Palenque Ruins, Agua Azul & Misol-Ha Vandfald fra San Cristobal

Wow. This whole trip was *ONE LONG ENDURANCE TEST* (emphasis on the *"LONG"* part). We went over literally *hundreds* of speedbumps during this trip (to the extent that, if a penny were knocked off the £80 price for every speedbump, we would have ended up paying less than half price) -meaning most of the journey was us hurtling forwards at 40mph, then suddenly slowing right down to a snail's pace, going over a speedbump, and then suddenly hurtling forwards again. The longest instances between speedbumps were a couple of minutes, and the shortest were every two to three seconds, but on average it was every 40 seconds or so (for the *entire drive*). Another issue was that the van would be in near pitch-darkness for a couple of hours (pickup is 4am)...but suddenly, without warning, the driver would simply flick the glaring lights on -to everyone's collective groans 😅 (and he either never seemed to get why people reacted poorly to this or just didn't care 🤷). The drive is also incredibly wavey and bumpy (for any of you prone to travel sickness). You're not allowed to open the window for fresh air, so it starts to get hot and stuffy after not too long. There are fans...but the driver seemed reluctant to put them on for very long...and whenever they went off, one of us would have to ask him to put them on again -which he would do...reluctantly. He never seemed to figure out that we wanted them on for the whole trip (or maybe he was hoping we would get bored of asking, and stop at some point...?). The destinations (the two waterfalls and the Mayan ruins) are simply not worth it, in my opinion. All our group did was turn up and take a few photos...and then wait around bored, with market owners constantly trying to peddle us tat (and ignoring our "no thank you"s), until the minivan would shuttle us on to the next place. One particularly bizarre moment was when the tour operator had us all fill out feedback sheets. Traditionally, feedback sheets are: a) *anonymous*, and b) done at the *end* of a tour. This was neither. Not only were the sheets handed out two thirds of the way through the day, but *our names were on the sheets*. Plus -incredibly- the operator *stands and watches as you fill out the form* -occasionally glances over your shoulder to see what it is you're writing!? 🤣 Additionally, the questions on the sheets were only in Spanish i.e. not a language the majority of the group knew -so you're not even quite sure what it is you're answering anyway! I am not naive enough to write a critical review of a person who is looking directly at me *and* is in charge of driving me back to my hostel...so I just ticked all the highest boxes (but rest assured, this was the *opposite* of what I *really* thought!! 😅). After we had seen the sights, two thirds of our group decided to stay in Palenque, as opposed to braving the trip all the way back to San Cristobal (good thinking! 👍). But instead of the operator simply driving us back to our hostels (you know, the thing it said would happen on the tickets we paid for), he decided he would actually pick up a bunch of random people -people unrelated to our tour- and cart us all back at the same time...adding an additional *TWO HOURS* on to our already lengthy (17-hour) trip. Bearing in mind, he announced this to us just before we were supposed to head home...i.e. conveniently *after* we had already filled in the feedback sheets. He didn't even ask us if we were okay with this deviation; we had no say in it whatsoever. He also only announced it in Spanish -knowing I only knew English (meaning if the Spanish guy next to me hadn't thought to tell me what was happening, I would have had no idea 🤷). I spent the final (additional!) two hours desperately trying to not throw up in the swaying, now-much-hotter van, full of random people (all while repeatedly having to ask for the fans to be switched back on!! 😅). A lovely elderly Mexican lady who was sat next to me accurately summed up the entire journey right at the end, declaring: "Torture over." 🤣 TLDR: 85% of the trip is either driving, paying to use toilets, or being relentlessly peddled glow-in-the-dark t-shirts and other tat at prices much higher than in the cities. I *wish* I had read a review like this *before* I paid money and wasted an entire day on this torture. NEVER AGAIN.

the view was amazing, we took many pictures. be ready to walk a lot to the beautiful places and swim in the Agua Azul & Misol-Ha waterfalls. loved it.

14 hours in a van on the most horrible roads, I was carsick all day. For some unexplained reason we did not take the main road but instead took a back-country route for half of the trip, much of this on very winding and bumpy gravel roads. Even when we were on paved roads they were very windy and had speed bumps every 100 meters, I was regretting the trip after the first 10 minutes and the drive only got worse. I would not recommend this to anybody, what a horrible experience. The destinations themselves are nice, but nothing is worth those 14 hours of hell.

I can’t really say that a “tour guide” took us. It was a DRIVER who was watching for time. He didn't explain anything at all, and if you asked him I didn't know. He would park and say “go and here at such a time or I will leave you”. On the other hand, it is preferable to make only two visits, all three are made in a great hurry and it is exhausting from San Cristobal. You don't enjoy yourself the way you should. Take advice ;)

Unfortunately, if you only have one day, this might be your only option. Leaving at 330 is necessary because it's a long drive. My problem with the tour is we spent 3 hours of the trip (The first stop after the drive) at a little village that was filled with nothing but souvenir stands and restaurants all selling the same exact cheap tourists nic-nacs and cheap food. Spending 3 hours there, but then only 45 minutes at the beautiful waterfall and only about 1 hour and 45 minutes at the Mayan Ruins? They need to fix that timing

It is of course one of the musts of the Mayan civilization because of its state of conservation and especially rehabilitation. The fact that this site is in the heart of Yucatan makes it (a little bit) less frequented than those near the federal capital. A sense of harmony emerges from this site especially if you have the chance to visit it at the least busy times and in mild temperatures. Good physical condition required. Subjects to vertigo and disability abstain. Of course I highly recommend to make the detour for a day trip.

Our guide Ramon was amazing, friendly, and knowledgeable. He definitely made the tour enjoyable. It was a LONG day but afterwards, there were zero regrets. Every scene was beautiful and the piece of history we took home with us is unmeasurable. Highly recommend this tour!

The places are just breathtaking, unfortunately, you don't have enough time to appreciate them. If you're a foreign, this trip suits you perfectly well, if you're someone like me, a photographer and nature lover, a few hours at every place is not enough. The driver/guide was respectful the whole time.

Visiting the waterfalls and the Palenque ruins when you're in Chiapas is something you can't miss. It is a long and tiring day, the road is bumpy, and yes you will have to wake up early, but it is unforgettable. I had been to Chichen Itza, but I personally was more amazed by the Palenque ruins. When you reach the Agua Azul waterfall, walk up the path to swim in the upwards pools. I'd recommend waiting to get to San Cristobal de las Casas to book the tour with one of the many operators on the main street to avoid paying commission fees.

Great tour, great guide. Was the perfect package for us as we only had one day to visit these 3 locations. The only negative is the drive back to San cristobal. 6 hours of "hell" due to all the road twists and turns and speed bumps. If you easily get car sick, this tour will be very hard for you. If not, I would recommend it. Just come prepared!