Xcaret Park Entry Tickets with Cultural Night Show Included
The ticket on its own, in three grades: park entry, the rivers, the beaches and the evening performance, with no transport of any kind.
From $113 per person
Check AvailabilityThings to Do at Xcaret
Grupo Xcaret counts more than fifty attractions inside one gate, and nobody sees them all in a day. This is what is in there, what comes with the ticket and what you pay for on the day, so you can pick before you arrive rather than at a counter. If you are still choosing a fare, the xcaret eco park are compared elsewhere.
The underground rivers, and the one that is shut
The rivers are the reason most people come. They are channels cut through limestone by water, running about 16 feet below ground for roughly 656 yards, at an average depth of five feet. You put on a life jacket, which is compulsory, and let the current carry you past rock walls, bat caves and openings to the sky. Intermediate exits let you get out early.
The Blue River is the one travellers name; the Pre-Hispanic River runs alongside it. A third exists and you cannot swim it.
- Blue River
- Open. The one travellers name most often, and the one a reviewer on the entry ticket called by its Spanish name, Río Azul. You float it in a life jacket with the current behind you.
- Pre-Hispanic River
- Open. The second of the two, running through the same limestone and out to the same coast, past carved openings and bat roosts.
- Manatee River
- Closed to visitors. The operator names it as the third river and states that only the other two are open, which is why a listing selling three of them is out of date rather than generous.
Two are open, not the "three underground rivers" several
listings still sell. The operator's own page names the third and says it is closed,
so read that line as a listing nobody has updated rather than as something you will be
given. The water you do get is the best part of the day, and the rivers shut at
5:30 p.m. — so go straight to them, and see
where the two open ones start and come out.
The water: bays, beaches and natural pools
When you climb out of the river you come out at the coast, and the sea is right there. The park keeps beaches, coves and natural pools along it, with hammocks and rest areas, and every grade of ticket covers all of them. One traveller described swimming the length of the river, surfacing to the Caribbean and eating at a restaurant looking over it.
The operator lists an Aquatic Paradise of natural pool and beach on its red route, and the Paradise River as a raft trip for anyone who wants the rivers without swimming them. Both come with admission. Neither needs booking.
The animals: aquarium, aviary, butterfly pavilion
The Coral Reef Aquarium runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is the one indoor hour worth keeping in reserve for the heat of the afternoon. The aviary and the butterfly pavilion open earlier, at 8:30, and close at 6. Alongside them the park keeps sea turtles, a jaguar island, a manatee lagoon with two manatees in it, and an area of regional fauna with flamingos, deer, monkeys and bats.
There is also a museum of orchids and bromeliads and a tropical jungle trail, both open until the evening. None of these costs anything beyond admission. All of them close well before the park does, which is the single most useful thing to know about planning your day.
Mundo de Niños and the family end of the park
Mundo de Niños is the children's water park, and the operator's English pages call it Children's World. It is built for under-twelves: slides, hanging bridges, tunnels and small cenotes, open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Every grade of ticket includes it, and children aged four and under go into the park free.
If you are travelling with small children, this is the part of the day to protect. Several listings state that no infant seats are carried on the coach, so a baby changes how you get there rather than what you do when you arrive. Strollers can be rented at the gate.
What happens through the day
The park runs performances from late morning, not only at night. Travellers name the Voladores de Papantla, the horse show and pre-Hispanic dances; one described a Maya dance at five in the Pueblo Maya. The operator publishes an artisan's village where the daily life of a pre-Hispanic village is played out, a house of whispers, a nineteenth-century henequen hacienda and two chapels, one of them at the highest point of the grounds with a view over the Caribbean.
A scenic tower lifts you 80 metres for the long view, from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. None of this needs a booking and none of it costs extra. Schedules move, so the board at the entrance is worth a photograph on the way in.
Xcaret México Espectacular, the two-hour close
Xcaret México Espectacular is the evening performance, staged in the Gran Tlachco theatre with a cast the operator puts at more than 300. It runs two hours and works chronologically through more than 500 years, from the pre-Columbian era to the present, closing with the Cantores de Xcaret singing México en la Piel alongside a jarocha band and a Jalisco mariachi.
It is included with every grade of ticket, including the night one. Take something warm: the theatre is open and one traveller found the evening warm enough to want a fan. Seats are not assigned unless you buy the dinner, so people start drifting in well before the start.
Want the show at the end of your day?
Every fare here covers the evening performance, whether you drive yourself to the gate or let a coach do it. Compare what each one includes.
What costs extra, and what the park charges for it
This is where the complaints come from. Admission covers the rivers, the water, the animals, the children's park and the show; it does not cover the gear you might want or the activities sold inside. The operator publishes prices for what it rents, and those figures are below. Rentals run from 8:30 a.m. until the park closes.
| Rented at the park | Price | Refundable deposit |
|---|---|---|
| Towel | $3.99 | $10 |
| Snorkel gear, Xcaret Basic | $10.99 | $25 |
| Snorkel gear, Xcaret Plus | Free | $10 |
| Locker | $5.99 | $10 |
| Stroller, single | $24.95 | $30 |
| Stroller, double | $34.95 | $40 |
| Wheelchair | $24.95 | $40 |
Two of those are worth a sentence. A locker does not come with a standard ticket, and one traveller carried a bag all day after assuming it did. The towel deposit has been asked for in cash rather than on a card, so carry a few notes as well if you want one.
The activities are the other half. The operator names a dozen of them, publishes how long each runs, and puts a price on none. They sell out through the day, so if one of them is the reason you are going, book it at the gate rather than at four in the afternoon.
| Paid on the day | Runs for | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Adrenalina | 30 min | A speedboat ride the operator clocks at up to 90 km/h. |
| Paraxute | 8–12 min | A parasail launch to about 300 ft over the bay. |
| Sea Trek | 40 min | A helmet walk on the seabed, about 16 ft down. |
| Stingray Sea Trek | 40 min | The same walk, with rays around you. |
| Sharks, a Hands On Adventure! | 45 min | Close work with nurse sharks. |
| Stingray Encounter | 45 min | An in-water encounter with rays. |
| Adventure Kids | 35 min | Snorkelling with baby rays, built for small children. |
| Snorkeling Tour | 1 h 30 min | A guided swim on the reef, separate from the rivers. |
| Temazcal | 60 min | The steam ritual, in a domed sweat house. |
| Fish Therapy | 15 min | Garra rufa fish, and your feet. |
| Ear Candling | 15 min | Exactly what it sounds like. |
| México Espectacular Dinner | 2 hours | A seven-course dinner served during the evening show. |
Decide on the grade before you arrive. Nearly
everything above is a choice you make once you are inside and already paying attention to
other things. Reading it now costs you nothing; the ticket comparison on
the visitor guide takes it further.
Asked about what is inside
What are the Xcaret underground rivers?
Channels cut through the limestone by water, running roughly 16 feet below ground for about 656 yards, at an average depth of five feet. You float them with the current, in a life jacket, past rock walls, bat caves and openings to the sky, and you come out near the sea. Most people who write about a day here name them first.
How many of the underground rivers can you swim?
Two. The operator's own page names three — Blue, Pre-Hispanic and Manatee — and states that the Manatee river is closed to visitors, which is why several tour listings advertising three underground rivers are out of date. Two is still a long swim, and there are exits part-way along both.
Do I have to wear a life jacket?
Yes, throughout the underground rivers, and the park supplies it. Inner tubes come with the ticket as well; a locker does not. The operator prices one at $5.99 with a $10 refundable deposit. Strong swimmers are not exempt: the rule covers everyone in the water.
Is there a beach?
Yes, along with bays, coves and natural pools, and access to all of them comes with every ticket. Sun loungers, hammocks and rest areas are included too. It is where most people end up between the rivers and the evening.
What is Mundo de Niños?
The children's water park inside the grounds — a set of slides, bridges and shallow pools built for small children rather than adults. It is included with every grade of ticket. Families with under-tens tend to lose an afternoon to it.
What is Xcaret México Espectacular, and how long is it?
Xcaret México Espectacular is the park's closing performance, staged in the Gran Tlachco theatre with a cast the operator puts at more than 300. It runs two hours and moves chronologically from the pre-Columbian era through the Conquest, the colonial centuries, independence and the Revolution, closing with mariachi and the park's own singers. It is included with every grade of ticket.
Attraction hours, the routes and the rental prices are Grupo Xcaret's own, checked 22 September 2026. The durations of the paid activities are the operator's. Where a traveller is quoted, the words come from a review left on one of the listings here, under that traveller's name.
- Activities included with admission (Grupo Xcaret)
- Nature attractions (Grupo Xcaret)
- Activities for children (Grupo Xcaret)
- Optional activities at extra cost (Grupo Xcaret)
- The underground rivers (Grupo Xcaret)
- Facilities and services (Grupo Xcaret)
- The evening performance (Grupo Xcaret)
Days long enough to do most of this list
From Cancun: Full Combo to Xcaret Park!
Entry with fins and a snorkel mask, the beach, the aquarium, the aviary and the rainforest trail, with transport you choose to add at booking.
From $186 per person
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Park Xcaret Plus with Transportation from Cancun and Riviera Maya
Hotel pickup around Cancún and the coast, the rivers, the beach, and one meal at a park restaurant with unlimited soft drinks.
From $262 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: read where it all sits, check the month you are travelling, or compare every fare on Xcaret Tours.