Xcaret Park itinerary with kids in 1 or 2 days

If you’re Mexico and driving around Cancun or along the Rivera Maya, you will see a slew of billboards for the various Xcaret parks in the area. Xcaret (officially known as Xcaret! by Mexico), is the flagship park, and the one we recommend if you’re looking for a great, family-friendly day trip. It is a large nature and cultural theme park, with a little bit of everything to suit everyone.

If Xcaret is on your list, be sure to check out our complete guide to Xcaret Park for kids.

This post is specifically designed to help you develop a game plan for Xcaret, depending on how many days you’re planning to spend, and what your interests are.

Most travellers spend only 1 day at Xcaret. This is definitely enough to hit up the highlights and get a sense of what the park has to offer. Adults traveling without kids may be able to see the entire park, but you’ll definitely have to forego some of Xcaret’s 50 attractions. If you’re travelling with kids, we recommend sticking to a few highlights.

If you’re lucky enough to have 2 days at Xcaret, you will be able to fit in as much as you want to see, and still be able to relax and give kids plenty of time to explore and play.

Plan your day at Xcaret!

Xcaret Park is open from 8:30am to 9:00pm. However, most of the attractions close before the Mexico Espectacular show, which runs from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. We recommend arriving right before opening time to make the most of your day!

There are maps all over the park. You can also access the map and Xcaret’s various attractions using the official Xcaret app.

There are five main “trails” you can follow, which are marked with different colours and take you to the park’s various themed attractions. Our Xcaret Park itinerary recommendations try to minimize your walking time between the different areas.

• Black trail (“river route”) = main trail. This is where you will find the entrance to the underground rivers, animal exhibits, and pre-columbian ruins
• Green trail (“beach route”) = beach and snorkelling areas
• Blue trail (“aquarium route”) = aquarium and sea creature exhibits
• White trail (“mayan route”) = cultural activities, including the mayan village and replica of a Mexican cemetery. Xcaret’s Aviary and butterfly exhibit are also at the end of this trail.
• “Brick” trail, rust coloured (“Mexican Espectacular route”) = Mexican heritage attractions, eventually leading to the stadium for the Mexican Espectacular show.
• Red trail (“dolphins route”) = add-on activities, including dolphin interactions, Snuba, adrenaline boats, and parasailing.

Even though Xcaret runs many conservation programs, in the spirit of animal welfare, we encourage all travellers to reconsider activities that involve handling of animals for human entertainment.

Xcaret Park itineraries

1 day route for families: highlights – underground river, beach, Children’s World, the white trail

Underground Rivers: families with kids of mobile age (pre-school and above) should definitely start the day with one of the 3 underground rivers, which will take you from the beginning of the black trail to the end (but underground). By 9:30am these rivers get busy, but first thing in the morning you feel like you have it to yourself. All 3 rivers start and end at the same spot, with the Blue River being the longest (around 800m) and the Mayan river being the shortest (still over 500m), and the Manatee being somewhere in the middle. We found the Blue River to be the most authentic experience, but I would definitely choose a route based on your child’s swimming abilities and stamina.

Green trail: once you emerge from the rivers you’ll be at the beach. Enjoy the hammocks, the “natural pools”, and the small beach. You can save some time for snorkelling at the inlet as well. If you’re going to be snorkelling elsewhere in Mexico, I would skip this altogether as the inlet is small and frequently crowded.

LUNCH! This is a good time to grab lunch by the beach. There are 2 eateries along the beach: Snacks de la Playa (casual a la carte fare by the beach), and Restaurante Dos Playas (buffet styled). There is also Restaurate La Caleta (buffet styled) at the junction of the green/blue trail.

Blue trail: Next on your Xcaret Park itinerary, follow the blue trail through the aquarium.

Children’s world! At the end of the blue trail you’ll hit a few ruins and the entrance to Children’s world. This is a massive obstacle course/water slide/playground area that was a huge hit with our kids.

White trail: If you manage to pry your kids away from Children’s world, we recommend cutting across the park along the black trail, which will take you past the mayan ruins and many animal exhibits. These include monkeys, tapirs, and jaguars/pumas (which were off display when we visited). Along the white trail, you will find a Mayan village reconstruction, a reconstruction of a Mexican cemetery, the aviary and butterfly exhibit. This area can be explored quickly or slowly, but there is quite a bit of walking involved. It’s a good time to use a stroller if you have one.

Mexican Espectacular: Xcaret encourages you to end the day with the Mexican Espectacular, which runs from 7pm-9pm. It’s quite late for most kids, especially at the end of a long day – ours fell asleep! The show is a great way to experience bits of Mexican heritage. It also includes elements from Xcaret’s various other performances, so if there’s one show to catch, this is it!

1 day route for families with babies or those with mobility issues: highlights – the white trail, animal exhibits, aquarium, Paradise River boat cruise, the Scenic tower

This Xcaret Park itinerary is perfect for those with babies, or adults who want to take it easier and may not want to swim.

The White trail: we recommend starting your day with the Aviary and butterfly exhibit. These were some of our favourite areas, and you really get the best experience when it is less crowded. Exploring the replica Cemetery is a peaceful and fascinating experience when it’s quieter, too. The Mayan village starts to comes to life around mid-morning. Those looking for a low-key attraction can attend their chocolate making workshop.

The animal exhibits: hunt for animals (not literally) along the black trail, including the big cats exhibit, the bat cave, the manatee exhibit, monkey and tapirs.

LUNCH! There is a buffet restaurant right next to the big cats exhibit – Restaurante La Laguna.

The blue trail: take a stroll through the aquarium.

Paradise River Cruise: the entrance of Paradise River is near the beginning of the brick trail. This is a fantastic way to experience Xcaret’s rivers if you don’t actually want to swim the underground river.

The Scenic Tower: this was a hit with the kids, but it’s inconveniently located in the corner of the park right beside the theatre for the Mexican Espectacular. The slowly spinning tower offers a great view of Xcaret park and surroundings. It’s also air-conditioned and a great place to rest your feet for awhile!

The Horse Exhibition: if you can, catch the horse show at 5:30pm, before the Mexican Espectacular. This show also takes place in the Mexican heritage area along the rust trail, and showcases a classic Mexican rodeo.

Mexican Espectacular!

1 day route for the best cultural experience: highlights – the white trail, archaeological sites, Paradise River Cruise, Hacienda and Mexican Folk Art Museum, Xcaret shows

White trail: spend a little more time here. Explore the Aviary and butterfly exhibit, the Cemetery and Bridge to Paradise, the chapel (St. Francis of Assisi Chapel). The Ball Game Court is in the area as well, a is a very neat reconstruction of a stadium for a pre-columbian game involving sticks and fire balls (literally). There is also a pre-columbian time-line at the Ball Game Court, with model reconstructions of the historical villages and buildings.

Take some of the classes at the Mayan village, including chocolate making, yarn making and dyeing, and woodworking.

LUNCH! We suggest the Main Plaza restaurant: La Orquidea Restaurant

On top of the Main Plaza there is a neat exhibit called “Discover Mexico“, which has large-scale models of famous historical and modern Mexican architecture.

Archeological sites. Hunt for the several different archeological areas, mostly along the black trail right off the Main Plaza.

Paradise River Cruise. In addition to experiencing Xcaret’s rivers, this Cruise has a guide that provides information of Mayan customs and history.

Hacienda and Mexican Folk Art Museum: reconstruction of a traditional Hacienda and railway. Houses a museum of unique Mexican folk art.

Shows! Starting from 4:30pm, you can following the shows, from the Pre-Columbian show (back-tracking a little to the blue trail), to the Horse Show, then along the brick trail (transformed into a mayan village during this time) to the theatre. Before the start of the Mexican Espectacular, you can catch performers playing bottles in the theatre.

1 day Xcaret Park Itinerary with optional add-on activity

If you’ve booked an optional activity at Xcaret, the time you have for exploring the rest of the part is significantly decreased. The activities usually run from around 30 mins – 90mins, but you will need to factor in walking time and get there early to prepare for your activity.

How you plan your day highly depends on which activity you’ve booked and when you’ve booked in. We recommend fitting in these attractions as best as you can into your Xcaret Park itinerary:

Underground River

White trail (with Aviary, Cemetary/Bridge to Paradise, Mayan village)

Mexican Espectacular

2 day complete Xcaret Park itinerary

Day 1 – your water and beach day. That way, you don’t even need to bring your swim gear for day 2.

Underground rivers

Beach area

Aquarium

Children’s world

(If your children can last a little longer, this would be a good chance to catch the Horse Show on your way out.)

Day 2 – if you’re traveling with younger children, start the day a little later so they have energy left to enjoy the Mexican Espectacular show at night.

White trail

Black trail/animal exhibits

Paradise River – spend a little more time here hiking the jungle trail in this area, and enjoying the peccaries and flamingos. There is also an orchid garden and mushroom farm.

Scenic Tower

Mexican Espectacular

*Add-on activities easily fit into either day (although all are water activities, so remember to take that into account).