How to Take the ADO Bus from the Cancun Airport to Tulum
If you are thinking about taking the ADO bus from the Cancun Airport to Tulum but not sure how, here is your simple guide. We have two options, one direct and one with a stop. We will also give you everything you need so your trip will go smoothly, and you will be prepared.
Tulum is located about 120 km (74.6 miles) south of the Cancun Airport. Tulum is well connected to the airport, and the ADO bus is just one of your transportation options. In this guide we will tell you everything about getting from the Cancun Airport to Tulum by ADO bus. We will also compare the alternative transportation options like shared shuttles,
What is the ADO Bus?
The ADO Bus Company is one of the main long-distance bus services in Mexico, operated by the company ADO (Autobuses de Oriente). It’s widely used by both locals and tourists as a comfortable, safe, and affordable way to travel between cities, especially in regions like the Yucatan Peninsula and Riviera Maya. ADO is also the only bus service to and from the Riviera Maya and the Cancun Airport. This is considered the only “public” transportation to and from the Cancun Airport.
The ADO company is the main bus provider in our area and is part of the bus network in Mexico. See our article about bus travel in Mexico here for more about what it is like.
Two Option for the ADO Bus to Tulum
Depending on when you arrive at Cancun Airport, you might be able to get a direct bus to Tulum (with a stop in Playa Del Carmen) or a two-part bus journey. We will break down the difference between the two options and how to make the most of these options.
Option 1 For the ADO Bus
There are 6 buses a day from the Cancun Airport that continue all the way to the Tulum ADO Bus Station. Buses leave the Cancun Airport, then make a stop in Playa Del Carmen and then on to Tulum. These buses all are in the middle of the day.
If you arrive before 11:00am or after 7:30 pm, you will probably need to take the bus to Playa Del Carmen and then a separate one to Tulum.
Option 2 Taking ADO Bus to Playa Del Carmen and an ADO Bus to Tulum
If you do not arrive at the airport when there is a direct connection to Tulum, you still have options. The good news is you can take any bus going to Playa Del Carmen. This gets you halfway to Tulum. Then you just need to catch another ADO bus to Tulum. Between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum there are buses all day long and often every 30 minutes.
Sample itinerary: If you arrive early in the day before the first direct connecting bus to Tulum at 11:40 you can take the 10:00 am bus to Playa Del Carmen. You will arrive in Playa around 11:50 am. The next bus leaving the Playa Del Carmen Turistica ADO Bus Station to Tulum is at 12:07pm and the next one is at 1:00 pm. You can have a short 17-minute layover in Playa Del Carmen or stop for a little longer and hope on a bus later.
If you take this option, you can decide if you want to have a little walk in Playa Del Carmen or grab something to eat before taking the ADO bus to Tulum. All ADO buses arrive in Playa Del Carmen at the turistica bus station on 5th Avenue and Juarez Avenue.
Important Notes on Taking ADO Bus to Tulum from Playa Del Carmen
- There are two bus stations in Playa Del Carmen. All airport buses arrive at the Turistica Bus Station. Buses going to Tulum leave from both bus stations in Playa Del Carmen. Since the other station is a short taxi ride of a long walk, you need to book a ticket from the Turistica Bus Station to Tulum.
- There are two bus stops in Tulum. One is Tulum pueblo, this is the main ADO Bus Station. The other is Tulum Ruins. This is on the edge of town, and most people need to go to the “Tulum” bus stop. Only take a bus to Tulum Ruins stop if your hotel is nearby.
Where Do You Get the ADO Bus at the Airport?
Each of the terminals at the Cancun International Airport has service by ADO.
- Terminal 1 This terminal is currently being renovated. But when it opens it is easy to see the buses. This is a smaller terminal, and the ADO buses are just in front of this terminal. Exit the terminal and look right. It is about a one-minute walk.
- Terminal 2 Exit the terminal and walk immediately down the sidewalk in front of the terminal to the right. At the end of this walkway, you will see the bus platforms. This can be a four-minute walk.
- Terminal 3 Exit the building and walk straightforward and in about 30 seconds you will see the bus platforms with the iconic red buses to your right.
- Terminal 4 When you are leaving the terminal, there are two exits. One is straight ahead and one of the exits is the left and down a covered walkway. The exit straight ahead is for friends and family. The exit to the left is where you will walk out to the bus platforms. It is about a 3-minute walk. If you accidently walk out the wrong exit, you can ask the security to let you back in and go out the other exit to catch the ADO bus.
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.
What is the Schedule for the Airport Bus?
There are currently 6 buses a day that leave the Cancun Airport and go to Tulum with a stop in Playa Del Carmen. Here is the current schedule. The schedules can change every few months, so be sure to check the website for the most up to date schedules. the ADO bus starts from Cancun Airport at Terminal 3, then Terminal4, and then Terminal 2. Here is the schedule for buses leaving Terminal 3. Add 10 minutes for each stop at the airport. The first bus is at 11:40 am. then the next bus is at 1:00pm, 2:20 pm, 3:40 pm, 5:40, and the last direct bus is at 7:45 pm. The complete schedule is here on the ADO website. The website is in Spanish, but fairly easy to navigate to find schedules and other information. Just search “Aeropuerto Cancun” and select terminal number and then ” Tulum”.
How Long Does the ADO Bus Take to Get from the Airport to Tulum?
It will take generally between 3 hours and 5 minutes to 4 hours to get to Tulum from the Cancun Airport. Why the range of times?
- One option has a direct bus connection and the other has a stop in Playa Del Carmen where you will switch buses to go from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum.
- The second reason is because there are multiple terminals at the Cancun Airport and the bus stops at each of them. The journey starts from Terminal 3, then goes to Terminal 4, and then to Terminal 2 (Currently Terminal 1 in in renovations). This means that travel time will depend on what terminal you arrive at.
How much is the ADO Bus to Tulum?
Option 1: The current price for the ADO bus to Tulum direct is 445 Pesos. That is roughly about $26.18 USD according to the current exchange rate.
Option 2: The current price for the ADO to Playa Del Carmen is 270 Pesos. Then from Playa Del Carmen to Tulum the ticket cost 136 Pesos for a total of 406 Pesos or about $23.88 USD (bus tickets have a small range during the day depending on the bus). The good news about this option is that there are about 39 buses a day between the Cancun Airport and Playa Del Carmen. There are also many buses daily between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum.
How Do You Buy the Tickets from the ADO Bus?
Tickets are available upon arrival at the Cancun Airport. You can purchase tickets online ahead of time, but we do not recommend this. You don’t know if your flight will arrive on time or how long it will take to go through immigration and customs (Usually count on 40 minutes at the Cancun Airport). The tickets are timed and if you arrive late, you will need to get another ticket.
Once you arrive at the Cancun Airport and leave the customs area, you can purchase ADO tickets at an ADO booth or a stand on the bus platform. Usually, it is quicker to buy them outside on the bus platform. It also means you might be able to jump on a bus that is just leaving if they see you buying a ticket. Note: In the early morning hours or after about 6:00pm there are not ticket sellers on the platform, make sure to buy the tickets inside the terminal.
You can pay with credit card, USD or Pesos. If you pay with USD, make sure you have small bills, nothing bigger than a 20-dollar bill. Change is in Pesos.
Tickets are also assigned a seat. Sometimes when purchasing the tickets the person will turn the screen toward you to select seats, or they might just be automatically assigned.
Where Does the ADO Bus Drop You Off in Tulum?
The ADO bus from the Cancun Airport only goes to the ADO bus station on the 307 Highway in the Tulum Pueblo part of Tulum. From the bus station you can walk to nearby hotels or take a taxi. If you are staying in the Hotel Zone in Tulum, taxi can be expensive in Tulum. Taxi do not have meters no set prices.
Going Back to the Airport on the ADO Bus?
There are 6 direct connecting ADO buses between Tulum and the Cancun Airport daily. Most of these leave from Tulum in the morning. If you don’t catch one of these, the same option is available to take the bus to Playa Del Carmen and switch to an ADO bus going to the Cancun Airport.
Alternative Airport Transportation Options to Tulum
Here are some of the other airport transportation methods available to get to Tulum. You can see more details in our guide how to get from the Cancun Airport to Tulum.
Shared Shuttle
Shared shuttles are small vans that take multiple passengers and drop them off at hotels. This is a door-to-door service. This can be quicker and even cheaper in some cases than taking the ADO bus. This is especially true since most people arriving in Tulum by bus need to take a taxi to their final destination.
- This shared shuttle company has a minimum of two people. If you are a couple and looking for a cheaper option that goes door to door, this might be a good option. There are two zones in Tulum, the Hotel Zone and the Tulum town area. For Tulum downtown it is $70 USD per person or $140 USD for the two people. For the Hotel Zone in Tulum, it is $79 USD per person or $158 USD for two people to go between the airport and Tulum.
Private Transfer
This is one of the most popular transportation methods to connect between the airport and your hotel. These are prebooked vans that are just for you and those traveling with you. They are waiting for you at arrivals and take you directly to your hotel. This is for up to 8 people. You can also book a round trip and have all your transportation to and from the airport all planed even before you take off.
- Tulum downtown is $179 USD for a one way. Round trip is $322 USD. When you purchase a round trip, you save about 10%.
- To the Hotel Zone in Tulum, it is $202 USD. Round trip is $364 USD. When you purchase a round trip, you save about 10%.
Luxury Private Transfers to Tulum
If you are traveling for a special occasion or just want to make your trip a little more special, there are luxury transfers available from the Cancun Airport going to the Tulum. Cancun luxury transportation is regularly provided with Suburbans or Similar vehicles, like Expeditions. This is for transportation of up to six people.
Prices for the luxury transfer from the Cancun Airport to the Tulum are:
- Tulum Hotel Zone is $404 USD one way or $720 USD round trip. To save money you just need to book a round trip at time of booking. Click the reserve now button below to go to the official booking website.
Taxis
There are plenty of taxis at the Cancun Airport, but they are also one of the things that people like the least about the Riviera Maya. Since there are no set prices or a taxi booth to get tickets, you must negotiate with the drivers. Often people get overcharged. This is why most people prebook a transfer and do not have to worry about paying too much.
Taxis are also small cars; the private transfers are vans. This means you have a lot more space in a private transfer when compared to a taxi. This is important for transfers to Tulum since the time is about 1 hour and a half drive time.
Rental Cars
If you plan on doing some road trips or driving around on vacation, this might be a good option for you. We will just give you a few tips here about renting cars at the Cancun Airport.
One good place to check for a rental car online is Discovery Cars. This website searches all the rentals and offers good prices on Cancun Airport rentals.
Here are our best tips for renting a car at the Cancun Airport:
- There are rental car companies inside the airport property and some just outside along the highway. If you rent from a company outside the airport you will need to take their shuttle both ways. This does add about 20 minutes to the process of pick up and drop off. For the convenience fee, we prefer the rental car companies in the airport.
- Liability insurance is required in Mexico. Your credit card company might not cover Mexico, or you might need proof of coverage. You can buy it locally when you rent. It is recommended you buy it locally because you have local agents to help you if something happens.
- In general, we prefer the larger car rental companies because they have more options, and in general a more streamlined check out and in.
Uber
Uber has started in Cancun but has been very limited since it has clashed with the taxi unions. The area that Uber works in does not include all the Riviera Maya, mainly just Cancun. Because the service is limited and there are only a few drivers, we don’t recommend trying planning on trying to take an Uber. It is also not possible to get Uber in Tulum.
Tren Maya to Tulum
The Tren Maya has a station at the Cancun Airport, and it is connected to the Tren Maya Station in Tulum. We wish this worked efficiently but if you take this option, you end up spending more money and more time getting to Tulum. Let us explain.
First of all, there are limited trains per day between the airport and points south. There is a Tren Maya Station at the Cancun Airport, but you need to connect to it by shuttle. The shuttle is 35 pesos and leaves about 30 minutes before the train departures. Once at the Cancun Tren Maya Station it is an easy ride to Tulum with one two stops before it. The next thing is the station location in Tulum, it is further back from the beach, so this means a 15-minute taxi ride to your hotel or taking the shuttle bus to the downtown ADO bu station and connecting to your hotel from there.
To see a full list of instructions, see our article and video about How to Take the Tren Maya to Tulum from the Cancun Airport.
Do you have a question about getting to and from the Cancun Airport to Tulum? Let us know in the comments below and we will try to get right back to you.
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