Bike or tricycle?

Do you need a bike at Coba?

Not strictly, but most people take one. Nohoch Mul is about 2 km from the gate, and a round trip with the side groups adds up to several kilometres.

On foot, allow about 25 minutes each way to Nohoch Mul at a steady pace, more with stops. In the heat that's the difference between enjoying the climb and dreading it. A guest on the Chichen Itza and Coba day, with one hour at Coba, put it bluntly: "Make sure to take a bike or tricycle at Coba. It is too much walking for the time you have."

On a tour with two hours or more, walking works if you are fit and the morning is cool. Under 1.5 hours, ride.

How much does a bike or tricycle taxi cost at Coba in 2026?

About 60 to 80 pesos for a rental bike and about 150 to 180 pesos for a tricycle taxi with two seats, round trip. Cash only.

Side by side:

Prices are 2026 visitor reports; they are set by the ejido that runs the rentals and they creep up a little each year. You pay at the stand, after your two entrance tickets.

What do you see on the way to Nohoch Mul?

The Coba group with La Iglesia and a ball court near the gate, then a second ball court, Xaibe, the Paintings group and finally Nohoch Mul. The Macanxoc stelae are a side trip.

• Grupo Coba: right by the entrance, before the bike stand. La Iglesia, 24 metres tall and the second-highest pyramid at Coba, stands here, with a ball court and a carved stela at its foot. You walk this part.
• The ball court on the main path: two sloping walls with a stone ring, where the Maya ball game was played. Guides stop here to explain the rules.
• Xaibe: a tall round-cornered building at a junction of causeways, its name usually translated as the crossroads. Some guides call it the observatory.
• Conjunto Pinturas: the Paintings group, named for traces of coloured plaster and painted glyphs on its small temple.
• Nohoch Mul: the 42-metre pyramid at the end of the main path, with a carved stela under a thatched shelter at its foot. Climbing it is allowed again since December 2025.
• Macanxoc: a side path to a group of eight carved stelae and altars by the lake (Wikipedia). Worth the detour by bike.

How does the tricycle taxi work?

Two of you sit on a padded bench at the front; the driver pedals from behind, stops at the main sights and waits while you climb.

The drivers are local men from Coba, and many give a running commentary. One guest on the Chichen Itza combo wrote: "Pedro our trike driver at Coba spoke excellent English and was able to give us a lot of historical info of the site." Another, on the small-group day, described "a bicycle taxi ride through the ruins. We'd stop along the way and our guide would tell us about everything from medical honey bees to the how the 'ball game' was actually played and why."

Most drivers do the main path to Nohoch Mul and back, so ask before you set off if you also want Macanxoc. Agree the stops before you set off, and tip the driver if he worked hard on the climb back. The sand paths are heavier than they look.

Coba early by bike, before the crowds, then a cave cenote and Tulum's coast by boat. Private, with the bike included.

★ 5.0 · 7 to 9 hours · from $280

Explore the Coba by bike, Tulum by boat tour → Tour details

Is it easy to ride a bike at Coba?

Yes. The paths are flat, wide and mostly shaded, with some sand, roots and loose stones. The bikes are basic single-speed cruisers.

You need to be able to ride a bike, nothing more. Watch for tricycles and walkers on the shared paths, ring the bell, and slow on the sandy patches. Leave the bike at the racks near each group and walk in.

Guests love it. One on the Coba and Punta Laguna day wrote: "We got to bike in there, too which was a surprise but definitely beat walking!" Another described the day this way: "we hired bikes and cycled through the jungle to reach the main pyramid."

Bike or tricycle with kids or older travellers?

Tricycle for small children and anyone who can't ride or tires in heat; bikes for teenagers. Coba suits ages 10 to 75 on the same day.

A family on the private Coba and Tulum tour found that Coba was "much more active (choice to bike through the site and climb)" and that the guide was patient "with the pace of my family that spanned the ages of 10-75." Put grandparents and a young child together in one tricycle, and send the rest on bikes.

For wheelchair users, the private cenotes tour lists wheelchair-accessible transport and surfaces. The Coba paths are packed earth and sand, so a tricycle is the practical way to reach Nohoch Mul.

How hot is it at Coba, and when should you ride?

Hot and humid most of the year. The paths are shaded, the clearings are not. Ride at 8:00 and you finish before the worst heat.

Coba is inland, so there is no sea breeze. The forest keeps the paths bearable, but the open ground around Nohoch Mul and the climb itself are in full sun. Bring more water than you think: a guest on the private cenotes tour warned "Please be prepared to bring extra water, you will be burning a ton of calories on this tour!" Mosquitoes come with the shade, so use repellent at Coba, then shower it off before any cenote.

December to April is the dry, cooler season and the best time to ride; see the winter 2026-27 post.

Which Coba tours include the bike?

The Coba and Punta Laguna day and the bike and boat tour include a bike; the private cenotes tour arranges bikes or a tricycle for you. The others don't.

• Bike included: Coba and Punta Laguna (from $184) and Coba by bike, Tulum by boat (from $280).
• Arranged by the guide: the private cenotes tour, where guests mention bikes and the "Mayan limo" tricycle being included.
• Pay on the day: Tulum and Coba from Cancun, the small-group day, the 4-in-1, the Playa day and the Chichen Itza combo. The private Cancun tour lists the bike or tricycle as excluded.

Bring 200 pesos in cash on any tour that leaves it out: that covers a bike or your share of a trike, plus water.

Frequently asked questions