Looking forward to visiting Tulum? You must begin your journey from its next-door neighbor, Cancun.
From there, you can enjoy the convenience of a private ride, share a ride with others in a shuttle, take a budget-friendly bus ride, take the wheel with a rental car, or just hop into a taxi.
All these rides are available right from Cancun International Airport, so the moment you land, you’re good to go to Tulum. And if you’re staying in Cancun city itself, no worries — we’ve got you covered with transportation options from there too.
Book a Private Ride from Cancun Airport: -> Cancun Airport Transport Service <-
Rent a Car to Drive Yourself Around: -> Discover Cars <-
How Far is Tulum from Cancun?
Tulum and Cancun are both located on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula’s eastern coast, with Tulum roughly 80 miles (130 kilometers) south of Cancun.
To journey from Cancun to Tulum goes through Highway 307 along the beautiful Riviera Maya coast, with a travel time of 1.5 – 2 hours.
If you begin your trip in downtown Cancun, you might experience more traffic and take longer to reach Tulum than if you start at Cancun Airport. Bus and shared shuttle rides may also be slower because they stop to pick up and drop off other passengers along the route.
Whichever the case may be, expect to travel no more than two hours to Tulum. Here’s a map view of how your travel would look like — simple, straightforward, and coastal. Nice!
How to Get From Cancun to Tulum
| Options | Best Company | Price | Duration Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private vehicle | Cancun Airport Transportation | From $160 one way | 1.5 hours |
| Shared vehicle | Cancun Shuttles | $70 one way | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Bus | ADO Bus | $13.50 one way | 2 to 3 hours |
| Rent-a-car | DiscoverCars | From $20 per day | 1.5 hours |
| Taxi | Cancun Airport Taxi | From $69.50 | 1.5 hours |
Cancun International Airport is the most convenient and easiest way to access Tulum. When you arrive at the airport and have passed Customs and Immigration and collected your luggage, you can choose one from the following five modes of transport:
- Private Vehicle
- Shared Shuttle
- Car Rental
- Bus
- Taxi
1. Hire a Private Vehicle from Cancun Airport to Tulum
As the name suggests, private transport means you won’t have to share the vehicle with strangers — making it a great choice for couples, families, or those who value personal space.
The vehicle is exclusive for you and your fellow travel companions. You’ll have more space for your bags and a comfy, roomy ride. You choose your own departure time, which is convenient if you are on a tight schedule.
Furthermore, you will save time because, unlike shared shuttles with multiple stops, private rides travel a direct route. Plus, in times like during the COVID-19 pandemic, private transport keeps you safer because you aren’t in close proximity to other travelers apart from those within your group (if any).
Now, for the best private transport service, we recommend Cancun Airport Transportation. You can choose from regular vans, fancy SUVs, group shuttles, vehicles for people with disabilities, and even limousines.
To book a ride, all you need to do is visit their website, specify where you want to go when you arrive, and how many people are in your group (the company has private vehicles that can support up to 14 passengers).
The one-way transportation rates are as follows:
- Private van (up to 8 passengers): $160
- Luxury SUV (up to 6 passengers): $300
- Group shuttle (up to 14 passengers): $300
- Handicap-friendly vehicle (up to 6 passengers): $255
- Limo Chrysler (up to 11 passengers): $449
- Limo Suburban (up to 14 passengers): $525
Once you have collected your luggage and exited the luggage-claim area, you should seek a representative or a sign bearing your name or the name of the transportation company. When you meet the driver, double-check if they have a confirmation of your booked trip. If it’s all good, they will assist you with your luggage, escort you to the vehicle, and drive to your specified destination. In ideal driving conditions, a private vehicle should take no more than 1.5 hours to reach Tulum.
2. Join a Shared Shuttle from Cancun to Tulum
A shared shuttle ride is a convenient transportation option where multiple passengers traveling in the same direction share a vehicle for their journey.
These shared shuttles use vehicles similar to private vans and SUVs, but the key difference is that you share it with several other passengers, and you get to split the costs, making it more budget-friendly compared to hiring a private vehicle or taking a taxi.
For the finest shared shuttle service, we recommend Cancun Shuttles. They offer up to 17 drop-off destinations for super-affordable prices — from Tulum, Merida, and Isla Mujeres to Cozumel, Playa del Carmemel, and many more. You can reserve a seat on a shared shuttle for as little as $70 — all you need to do is go to their website, specify when you’ll arrive at Cancun International Airport, and where you want to be dropped off.
Now, since there are several passengers sharing the same ride, Cancun Shuttles have specific pick-up points at the airport where they’ll wait for them. Once you book your ticket, they’ll send you a confirmation letter via email. Here you’ll find the pick-up location and emergency contact numbers in case of any issues. Keep this confirmation letter safe because you’ll need to show it to the driver.
Once all passengers have gathered at the assigned pick-up point, the driver will start the journey. If all passengers on the shuttle are going to Tulum, the trip might take around 1.5 hours. However, if there are passengers headed to other destinations along the Riviera Maya, such as Playa del carmen or other areas, then the total travel time to reach Tulum could extend to approximately 2 hours.
3. Join a Bus Ride
If you want to save money, go for a bus ride — it’s the cheapest option out of all five on the list.
Taking the bus means you’ll be able to spend more of your vacation budget on hotels, activities, and traditional Mexican food because you won’t have to spend as much on transportation. Doesn’t that sound great?
However, here’s the catch: bus rides could take longer to reach Tulum, up to three hours or longer. Also, buses have designated drop-off points, which might not always be completely aligned with your final destination. This means that if your hotel is located further from the bus stop, you may need to arrange for additional transportation or walk on foot.
If these things don’t concern you and you see them as a part of a grand adventure, then let’s introduce you to the leading bus company in Mexico: ADO Buses. ADO buses are known for their comfort, cleanliness, and spacious seating. The interior of the bus always has air conditioning on to keep you cool while on the road, as well as bathrooms, and TVs to help you pass the time quicker.
Buying an ADO bus ticket will cost you no more than $13.50. When compared to a shared shuttle for $70 or private transport for $160, ADO bus rides are truly great for budget-conscious travelers!
You can book your ADO ticket online or on the spot. Now, if you order a ticket online, keep in mind that going through Customs, waiting for your luggage, and other delays might make you miss your scheduled bus. The more convenient way would be to buy a ticket at the Cancun Airport. There are ADO kiosks just after baggage claim and ADO stands outside where the buses depart.
ADO bus departs from Cancun Airport at fixed times every day: 10:55 a.m., 12:25 p.m., 2:25 p.m., 4:55 p.m., 8:00 p.m., and 9:45 p.m. After a 2-3 hour journey, you’ll arrive at the Tulum bus station, located at the far end of Tulum town. From this point, you have several transportation options. You can opt for a taxi, hop on a “colectivo” (shared van/minivan), or if your hotel is nearby, consider taking a leisurely stroll through Tulum and take a sneak peek of the city.
4. Rent a Car From Cancun to Tulum
Do you want to escape the tourist tangle? Renting a car gives you the opportunity to avoid crowded buses and shared shuttles, allowing you to travel from Cancun to Tulum at your own pace.
With limited vacation days, you’ll definitely want to make the most of your time away. Renting a car not only gets you to Tulum but also ensures you’ll always have a vehicle to carry you from point A to point B, which saves you a lot of time over repeatedly calling a cab or waiting for public transportation. Tulum’s ancient ruins, rainforest cenotes, Mexican pyramids, desolate beaches, you name it! You will not be limited to exploring just Tulum but the entire Yucatan Peninsula if you like!
But are you eligible to rent a car in Mexico? You need to be at least 18 years of age, have a valid driver’s license, a credit card with a sufficient amount of funds on it, and mandatory Mexican car insurance (which you can pick from the company you plan to rent a car from).
Renting a car is best if you pre-arrange it online so that once you land in Cancun, all you need to do is sign the agreement, pick up your car, and embark on your journey. The best online provider for renting a car in Cancun (and everywhere else in Mexico) is DiscoverCars.
DiscoverCars is your go-to platform for easily discovering all the available rental companies in Cancun. It has partnerships with lots of rental companies in Mexico, so rather than tediously researching each rental company individually, DiscoverCars compiles a comprehensive list for you, showcasing all the companies, their prices, and the available car models. This simplifies the process, allowing you to efficiently compare and select the perfect rental option to suit your needs.
Here are the major rental companies in play: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Economy Rent a Car, Enterprise, Europcar, Firefly, Flexways, GreenMotion, Hertz, Keddy, Mex Rent-a-Car, NU Car Rentals, National, Routes Car Rental, Sixt, and Thrifty.
You can rent a car straight from their own website, where the prices are normally comparable to DiscoverCars. However, DiscoverCars frequently offers superb discounts on specific rentals, making it worthwhile to explore their listed prices.
You can pick up your vehicle wherever you like — whether it’s at the Cancun airport or someplace in the city — the date, time, and location are all up to you. After you sign the agreement, all that remains is for you to take good care of the vehicle, drive responsibly, and return it to the rental business on the agreed-upon date.
5. Hire a Taxi
Taxis are widely available at Cancun International Airport, and they are an excellent choice if you want to begin your adventure right away.
The only legitimate taxis are those organized and managed by the Cancun International Airport itself. Other taxi companies aren’t allowed to enter the premises of the airport to take and drop off passengers. So, this leaves you with only one option for a taxi company, which is great.
However, you should be warned that there are many scammers at the airport, waiting at the arrival gates and pursuing travelers with transportation offers. We strongly encourage you not to speak with these people since many of them are not certified taxi drivers and will try to take far more money from you than if you drove with an official airport cab.
Cancun International Airport accepts online taxi reservations for about $70 and on-the-spot reservations for about $120. We recommend booking your taxi travel online since, as you can see, the cost to drop you off in Tulum is substantially lower than if you get one on the spot.
If you opt to reserve a cab online, you will receive pick-up instructions via e-mail. Never, ever get into a taxi unless you are absolutely confident that it is your appointed driver. Cancun airport taxi drivers are required to wear a uniform, have an official Cancun Airport ID badge, and have a badge permit displayed on the windshield of their vehicles.
To guarantee you are meeting with your designated driver, ask them to show you the confirmation of your booked transportation. Otherwise, you’re running the risk of getting scammed and paying up to $200 just to get to Tulum. All in all, keep taxi rides as your last resort to get to Tulum, as they are the most expensive out of all options we listed so far, plus, with so many taxi scams out there, they are the least reliable option.
Are You in the City of Cancun? Here’s How to Get To Tulum
If your plan is to stay a couple of days in downtown Cancun and a couple of more days in Tulum, there are five options available that will get you from point A to point B.
The first option we recommend is taking an ADO bus from the Cancun ADO bus station. The bus stops at the archeological zone of Tulum or the downtown Tulum ADO bus terminal — this is your arrival point. From here, you should take a taxi to drop you off at the Tulum Hotel Zone (where we assume you’ve booked your stay).
If you aren’t carrying a lot of luggage, then you may also hop in a Colectivo minivan. You can find them standing across from the downtown ADO bus terminal — here’s a map view to know precisely where to look at. However, you need to take two rides to reach Tulum as there’s no direct route from downtown Cancun to Tulum. First, you’ll need to take a Colectivo to Playa del Carmen, and from there hop on another one to reach Tulum. For this, you need to pay for two tickets that cost no more than $3.
The third option would be to rent a car, which we already explained how you can do in the sections above. However, if you want the full-blown details, we have a whole article on how to rent a car in Cancun, so make sure to check that out!
And lastly, if you don’t mind splurging on comfortable transportation, you can either order a private vehicle from a reputable company like Kalido or a taxi service like Uber.
The final decision on which ride is best for you is yours to make, whether it’s an ADO bus or a fancy private ride — we are only here to list the options and help you plan ahead!
Tip: Some Hotels in Tulum Offer Private Transport Services for Their Guests
If you’d rather not have to organize the transportation from Cancun to Tulum all by yourself, there are hotels in Tulum that will arrange the transport for you.
These services are usually listed by the hotels on the booking sites. However, regardless of whether organized transportation is listed as a service or not, it’s always a good idea to contact the hotel and double-check if such a service exists.
If the hotel arranges your transportation, then the driver will normally greet you at the airport and take you directly to your Tulum accommodation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the transportation choices from Cancun to Tulum aren’t all that different from what you’d find in many other places around the world.
Pick between a private ride or a taxi for utmost comfort and privacy — just watch out for the scammers lurking out there. Alternatively, you can rent a car.
If your priority is budget, you can opt for a shared shuttle or even a more economical bus ride. The key distinction between these two lies in the drop-off location. The shared shuttle conveniently delivers you directly to your hotel, whereas the bus drops you off at the bus station, hence the lower cost.
We know stepping foot into an unfamiliar country and not knowing what to expect can be scary. Good planning can help you manage the anxiety of it and help you get off to a good start!
So, plan well and in advance. We wish you a wonderful trip to Tulum!
