g adventures mexico tours

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Highlights of the Yucatan

• In-depth Cultural
• Fully Guided
• Christmas & New Year

• Introduction
• Day 1 Playa del Carmen
• Day 2 Playa del Carmen to Isla Holbox (1B)
• Day 3 Isla Holbox (1B)
• Day 4 Holbox/Izamal (1B)
• Day 5 Izamal/Mérida (1B, 1L)
• Day 6 Mérida (1B)
• Day 7 Mérida/Tulum (1B)
• Day 8 Tulum (1B)

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Reviews About This Operator

• Tour Operator G Adventures 4.8
• Sarah · 19th April 2024 Excellent trip. Fabulous guide well informed and extremely helpful. Well organised and so much variety
• Willie · 28th March 2024 Kevin was an excellent guide. Hotels in all of the centers were very good with the exception of the hotel in Puerto... Show more
• Deborah · 19th March 2024 3 countries in 10 days. Full of culture, history and a fun group

Dates & Availability

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• August 2024
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• Currency $ Mexican Peso Mexico

As a traveller from England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa you will need an adaptor for types A, B.

• These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.
• Typhoid - Recommended for Mexico. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.
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• Hepatitis B - Recommended for Mexico. Ideally 2 months before travel.
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• Here is an indication for which countries you might need a visa. Please contact the local embassy for help applying for visas to these places.
• For any tour departing before 7th June 2024 a full payment is necessary. For tours departing after 7th June 2024, a minimum payment of 20% is required to confirm your booking with G Adventures. The final payment will be automatically charged to your credit card on the designated due date. The final payment of the remaining balance is required at least 45 days prior to the departure date of your tour. TourRadar never charges you a booking fee and will charge you in the stated currency.
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Mayan Discovery

As I go deep into Mexico and Central America to explore the Mayan world, I realise that we might be making the same fatal mistake that led to their downfall.

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

Updated: July 7, 2023

The Ancient Maya knew how important rain was for their grand civilisation and so, when drought hit them, they turned to the gods.

First they offered gifts like food, asking for rain in return. It didn’t come.

Believing the gods wanted a stronger demonstration of faith, the Maya performed blood ceremonies where they would cut sensitive parts of their body and offer the blood to the gods. Still the rain didn’t come.

With desperation, the Maya turned to the ultimate offering – human sacrifice.

Some people volunteered to be sacrificed, partly for honour and partly because they believed it would lead to a better afterlife. And babies were also sacrificed because they represented purity.

Still the rain didn’t come.

What the Ancient Maya didn’t realise was that the gods couldn’t give them rain, even if they wanted to.

The Mayan civilisation had just grown too big – and too conceited!

In its effort to expand its cities, aggrandise its buildings, and enrich its leaders, the Mayan civilisation destroyed the environment around it, cutting down forests and redirecting the natural path of water.

The Maya were the cause of the drought – or at least, a large contributing factor – and ultimately their greed may have led to their own downfall.

Sound familiar?

The Mayan civilisation

The Maya were one of the Ancient World’s great civilisations and now I’m here to see what’s left of it for myself on a two-week journey with G Adventures through Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.

In search of answers to the mysteries of the Maya, I’m going deep into jungles, on riverboats, to the coast, and through the now-dry plains of this fascinating region.

The Ancient Maya are not as intertwined with our historical narrative as, say, the Ancient Greeks. We don’t see their legacy in our everyday lives like we do with the Ancient Romans.

But there is something exciting and exotic about the Ancient Mayan world. Perhaps it has to do with the dramatic images of human sacrifice with which they’re associated. Or it could be because of the legends around their calendar predicting the end of the world.

It certainly has a lot to do with the enormous cities they have left for us in the wilds of Mexico and Central America – and the mystery about why they were all abandoned so suddenly.

Historians have a lot of theories about what led to the remarkable downfall of the Mayan civilisation. It might have been because of war, invasion, or trade issues. Or perhaps a mixture of all those things.

It probably also had a lot to do with the changing climate in the region, partly caused by the Maya themselves. Droughts would mean a lack of food, which would lead to fights over natural resources and eventually an exodus to new lands.

As I take this journey through the Ancient Mayan world with G Adventures seeing Mayan ruins in Mexico and Central America, it’s hard not to think about the parallels with today.

G Adventures puts on emphasis on sustainability, ethical tourism, and supporting local communities. But not all of society cares about this kind of thing… and I can’t help but wonder sometimes if our civilisation is going the same way as the Mayan.

Mayan Discovery: The sites

G Adventures has quite a few excellent tours through this region, giving you options for different themes, durations, and styles.

As part of my role as a G Wanderer, I’m on a tour called Mayan Discovery that begins in Cancun in Mexico, then travels through Guatemala and into Belize, before heading back up to Cancun.

The itinerary makes sense geographically and we’re able to see a lot over the two weeks. But, in general, it means we start towards the end of the history of the Mayan civilisation and journey into the past, towards where the seeds for the downfall would first be planted.

Throughout it all, we also explore other parts of the region and experience the wonderful cultural and natural offerings in Mexico and Central America. Not everything is about the Ancient Maya.

There are plenty of opportunities to relax at the natural swimming holes (called cenotes), waterfalls, and beaches.

          View this post on Instagram                   Why do I seem to be doing such silly things these days?! This is another of the cenotes in the Yucatan region of Mexico, formed when the ground collapses and reveals a natural pool. And I am the fool who is jumping off a high cliff down into the water (with a bit of encouragement from my @gadventures group)!! #gwanderers A post shared by Time Travel Turtle (@michaelturtle) on Jan 22, 2019 at 3:44pm PST

For the more adventurous, there are activities like caving, snorkelling, and kayaking.

          View this post on Instagram                   “We don’t have any Nemo fish,” the local diver tells me. “But we do have Nemo’s school bus!” The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world – and one of the best protected. On a day of snorkelling with my @gadventures group, I saw SO MUCH! I’ll edit it together soon but here’s a short highlight. Full itinerary link in my bio. #gwanderers A post shared by Time Travel Turtle (@michaelturtle) on Feb 3, 2019 at 4:04am PST

Along the way, we get a chance to learn more about the colonial history in this part of the Americas and the legacy that has left in the lives of the locals.

And, of course, there is the modern world. Here, we find new trends but also influences from the past, particularly in areas like food, music, and art.

Before I tell you about some of the specific places you see on the Mayan Discovery tour with G Adventures, have a look at the map of the route that the trip takes.

Chichen Itza

The first stop is Chichen Itza, one of the most famous Mayan ruins in Mexico.

It is also one of the most recent, built in the Late Classic Period around 900 AD after many of the cities further south had been abandoned.

It’s an impressive site with a large collection of buildings of different styles. It would once have had a substantial population living here but now it’s the large groups of tourists who fill the area.

Although it’s certainly an important Mayan city (and a World Heritage Site), I think it is particularly famous because it’s so close to the resort cities of Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

I hope the tourists who come out just for a day trip and see no other Mayan sites realise that it’s actually quite different to the others architecturally.

At least it’s possible to get some nice photos of the main pyramids without people climbing all over it. But that’s just because they’re not allowed to anymore.

As we go deeper into the heart of the Mayan world, we’ll come to places where the pyramids are empty simply because there are no other people there to climb them.

A bit further west across the Yucatan Peninsula, we visit Uxmal, a contemporary of Chichen Itza that was once the most powerful in the region.

Even though the two cities would have had economic and political relationships, the architecture of the two is very different.

Here at Uxmal, we find much taller pyramids and temples. It’s easier to get a sense of how the ruling elite used the urban layout to project a sense of hierarchy.

What’s particularly interesting here at Uxmal – and one of the reasons it is also a World Heritage Site – are the ornate friezes that have been carved into the rock walls of the buildings. In them, you can see beautifully-detailed images of animals and masks, representing the gods.

By the time we are at the next Mayan ruins of Palenque, we are deep in the jungle.

The city feels large but it would actually have been smaller than the ones we’ve already visited. Perhaps it’s the cedar and mahogany trees growing so densely amongst the restored pyramids and temples that makes it feel more expansive.

The individual buildings here are stunning – with some of the finest architectural design and artwork. But, unbeknownst to the Maya, this was contributing to their climate problems.

Here at Palenque, many of the buildings were decorated in stucco. But stucco is made by melting limestone and to make one tonne of it, they needed 10 tonnes of wood to make the fire hot enough.

All the jungle I see around me today – none of it would have been here at the peak of Palenque’s power.

Yaxchilan and Bonampak

I didn’t think it was possible to get deeper into the jungle than Palenque but the next day I’m proven wrong, as we drive to a remote spot where we board a boat to go up the river to the isolated ancient city of Yaxchilan.

This is the most adventurous experience of Mayan ruins exploration for us, exploring a jungle site as howler monkeys shout and spider monkeys jump in the branches above us.

It’s also an excellent site to see more of the language of the Ancient Maya. They were a very intellectually-advanced race and had the only known written script in Mesoamerica.

The characters of their writing were complicated hieroglyphics – and you can still see a lot of them carved into parts of the buildings here at Yaxchilan.

The Mayan civilisation was not a single kingdom. Each of these cities we’re visiting would have operated as their own states. There were different power bases in different areas and, like most of human history, their relationships constantly shifted between trade, conflict, alliances, and colonisation.

There were probably imaginary borders between these different Mayan states, and they would have changed all the time over the centuries. But none would have looked like the borders we see today.

And so, on our journey to see a broad swathe of the Mayan empire, we next travel from eastern Mexico into Guatemala.

Present-day Guatemala is home to the ruins of one of the oldest and most powerful Mayan cities – Tikal.

The earliest buildings found at Tikal are from about the 4 th century BC and the city grew from there until about the 9 th century AD. It’s estimated that, at its peak, Tikal may have had 120,000 residents!

The temples and pyramids here soar up through the jungle like skyscrapers, the tops peaking out from the trees, reaching towards the sky.

The Ancient Maya were much more advanced than most of their contemporaries in the Americas and they had a very good understanding of mathematics and astronomy.

In cities like Tikal, the design and placement of these skyscrapers were not accidental. They had direct relationships to the stars and important numbers.

Aside from visiting Tikal, there’s not much time in Guatemala unfortunately. It’s my only real disappointment from the tour, that I don’t get to see more of this fascinating country.

But there are lots of different G Adventures trips in this region – many of which spend longer in Guatemala – so there are always other options here , if you would like to see more.

For me, it’s on to Belize to see a different side of the Maya. There are ruins of cities here and, with this tour, there is an option to go and see the most impressive one at Caracol.

However, I choose to go underground instead.

Crystal Cave

While the focus so far has been on the cities that the Ancient Maya built, like most indigenous cultures around the world, they had an important connection to their own geography.

In the jungles of modern-day Belize, one of the most important natural characteristics were the large underground caves that had formed in the karst limestone.

The Maya believed these were the entrances to the underworld and they could get closer to their gods here. So, they became focal points for worship and religious ceremonies.

Climbing through the Crystal Cave as a day trip from San Ignacio in Belize is an incredible experience – but also one of the most challenging things I have done in a while.

There is no need for ropes or special equipment, but I need to concentrate on what I’m doing for the whole four hours we are underground, making sure I am using the right handholds and putting my feet where they won’t slip.

Going deeper into the cave is almost a perfect representation of how the Maya feel deeper into despair when they faced the drought they could not stop.

Archaeologists have been able to determine that just inside the cave entrance, the Maya made food offerings. When that didn’t work, they went a bit further in to do blood letting ceremonies, and then even deeper to make human sacrifices, trying to appeal to their gods for rain.

As we climb through, we see pottery and even human remains from more than a thousand years ago, still here from those ancient ceremonies.

But really, it’s the natural formations of the cave that are so spectacular. The cave dazzles and offers and ever-changing presentation of limestone beauty.

What else is on the tour?

In many ways, this is what I find throughout the whole of this Mayan Discovery tour . There are plenty of Mayan ruins and other artefacts from the Mayan Civilisation to see – and they are fascinating – but it’s the overall landscape that I find myself enjoying even more. The natural and cultural landscape.

In the first couple of days, we go swimming in the natural pools that have formed in the Yucatan peninsula called cenotes, with crystal clear water and striking settings.

In the city of Merida, we see the colonial architecture from the Spanish era and see how a large Mexican city has transformed itself into a modern day centre.

We have a barbecue by a river one day and go sliding and jumping amongst the nearby waterfalls.

There’s time for a bit of relaxation at the beach or a swim to cool offer after an exciting afternoon of exploration.

And, of course, there are couple of days on the beautiful island of Caye Caulker in Belize, with a boat trip to go snorkelling on one of the world’s greatest reefs, and enough Caribbean flavour to bring some wonderful Central American diversity to the trip.

It’s a great mix of activities that let you explore and relax in equal measures.

How does the tour work?

While the main sites are all included with the tour, a lot of these activities like caving and snorkelling are optional and there are other choices available. It means you can have some flexibility to customise your trip.

Also, rather than have every activity included (and hence the cost of every activity included), you can make choices along the way about which things you would really like to do and spend your money accordingly.

It’s one of the things I like about going on G Adventures tours. You feel as though you have some independence and, if you want some time along to chill out or explore something in particular, that’s easy to do.

It’s the same with meals. Most of them are not included in the tour and so you are free to choose where you would like to eat (and how much you would like to pay).

Of course, there are many times when we choose to go out as a group and have a nice meal together. But there are also nights when I decide to get something quick and casual on my own, or just hang out with a couple of the group members.

When you’re travelling through places like Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, this is a real bonus! I love the food here and I want to try as many things as possible.

Sometimes I may feel like fine dining and other times I way prefer street food. Because nothing is locked in, I get to taste a wide range of meals – all of them authentic and delicious.

Previously I have written about taking G Adventures tours in Jordan and in Namibia . Because of the logistics of those trips, there was less flexibility in where to eat and what to do. On the Mayan Discovery, there are a lot of opportunities to make your own choices.

With that in mind, you may be wondering who the Mayan Discovery tour would be suitable for. The short answer is – almost anyone!

There are people from 18 to 80 who take this tour and it accommodates them all. You do need to have a decent level of fitness because there’s a lot of walking but it’s not overly strenuous physically.

The level of comfort is average. You’ll stay in basic hotels but they are clean and comfortable. Sometimes we are in our own vehicle but there are also times we catch local buses for long journeys.

I like this aspect – it feels much more natural and gives you interactions with the local community – but you need to be prepared to not have first class service the whole time.

One of the approaches that G Adventures always takes is to make sure you are being looked after, but you’re not isolated from the reality of the countries you’re travelling in.

Ultimately, I think this trip is for anyone who has an interest in the world. We hear a lot about the Roman Empire, the Incas have take on a legendary status, and Egyptians have long been a source of fascination.

I feel like the Mayan civilisation is not talked about in the same way – if it is, it’s in trivial ways about human sacrifice or predictions of the end of the world.

But I have come to realise that there is such a wealth of history in these ancient people. And there’s a lot we can learn from them (particularly from their mistakes) that is still just as relevant today.

As I’ve mentioned, my tour with G Adventures is called Mayan Discovery. The name could not be more appropriate for my experience.

I travelled on this tour with the support of G Adventures in my position as a G Wanderer. All the opinions expressed are my own – I truly believe G Adventures is one of the best tour companies that you can use for a trip to Mexico and Central America.

More stories about Mexico

• A tour through the Mayan Empire
• How to visit Chichen Itza
• The best things to do in Merida
• Visiting Sian Ka'an from Tulum
• The amazing ruins of Palenque
• Finding the lost city of Calakmul
• What to see in Campeche

4 thoughts on “Mayan Discovery”

WOW! This tour is no no joke. I’m glad you got a cave in – and Belize 🙂

They seem really fantastic places. Can’t resist to take-off to Crystal Cave and Tikal. Thanks a lot for the post

Great Article. The pictures look good. I love the Mayan ruins. Never got to Tikal yet though.

The Place looks beautiful, Something I need to put into my list… thanks for sharing 🙂

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• Travel Planning Guide

The Best G Adventures Tours to Mexico

Are you looking for the best tours by G Adventures in Mexico? G Adventures puts an emphasis on local experiences and diving into the cultures of a region. Their focus on sustainable travel and local investments make a very appealing tour company for many travelers. Offering tours all over the globe, the company prides itself on offering a genuine experience to travelers. Combined with our knowledge of the company, the tours available, and the destinations, we've filterd out the absolute best G Adventures tours to Mexico based on ratings, service, price, activities, and more. So, you can be sure that these are the top tours from this amazing company and that your next trip will be a real adventure!

• Yucatan Adventure: Merida, Tulum & Jungle Swims 6 Days, $649.00
• Classic Mexico Adventure 14 Days, $2299.00
• Essential Central Mexico 9 Days, $1349.00

What are G Adventures tours like in Mexico?

Here are the important factors:

• 4 trip options analyzed
• $101 average price per day (USD)
• 6 to 14 days in length
• 4.58 of 5 average rating
• 20 people or less on average

Curious about the diverse range of G Adventures tours? Prepare to be amazed by the array of options available to suit every traveler's preferences. It comes as no surprise that visitors adore these tours, given their exceptional average guest rating of 4.58 out of 5 stars. When it comes to group sizes, the average maximum capacity stands at 20 people, allowing for a comfortable and sociable experience. The shortest tour is 6 days, while the longest is 14 days. With a comprehensive analysis encompassing 4 G Adventures tours, you can rest assured that Mexico has something tailored to your interests and preferences, promising an unforgettable experience for all.

(All tour prices are in US Dollars before taxes, and come from a base price that is reported by TourRadar. Peak season prices can vary significantly, particularly in destinations where seasonal travel fluctuates dramatically.)

So, let's get to it and see...

The 4 Best G Adventures Tours in Mexico

Yucatan adventure: merida, tulum & jungle swims.

• On Sale: 25% Off See Prices
• Great Value: the daily price is lower than average for G Adventures tours.
• High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Set off on an extraordinary journey that has been awarded a 5 out of 5 stars by previous guests. With a duration of 6 days, this journey offers an intimate group setting, accommodating 24 individuals, while extending a warm welcome to travelers from 18 to 35 years old. Beginning in beautiful Merida, you'll have a terrific journey that ends in Tulum. Brought to you by G Adventures , this exceptional deal is an incredible steal at a mere $81 per day. Act now to take advantage of the special sale price!

Classic Mexico Adventure

• On Sale: 20% Off See Prices

With this option you can experience an unparalleled voyage for 14 unforgettable days. It ensures an intimate group setting with 16 participants at most. Uncover the beauty of 11 destinations on this itinerary, with highlights such as San Juan Teotihuacán, Puebla, Oaxaca, and Villahermosa. Mexico City will mark the start of your journey, while Playa del Carmen will serve as its final destination. G Adventures , the organizer of this journey, extends a warm invitation to guests travelers from 12 to 90 years old. This extraordinary opportunity offers exceptional value at only $131 per day. It's currently on a special discounted offer.

• In-depth Cultural

Essential Central Mexico

This fantastic journey has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Traverse through 7 enchanting destinations, with San Miguel De Allende, Guadalajara, Tequila, and Tlaquepaque among the must-see stops along the route. Puerto Vallarta marks the starting point, while Mexico City stands as the final stop on your incredible journey. Lasting 9 days, the maximum group size is 16 people, and it's good for travelers from 12 to 90 years old. Organized by G Adventures , this is a great deal because it's only $112 per day.

Yucatan & Cancún: Merida, Mayan Ruins, & Beachside Livin'

With a stellar 4 out of 5 rating, this extraordinary journey is the perfect choice. This trip visits 4 destinations, including Valladolid and Tulum along the way. Beginning in beautiful Merida, you'll have a terrific journey that ends in Cancun. Spanning across 9 days, the journey accommodates 24 individuals, and is suitable for travelers from 18 to 35 years old. Offered by G Adventures , this remarkable journey is priced at just $79 per day. Hurry and secure your spot while this incredible sale lasts! Don't miss out on this incredible experience.

See also The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico , The Best Historical Tours in Mexico , The Best 10-Day Tours in Mexico , The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Mexico , The Best 3-Day Tours in Mexico , The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico , Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico , The Best Christmas & New Years Tours in Mexico , The Best Coach Bus Tours in Mexico , The Best Adventure Tours to Mexico , The Best Eco Tours in Mexico , The Best Sightseeing Tours in Mexico , The Best Cultural Tours in Mexico , The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Mexico , The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Mexico , The Best Tours Under $1000 in Mexico , The Best Luxury Tours to Mexico , The Best Budget Tours to Mexico , or The Best Tours for Seniors to Mexico for more tour ideas. With so many options, there's a guided tour or vacation package for every type of traveler.

Also, if you're departing from a specific destination, see The Best 3-Day Tours from Mexico City , The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Mexico City , The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Tuxtla Gutierrez , The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Mochis , The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Playa del Carmen , The Best 10-Day Tours from Mexico City , The Best 2-Week Tours from Mexico City , or The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun for more package tour options.

How much do G Adventures tours to Mexico cost?

Travelers to Mexico will have a large number of terrific options for G Adventures tours at a variety of great prices. The price of G Adventures tours here can vary by type, destinations, length, and travel style. Based on thorough data from 4 G Adventures tours, their average daily price is a very reasonable $101 per day. If you're interested in more information about tours here, see our guide to tour prices in Mexico .

And for more information on Mexico, see Mexico Travel Costs and Mexico Hotel Costs .

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Change the world just by having the time of your life. When you travel with us, you become a force for good by acting responsibly and creating positive impact.

Together with our non-profit partner, Planeterra, we ensure local communities touched by our tours benefit from our visits in as many ways possible.

Trees for Days

Leave your destination even greener than you found it! For every day on tour, we’ll plant a tree in your honour and ensure that our forests get to live their best lives.

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G Adventures Review: My Honest Opinion

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G Adventures Review

Are you considering a tour with G Adventures ? Here’s my honest G Adventures review!

G Adventures is a group tour company that describes themselves as having a focus on “small group, sustainable, adventure travel.” They have been running tours for more than 30 years and currently offer tours on all seven continents.

I’m going to talk about my personal experience with G Adventures this year, as well as whether I recommend them to other travelers.

I did a 16-day Costa Rica Adventure tour with G Adventures and it was the first time I had ever done a group tour, and I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Here’s my honest review of my experience with G Adventures and whether I recommend them!

Who Are G Adventure Tours For?

First of all, let’s talk about the target audience for G Adventures.

G Adventures tours are a good option for a variety of travelers. As a whole, I would say they are more focused on adventure travel and more standard accommodations (not super budget or super luxury.)

However, they do offer different categories of tours, with some of them being tailored toward specific age groups, interests, or travel styles. The categories for tours are:

• Classic Tours 
• National Geographic Journeys
• 18-to-Thirtysomethings Tours
• Wellness Tours
• Active Tours
• Marine Tours

And a few more! You can see all their categories here on their website .

The Classic Tours is a great option for anyone. From what I gather, the National Geographic Journeys typically attract older travelers or families and are more luxurious, while the 18-to-thirtysomethings tours are obviously for a younger crowd and more basic.

If you have a specific interest, like wellness or outdoor activities, you can choose a tour that is more heavily focused on those aspects and incorporates them into the itinerary.

My G Adventures Cost Rica Tour Experience

I did the G Adventures 16-day Costa Rica Adventure tour in February 2021.

This was obviously an interesting time to be traveling because of the pandemic, and so there ended up only being me and one other girl on their tour (along with our guide!)

More on their COVID policies and cancellation policies further down!

I really enjoyed this experience because we basically had a private tour. Obviously, this isn’t the norm, and on a typical tour, you can expect to have 10-15 other travelers.

However, you can also book a private group tour with G Adventures (for example, if you just want it to be you and your family or a group of friends and no strangers.)

On this tour, we visited the following destinations:

• San Jose, Costa Rica (1 day)
• Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica (2 days)
• Tortuguero, Costa Rica (2 days)
• Sarapiqui, Costa Rica (2 days)
• La Fortuna, Costa Rica (3 days)
• Monteverde, Costa Rica (2 days)
• Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica (2 days)

We enjoyed adventurous activities like waterfall rappelling, ziplining, surf lessons, a catamaran cruise, nature walks, hiking to a waterfall, a jungle boat safari, and so much more.

Costa Rica is famous for its biodiversity, and we saw plenty of animals like monkeys, sloths, toucans, caimans, crocodiles, frogs, and more in the wild!

The Costa Rica Adventure tour is one of their Classic Tours.

Highlights of My Tour

Honestly, I enjoyed almost everything about my tour with G Adventures. The whole time I was on my tour, I was thinking of how glad I was that I did it!

Some of the main highlights for me were…

I thought the price for this tour ($1,600 when I went) was fair and worked out to about $100 per day. This included hotels, transportation, some activities, and some meals.

I did spend an extra $750 on food and activities that weren’t included in the tour.

Overall, I felt like this is the amount I would have spent even if I had traveled independently since Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America. It was well worth it not to have to worry about planning the logistics myself, which I normally have to do as a solo traveler .

Our guide (or CEO as G Adventures calls them) was great!

Having a local Costa Rican guide was really nice and helpful, and I felt like I experienced more of the country than I would have on my own. Our guide was also super fun and friendly and since we had such a small group it just felt like traveling with another friend!

Again, it was also nice to have someone who dealt with all the logistics and organization, meaning I didn’t have to worry about anything for the entire two weeks of the tour

The ease of the tour

Going off of what I said above, it was nice to be on a tour where I didn’t have to worry about planning or arranging anything myself. I had never done an organized tour like this before, but I would definitely do it again because it was such a fun, seamless experience.

If you don’t enjoy planning trips but want a vacation that’s more active and adventurous than just sitting in an all-inclusive resort somewhere, G Adventures tours are a great option.

As a solo traveler, I normally do ALL the planning for trips myself, and it can get exhausting. So one of the best parts of this tour was not having to worry about any of that.

Our itinerary

I felt like I really got to see the highlights of Costa Rica on this itinerary!

It was a mix of beaches, jungle, and mountains. We saw so much wildlife and got to do so many cool activities.

Although we only spent 2-3 days in each place, it felt like enough time and never felt rushed. I definitely would not change anything about the itinerary for this trip.

Lowlights of My Tour

Honestly, I only had one disappointment on my tour, and that was the accommodations.

When I booked my tour, I hadn’t done much research into the accommodations, but I knew I was booking the “Standard” service level (out of Basic, Standard, and Upgraded) and we would be staying in 3 star hotels described as “comfortable tourist-class accommodations” on this tour.

I’ve stayed at plenty of great 3-star hotels (and even 2-star hotels) around the world, but the quality of accommodation on my Costa Rica tour left me pretty disappointed.

Out of all seven places we stayed on this tour, I would not recommend a single one.

Some of the issues at our hotels included…

• Lack of amenities (no hand towels, washcloths, shampoo, or even soap…)
• No air conditioning in several places
• WiFi that barely worked or didn’t work at all
• Non-working appliances (lamps, etc.)
• Lizards, spiders, ant infestations, and other bugs…

I was just really unimpressed with the accommodations on this tour, and it would definitely make me hesitate to book a standard service-level tour with G Adventures again.

I would probably book an Upgraded service level tour instead or do extensive research on all of the accommodations first if I was going to do Standard.

Overall, while this was definitely the biggest drawback, I still highly enjoyed my tour. The accommodations on this particular tour might not even bother you, depending on how picky you are when it comes to where you stay. I’m definitely on the more picky side!

I also can’t speak for the hotels on any other G Adventures tour since this is the only one I’ve done.

G Adventures Cancellation Policy

G Adventures Book with Confidence policy allows you to cancel or reschedule your tour up to 45 days prior to departure. It’s a pretty flexible policy that makes it a no-brainer in terms of booking ahead.

And during the pandemic when travel plans and restrictions were constantly changing, G Adventures introduced a flexible cancellation policy that allowed you to cancel and rebook your tour up to 14 days prior to departure. This gave you maximum flexibility when booking a tour. It’s not so relevant now, but I appreciated this policy back then.

Would I Recommend G Adventures?

Yes, I would definitely recommend G Adventures.

Even though I was pretty disappointed with the accommodations on my tour, I overall still REALLY enjoyed the experience, and I’ll be reminiscing on this trip for a long time to come!

This trip was a major highlight of my months in Central America.

If you’re looking for a group tour option that’s not too expensive and is guaranteed to be an adventure, G Adventures is the perfect choice for you.

I hope you found these G Adventures review helpful!

Ready to book? Click here to explore all G Adventures tours!

Read Next:  The Perfect Two Week Costa Rica Itinerary

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About Denise Cruz

Denise is a marketing executive who escaped corporate to travel the world… twice. A Brazilian native living in the U.S., she’s lived in 4 countries and visited 35+ others. After side-hustling her way to financial independence, she curates solo destination guides, slow travel tips, and travel blogging advice on Wander Her Way. When she’s not on the road, you can find her in Miami with her dog Finnegan.

Mexico's Day of the Dead in Oaxaca

• Take part in the day of the dead festival
• Explore mexico's artistic heartland
• Experience the culinary delights and traditional cooking methods of this region
• Visit the ruins of monte albán or mitla

What's this trip about?

Travel themes.

• Festivals & Special Events

Destinations

• Central America

Trip includes

• Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Oaxaca Culinary Experience
• Arrival transfer
• Visits to observe cemetery vigils in the small surrounding towns
• Oaxaca and Etla Valley Day of the Dead parades
• Orientation walk and market visit in Oaxaca
• All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

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Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Depart at any time.

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:.

• You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
• Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics

Dates & Availability

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with G Adventures .

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

G Adventures Reviews & Ratings

The organized activities were amazing, the cemeteries and parade were interesting.

The organized activities were amazing, the cemeteries and parade were interesting.

The cemetery visits were amazing

The cemetery visits were amazing. The trip to the waterfall should be a full day excursion.

Incredibly well organised cultral experience, The tour had organised every detail to get us around to the main festivities, and to see some amazing ruins and experience a local cooking class

Incredibly well organised cultral experience, The tour had organised every detail to get us around to the main festivities, and to see some amazing ruins and experie...

From learning to make mole to placing marigolds on forgotten graves, this journey gave a fantastic experience of Oaxaca during the Days of the Dead

From learning to make mole to placing marigolds on forgotten graves, this journey gave a fantastic experience of Oaxaca during the Days of the Dead. It's a feast for...

A very culturally fulfilling vacation experience

Other G Adventures Reviews

One of the best trips taken to europe.

We spent two wonderful weeks touring several of the best destinations in Portugal & Spain with a group of 16 people. Our guide (Fredy) was from Spain and intimat...

Great itinerary filled with variety of experiences & wonderful guide

Trip exceeded my expectations - not only did we have an excellent guide who was very personable, fun, and put extra attention to everyone's needs, but the country an...

This tour was fantastic!

This tour was fantastic! I saw and experienced more o...

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Tour operator, g adventures.

G Adventures is an adventure travel pioneer offering the planet's most awe-inspiring selection of affordable small-group tours, safaris and expeditions. Our award-winning trips embrace authentic accommodation, exotic cuisine and local transport to put travellers on a first-name basis with the planet’s people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife.

Adventure travel is more than a vacation. It’s a chance to get to know your world better by putting yourself on a first-name basis with the people, places, and things that make it worth exploring. This is your planet. Come and get it.

All G Adventures tours share a common love of adventure, but life-altering experiences come in a variety of flavors. Here are some of the Travel Styles we offer:

"Comfort": “Adventure travel” doesn’t have to mean “roughing it.” Comfort tours offer the genuine experiences you want with more extras, frills, and upgrades.

"Classic": An unbeatable mix of uncommon experiences, insider access, cultural contact, and all the must-sees and -dos, Classic is adventure perfected.

"Active":  Why just see the world when you could bike, hike, kayak, and multi-sport it? Why, indeed. Active tours keep travellers who like to move on the move.

"Yolo":  You’re only young once. Make the most of it with Yolo tours, fun-filled and fast-moving adventures designed just for travellers aged 18 to 39.

"Family":  Just because you settled down and had kids doesn’t mean your adventuring days are through. Family makes our big planet small enough for all.

"Local Living":  Want to get under the skin of some of the most gorgeous and out-there places? Local Living tours grant access that even locals don't have.

"Private Groups":  Got a group of eight or more and want to keep the fun to yourselves? Try a Private Group tour. You pick the who and where, we’ll handle the what.

No matter what kind of traveller you are, we’ve got a tour (or a dozen) that’ll fit you just right.

• 100% Guaranteed Departures
• Lifetime Deposits
• 24/7 Service
• Awards include one of National Geographic Traveler's Tours of a Lifetime and one of National Geographic Adventure's "Best Adventure Tour Outfitters." Several times named Canada's Favorite Adventure Tour Operator.

To speak with G Adventure Travel Specialist  call 1-855-667-9514  

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G Adventures Enables Its Guests to Travel With a Purpose

This article originally appeared the April issue of AGENTatHOME magazine.  Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.

As G Adventures has grown it has become part of a larger company, but its mission remains the same: to be “a social enterprise in the business of changing lives through travel,” said Steve Lima, director of marketing.

That mission goes back to when Bruce Poon Tip started the company in 1990 as a small-group tour operator with a focus on community tourism and how travel can make a positive impact, instilling that belief in all employees and extending it to partners, including travel advisors and their clients.

“I don’t just work for a travel company,” said Lima, “I work for a purpose.”

G Travel Community

With the recent acquisition of several other tour operators, a holding company called G Travel Community (GTC) was formed. Ben Perlo is now CEO and president of G Adventures while Jeff Russill is CEO of GTC. Poon Tip continues to play a highly active role on the board of GTC.

With the larger structure, the company is able to have an even more powerful impact on the places it visits – an impact measured by a proprietary Ripple Score, a tour evaluation that provides data on the money spent locally by G Adventures, including accommodations, restaurants and transportation. The higher the score, the more positive the effect on a community.

Small Groups

That pervasive social consciousness, said Lima, is combined with a quality product offering memorable experiences as the operator has evolved in recent years from its origins as a high-end adventure travel provider. Since about 2015, G Adventures has upgraded accommodations and slowed tour pacing but kept the focus on small groups – 10 passengers on average, a “true small-group operator,” he said. This year, the company expects to move 200,000 people on 15,000 departures, with a choice of more than 750 different trips in 100 countries on every continent.

Although it now offers more programs on the soft-adventure side, a full gamut of options is available, including more active ones like treks to a basecamp at Mount Everest or hiking the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Lima said.

Sailing Options

The company portfolio also includes three ships and 15 tours in the Galapagos, offering everything from active trips to explorations for families. The newest ship, which debuted last year, is the Reina Silvia Voyager, accommodating just 16 passengers. The sailings are accompanied by a Chief Experience Officer (CEO) naturalist guide who introduces passengers to the wonders of the islands. In addition, there are sailing trips in Greece, Croatia, the Caribbean and elsewhere, as well as expedition cruises in Antarctica.

G Adventures is also focusing on its National Geographic Journeys product, now comprising 90 tours globally under two umbrellas: National Geographic Journeys and National Geographic Family. These are designed to take travelers deeper into cultures and habitats, and offer more inclusions, greater hands-on exploration, interactions with local experts, and the freedom to roam, all within the structure and security of traveling in a small group.

Domestic Offerings

During the pandemic, G Adventures doubled down on domestic tours, refocusing them to appeal to American travelers. With the rise of domestic travel in the last few years, a series of USA Adventures was developed to the American West featuring upgraded accommodations, a slower pace and visits to national parks, Lima said.

G Adventures sells a great majority of its tours through travel advisors and has as many as 85 consortia partnerships, mostly in the U.S. – and it is aggressive in offering incentives to sellers. The annual G-Normous promotion, which runs for the first four months of the year, offers over $75,000 in prizes, including a $10,000 top prize, lots of cash giveaways, free trips and bonus commissions.

Change Makers Summit

In September, the Change Makers Summit – an annual conference for advisors – will return for the first time since 2019 in G Adventures’ top destination, Peru. A Change Makers Challenge is running from March 1-June 30 with 13 advisors chosen from each major market based on their sales and brought to Peru for the event. There they will meet with global purpose specialists and senior leaders for a week.

The feedback from the travel community following the inaugural summit in 2019 was “incredible,” Lima said. “We change the lives of our travelers when they choose to explore the world with us. We’re so excited to not just welcome our valued travel advisors on this special trip, but to also celebrate the return to travel with them.”

Selling G Adventures

The operator offers the National Geographic Journeys Agent Specialist Program, a four-part course that provides advisors with everything they need to know to start booking tours. Sherpa is G Adventures’ advisor booking engine, which lets them book tours, check availability, order brochures, access online training, create marketing collateral and gain access to exclusive deals like G-Normous.

Also inside the portal is the Agent Backpack, filled with helpful selling tips and product training as well as access to a private “Agents of Chance” Facebook group.

G Adventures offers 13 Travel Styles. The newest is Roamies, a collaboration with Hostelworld designed for younger travelers who want to combine the fun of staying in some of the world’s best hostels with the ease and excitement of a G Adventures trip. Another unique Travel Style is Local Living, where travelers unpack once and stay at the same accommodations throughout. Among the options are a winery in Tuscany or a week or at lemon farm.

Travel booking times are shortening back to three to five months, with younger clients booking within one to two months out.

Portrait of the Client

G Adventures’ U.S. clients’ age averaged around 35-42 in the past, but with the expanded National Geographic and National Geographic Family lines, the company is seeing a lift in that range to 47-52. That includes more multigenerational groups on family adventures and more mature customers sailing on the G Expedition polar ship.

Over 68 percent of clients are female.

Hosted solo travelers are a significant contingent of the company portfolio – people avoiding big motorcoach tours but perhaps not ready to explore on their own.

The company is seeing more worldly/conscientious travelers who like knowing their trips are “Built with Purpose” and feature a supplier infrastructure that’s mindful of its impact on communities. The Ripple Score metric “has been super helpful to travelers who want to dig deeper into how their dollars make a difference,” Lima said.