How to get from the Tulum Airport to Tulum
If you are flying into the Tulum Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Carrillo Puerto) or out from the airport, here are all the transportation options available to you. You have a bus option, the Tren Maya, Taxi, private transfer, or renting a car. Because the way Tulum is laid out, transportation is more expensive to and from this airport. Transportation times can take 45 minutes to just over an hour to some destinations. See map below to get your baring’s.
The green marker is the Tulum Airport. The two yellow markers are the two Tren Maya stations in Tulum. The red marker is the ADO Bus Station. The orange box is the Hotel Zone.
What is the best way to get from the Tulum Airport to Tulum?
The Tulum Airport opened in December 2023 and transportation services have been working on offering connections between the airport and the downtown and other areas of Tulum. Transportation costs are higher in Tulum due to the distance the airport is from town and the slow moving traffic in the Hotel Zone which is only two lanes and often congested during peak times.
The best way to get from the airport is going to depend on where you are staying, how much you want to spend and how much time you want to spend transferring. Below are the most popular two options for connecting to the airport.
How to take the ADO Bus from the airport
If you are going to the center of Tulum and you are staying a short distance from the ADO Bus Station, the easiest public transportation option is the ADO bus. Important note: If you are staying in the Hotel Zone or other areas of Tulum not near the center of town, it can take another 15-30 minutes by taxi from the ADO Station. Taxis are not metered in Tulum and charge around $35 USD and up. This is a reason people often book private transfers to and from the airport.
ADO bus schedule to and from the Tulum Airport
ADO Bus Company now has 8 buses a day leaving the Tulum Airport for the center of Tulum. The departure times are 10:20am, 12:00 noon, 12:50pm, 1:15pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:20pm, and 5:15pm. The price of the ADO bus is about 226 pesos. This is about the same price at the Tren Maya, but with less transfers.
The schedule from the Tulum ADO Bus Station to the Tulum Airport has 6 departures daily from the ADO station. The times are: 8:50am, 9:50am, 10:40am, 12:30pm, 1:00pm, and 2:30pm.
Should you buy tickets before arriving to Tulum, Mexico?
Tickets can be purchased at a kiosk at the airport. You can pay with card, Pesos or USD in small bills. We do not recommend buying tickets before arriving to Mexico. For one, you don’t know when you will get out of the airport after customs and immigration and the tickets are for a certain time only. The tickets are easy to get at the airport and foreign credit cards often do not work on the ADO website.
We do however suggest buying your return tickets to the airport in advance. This way you secure the bus time you want for your return home.
The total time between the airport and the ADO Station is 45 minutes. If you take this option, it replaces a bus-train-bus with just one bus. It also saves half the time of taking the Tren Maya. These are the two public transportation options. Below is the best private/direct to your hotel option.
Booking a Private Transfer Service
This is the most common airport transportation that people choose to book in advance. You do need to book in advance so a driver and van will be waiting for you at the airport. If you need to go further than Tulum, you can book to other parts of the Riviera Maya like Akumal and Playa Del Carmen. The reasons these are the most popular option are:
- You have your transportation waiting for you at the airport. They will have a sign with your name at arrivals.
- It is the most direct and quickest way to your hotel from the airport, creating a seamless transfer.
- You can choose how you pay and no negotiating with taxis.
- You will be in a large airconditioned van unlike the cars that taxis use.
The price for this private one-way transportation is $59 USD per person. This is the best option is you are 1-3 people looking for a ride from the Tulum Airport.
Group Transportation from the Tulum Airport to Hotels (4-8 people)
This airport private transfer company is a favorite of our readers and has been working for over a decade in the Riviera Maya. This is the most economical if you have 4-8 people in need of transportation. They are very reliable and provide consistent service. These transfers need to be prebooked, so a driver and van are waiting for you at the airport. With this company you get a small discount when booking a round trip to and from the airport. They also provide service to all parts of the Riviera Maya.
Prices are $156 USD for one way transportation. This works out to about $20-$40 USD per person. They also offer luxury transportation for up to 5 people for $300 USD one way from Tulum Airport.
Other transportation options to and from the Tulum Airport
There are three more options for transportation between the Tulum Airport and Tulum. Below are all the details on renting a car, taking the Tren Maya and taxis.
Renting a car for your time in Tulum
If you plan to do some exploring by yourself on vacation, renting a car can be a good option. This can save on your transportation to and from the airport and you don’t have to rely on taxis or tours. If you do want to rent a car from the Tulum Airport, we definitely recommend booking in advance. There are not that many cars available at the |Tulum Airport. Below is the Reserve Now button. This will take you to the booking site for Tulum Airport car rentals. You can choose which agency has the best price and car for you.
Tips: It is good to buy local liability insurance. Even if your credit card offers this, they will not have a representative come to an accident site. Police have the right to detail you until proof of payment is provided for damage. If you are renting a car, you will be going to a gas station. See our detailed article on how to avoid scams at the gas stations in Mexico.
How to take the Tren Maya to Tulum
The Tren Maya is connected to the Tulum Airport. From the airport you can go into Tulum on the train where there is another station. For them airport there is a shuttle bus that connects to the Tren Maya. Then the train takes 19 minutes to go to the Tulum Station. At this station there is another bus that can take you to Tulum ruins area or the downtown ADO Bus Station. There are also a few taxis waiting at the station to take passengers to hotel areas in Tulum.
The ride is smooth and comfortable; the stations are contemporary with local character. But it is the connections that will undermine the experience. The bus to train to bus and maybe a taxi, really eats up time and can add up in expense. The train is cheaper than the ADO bus but takes about twice as long to get to the same ADO Bus Station in the center of Tulum.
It might be nice to experience the Tren Maya once for this journey or you might want to just get to your hotel to start your vacation. See the schedules below to see if there will be a train that lines up with your arrival and departure. See our full article and instructions on how to make this airport connection on the Tren Maya.
Schedules for the Tren Maya Between Tulum and the Airport
Since there are limited trains per day doing the trip, you need to look at the schedules to see if there will be a train available close to your arrival time. The Tulum Airport is small and fairly efficient. You should calculate about 1 hour to deplane, go through customs, collect your bags and go to meet the shuttle bus to the Tren Maya. The shuttle bus takes about 8 minutes to get to the station. Here you will get off the bus, collect your bags, purchase tickets and go up to the platform. So, in total about 1 hour and 30 minutes from the time of landing to the departing train is a good estimation if taking the Tren Maya works for you.
The Tren Maya currently operates 3 trains daily from the Tulum Airport Station to the Downtown Tulum Station. Trains depart at 1:10pm 5:55pm, and 7:41pm. The ride takes 19 minutes.
From the downtown Tulum Station to the airport the Tren Maya departs at 10:45am, 1:31pm, and 5:07pm.
Schedules can change, so be sure to double check the departure times for the Tren Maya on their official website here.
Taxi and Uber in Tulum
Taxis in Tulum are not metered nor is there a fixed price from the airport. Each time you want to take a taxi, it is recommended to ask the price. If the price is high, be prepared to negotiate. Taxis do not have a good reputation in the Riviera Maya and is why most people prefer to prebook a transfer.
Uber does not operate in Tulum. So, you should not count on getting out at the airport and opening your app to book a ride. You will be left with only the bus, train, or taxi option. Most private transfers are prebooked and waiting for guests to arrive. The only place Uber does operate is in the Cancun area, but even there you will not find many drivers available.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading our article about transportation to and from the Tulum Airport. We hope we described sufficiently the options you have. Below are a few more articles about Tulum that you might like to look at for your trip to the area.
- One of the most popular attractions is near Tulum called Xel Ha. See what this park is like.
- If you are wanting to visit anywhere between Tulum and Playa Del Carmen, colectivos are one of the best options. See how to take this vans.
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