Segway tours are an easy and fun way to explore more without tiring from a lot of walking. Great for older travelers, here's our introduction.
Back in 2013, we were staying at the Hacienda Tres Rios (be sure to read our review!) resort near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. One of the perks of our membership there was a free Segway lesson followed by a ride around the nature park.
Hacienda Tres Rios is a beautiful resort and boasts mangrove forests, swimming, snorkeling or kayak along winding rivers. Travelers can also enjoy several cenotes.
When the resort offered us a Segway tour, we were intrigued. Madeline and I had not been on a Segway. A Segway is a two wheeled device, invented by Dean Kamen, that allows the individual to travel quickly by changing their weight distribution. To move forward or backward on the Segway, you shift your weight slightly forward or backward. To turn left or right, you use a handlebar.
Over the past few years, Madeline and I have ridden several Segway tours. We love them because we can tour places far and wide without tiring as we would on a walk. Since this was our first Segway tour, I thought I’d describe the obligatory lesson that any good Segway operator will require.
The instructor holds the Segway and keeps it upright while you put one foot after the other on the pedestal area. Then, you learn to go forward and stop. Later, you’re asked to try turning. When you’ve demonstrated the basics, which takes about three minutes, you go back and forth on your own on a small circuit. The training takes about 20 minutes depending on the size of your group.
Although Madeline was worried that it might be difficult to learn, she mastered the whole operation in about five minutes.
It took me about the same amount of time to feel comfortable. The Segway tour we took was nice because it would have taken us a very long time to walk the same route.
In 2019, we took our daughter, Lori, on a tour at Hacienda Tres Rios. You’ll note that we were required to wear hairnets with helmets This protected our heads and kept the helmet clean for the next tour. This way we didn’t have to bring our own helmet.
Lori easily learned to ride the Segway.
After you learn to ride a Segway, you can spend your time looking around you—or behind you!
It’s easy to stand still on a Segway to listen to your tour guide or chat with your tourmates.
We also enjoyed a week at Hacienda Tres Rios with our good friends, Debbie and Walter. Neither had been on a Segway before. They took to it quickly.
Debbie and Walter loved it. Debbie had fun practicing. You’ll also notice that we didn’t have to wear hairnets this time!
Walter aced the Segway and practiced a few laps in the parking garage to show our instructor he had it all figured out.
The tour guide took us all over the nature park. We stopped at the beautiful cenote for another photo opportunity.
We enjoyed the Segways so much, I began to look for Segway tours everywhere we traveled. Madeline and I are very comfortable on a Segway and really don’t need the training each time. Usually, an instructor is glad that they don’t have to teach us much and just watch us maneuver around a circuit. They have more time to help people that haven’t been on one yet and focus on their safety.
In case you can’t make it to our favorite resort, you can ride a Segway tour in Cancun with Viator. During this two-hour tour you’ll see so much more of Cancun that you can on foot.
You’ll see lots of Viator Segway tours on this blog because I can usually find one for most locations.
We’ve traveled to all seven continents and ridden Segways on three: Europe, North America and South America. I don’t think we’ll be taking a Segway in Antarctica, but we plan tours in Asia, Oceania and Africa. Whatever continent you’re traveling to, look for a Segway tour to see more with less fatigue. Get out and ride!