Before You Book Xcaret: Every Cost, and What's Worth It
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Prices last checked 2 November · 4 min read
Xcaret is a full-day eco-park near Playa del Carmen, with underground rivers, an aquarium, wildlife and an evening show, and the ticket you choose decides what else you'll pay for. There's the basic ticket, Xcaret Plus with a buffet and lockers, an evening ticket, hotel transport and a list of optional activities at extra cost. Most of them sound like something you need. You don't need all of them. In this guide we walk through what each option costs, what you really get, and how to choose the right one for your day, whether it's a quiet weekday or a busy holiday.
At a glance
Xcaret (adult)
About MX$2,756 (≈ US$149), or MX$2,481 online
Xcaret Plus (adult)
About MX$3,312 (≈ US$179), or MX$2,980 online
Xcaret at Night (adult)
About MX$2,017 (≈ US$109)
Children
0-4 free, 5-11 pay a child rate
Online discount
Up to 15% for booking early
Hours
8:30 am to 10 pm
Show
Xcaret México Espectacular, included
🎟️ Explore Cancun activities
Check the crowds, find the best time slot, and book through our authorised partner.
Xcaret's prices are set in Mexican pesos, and the official site offers a discount for buying online ahead, up to 15% for early purchase. In mid-October, adult prices on the official site were MX$2,756.50 for Xcaret and MX$3,311.50 for Xcaret Plus, or about 10% less online, as reported by The Rio Times. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, with no date changes.
Ticket
Adult
Online
What you get
Verdict
Xcaret
About MX$2,756 (≈ US$149)
About MX$2,481
Admission, the rivers, wildlife and the evening show
Fine if you'll bring your own snorkel and skip the buffet
Xcaret Plus
About MX$3,312 (≈ US$179)
About MX$2,980
Adds a buffet, the Plus Area, lockers and snorkel gear
Best value for a full day
Xcaret at Night
About MX$2,017 (≈ US$109)
About MX$1,815
Evening entry and the show
Only for the show
Xcaret Total
Varies
Varies
Plus, with one optional activity
Only if you want an extra activity anyway
Children aged 0-4 are free, and children 5-11 pay a child rate. Taller children may be asked for ID. Prices are the festival-period figures reported by The Rio Times. Check the official price guide for your date.
Xcaret or Xcaret Plus?
Xcaret Plus costs about MX$555 more at full price. For that, you get a buffet lunch with soft drinks and one beer per adult, the Plus Area with its own dressing rooms and toilets, lockers and snorkel gear (against a refundable deposit). Our verdict: for a full day, Plus is worth it. A lunch, a locker and snorkel rental bought separately in the park easily add up to more.
Is Xcaret at Night worth it?
The evening ticket costs about MX$740 less than the day ticket, but you miss the underground rivers and most of the park. Our verdict: only if the show, Xcaret México Espectacular, with more than 300 performers, is what you came for. A day ticket includes the show anyway.
What visitors say
Visitors describe Xcaret as a full, varied day, with the underground rivers and the evening show as the highlights, and many say a day isn't enough. The most common complaints are the price, extra costs for food and activities, and crowds in the rivers at busy times, so the advice is to book online, take Plus and arrive at opening.
Prices last checked: 2 November. Prices vary with the season, peak and off-peak dates and promotions, and we recheck them every month. Visitor-reported costs are marked as estimates, and US$ figures are rough conversions.
Short on time? What you'd regret missing
The underground rivers: swim or float through caves and tunnels.
Xcaret México Espectacular, the evening show, included in every day ticket.
The Coral Reef Aquarium.
The Butterfly Pavilion and the Aviary.
The beach and inlet, for snorkelling.
With a single day: the underground rivers first, before they get busy, then the aquarium and wildlife, then find your seat for the show well before it starts.
The crowd tax: why a busy day costs more
We don't yet have hourly crowd data for Xcaret. It's typically busiest on Mexican holidays and during the main winter and summer travel seasons. Busy days don't change the ticket price, but they do change what you get from it: the underground rivers fill up, and lunch queues grow, which is where Plus's buffet and lockers save time.
When
Typical crowds
What to do
Opening, 8:30 am
Quieter
The underground rivers first
Midday
Busier
Lunch in the buffet or the Plus Area
Evening
Busy at the theatre
Arrive early for a good seat at the show
Crowds by day and time
From the typical weekly visitor pattern for Xcaret Park, based on Google’s popular-times data.
Quietest time
Sunday, 8-9 am
Getting there
Xcaret is just south of Playa del Carmen, about an hour's drive from Cancún. You can add hotel transport when you book, which is the simplest option from Cancún. From Playa del Carmen, a taxi is short.
Cost
Price (MX$)
Type
How to cut it
Hotel transport (add-on)
Varies
Optional
Book with your ticket. Compare with a taxi if you're in Playa del Carmen.
At the gate: what your ticket doesn't cover
Optional activities, such as animal encounters, at extra cost.
Food and drink, unless you have Xcaret Plus or Total.
Lockers and snorkel gear, unless you have Plus.
Photos taken by park photographers.
Morning
Arrive at 8:30 am opening.
Do the underground rivers first, while they're quiet.
With Plus, drop your bag in the Plus Area locker straight away.
Lunch
With Xcaret Plus, lunch is a buffet with soft drinks and a beer per adult. Without it, the park's restaurants are the main option. Eat early or late to avoid the busiest time.
Afternoon and evening
See the wildlife and the aquarium in the afternoon.
Find your seat for the show well before it starts.
Rain: much of the park is outdoors, but the show is in a covered theatre.
Coming with kids
Children 0-4 are free. Children 5-11 pay a child rate.
Bring ID for tall children.
The underground rivers need confident swimmers: life jackets are provided.
What can go wrong
You buy at the gate: online is up to 15% cheaper.
You change your plans: tickets are non-refundable, with no date changes.
You skip Plus and pay for lunch, a locker and snorkel gear anyway.
You arrive late: the rivers are busiest later in the day.
What one adult really spends
Level
What's included
One adult
Evening
Xcaret at Night, online
About MX$1,815 (≈ US$98)
Budget
Xcaret, online
About MX$2,481 (≈ US$134)
Typical
Xcaret Plus, online
About MX$2,980 (≈ US$161)
Full price
Xcaret Plus, no discount
About MX$3,312 (≈ US$179)
Before transport, optional activities and souvenirs. A child (5-11) pays the child rate; under-5s are free.
How we research: every guide is written by the BeatTheCrowd team from official sources and recent traveller reports, cross-checked against each other. Crowd figures come from our own crowd data. Prices last checked 2 November. Prices and rules change, so always confirm on the official site before you book.
Busiest time
Monday, 9 am-8 pm
When
What to expect
Verdict
Weekdays, 8-11 am
Peak crowds and the longest ride queues. The opening rush.
Busy
Weekdays, 11 am-3 pm
Peak crowds and the longest ride queues. Peak sightseeing hours, when most visitors are on site.
Busy
Weekdays, 3-6 pm
Peak crowds and the longest ride queues. Stays busy into the afternoon.
Busy
Weekdays, 6-10 pm
Peak crowds and the longest ride queues. Still busy, though past the peak.
Busy
Saturday and Sunday
Peak crowds and the longest ride queues. Quieter than weekdays.
Busy
📍 Live crowd check
See how busy Xcaret Park is right now, plus today’s hourly forecast.
