Getting around · Tulum · Mexico
Getting around Tulum
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Tulum is spread out: the town sits on the highway, the beach road runs about 4–5 km away, and cenotes are scattered along the roads to Cobá and Playa del Carmen. Bikes suit the town-to-beach run, while taxis, colectivos and a rental car handle longer distances. Not for the town and beach, where bikes and taxis work.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Cycling
- Airports
- CUN, TQO
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Cycling
A cycle path links the town with the beach and the ruins, and bike rentals are cheap and widely available; this is the most practical way to reach the coast.
Taxi
Taxis do not use meters and are expensive for short distances; fares between town and the beach road are set by zone.
Agree the fare before getting in.
Bus
Colectivo vans run frequently along the highway to Akumal, Playa del Carmen and Cancún, and ADO coaches leave from the town's bus station.
Car
A rental car makes cenote-hopping and day trips to Cobá, Sian Ka'an and Valladolid easy; parking on the beach road is limited and paid.
Train
The Tren Maya stops at stations serving Tulum and its airport, with services towards Playa del Carmen and Cancún airport and inland towards Valladolid and Chichén Itzá.
Scooter
Scooters can be rented in town, but the highway is fast and police checks are frequent; wear a helmet.
From the airport
Most visitors fly into Cancún (CUN), about 130 km north, from where ADO coaches, shuttles and private transfers take about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Tulum's own Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport (TQO), opened at the end of 2023, is about 30 minutes from town by road and has a growing number of flights.
Do you need a car?
Not for the town and beach, where bikes and taxis work. A car is useful if you plan to visit several cenotes, Cobá and Sian Ka'an independently; otherwise tours and colectivos cover them.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cobá | About 45 minutes by car | Car, tour or bus from the Tulum ADO station |
| Sian Ka'an and Muyil | About 30 minutes to Muyil | Tour, or car to Muyil |
| Akumal | About 25 minutes by car or colectivo | Colectivo along the highway, or car |
| Chichén Itzá | About 2 hours by car | Car, tour or Tren Maya |
| Valladolid | About 1.5 hours by car | Car, ADO bus or Tren Maya |
| Bacalar | About 2.5 hours by car | Car or ADO bus |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Tulum?
Not for the town and beach, where bikes and taxis work. A car is useful if you plan to visit several cenotes, Cobá and Sian Ka'an independently; otherwise tours and colectivos cover them.
+How do you get from the airport to Tulum?
Most visitors fly into Cancún (CUN), about 130 km north, from where ADO coaches, shuttles and private transfers take about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Tulum's own Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport (TQO), opened at the end of 2023, is about 30 minutes from town by road and has a growing number of flights.
+What is the best way to get around Tulum?
Cycling: A cycle path links the town with the beach and the ruins, and bike rentals are cheap and widely available; this is the most practical way to reach the coast.