Fun tour of Merida's many neighborhoods - seeing beautiful colonial mansions, churches and parks in…read morean open bus - in English and Spanish

Great tour, in Spanish and English. Great prices and our guide was knowledgeable and funny at the…read moresame time. Was the only one that explained to me the meaning of Bomba, a say in Mérida. The takes you through the historic areas as well as the plazas and parks. It last almost 2 hours, but the pass by very easily, really had a great time. The Gua Gua is a fun bus, open and at a level that still makes you feel close to the people walking around. And most importantly, quite affordable.

Great food Great service…read moreThe guacamole made at your table is fantastic Pina colada was also amazing Very good hamburger

Comida deli: ostiones Rockefeller y ceviche negro en frente del mar... servicio excelente! Pastel…read morede tres leches mi favorito y su carajillo con bayles te lleva al cielo!

I did not get what I paid for at all. I bought tickets to take a semi-private van (four families)…read morefrom my hotel in Mérida to my hotel in Cancun with a stop in Chichen Itza to see the ruins and have lunch. But they had no intention of taking us to Cancun. At Chichen Itza, the tour guide informed me they were going back to Mérida and we had find our own way to Cancun (they recommend a bus company). So they stranded me, my wife, and my special needs child half way to our destination. They lied to us and stranded us probably because they didn't have enough people booked to Cancun. They should have been honest with me so I could make proper arrangements but their greed outweighs their decency. I urge everyone reading this review to look elsewhere for a tour of the Yucatan. Estos descgraciodos quebradon mi contracto. Deberian llevar me de mi hotel en Mérida hasta mi hotel en Cancun. Estos larones me dejaron en Chichen Itza y me dijieron que nesecitaba consiguir un bus y taxi para llagar a Cancun.

This business has no ethics and won't think twice about screwing you. We booked a tour from Merida…read moreto Cancun with a stopover at Chichen Itza. Instead of taking us to Cancun as promised they dumped us at Chichen Itza and told us we had to take a public bus to Cancun. We were shocked, horrified and angry. Luckily, I paid with a credit card and I'm fighting the charges. Unscrupulous liars.

Kabah is a smaller Mayan city near Uxmal. If you go, it's possible you'll be the only group or one…read moreof very few who visit. Entry fee at the time of my visit was 80 pesos/person (~$5) and must be paid in cash. As far as significance, the main notable structure is the palace of masks. You can get very close to these and check out the ornate 3d carvings. Very unique and different from what you see at Chichen Itza. Also, I really liked the carving of the two royal figures. Those are super cool and worth seeing because they are unique to this site. I didn't see anything similar at Uxmal or Chichén Itza. Overall: Worth doing as an add-on to Uxmal. Probably worth 30-45 minutes. Maybe longer if you're an archaeologist or expert.

Amazing to Explore these Small but Impressive & Detailed Ruins - Beautiful, Quiet and Off the…read moreBeaten Tourist Path! I visited the Kabah Ruins on the afternoon of November 23rd with a friend as part of our two-day road trip along the Ruta Puuc from Merida. In the morning of November 23rd, we visited the Uxmal Ruins and then continued on to Kabah during the first day (we visited the smaller Ruta Puuc ruins on the second day - Sayil, Xlapak and Labna). After Uxmal, the highway narrows to one lane and the jungle encroaches super close to the edge of the road. The landscape and scenery along the drive was beautiful, with lots of rolling hills in the jungle along the winding road. The highway was newly paved and in great condition. The signage was good and the ruins of Kabah were located about 10 minutes past the Mayan village of Santa Elena and about 20 minutes from the Uxmal ruins. You can see the ruins right from the highway and you can't miss it. There was a small gravel parking lot on the right side of the highway and the entrance to the ruins was across the highway on the left side. The entrance fee was 47 pesos and parking was free. My friend and I were the only people at the ruins, which made for such a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. It was lovely to explore these quieter and more off the beaten path ruins at a leisurely pace and have the entire place to ourselves. The ruins site was small and compact and was situated on a large grassy area surrounded by jungle. Most of the ruins were very well-preserved and the grounds were well-maintained. The three-tiered Palacio temple was huge, impressive and beautifully restored. It was a beautiful structure with lots of small rooms, detailed architecture and intricately carved designs, masks and carvings on the rocks, and lots of columns. Climbing was not allowed on the Palacio but we could touch and climb on most of the other structures. The other ruins and structures surrounding the Palacio were beautiful as well, with many of the building walls covered with amazing carvings of the Mayan rain god, Chaac. There were some structures that were only partially excavated and still mostly covered in jungle plants as well. After wandering the ruins on the left side of the road, we crossed the highway to the other side (where the parking lot was) to see the beautiful Arch of Kabah, reached after a short walk down a wide path through the jungle. The mosquitoes were absolutely terrible on this side of the highway and even strong repellent couldn't keep them away! As a result, we didn't stay too long here. The arch was gorgeous and had such detailed architecture. A sacbe (ancient white stone road) used to pass through the arch and led from Kabah to Uxmal. Also along the path from the highway to the arch, we could see a very tall and impressive looking rock mound in the jungle, completely covered with trees and plants. It appeared to be a large pyramid, but it had yet to be uncovered and excavated. It felt like I was discovering it for the first time. I really enjoyed seeing the ruin among the natural jungle setting and it was interesting to see what it would look and feel like for the explorers who first discovered these Mayan ruins. Bring water, snacks and lots of mosquito repellent when visiting these ruins. I thoroughly enjoyed by experience exploring and admiring the Kabah ruins. I look forward to returning here one day again and would highly recommend these ruins to anyone traveling in the Yucatan!

Enjoying our visit, but questioning why we prepaid at a $60 rate when it's only $40 to book at the…read moreport? And yes, both of the groups bought the all inclusive beach club with blue wrist bands. $40 - great value $60 - would have be better if the other alcohol and menu items were included Guess our next visit we will wait and book at the port - also while the buffet menu references fish - there was none when I asked was told not today

Great option for cruise port calls, but beware the exchange markup at the beach house". Uva was a…read moregreat guide and the itinerary they put together is just enough to see natural and ancient points of interest without being in a car all day. Wonderful setup getting to a for an early dip before the crowds arrive...first ones in! Mayan market place ruins were enough to give a flavor of the ancient ways. The salt ponds were cool and we brought back pink salt. "Beach house" has a nice setup, but really no beach. Drinks and food were great, but at cruise ship prices ($12 margs and $20 taco plates). Didn't go for the all inclusive and I was fine with these prices until I went to check out and they tacked on an additional 18% to the exchange rate for a credit card. No exchange rate posted and absurd with the food and drink prices they are charging. Had I known, I would have used cash, but not given that information...be aware.

We were in Merida for a week and the best two days of our trip were the two we spent with Polo. He…read moreis from Merida and knows everyone and everywhere. He took us to Cenotes which were not super touristy but also very safe. He knows the history and geography very well and can explain so much about how things are. He speaks both English and Spanish very well. He can design your day and take you to spots you would never discover otherwise.

I have used Yucatan Excursions for private tours throughout the Yucatan peninsula. Although the…read morecompany does transport people between hotels and Airports or other transportation centers, I think the company excels in custom tours. I have used Yucatan Excursions several times in the past three years. The day trips I have taken are a great value. Not only did we visit the locations on my "to do" list, but Polo had excellent suggestions on places to visit that are off the beaten path. I saw Mayan ruins that are not publicized but are way better than Those swamped with tourists. My suggestion is for you to have an idea of what you want to see, and ask Polo for suggestions. You won't be disappointed. Polo speaks fluent English, and his a wealth of historical and cultural information. You may have heard of Rick Steve's Europe Through the Back Door. I see Polo as being Yucatan Off the beaten path. One thing I didn't mention in my initial review is that Yucatan Excursions is a locally owned small business. It is not part of an international hotel chain or travel company. When you use this business you are supporting a local business and the local economy. In the days of multi-national corporations I think it is very important for travelers to support the communities they are visiting. You are also getting personalized service that is tailored to your specific wants and interests, and not to a pre-determined set of criteria intended to cater to the overall assumed desires of all tourists.

Their website is full of lies! This tour is only available in Spanish, unlike it says on the…read morewebsite. Even on the registration, it asks for English or Spanish, but it did not matter. Unless you speak Spanish, do not take this tour unless you just want to drive around the city for an hour and a quarter (which was also shorter than the website claimed). Also, it is not a hop on and hop off ride like it says on the bus and on the website. The bus never stopped. I am giving it to stars because it was nice to see the city and one of us spoke Spanish and they understood the history. We took the barrios tour.

Schedule is not correct online. Barrio circuit doesn't actually seem to exist. Bottom level is not…read moreair conditioned. That said it is decent enough tour for the price. Only Spanish though so beware.

Ralf, from Lawsons Original Yucatan Excursions, and I have been emailing each other on and off for…read morea couple of years, looking for the right adventure and the right timing. We finally found it. We started off our day at the Punta Laguna Monkey Reserve where we wandered along numerous jungle trails trying to locate some of the elusive spider monkeys after participating in a traditional Mayan ceremony, asking for permission and protection to enter the jungle. Our guide, Julio, finally managed to locate a few mammas and babies high in the trees having a morning siesta. Even if we hadn't seen any the hike thru the jungle was lovely. We didn't rappel into the cenote - access in and out was via a rope ladder and neither of us have that kind of upper body strength! Next up, we headed to the lagoon and a lovely cooling breeze. The plan was to canoe - we ARE Canadian after all - but both my mother and I were exhausted. However, someone was looking out for us - when we arrived, a local Mayan family were at the docs and a couple were getting baptized. It was beautiful to witness their faith and be allowed to share in their experience. A huge orange butterfly also flew around the gentleman as he was baptized. After a rest and a Coke to bump up our sugar, we headed even deeper into the jungle for an afternoon visit and lunch with a different local family. This experience... it didn't hit me until after we left and I was back at our resort alone in my room but I came very close to crying. Not with sadness but with joy. Located beside a lagoon with no electricity, no plumbing, they seemed so perfectly happy. They were genuinely pleased to share their way of life, their history, their home and their food with these random strangers. We chatted about the family (immediate and extended), day to day life, shared laughs about our differences and I think, bonded over similarities regardless of culture. Then it was lunch time! We were invited to try making our own tortillas before sitting down to probably the most enjoyable meal I can remember (pollo pabil). Kept company by their beautiful children and their adorable dog, Tobacco, this family made us feel incredibly welcome and it was our honour to meet them. As a sweet treat to end our visit, we got to see their beehives where they harvest their own honey made by the local, stinger-less (and oh so tiny) Mayan bees. FYI, its delicious. A HUGE thank you to Ralf for putting together this incredible, life changing day for us. Finally getting to meet you was like getting together with an old friend.

Our family enjoyed a tour with Lawson's Original Yucatan Excursions on May 22…read more We were picked up at our Airbnb in Chuburna by Ralf and our driver, Jose. By the end of the day, they both felt like old friends! Early in the day, we went to a market to shop for food with Inez. She then instructed us on what to do to prepare an authentic Mexican lunch, giving each of us jobs. Once the prep was done, the chicken needed to cook (underground!), so we headed to our next stop - Uxmal. We had a very knowledgeable guide at Uxmal, and we enjoyed it very much. Next, we stopped at Choco-Story, where we fed monkeys, watched a Mayan cacao ceremony, and sampled drinking chocolate. After Choco-Story, we traveled back to our foodie experience with Inez. The food was delicious, and we were ready for our next adventure - a cenote. It was a beautiful day for the cool water and the perfect way to end the day. Ralf was the ideal guide. He made stops along the way, was engaging, and full of fun stories/information. If we wanted to talk, he did if we wanted quiet, he sensed that as well. There were little touches throughout, like providing cold drinks in the cooler and making sure we tried ice cream and smoothies after the heat at Uxmal. Ralf heard us talking about the birthday of our son-in-law on the ride to meet up with Inez. She and her helpers provided a cake complete with a candle and sang 'Happy Birthday' at our beautifully set lunch table. It was a magical, memorable day, and one our family will always treasure. Thank you, Ralf! 5 stars only because there isn't an option for more