Essential Trip Information: Yucatan Family Adventure

Passports, visas, and entry requirements

PASSPORT & VISA REQUIREMENTS
A valid passport is required for international travel, and your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond your travel dates. Most countries will not allow you to enter if your passport expires less than 6 months after your travel dates, so please make sure to check your expiration date. 

A visa is not required for U.S. or Canadian citizens traveling to Mexico as tourists for fewer than 180 days. If you're traveling on a non-U.S. or Canadian passport, please check the requirements for your country. 

Required documentation for minors: If a participating child is traveling without both parents, a notarized letter from the non-traveling parent or guardian must give permission for the minor to travel. You may be required to present this in order to board your flight, on arrival into or departure from Mexico, and/or on arrival back in your home country. Additional detail, including guidance for parents or guardians with sole custody of a child, can be found here. 

Medical and health information

HEALTH
All travelers need to be in good physical health in order to participate fully in the trip. Please read the itinerary carefully and assess your and your children's ability to participate. We recommend consulting with your doctor before traveling, including for necessary vaccinations. 

DRINKING WATER
Drinking tap water in Mexico is not recommended. Please stick to bottled water. 

Food and dietary requirements

Please be sure to inform us of any food allergies or dietary requirements. Most common dietary restrictions can be accommodated, but please contact us if you have a severe allergy or particular concerns. 

Accommodation

ROOM CONFIGURATIONS
Your rooming configuration will depend on the number of family members you're traveling with. Parties of 2 (i.e., one adult and one child) typically share a room, unless individual rooms are requested (at a supplement of $675 per person, subject to availability). Parties of 3 (e.g., two parents and one child) typically share a triple room—again, unless an individual room is requested. Families of 4, 5, or 6 will typically share two rooms. The single supplement of $675 applies for anyone needing their own, unshared room.

If you have questions or a particular rooming preference, please don't hesitate to contact us. Please note that unshared, single rooms are subject to hotel availability.

OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
It's rare, but occasionally we need to switch hotels and stay somewhere other than what's listed on the itinerary. This can happen if the service level of a hotel has unexpectedly declined, for example, or if the hotel makes a mistake with our reservation (again, very rare). If we do need to change hotels, we always strive to find an alternative of at least a similar standard. 

ACCOMMODATION STYLE
We stay in 3– to 5-star hotels throughout the trip—4 star in Playa del Carmen, 5 star in Valladolid, and 3 star in Merida. The hotels have been chosen primarily for their comfort and convenience, as well as relatively flexible rooming arrangements for families. 

CHECK-IN TIME
If your flight lands before 1 p.m., we recommend booking early check-in at the hotel in order to have access to your room upon arrival. Please get in touch if you'd like assistance with early check-in or pre- and post-tour accommodations. Early check-in, late checkout, and extra nights are subject to availability at the time of booking. 

Money matters

SPENDING MONEY
ATMs are available in Mexico, but we recommend bringing a few hundred dollars in cash. It's helpful to have in case you want to make any purchases shortly after arriving, before you have a chance to go to the ATM. It's also helpful to have some cash just in case you have any issues with the ATMs. You can exchange currency at major airports in the U.S. or at the Cancun Airport. 

Most of what a typical traveler would spend money on is included in the cost of your trip—accommodations, guides, group activities, most meals—but you'll want to have some spending money for non-group meals, souvenirs, and other odds and ends. 

TIPPING
Tips are included for all service providers during group activities and meals, with the exception of a customary tip for your trip leader. For a 7-day trip, we recommend $60–$100 per person for excellent service, though it's of course entirely optional. 

Packing

We'll be adding a packing list here shortly! 

Phone and internet access

The hotels we use have pretty reliable wi-fi, but if you want to have full use of your phone while traveling, we recommend checking with your provider to make sure you'll have service in Egypt. (With many providers and plans, you'll get a text on arrival with the choice to opt in to get international service for a fee.) 

Other than scanning the QR codes in your Adventure Toolkit each morning for daily audio dispatches from Wow in the World hosts Mindy and Guy, we encourage everyone to limit phone use while on tour in order to fully participate and be present with your fellow travelers. 

Safety

We recommend that you check your government's advice for the latest travel information before departure. Conditions vary widely from region to region in Mexico. Our trip visits the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Petty crime like pickpocketing is fairly common. You may want to bring a neck wallet or money belt for your passport and cash. We strongly recommend leaving expensive jewelry (dress is casual) and other valuables at home. Most of the hotels have safety deposit boxes which we recommend using for any valuables you do bring. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage.

Your trip leader will accompany you on all included activities, but you'll have some free time to explore on your own if you choose to. (You can also just relax at the hotels.) While your trip leader can make recommendations, please use your own judgment about what feels comfortable and safe. 

Itinerary changes
Please keep in mind that itineraries can change. Our trip leaders do their best to stay on top of a variety of factors that can impact your travel experience, from weather to transport schedules (sometimes a train or plane gets delayed) to traffic conditions. The sometimes need to adapt plans on the fly based on changing conditions, always with the safety and enjoyment of our group as top priorities. Your trip leader will keep you up to date if changes need to be made.