The Complete Guide to Grupo Xcaret Parks: Hours, Prices, and Everything You Need to Know

If you're planning a trip to Cancún, Playa del Carmen, or the Riviera Maya, chances are you've heard of Grupo Xcaret. This Mexican company runs a family of theme parks along the Yucatán Peninsula, each with its own personality — from cultural eco-parks with underground rivers to adrenaline-fueled zip-line adventures and a floating Mexican fiesta. Because there are so many options (and the offerings change from park to park), it's easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out which one fits your trip.

This guide breaks down all six Xcaret Group parks — Xcaret, Xel-Há, Xplor, Xplor Fuego, Xenses, and Xoxi — with up-to-date information on hours, admission costs, location, and what makes each one worth visiting.

A quick note on pricing: Grupo Xcaret adjusts rates by season and runs frequent online discounts (often 10–20% off for booking a week or more in advance), so treat the prices below as a realistic ballpark rather than an exact quote. Always confirm current rates and schedules on the official Xcaret website before booking.

1. Xcaret Park — The Flagship Cultural & Eco-Archaeological Park

Xcaret is where it all began back in 1991, and it's still the group's signature park. It combines nature, wildlife, archaeology, and Mexican culture in one massive property, capped off with a nightly live show that's genuinely one of the best in the region.

Location: Carretera Chetumal–Puerto Juárez Km 282, Solidaridad, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo. It's about a 45-minute drive south of Cancún and just a few minutes from downtown Playa del Carmen.

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00–10:30 p.m. Some attractions (like the underground rivers) close earlier in the afternoon, so it's worth checking the day's attraction schedule when you arrive.

What's included: More than 50 attractions — snorkeling in underground rivers, the Coral Reef Aquarium, the Butterfly Pavilion, an aviary, jaguar and wildlife exhibits, a Mayan village recreation, and the "Xcaret México Espectacular" night show featuring over 300 performers.

Ticket types & approximate prices (adult):

• Basic admission: ~$120–140 USD — park access and all included attractions, no food.

• Xcaret Plus: ~$180–200 USD — adds a buffet lunch, one beer, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, and access to the Plus Area (lockers, dressing rooms, snorkel gear).

• Xcaret Total: Plus admission with one optional paid activity (like Sea Trek or Stingray Snorkel) bundled in.

• Night ticket: A cheaper option that lets you in after 4:00 p.m. for the evening show and select attractions.

• Children ages 5–11 get roughly 25% off the adult price; kids under 5 enter free.

One of Xcaret's most memorable experiences is floating through its natural underground rivers, which wind through the jungle before opening into calmer lagoons. It's touristy, sure, but the setting is genuinely beautiful and surprisingly peaceful.

Watch it in action: Here's a boat tour through one of Xcaret's natural jungle rivers — a relaxing, informative look at what this part of the park actually feels like from the water.

👉 Watch on Youtube

Tip: Xcaret is easily an all-day commitment. If you're short on time, prioritize the underground rivers, the aquarium, and the evening show, and consider the Plus ticket so you're not paying separately for food.

2. Xel-Há — The Natural Snorkeling Paradise

If Xcaret is culture-plus-nature, Xel-Há is pure nature. It's built around a massive natural inlet where a freshwater river meets the Caribbean Sea, creating calm, turquoise water that's ideal for snorkeling.

Location: Along Federal Highway 307, roughly halfway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum — about 20 minutes from Tulum and 1.5–2 hours from Cancún.

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., year-round.

What's included: Unlimited snorkeling gear and access to the inlet, jungle trails you can walk or bike, cliff jumping at the "Cliff of Courage," a 131-foot scenic lighthouse with a waterslide into a natural pool, cenotes, and a nursery with over 270 native species.

Ticket price: Xel-Há is sold as an all-inclusive admission, meaning food and drinks are baked into the price — there's no "basic, no-food" tier like at Xcaret. Expect to pay roughly $110–135 USD per adult, which covers the buffet, an open bar with domestic drinks, and unlimited snorkeling equipment. Kids 5–11 get about 25% off; under 4 is free.

Tip: Because everything (food, drinks, gear) is included, Xel-Há tends to feel like the most relaxed, least "nickel-and-dimed" of the Xcaret parks. It's a great choice if you want a full day of swimming and floating without planning around extra paid activities.

3. Xplor — The World's Most-Visited Zip-Line Park

Xplor is the adrenaline park of the group, built across 145 acres of jungle and caverns. If Xcaret and Xel-Há are "relax and explore" days, Xplor is a full-body adventure day.

Location: Near the Xcaret entrance on Highway 307, close to Playa del Carmen.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Sundays).

What's included:

• 14 zip-lines across two circuits, including the tallest in the region

• Amphibious vehicles you drive yourself through jungle trails and flooded caverns

• Underground rivers you can swim or paddle through by raft

• The Underground Expedition (a cavern hike/slide combo)

• Toboganxote, a 5-in-1 waterslide starting 41 meters up that ends in a wave pool

• A buffet lunch and unlimited snacks/non-alcoholic drinks

Price: Xplor is sold as all-inclusive, typically $150–175 USD per adult, covering all activities, lunch, and snacks. Minimum age is 5, and closed-toe or water shoes are mandatory for most activities.

Toboganxote is genuinely one of the standout attractions here — it's fast, disorienting in a fun way, and ends with a proper splash. Here's what it actually looks like from the raft:

Watch Xplor Toboganxote experience on Youtube

Tip: Xplor days move fast and involve a lot of walking, climbing, and getting wet. Bring a change of clothes and start with the zip-lines early before the lines build up.

4. Xplor Fuego — The Nighttime Version of Xplor

Here's where it gets confusing for a lot of travelers: Xplor Fuego is the same physical park as Xplor, just running an evening schedule with a different atmosphere, different lighting, and a different (smaller) set of activities. Treat it as its own experience when planning your trip, since the hours and inclusions genuinely differ.

Location: Same site as Xplor, near the Xcaret entrance on Highway 307.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

What's included:

• 7 zip-lines lit by torches and fire

• Amphibious vehicle circuit through the jungle at night

• Underground river swimming and rafting among stalactites

• Toboganxote

• Hammock Splash into a cenote

• A BBQ buffet dinner at El Troglodita restaurant with ribs and vegetarian options, plus unlimited non-alcoholic drinks

Price: Roughly $140–165 USD per adult, all-inclusive of the dinner buffet. Minimum age is 5, same as the daytime park.

Tip: Because it runs at night, Xplor Fuego has a completely different vibe — the fire-lit zip-lines and torch-lined trails feel more atmospheric than adventurous-in-daylight Xplor. It's a good option if your days are already booked with other parks and you have evenings free, or if you simply prefer cooler nighttime temperatures for the ziplining and hiking.

5. Xenses — The Sensory Park Where Nothing Is What It Seems

Xenses is the most unusual park in the group — smaller, quirkier, and built entirely around playing tricks on your senses and perception rather than delivering typical park thrills.

Location: Also within the Rancho Xcaret complex on Highway 307, near Xcaret and Xplor.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. for activities (park gates close around 7:00 p.m.). Closed Sundays.

What's included:

• The Xensatorium, a pitch-black cave you navigate by touch through different textures and ecosystems

• Town, a village built with optical illusions where nothing lines up the way you expect

• Bird Flight, a zip-line with panoramic views

• A slide that drops into a cavern pool

• A lazy river float ("Riverlaxing")

• A mud bath ("Sludgery") followed by a rinse station

• Numerous photo-op illusions: mirror labyrinths, upside-down rooms, kaleidoscopes

Price: Xenses runs cheaper than the bigger parks since it's a half-day experience — expect roughly $80–140 USD per adult depending on season and promotions. Minimum age is 5; kids under 4 enter free.

Tip: Because it only takes about 4–5 hours, Xenses pairs naturally with a beach afternoon or another shorter activity the same day. It's also one of the most photogenic parks in the group if you're chasing content for social media.

6. Xoxi (formerly Xoximilco) — The Floating Mexican Fiesta

Xoxi is Grupo Xcaret's rebranded name for what was long known as Xoximilco — same park, same experience, new name. It's inspired by the trajinera canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City and is built entirely around a nighttime party atmosphere rather than nature or adventure.

Location: Near Cancún, along Boulevard Luis Donaldo Colosio.

Hours: Monday to Saturday. Check-in starts around 7:00 p.m., with the last boarding at 8:30 p.m.; the full experience runs until about 11:00 p.m. Closed Sundays.

What's included: A roughly 3-hour tour aboard a colorful, gondola-style trajinera (each boat holds up to ~20 people) that winds through the park's canals. Along the way you get a sampling dinner of Mexican dishes, an open bar of beer, tequila, rum, vodka, and flavored waters, and live music — mariachi, norteño, banda, and marimba groups perform as you float past.

Price: Roughly $130–140 USD per adult, all-inclusive of dinner, drinks, and entertainment. Minimum age is 5, and children 5–11 get about 25% off.

Tip: This is the one Xcaret Group experience built purely around nightlife and celebration rather than nature or thrills — a fun way to close out a trip or celebrate a special occasion, especially if you're traveling as a couple or group of friends.

Quick Comparison at a Glance

Park

Type of Experience

Typical Hours

Approx. Adult Price

Xcaret

Culture, nature, wildlife, night show

8:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m., daily

$120–200 USD

Xel-Há

All-inclusive snorkeling & nature

8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m., daily

$110–135 USD

Xplor

Zip-lines, ATVs, underground rivers

9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Mon–Sat

$150–175 USD

Xplor Fuego

Nighttime version of Xplor

5:30 p.m.–11:00 p.m., Mon–Sat

$140–165 USD

Xenses

Sensory/optical illusion park

8:30 a.m.–5:45 p.m., Mon–Sat

$80–140 USD

Xoxi

Floating Mexican party (trajineras)

7:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m., Mon–Sat

$130–140 USD

Planning Tips for Visiting Multiple Parks

• Book in advance: Discounts of 10–20% are common for booking online at least a week ahead.

• Combine parks: Grupo Xcaret sells 2-park and "build your own" packages (up to 4 parks/tours) with an extra discount, which is worth it if you're visiting more than one.

• Staying at a Xcaret hotel? Hotel Xcaret México and Hotel Xcaret Arte run on an "All-Fun Inclusive" model where unlimited park admission and transportation are bundled into your room rate — often the best value if you plan to visit several parks during your stay.

• Transportation: All parks offer round-trip shuttle service from hotels in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and the Riviera Maya for an added fee, or you can drive yourself and park for free at most locations.

• Pace yourself: Xcaret, Xplor, and Xel-Há are full-day commitments. Xenses and Xoxi are shorter (half-day and evening, respectively), so they pair well with another activity on the same day.

Whichever combination you choose, Grupo Xcaret's parks cover a huge range of travel styles — from unwinding in natural water to full-throttle jungle adventure to an all-out Mexican celebration. Hopefully this guide makes it easier to decide which ones deserve a spot on your itinerary.