancun attractions. Hit the buttons below to find out more and choose your pass!

Set along the archeological treasure trove that is the Riviera Maya, the epic Xcaret and Xel-Há attractions are no ordinary theme parks. These eco-wonderlands run the gamut from colorful wildlife and death-defying zip lines to ancient Maya ruins and gin-clear lagoons. Our advice? Go wild with the activities in the morning, then relax in placid pools and lazy rivers as the mercury soars in the afternoon. We’re talking helter-skelter water slides, jungle zip lines and something called (gulp) the Cliff of Courage at Xel-Há, and  Aztec horse parades, ancient Maya temples and actual jaguars over at Xcaret. Take it all in before cooling off in Xcaret’s underground rivers and Xela’s tranquil lagoons after lunch.

Check out our full guide to the Xel-Há and Xcaret parks here.

The waters along the Riviera Maya are at their calmest and clearest in the mornings. Ideal conditions, in other words, for that shipwreck snorkeling tour, turtle-spotting excursion, or to experience the astonishing world of the Cancún Underwater Museum (aka MUSA), where some 500 sculptures and art installations form an artificial reef on the ocean floor. Mornings are also a good time to explore natural cenotes – the large wildlife-rich limestone sinkholes that are found all along the coast here. But why choose just one of these fine activities when you can do all of them – and more – on a whistle-stop two-hour snorkeling tour? There’s one such tour (plus many, many other water-based activities) included with the Cancun pass.

There are many ways to unleash your inner Dora the Explorer or Indiana Jones in Cancun without going all the way out to Chichén Itzá. Make morning your moment for discovering historical hotspots including the extraordinary El Rey ruins (pioctured), a more intimate and less crowded option than its much larger cousin. You should also make time to hit up Museo Maya de Cancun, a super-sleek modern museum set in flourishing tropical jungle just outside Cancun’s Hotel Zone. Step inside for one of the Yucatán's prime collections of ancient Maya artifacts, including the famous excavated bust of a headdress-wearing king that gave nearby El Rey its name. Behind the museum, wander jungle paths to the no-less-impressive pyramid and temple ruins at San Miguelito.

You’ll need to bring your best haggling game to Mercado 28 if you hope to grab a bargain. An absolute assault on the senses, this is the place to pick up those local souvenirs – handmade jewelry, colorful textiles and silver goods – and to see how well you get on against steely stallholders keen to relieve you of your tourist dollars. Lean into it and it can be a lot of fun and, who knows, you might well emerge triumphant with a bargain piece of Yucatán art. There are some excellent, authentic Mexican restaurants here too; ideal for refueling after securing your hard-won quarry. But, if you prefer your shopping experience to be reassuringly familiar (and a lot less full-on!), the nearby Plaza Las Americas, with big-brand stores including Sears, Adidas and Krispy Kreme, has you covered.

Discover more cool things to do in Cancun in the morning and save up to 50% with a Go City Cancun pass. Click here to find out more and to choose the pass that’s right for you.