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

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.

Yesterday we had a tour of Merida from our friendly and competent guide, Emilio…read more He took us through the old town square and told us about its history. We then walked through the cultural center of town where he told us about the legends and fables of the area. Finally, he ended the tour in one of the lively town squares where he gave us information about what's happening in Merida today. The tour was free- they just ask for a tip at the end. At no point was Emilio pushy about tips (he didn't even ask about it), he was genuinely grateful for the pesos we gave him at the end. We highly recommend this tour and hope that Emilio has great success in his endeavors.

We took the free walking tour through central Merida with Sofia as our guide. They meet daily in…read morefront of the cathedral at 9:30 am. She was super informative and fun and the pace was perfect for our group of people of all ages. She talked about the history of the cathedral and the people of the Yucatán from colonial times through the Mexican revolution to today in modern times. The tour is free but she accepts tips! I highly recommend this tour for anyone's first visit to Merida.

Visiting Merida for the first time? You have to visit la Plaza Principal de Merida (also known as…read morela Plaza Grande). The square is beautiful - beautiful trees, the Merida letters (to take a photo with), an enormous Mexican flag, and plenty of those famous "tu y yo" chairs (the chairs are connected by their arms on opposite sides, so when you sit down, you are facing the other person sitting with you). The plaza is also home to many wonderful attractions in Merida - the Palacio de Gobierno de Estado de Yucatan (a government building that has amazing murals), the Catedral de San Idelfonso (a cathedral with a gorgeous exterior), and Museo Casa Montejo (an old house with an amazing history)! Definitely worth a visit!

If you are coming to Merida you will end up spending time in Plaza Grande…read more Make sure to take a picture in from of the Merida Sign, & the church. Check out the state museum on one end of the plaza and make sure to stop by Dulcería y Sorbetería Colón on the other end - a must do when you are there. If you find the square to hetch for you, there are lots of other smaller squares in town (Parque de Santa Lucía is our fav) to spend time at.

If you're interested in late 19th century and early twentieth century history art and architecture…read moreit would be a good place to visit. This would not be high on my list if I was on a short trip.

I worked with Daniella at Yucatan Concierge to plan several day trips from Merida as we planned a…read moretrip to Yucatan. Daniella was great to work with and helped me plan and book three very different day trips for our stay. One tour took us South to Muna, Uxmal, and a hacienda and cenote; another East to Ake, Izamal, and a market; and the last West to Celestun Biosphere and the beach in Celestun. Each day was different and allowed us to see a different area and culture within Yucatan! Even though it's pricier, I like to book private tours when I'm on trips where I don't want to drive myself, because I talk a lot. A lot. And with private tours, you can ask as many questions as you want and learn as much as you can about where you are! The fact that these tours are private allowed me to customize them and to learned about the things in Merida that most interested me! Daniella matched us up with a veteran guide named David, who was extremely knowledgeable about Merida and Yucatan. Whether our questions were about Mayan history and culture, birds and wildlife of the Yucatan, or restaurants in Merida, David helped us learn so much! Our driver Edgar was also very friendly and helpful! And the van we booked was really comfortable on long-ish drives around Yucatan. If you're interested in seeing a lot of Yucatan and Merida and are happy to spend a little more to have a customized, private experience, I certainly recommend working with Daniella and Yucatan Concierge. She and the company can really help you create a unique and wonderful experience in Yucatan!

From the owner: Reserva con nosotros tu tour privado y la mejor experiencia de viaje en la Peninsula de Yucatan…read more Ofrecemos transportación privada, guía/concierge y una experiencia completamente personalizada para tí.

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.