How to get from the Tulum Airport to Tulum
If you are flying into the Tulum Airport TQO (Aeropuerto Internacional Felipe Carrillo Puerto) or out from the airport, here is how to get to Tulum 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 6 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. From the 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.
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The shared shuttle seems like a good price to get to Tulum. How often do they leave the Cancun Airport?
These shuttles will leave when they have the scheduled customers arrive. Most of the time the wait is short, less than 30 minutes. They will leave before they fill up so you don’t have to worry about that.
Are there any of those shared shuttles that go hotels from the airport? Like the ones that are usually $15 USD per person?
Hello Vanessa
There are not any of these shuttles as of now in Tulum. Since many hotels are smaller, it is not as efficient to offer shared shuttles to every hotel in Tulum. The cheapest is taking the ADO to the center of Tulum and going to your hotel from there or if you are in the Hotel Zone, you might want to consider the private transfers since taxis are expensive from the downtown of Tulum to the Hotel Zone.
It is too bad the train is not that efficient. I wanted to try that on my next trip to Tulum.
I am staying by Bahia Principe, do the private transfers service that area from the Tulum Airport?
Hello
Yes, the transfers do go to that area. There is a box where you put in your destination and they coordinate the transfer and give you the final price. We hope you have a good trip to the area.
Thanks for the concise tips for transportation.
I was thinking the train would be a good option but not if it takes twice as long as the bus and cost more with the charges of the other two buses. That did not seem like a good plan.
Very helpful info! I am going to Tulum in July and need to find my way around.
Hello. I am staying in the downtown of Tulum but half way through my trip I am going to move to the Hotel Zone. Is it recommended to take the ADO bus to my hotel in the center and a transfer back to the airport or find my way back to the center and take ADO bus to the airport? Thanks in advance.
Hello James
It will depend on where you are staying in the downtown and your budget. If you are staying close to the bus station, the ADO is sufficient to get to your hotel. Returning to the airport, I imagine you have luggage and dont want a long drawn out trip back to get your flight. You would need to get a taxi to the ADO and then take the bus. This would take a minimum of 1 hour and 15 minutes. You would save about 20/30 USD doing the taxi to bus option. If you wanted a little more comfortable option, take the private transfer back to the bus or you can book a transfer with a drop off at your first hotel and returning to the airport from the other hotel.
where do you get the bus to go to the Tren Maya station? I want to take the train to the airport going back just to try the train.
Hello Carlos
You get the shuttle to the Tulum Tren Maya Station from the ADO Bus Station in the center of Tulum. It costs 55 pesos and is timed to meet the departing trains to the airport.
How much is a taxi from the airport to Sirenis Hotel?
Hello Howard
The ride is about 53km and will take about 1 hour. There are no set prices for the taxis and some will not want to make the trip because returning to Tulum they will probably not have a fare. They will charge about $120 USD or more. A better option would be to book a private transfer. You will have a van waiting for you, a fixed price and sometimes a small discount when you book round trip. You also have no surprises from the taxi driver like changing the price en route.
Taxis in Tulum are a rip off and like to charge a fortune to the Hotel Zone. If you can avoid them, do so! They really need to be regulated.
I am staying on the road that connects Tulum to Coba. My hotel is about 20 minutes out of Tulum, what transportation can take me there?
Hello David
Your best option is taking a private transfer because they can take you directly there in about 1 hour. You can also take the Tren Maya to the Tulum Station and from there you can take a taxi. This will take about 30 more minutes since you need to connect with the train and wait. That is, if there is a train leaving close to your arrival. Be sure to check the Tren Maya website or look at the hours in this article. You can take the ADO bus to the ADO bus terminal in Tulum and take a local bus (Mayab, Oriente) towards Valladolid. The only thing is that these buses are more for locals and carrying a lot of luggage is not easy on those buses. You would also need to know where to get off and alert the driver of your stop.
If I get the Tren Maya from the Tulum Airport Station, can I take it to Playa Del Carmen and get off there? Thanks
Hello Robert
Yes, the Tren Maya continues from Tulum to Playa Del Carmen as the next stop. We do have a whole guide just for your case. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/how-to-get-from-the-tulum-airport-to-playa-del-carmen/ We hope you find this helpful. Just check the connection from the Tren Maya to Playa to make sure this is good for you.
If I fly into the Tulum Airport and want to go south to Bacalar, what are the bet options? Thank you in advance for your help.
Hello William
You can get on the Tren Maya and go south to Bacalar. There are limited train trips going south, so you will have to consult the Tren Maya schedule and see how close to your arrival is a train. You can also take the ADO bus to the center of Tulum and get a bus going south to Bacalar. This is a little bit of backtracking since you have about 1 hour and 15 minutes of travel into Tulum and back past the airport. You can rent a car from the airport and drive. It is not a bad drive and fairly easy. Lastly you can book a private transfer to take you to Bacalar from the Tulum Airport. This will not be cheap since it is a little bit if a drive and there is no possibility of the driver getting passengers coming back to the airport after they drop you off. These are your only options.
We booked a transfer before getting to the Tulum. We passed the train and the station. It looks really nice. I just wish it was a faster connection and easier to connect from the Tulum station to the other parts of Tulum.
I wish there were more trains per day going from the airport because the Tulum station is near where I am staying. Maybe in the future there will be more. Maybe like one per hour or more.
It is good for people visiting Tulum to know there is no public transportation in Tulum to get around. There are only taxis. When there is a music festival or something, taxis charge a lot, and they can be selective to whom they pick up.
I am staying in La Veleta in Tulum. I want to take the ADO bus into town. I wanted to know if I can ask to get off before the ADO Bus Station? It is closer to my Airbnb. I dont know if it is like many buses in Mexico where you can get stops where you want.
Hello Jerry
The ADO bus only services the Tulum Airport and the ADO Station in downtown Tulum. It does not allow stops along the way. It would be hard to stop and unload luggage, and it delays the schedule. You will need to take a taxi from the bus station to your accommodations if it is too far to walk.
I am headed south toward Fellipe Carrilo after I land a t the Tulum Airport. Can you get to the main road and get a collectivo going south?
Hello George
You could take a taxi to the 307 and wait for a colectivo. Sometimes they are full when leaving Tulum, so it might be a risk you have to take. You can also take the train if the schedule lines up with your arrival. The other option, and safest is taking the ADO into Tulum and getting the colectivos from where they depart right outside the ADO bus station.