Top 13 Food & Drink Experiences on the Riviera Maya

1.Playa del Carmen Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,274 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $84Our pick

Walk beyond Playa del Carmen’s tourist strip with an English-speaking bilingual guide such as Abby, Marcel, Fabiola, or Enrique. Taste quesadillas, fruit drinks, tacos al pastor, mole, tamales, birria, and local ice cream while learning about Mexican food, street art, and Playa’s past.

“Great experience, our guide was full of knowledge of playa del carmen and gave us an insight into Mexico City and how the culture differs. The street art was amazing and the food selection was even better. Highly recommend and we’re so happy we got to experience authentic Mexican food.”

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2.Private 40′ Bali Catamaran – Drinks & Food Included

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 348 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Book a private 40-foot Bali catamaran for up to 10 people and cruise from Puerto Aventuras toward the Mexican Caribbean reef. Your four-hour outing includes snorkeling gear, a gourmet lunch menu, premium drinks, alcohol, and time to play your own music. Food choices are selected for the group.

“Wonderful crew. Beautiful surroundings. Played our own music, had good food and drinks. Lovely way to end our Mexico trip. Highly recommend.”

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3.Tulum Local Walking Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 340 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $94

Walk through central Tulum with a bilingual guide such as Armando, Diego, Enrique, or Alberto, stopping at local eateries for tacos, tamales, drinks, and other Mexican tastings. The tour is non-alcoholic, capped at 10 people, and includes food, juices, tips, and local history.

“Our food tour with Diego from Carmen Food Tours was hands-down one of the highlights of our time in Tulum. The tacos and tamales were exceptional. Local surprises were authentic, flavorful, and clearly coming from places that residents actually eat. Diego curated an incredible lineup of stops, each with its own story, tradition, and unforgettable flavors. Every bite felt intentional, and the experience struck the perfect balance between amazing food, cultural insight, and relaxed fun. You could tell he genuinely loves what he does—and it shows in the care he puts into the tour. If you want to experience real Tulum through its food, this is the way to do…”

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4.Playa del Carmen: 3-Hour Local Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 267 reviews · 3 hours · from $84

Walk beyond Playa del Carmen’s tourist core with a Spanish- or English-speaking guide such as Abbey, Alex, Emmanuel, or Fabiola. Over three hours, taste tacos, quesadillas, mole, aguas frescas, seasonal fruit, and handmade popsicles while learning about local food, street art, Mayan culture, and the city’s past.

“It was a small group which made it more personable and very easy to ask questions. Our tour guide was very knowledgable. She explained about the cultural and history behind some of the day of the dead art work around the town as we passed it. All the stops had amazing food and it was very interesting finding out about how they are prepared and the ingredients they use. Would definitely recommend”

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5.All-Inclusive! Tulum Ruins, Tequila Tasting + Swim in 3 Cenotes in Small Group!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 191 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $208

Spend six to seven hours with guides such as Daniel, Nelson, or Roger, combining Tulum’s Maya site with three different cenotes, tequila tasting, snorkeling, drinks, and a generous Mexican lunch. Choose a walking visit to the ruins or a boat trip with reef snorkeling.

“Our tour guide, Daniel, was very informative of Tulum and its history. As a local, he took us to places that he enjoys frequenting. Cenotes were amazing and private. Food and tequila-tasting was delicious. We were able to see sea turtles, sting ray and a wide variety of fish while snorkeling. We highly recommend this tour! Note: Bring mosquito repellent!”

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6.Full Experience Isla Mujeres: Food aboard + Premium drinks + Snorkel + Free time

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 166 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $115

Sail from Cancun to Isla Mujeres on a shared catamaran with a 45-minute snorkeling stop, onboard lunch, premium open bar, and free island time. Pickup is available from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The group can reach 32 people, and guides such as Danny have helped create a lively atmosphere.

“We had a great time fun vibes & cool crew! Definitely recommend ! Pickup was smooth didn’t snorkel but the boat was fun!”

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7.Mexican Cooking Class 1 or 3 Courses Tequila and Mezcal Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $105

At Co.Cos Culinary School in Playa del Carmen, Chef Coty leads hands-on one-course and three-course Mexican cooking classes in her home kitchen. You prepare your own food, learn about chiles and sauces, dine with drinks, and finish with a tequila and mezcal tasting.

“One of the best meals and best cooking class experiences I have ever had. Chef Coty is an excellent teacher and communicator. She is very knowledgeable and insightful. The way she thinks about how the tastes, textures, colors, and smells of the ingredients is very inspiring. The menu and ingredients change with every class and every season. Among the things we made were a tortilla soup and a shrimp-stuffed chile relleno. These were absolutely the best I've ever had. We also made a great flambe dessert and learned about tequila, mescal, bacanora, and pulque. I will take her class again the next time I return to Riviera Maya.”

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8.Artisanal Mezcal and Fine Chocolate Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 132 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $89

Meet Shamira in Tulum’s La Veleta neighborhood for a two-hour English-language tasting of five mezcals, five Mexican chocolates, citrus, peanuts, cacao, and grasshoppers. You’ll learn how agave spirits are made, compare flavor profiles, and enjoy a seasonal welcome cocktail in a small group of no more than 10.

“Very knowledgeable, really enjoyed the entire experience and we were able to ask other questions about Mexico as well”

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9.5-Hour Private 40′ Yacht 2-Stop Tour to In-Ha reef with Food, Drinks & Snorkel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 103 reviews · 5 hours (approx.)

Spend five private hours aboard a 40-foot yacht from Puerto Aventuras, swimming and snorkeling at In-Ha and La Bocana. The crew supplies gear, towels, ceviche, guacamole, burgers, fishing equipment, music, and an open bar. Ask for Aldo if available, a crew favorite in past trips.

“Our catamaran trip with Aldo was hands-down one of the highlights of our trip. From start to finish, everything was seamless, fun, and unforgettable. Aldo and the crew were incredible — so welcoming, energetic, and genuinely made everyone feel taken care of while keeping the vibes high the entire time.”

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10.Mexican Street Food Crawl in Playa del Carmen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 102 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $59

Spend about three hours with an English-speaking guide visiting five or six local food stops in Playa del Carmen. Try cochinita pibil, birria, tamales, churros, tequila, and possibly grasshoppers or escamoles, then browse 5th Avenue.

“I think this was a good tour, mainly because of the tour guide who was very friendly and tried to explain everything the best way he could. althought i think is too expensive for what it is. I did a similar tour in new york for half the price.”

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11.Tulum: 3-Hour Local Food Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews · 3 hours · from $94

Spend three hours with a bilingual local guide such as Armando, Alejandro, or Luis, eating at Tulum spots favored by locals. Try tacos de guisado, dalbutes, tamales, mole, fresh juices, and fruit-market desserts while learning about Mexican food, Mayan culture, and Tulum’s past.

“So much food. They took us to the local haunts- the best tamale I have ever had. The guide had great knowledge of how the food was prepared, Mayan history and knew her way around the ins and outs of Tulum. Bring your appetite.”

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12.Full Adrenaline Day in Tulum! ATVs, Zipline, Cenote, Rappel, Food

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 69 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $35Best value

Ride an ATV through Tulum’s jungle, rappel 7 meters, cross 1 kilometer of zip lines, swim in a cenote, and attend a Maya ceremony. Round-trip transport, lockers, safety gear, lunch, and a certified guide are included. Expect a busy, active half-day with an added $30 conservation fee.

“they scammed us . we paid for this trip online 3 weeks in advance . when we got to the meeting spot , a local was trying to sell gear to us . there was no where on the website or after booking that told us to provide our own gear , we thought the company would. we ended up spending 25 dollars a piece on cheap glasses and a bandana as our " atv gear" . PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN STUFF THEY DONT PROVIDE! . Also they made us pay an additional fee of 180 dollars when we got there . they tried to say it's a "convenience fee"…”

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13.Tequila and Mezcal Tasting in Tulum with Cheese Pairing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $119

Meet at Mamazul in Aldea Zama at 5:00 pm for six tequila and mezcal samples paired with Mexican artisanal cheeses. Guides such as Antonio, Gabriel, Juan, and Ricardo explain agave, terroir, distillation, and responsible mezcal making in an English-language tasting for up to 10 people.

“They have poor directions. We never made it. They told me last min they didn’t do tranf. Had to get a cab. Can couldn’t find location”

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