Explore the Rio Secreto Nature Reserve outside of Cancun on this full-day excursion, where you swim and wade in one of the most spectacular underground caves in Mexico. See the famous crystal caves on a tour that showcases the spectacular natural wonders of the Yucatán. Choose round-trip transportation from your Cancun hotel, or meet your guide at Rio Secreto directly. You also have the option to visit the Tulum ruins which you can add as an upgrade.

Day trip from Cancun to the Rio Secreto Nature Reserve
Swim through an underground river and enjoy the tranquility inside an ancient cave
See gorgeous crystal-like cave formations above the turquoise water
Upgrade for hotel pickup and drop-off from most Cancun and Playa Mujeres hotels
Upgrade and add a visit to the Tulum ruins which is one of the most iconic sites in the destination

What's Included

Professional guide
Use of all necessary equipment (wet suit, hard hat, water shoes, life vest)
Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option selected)
Lunch
Lockers and towels
Guided tour in the Archaeological zone of Tulum (if option selected)

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option not selected)

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Río Secreto, 77719 Q.R., Mexico
Rio Secreto is located near to Playa del Carmen.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

If you are staying at a B&B our customer service will inform you of the closest meeting point. PLEASE CONSIDER: The duration of the Rio Secreto Admission tour is 03:30 hrs. Rio Secreto Tour + Transportation is from 06:00 hrs. Important to call or email to provide hotel information Rio Secreto + Tulum Tour is from 08:00 Hrs.Important to call or email to provide hotel information The durations presented may increase due to the vehicular traffic that occurs in the transportation.

What To Expect

Choose pickup at your Cancun hotel (select option at check out) or meet directly at Rio Secreto Nature Preserve.

Arrive at Rio Secreto and listen as your guide reviews safety considerations and hands out equipment, including a hard hat with a lamp, a wetsuit, a life vest, and water shoes.

Follow your guide into the underground cave to view the breathtaking crystal formations on both the ceiling and the floor. Walk along a path through the caves and wade or swim through the river itself. Enjoy the sound of your group's movement through the subterranean cavern echoing off the walls. View the vibrant colors and dramatic mineral forms that lie hidden deep below the surface of the earth.

Exit the cave and opt for a shower at the Rio Secreto's facility. Swing in a hammock and enjoy a buffet lunch before boarding your bus for the return trip. End your Rio Secreto adventure with drop-off at your hotel in Cancun or at the Plaza Kukulkan.

Rio Secreto

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Rio Secreto

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Tulum Archaeological Site

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Carretera Federal 307

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Zona Arqueologica de Coba

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Passengers must weigh less than 250 pounds (113 kg)
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum age is 4 years

Near public transportation
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
The duration for the option Rio Secreto Admission tour is 03:30 hrs. (approximately)
The duration for the option Rio Secreto Tour + Transportation is 06:00 hrs. (approximately)
The duration for the option Rio Secreto + Tulum Tour is 08:00 Hrs. (approximately)
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Ashley_E

This was a beautiful unground cave system. Gabby was a really great guide, she was very informative and made sure we got the most out of the experience. Would totally recommend going to if you get the chance.

Reviews

4.5

617 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 617 reviews

Great family trip!

Karla_A, Apr 2024

This was so gorgeous and our tour guide was fantastic! Our kids are 8 and 11 and they did great! We all had such a wonderful time! Thank you!!

Do it if you like

Rajika_K, Apr 2024

It's okay, the guide was very good, but everything else wasn't amazing. GoPros aren't allowed, and photos cost 30usd each, which is a bit much.

Awesome adventure

stephen_g, Apr 2024

What a great experience for the whole family young and old! From 6 to 78 everyone have fun and like all the activities.

Great tour, beware expensive photos from cave

Kevin_S, Apr 2024

Great tour - tulum add on was a great addition to the tour. Swimming in the cave was great. Be prepared - you can’t take your phones in the cave and they will try to change your $30 USD per photo or $120 for all photos taken. Thought the price for photos was high. But the tour itself was good. Food was actually pretty good. Geronimo/Jeronimo was a great tour guide and very kind! Hope you get him as your tour guide. Very knowledgeable and nice.

Nice experience with expensive photos

Elena_M, Apr 2024

This trip was wonderful and very special, good organised. Our guide Mauricio is excellent! The only: we may not make photos ourselves. We had a good photographer with us but prices for photos is incredible high! 1 for 40$ or all for 120$!! We did it because of special experience but it damaged our memory

Excellent experience

Monica_R, Mar 2024

It was beautiful and we had a great time! My teenage son loved it si much! The caves are great and they provide you with the gear you need to be safe!

Underworld Exploration

Sandra_P, Mar 2024

We had an amazing time. My family really enjoyed it. The caves felt mystical. Diego made it quite the experience. I also enjoyed riding my bike through Coba. The same path our ancestors lived. It's a must do

Recommended

Andrea_R, Mar 2024

Beautiful experience, Karina was excellent, with a lot ok knowledge and charm, it is an activity that I recommended for the whole family.

Great day!

Michael_C, Mar 2024

Our family of 5 had a fantastic time on this tour. Our guide, Tianara, was really excellent and knowledgeable. She spoke with perfect clarity and humor in two languages and was very helpful and friendly to us all day. Our brave, adventurous kids (ages 5 and 9) loved both the underground cave tour and the Tulum ruins tour. Make sure your kids are physically capable and confident if you bring them. My only complaint about the day was that the photos were extremely overpriced and the photo salespersons were pushy. However, the photographer was awesome and very friendly. Still, a great day full of memories.

Truly one of a kind experience

Karl_S, Mar 2024

Truly one of a kind experience. I did the Coba combo. The tour was organized meticulously, despite my worries. A shuttle came to pick me up from a hotel in the Hotel Zone. It took 1-1.5 hour to get to the location. Our guide was Jero and he was great. We did the Coba tour first and ate late lunch (good enough). The cave, oh the cave was simply awe-inspiring. The raw beauty of nature unfolds before you, and you swim in it! This experience alone justifies my trip to Cancun. Kudos to the whole team for designing and executing such a wonderful tour.

AWESOME!

Michelle_P, Feb 2024

Amazing tour EXCEPT for waiting an hour for the bus to pick me up…no one came! I rebooked for the next day and took a taxi to the reserve because I REALLY wanted to see it. It’s well organized and our guide, Gustavo was very knowledgeable and attentive. Just be aware that they do NOT pick up people from Cancun. I wish they had told me this when I booked the first tour and gave them my hotel address.

Best adventure

Qianlin_W, Feb 2024

The underground river was stunning and it’s such a fun experience! Definitely One of the best adventure in my life.

Where else will you be in surroundings that are 2 million years old?

robinmonsky, Feb 2024

Being underground in caves that are millions of years old is beyond cool! Our guide, Memo, was fabulous. Definitely something worth experiencing. If you are with a group, you should absolutely opt for the professional photos cuz you can't take your own camera in there. If you all split the cost, it's not much at all.

A once in a lifetime experience with fun cave exploring.

Jaleesa_Z, Jan 2024

Our tour guide Diego was the best. He was so considerate of each guest and made us feel right at home. He was also very knowledgeable and we had a blast with him. It’s a must do fun with family. Don’t forget, ask for Diego.

Amazing and beautiful but pictures...

Roger_E, Jan 2024

Property and tour were great. I was disappointed by the pictures as I thought the plus package had them included. I talked to an operator and they said it was not included. I ended up paying because I thought they would at least be printed for me but it was not. If it wasn't for this it would be 5 stars.

Most memorable

Trina_M, Jan 2024

This was the most impressive excursion/tour. Omar was very knowledgeable and spoke English very well. This is a very must do adventure, and he was constantly concerned about our safety and needs. We learned so much about your country as for the fact of his world history knowledge. He definitely made your company shine, and he displays much expertise in his work and your company. Thank you for our most remarkable adventures, from bike riding to learning about the Mayan culture/Mexican people. The cave exploration was so memorable. Best wishes to you and your wife's baby on the way(Firefly). Thank you Glenn & Trina

Worth the price for the "plus" tour, would do it again!

JENNIE_A, Jan 2024

This was an amazing experience, highly recommended! Plan an extra $120 to purchase the professional photo package (all pictures). It is worth the price, the photographer is great and since you are unable to carry your cell phone/camera, it will be the only photos you have. The wet cave was amazing! Loved the rappelling! Only part that was uncomfortable was the bike ride.

Rio Secreto is must be part of Cancun itinerary

shashank_H, Jan 2024

Rio Secreto was a unique enjoyable experience, tour guide Tomas was really very knowledgeable Whole itinerary was well planned and executed nicely.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for sharing the experience, it is definately a must go in Cancun.

We had an amazing time thank to our guide Gaby. Everything was well planned, organized, and communicated.

Jeremy_l, Dec 2023

Amazing formations inside cave, organized check-in process, photography was an added bonus. Gaby was our guide and did an amazing job. Photographer was an added bonus. Pictures were a little pricey, but we knew that we wouldn’t have been able to take them ourselves. Suggestions: bring a dry set of clothes and a bag to put your wet clothing into. You will have a secured locker to put your belongings. Make sure your water shoes aren’t too loose, or they will slip off while in the cave. GET THE WETSUIT! The water is expectedly cold, but there are times that you’ll slide into the water on your bottom or squat, sit, etc…

Half day nature exploration

Hilla_G, Dec 2023

Fun and chill midday activity. Note that from start to finish it takes 4 hours. We got there around 9:15 am and we're done by 1:30 pm. The your itself was interesting, our guide helpful and knowledgeable. If you've never seen limestone formation you'll really enjoy this. Two notes - the lunch is not a must have, please give people the option to skip it, especially if they're from a nearby hotel. Second, if you're bringing a small child, please make sure they know how to swim and are not afraid of the dark. A screaming child in a cave equals a lot of noise.

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