How to take the ADO Bus from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen
If you are thinking about taking the ADO bus from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen but no sure how, here if your simple guide. We have schedules for the bus and where to pick up the bus at the airport for your trip.
Your arrival at Cancun Airport
Most international flights arrive at Terminal 3 or Terminal 4 in Cancun Airport (see map below). So, most of this guide will be for arrivals here.
After you go through immigration and customs you will walk out and down a hall. There will be rental car companies and tour booths. There is an ADO bus booth and you can buy your ticket BUT.…we prefer to go outside and get it. If there is a bus ready for departure, you can jump on. If you are in line inside and a bus is just getting ready to leave, they will sell you a ticket for the next bus.
Both the inside ADO counter and outside stand sell the same ticket. The ADO bus tickets are timed and only allow you on that bus. Buses come about every 30 minutes but you can check the schedule below for exact times.
Exiting the airport terminals
Since almost all international flights arrive at either terminal 3 or terminal 4, here are the basic directions.
Terminal 3
Go outside and you will see a lot of people with signs for people and people offering you taxi service. Just ignore them and walk toward the right. You will see a Margaritaville stand selling drinks, go past that and you will see the red ADO bus stand and someone there.
Terminal 4
When you exit the terminal there are two exits. One exit is for friends and family and the other is taxis and buses. If someone is picking you up you would go straight to exit. If you have a bus, transfer, or professional pickup, you exit left. Go out the building and you will see the platforms.
Tip: Don’t listen to taxi drivers or other people that say the “next bus is in on hour or longer” or “there are no more buses today“. These are just tricks to get people to take a taxi or van service.
The people working at the ADO stand usually speak some English. It is platform 1 & 2. See photos.
How much is the ADO bus to Playa Del Carmen?
The current price is 250 Pesos for one way. You should only book one way since you might not know the exact time when you want to return.
ADO does accept USD but do not have anything over a $20 bill to give them. Change will be in Pesos. They will give you a ticket and you should retain it for your entire journey in case they need to see it.
Seating and luggage on the bus
The seating is usually open even if the ticket has a seat number. Usually the bus will have the destination in the digital sign on the front of the bus. When it arrives you will be asked to put suitcases under the bus. There are no luggage tags given and security is not really an issue, so don’t worry. The bus will only maybe stop for a minute in Puerto Morelos before arriving in Playa Del Carmen. If you are concerned you can sit above the door ad keep an eye on the luggage department.
How long does the bus take from the airport o Playa Del Carmen?
The trip takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes in a comfortable air conditioned bus. It will take you to the ADO bus station on 5th Avenue and Juarez Avenue. This is the ONLY stop in Playa Del Carmen it makes. It does not go to the other bus station in the center of Playa Del Carmen when it arrives. The ADO bus does not stop at hotels along the way either. If you are staying at a resort it is better to take a private transfer that will take you directly to your hotel.
How to take the ADO bus from other terminals at Cancun Airport
If your plane happens to arrive at Terminal 2, (see map above) which can happen when the airport is full, here are directions. Exit the terminal and walk to your right. You will have to walk the length of the building and then come to a security gate where the buses are parked. Just ask to go to ADO bus and then board there. It is the same procedure as above.
If you arrive via a domestic airline in Terminal 2 you will exit in the middle of the building and just walk to the right, just with a little less walking as arriving internationally.
Terminal 1 is not as used but if by chance you have taken a domestic flight into the airport and arrive at this terminal, there is an ADO stop just out front of the building.
Terminal 4 is the newest terminal at Cancun Airport. You will follow the exit of the terminal and go to the left for the bus. There are tickets sold in the terminal and on the curb.
Taking the ADO bus back to the Airport
Going back to the airport for departure? You can buy a ticket in both ADO stations in Playa Del Carmen. The buses leave from 5th Ave and Juarez station first and then stop by the 20th Street bus station. Buses stop at all terminals at the airport. The ADO bus drops passengers at Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and Terminal 4.
If you get off at the wrong terminal or it looks like the unloading at Terminal 2 is going to take a while, you can walk from Terminal 2 over to Terminal 3. It takes about 10 minutes if you walk brisk. If it is hot, it will be a hot and sweaty walk. In reality though it should not take too long. Facing the building go to your left. You can walk close to the buildings or around the parking lot and to Terminal 3. It is not signed.
In an emergency you can get off at Terminal 2 and take a taxi to Terminal 3. It might take about 3 minutes and save you 8-10 minutes if there are a lot of people getting off at terminal 2 and getting luggage from under the bus.
Make sure you allow at least one hour before you flight because Cancun Airport is very strict about check in. If you do not you may have to find another flight.
Tips for going back to the Cancun Airport
Tip: Check in online for your flight if you can. That way if you run late you can run through security and hop on your flight. Security usually never takes more then 10 minutes to get through.
Tip: Buy your ADO bus ticket for your return at least 6 hours before you need to leave. We recommend this because if you rush to the bus station sometimes the buses are full. Most people time it so they get there right on time. It is better to have your ticket ahead of time and make sure you get the bus you want.
Most important tip: Make sure you have your tourist visa card from immigration that you got when you arrived. You will need to turn it in when you depart. If you do not have it you will need to get another one and there can be a charge for this.
Why you might consider a private transfer from Cancun Airport
Private transfers are a good option if you are more than two people or want to go directly to your hotel without having to take a taxi from the bus station. Private transfers can cost as little as $12-15 USD a person depending on how many you have and where you are going. A transfer will save a taxi ride from the bus station as well.
If you would like to read more about private transfers to and from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen you can see our article here. We have found one transfer company that offers good rates and excellent service for our readers and we link to them in the article.
Do you have a question about getting to and from the Cancun Airport to Playa Del Carmen? Let us know in the comments below and we will try to get right back to you.
About The Author
Thanks, I was looking for the bus information. I guess ADO is the only buss company in the Yucatan? I want to travel around but cannot find much information on the busses.
Hello Kathie
This is true, ADO is the main large bus company. There are some smaller companies like Mayab and Noreste but these companies are so small they do not have online schedules and they service some of the small towns that tourist do not go to. If they do go to a town that is also served by ADO, they are considered second class busses and make more stops along the way. So really ADO is the only bus line you will take in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Thanks for he tips and see you in Playa Del Carmen soon!
Hola, there has been so little information about Terminal 4 since it first opened in November 2017. I have only been inside the Departures building of Terminal 4, so I have not personally seen the Arrivals building. Are you able to let me know where the ADO kiosks are located INSIDE of and OUTSIDE of the Terminal 4 Arrivals building please? While waiting for friends and family outside the Arrivals building, I recall seeing the ADO buses, but I cannot recall seeing an ADO kiosk outside. Thank you so much!
We have not seen any kiosk outside of Terminal 4. We have been told there is a place to buy the ADO tickets inside.
How do I call for a round trip private transfer from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen to catch the ferry over to Cozumel?
Hello Denice. We have a whole article on it and a recommended transfer company. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/cancun-airport-to-cozumel/
We hope you have a great trip!
Is there any update on ADO pickup location at Terminal 4? Have they added a ticket booth outside, or do you still need to buy tickets inside Terminal 4? Thanks.
Hello Dennis
We have not been to Terminal 4 in a few weeks. Hopefully someone that was just there will chime in.
I arrived in Terminal 4 just today and there are TWO ticket counters inside the terminal after you get through customs.
Thank you Dennis for the update.
We will be picking up my grandson from terminal 4. We will be taking the ado from Playa del Carmen to Cancun and they will only let us off at departures. . How do we get to arrivals
Terminal 4 has two exits for people arriving. One goes out the door to the left and down a covered sidewalk to the taxis and buses. For people picking up, they need to exit straight and go to the friends and family exit.
You mentioned in another article when trying to catch the ferry the bus drops you off at the station a few blocks away from the dock. Have you wrote information on how to get from buas stop to the dock?
Thank you for the info, it has been very helpful so far!
You can practically see the ferry dock from the bus station. If you are traveling with lots of bags there are tricycle taxis that will take it to the pier for you.
I will be arriving on a domestic flight into Terminal 2. Is there a booth inside the airport that I can use a credit card to buy tickets, or do I need to buy them at the bus?
We believe so but are not 100% sure. There usually is a credit card machine at the stand outside. You can always pay with small bills of USD. This can some in handy if the machine does not work or your credit card is blocked because you are using it internationally.
What is better way to buy ticket?
Online or on counter?
Is it same price online?
It is best to buy a ticket when you arrive. They are the same prices online as they are at the airport. Many times you cannot buy them online anyways with foreign card plus you don’t want to miss your timed tickets, so it is best to buy them at the airport.
If I buy my ticket online at a specific time (For example at 4 pm) and miss it due to a delay or crowd in immigration, Will I be able to get into the next bus?
How long the time do you think to get from airplane to the bus passing the immigration and waiting for baggage? an hour or more?
It will depend on how many aircraft arrive at the same time. Normally of you have a bag checked you can account for 40 minutes to go through the airport on arrival. The tickets are timed so it is best to buy them upon arrival and after you passed through the airport.
Can anyone confirm where to purchase ADO tickets at terminal 3$ and where you board at this terminal
Hello John
There is a ticket booth inside and outside of Terminal 3. If you go out of the door go to your right and look for the little stand. The platform is there as well for the busses to Playa Del Carmen.
Hi! When arriving at the airport with ADO, how long does the bus take to go from one terminal to the next? E.g. it says on my ADO ticket travel time is 2hrs 5mins. What’s the final travel time if I have to go to terminal 4? So it is not a lot of time. Just factor about 1 hour and 5 minutes for travel time.
Hi! I am arriving cancun airport 1.30 am. I can see in the schedule that the last bus leave 3.00 am from cancun to playa del carmen. Are the ticket-booths still open in the middle of the night, or do i have to buy my ticket online in this case? Hope for answer!
There will be a way to buy a ticket. They always have ability when the bus is leaving. Just maybe have cash in case they don’t have a way to take a card. Small bills if it is dollars.
Hallo. Gibt es auch Busse von ADO die vom Flughafen Cancun bis zum Hotel krystal in cancun fährt ?
Nein. Der ADO-Bus fährt nur ins Zentrum von Cancun. Es gibt keine ADO-Busse, die zur Hotelzone oder zu den Hotels fahren. Sie müssen eine Überweisung annehmen. Hier ist die beste Firma, die wir empfehlen. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/airport-shuttle/
Great article. I normally go on the ADO website for bus schedules but I can’t get any departures listed from Playa to the airport on the date of my flight….. is it because it is too early? My flight is on May 8th
Hello Yan
We just tried as well and it looks like they have not posted the schedule yet. The bus schedules do not change that much. You can look at the schedule now and make plans off that.
Many thanks Mr.Yucatan
It is great to find such a site(blog)
Keep up the good work
From Playa Del Carmen, can I take the ADO bus to Terminal 4 not to catch a flight but to meet my friends at the Arrivals Exit at Terminal 4? Will they allow me to walk to the Arrivals Exit from there?
Hello Steve
You can take the ADO bus to terminal 4. There are two exits for your friends. One is taking a left to the shuttles and busses and one is straight to friends and family. This is the door they need to exit. If they exit the wrong door, they will be on a outdoor sidewalk and you can yell over to them to go the other way.
Hello Mr. Yucatan , Great Questions and answers on here , Nice to see them all. I’d be arriving at terminal 4 early afternoon , I’ve been thinking of trying the ADO Buss service from Cancun, my destination is Chetumal, well actually Corozal Belize. but Chetumal is perfect . What way would You recomemend going ? airport to Cancun bus terminal ? or airport to Playa Del Carmen bus terminal and what terminals would i need to be in, to pick up the second ADO bus to Chetumal ? any help with bus departure times would be appreciated also . Thank-You very Much.
John.
Hello John
You would want to take the bus to Playa Del Carmen first. If you take it to Cancun you will be going 40 minutes to Cancun and then turning around and going back toward the airport to Playa. Once in Playa, decide if you want a day or night bus. Since it is a little longer the night bus is popular. There is a service to Belize City. Check which of the two terminals it leaves from. They move it sometimes. On the ADO website you can see schedules and prices. If you are in a hurry, you might be able to get connecting tickets bought at the counter in the ADO airport counter.
how do i get to ADO Alterna from Terminal 4 in Cancun? article says it only stops at one terminal but it is the not terminal i need.
Hello Martha
You will need to take a taxi from the bus station on Juarez to the other one. It is fairly close and will take about 4 minutes in a taxi.
Bonjour, est-ce que les bus Ado affiche leur destination ? Nous avons l’intention d’utiliser le bus de l’aéroport de Cancun pour se rendre à Playa del Carmen où des amis viendraient nous chercher à la station Juarez. Que sera indiqué sur le bus pour ne pas se tromper? Et
est-ce qu’il y a le wifi à l’aéroport et dans le bus ?
Il y a des panneaux électroniques sur le bus pour la destination. Les gens vérifieront également votre billet pour vous assurer de prendre le bon bus. Il n’y a pas de wifi gratuit à l’aéroport et le bus ne fonctionne normalement pas.
Is there an ADO ticket booth outside of Terminal 4?
There is a booth there. If you arrive very early or late in the day we would recommend buying it inside since they might not be there all hours of the day.
If you’re going to write a whole article about “busses” maybe you could learn to spell the word
Thank you for your note. The more common plural form is buses but some dictionaries and scholars spell it busses. We have both spellings on our website but should change to one to streamline it.
What an unnecessary comment! His website contains a huge amount of beneficial information. No need to be picky and slam him!
A friend and I are both flying into Cancun and arriving at terminal 4, then catching ADO to PDC. We are arriving within 45 minutes of each other. Where would you recommend meeting up before we head over to the buses? Thank you.
There are not a lot of places to meet once you are leaving the terminal. You might want to exit and enter the terminal for a drink while you wait, then watch board for arrival info although it can take another 20/40 minutes to get though customs and immigration. It is not too big, so it is easy to meet up. There are two exits for terminal 4, one friends and family and the other busses and transfers. Once you exit the terminal if you go to drink something in arrivals, you have to walk the long way around to get to the bus or explain to the guar you need to pass for the ADO bus. It is not too hard but just something you need to do.
Hey there, would you recommend taking private transfer or ADO from Cancun airport to the PDC Ferry Terminal?
The ADO does take you very close to the ferry terminal. It is a short walk or you can pay a tricycle taxi to carry your bags. It is important to check the ADO bus times because they are limited now due to less people traveling. You also will have to get your ticket when you land since you dont know when you will be out of the airport. This mean you might have to wait for the next bus or even if it is full, take the next one. If you take the private transportation you have a driver waiting for you and you take off to Playa right away. For the $40 USD (about) extra for two people, it is a nice conveince to take the private transport. You dont have to worry about getting tickets and the slower bus to Playa. You might even catch an earlier ferry and end up saving a hour or two in transportation in just one way.
Are ADO buses currently running? Will be arriving on October 20 and want to take the bus from the airport to Playa Del Carmen.
Hello Wanda
The ADO bus is running, they have limited there schedule though. So be sure to check their website for the latest schedule for your trip.
Thank you for the great article. Great info! We will be arriving to Cancun this Sunday 11/22 and we are planning on taking ADO to PDC. Do you happen to know how much is taxi from the bus terminal to Calle 80 norte?
Also, going back to the airport we will need to leave PDC early in the morning around 6 am. Is it good to take the bus or private?
Thank you Sharka
Hello Sharka
Taxis from the bus station are supposed to go by the rate chart. Taxis from stands also charge more than street taxis. In general it should be about 50/80 pesos. If you have luggage and they help you, it can be more. It is not that much money, so that is not something to worry about. Just check the rate chart for Colosio, that is the area of 80th Street or ask the price before getting in. That area does not have a lot of taxis and in the morning it can be hard to get one. You might find it more comfortable to book a private transfer and get to the airport without much stress and trying to find a taxi. This company is very good and punctual. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/cancun-private-transfers/
Thank you so much, you’ve been so helpful:) can you also give us some tip for renting a car. We would like to rent one in PDC for a day to go to Ixamal. Last year we got one from the airport but they took out 5000$ as a deposit and then charged extra insurance per day. We used to car just once so it was a waste of money….
Thank you again
We like this local company that rents cars fully insured and no hidden fees. But they rent for a minimum two day period. We really hate renting cars here because of the slow process and red tape. In general, get a basic car and make sure you have liability insurance. It is best to purchase it here. It costs about $45/50 usd for a day to rent a car. Yes there are places that offer much less, but you need to buy the insurance when you go pick it up. We like the bigger agencies like Avis also.
Thanks. If the rate is good we would take the car for 2 days.
I just thought of one more question. Where should we change money? I really don’t remember what we did last year. We are excited about our trip. We will be there on Sunday
Hello
Changing money is best once you get to Playa at a casa de cambio. Banks do not exchange money in general, or only for customers. You can also use bank ATM machines.
Hello again, you are mentioning “this local company “ but not saying their name. Do you mind telling us? We hope to go and rent a car later today till Friday.
Thank you
Hello
We are not sure what comments or conversation we had or you are referring to, but this is the article we have about a recommended car rental place. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/playa-del-carmen-car-rental/ Their contact info is here in the article.
Hi, I’ve read that ADO buses dont stop anymore at Puerto Morelos, maybe because of COVID; is it true ? So, I will need to get off at PDC, and back north to Puerto.?
We have heard this from people. We did contact ADO about this. Where the confusion might be is the fact that ADO does not have all stops listed on their website booking which totally does not make sense. They did confirm two months ago they did stop there. The stop is on the side of the highway, so it is not that convenient for people traveling with luggage. You still need to get a taxi to most places. Puerto Morelos is spread out and the beach area is a minimum of 3km away. Some hotels are more that 7 km from the bus stop. In many cases the private transfers are a better option. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/cancun-airport-transfers/
What is your recommendation for getting from Playa del Carmen TO the Hotel Zone in Cancun? Do you know if the ADO bus has a route like this?
And/or – do you know if ADO has a route from the Hotel Zone in Cancun to the airport? Thank you!
Hello Stephanie
There are not bus services that make this route. The hotel zone is big and most of the people only go between the hotel and the airport. But, we do get this question often. The only two options are a taxi and a transfer service. We recommend the transfer service because you have a set price, round trip discount and scheduled trip with bilingual driver. Here is a company that we recommend, They not only do airport transfers, but also point to point service. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/cancun-private-transfers/
Greetings,
My friend and I will arrive in Cancun on December 31st.
We will be going to Selvanova. Does the bus stop there?
Thank you!
No the ADO bus does not stop along the way. It only goes to the Juarez Bus Station. You will need to get a taxi to go back to Selvanova. It is an easier option to get a direct private transfer that will save you 30 minutes of travel time and door to door service.
Do they accept credit/debit cards to purchase ADO bus tickets? Thanks for all the useful tips.
They do accept cards. Just in case your card does not work or it is blocked because you are out of the country, maybe bring a little cash to pay.
ADO is a great Airport transfer alternative to get into and out of Playa del Carmen!! 225 pesos per person each way (as of Dec 7th, 2022) – smooth comfortable coaches. Get to the ADO terminal 20 minutes early – there always seem to be lines. Buses leave frequently (min. hourly) in both directions. Be sure to check the Airport Departure Terminal number – the airport cabbies are ruthless – don’t pay any attention to their ‘Rate Cards’ if you need to change terminals. Enjoy ADO
How far of a walk is it from the ADO bus stop in Playa del Carmen to the ferry? Also, is ADO in Cozumel as well because we’ll need transfers from the ferry to our hotel
the bus station is about a 4 minute walk through a park to the ferry. Most people can do it but if you have a lot of bags, there are tricycles that can load up your stuff. There are no ADO buses on Cozumel. There are taxis and a local bus service, but it is not really for moving tourist with bags.
Are the bus instructions in this article up to date post CV? Doing trip in July 2023.
Bus pickup is Terminal 3 or 4, can pay driver with USD but not larger than $20 bill. Departs every 30 min, drop-off is 5th and Suarez in PDC. Ride is about 1 1/2 hour.
Return is from Juarez/5th or /20th, buy ticket 6 hours ahead in case they’re sold out.
TIA! ?
Hello, yes this guide is up to date. There is construction on the highway to the airport but this might only affect your timing returning to the airport. From the airport to Playa it is about 1 hour.
I will be arriving at 0:05 am at Terminal 4 of Cancun Airport. Do you think there will be any buses to catch after midnight? Do you think it is a good idea to buy a ticket online in the ado website?
There is a bus at 1 am and then the next at 7am. It can take you 30/40 minutes to get out of the airport terminal Since there is only one bus at one am I would buy the ticket in advance if you can. Sometimes foreign credit cards do not work on the ado website. The only alternative would be to book a private transfer and have a set ride waiting for you.
For November 2023 will there still be construction on highway returning to cancun airport? Can you estimate ADO bus time from playa to cancun airport considering construction
Most of the construction is supposed to be done by then. You can use google maps to see what the current conditions are for traffic. It should not be anything to worry about for November.
What time is the last ADO BUS that leaves from the Cancun airport to Play Del Carmen on a week day?
The ADO bus leaves about every 30 minutes from the Airport. The complete schedule is here on their website. http://Www.ADO.com.mx