Tulum is one of the main gateways for travelling around the Riviera Maya, and personally I much prefer this airport to the chaotic and overcrowded Cancún (CUN).

From the airport, there are several options for getting comfortably to the centre of Tulum, as well as to other resorts.

Taxi – does Uber operate at Tulum Airport?

You can book official airport taxis at the counter inside the arrivals hall, where you pay for the journey straight away. You can pay by cash or card.

Uber and other ride-sharing apps are not currently available anywhere in Tulum.

Prices are relatively high; expect to pay the following amounts:

• Zona Hotelera, Tulum – 1 700 mxn
• Akumal – 1 800 mxn
• Puerto Aventuras – 2 100 mxn
• Playa del Carmen – 2 500 mxn

The taxi rank is to the left of the arrivals hall.

Can I pay for a taxi in US dollars?

Yes, you can pay for a taxi in Tulum in US dollars without any problems.

Generally speaking, however, it is slightly cheaper to pay for a taxi in Mexican pesos.

ADO buses

Official transport to Tulum and Playa del Carmen is provided by ADO buses.

You can book tickets online at ado.com.mxor at the red ‘ADO aeropuerto’ counter inside the arrivals hall. Payment can be made in cash or by card.

The bus stop is to the right of the arrivals hall (approx. 100 metres)

The red buses are modern and air-conditioned, with plenty of space for luggage.

ADO buses run from Tulum Airport on the following direct routes:

• Tulum Centre– the main ADO bus station on Calle Pino (location on google.com/maps).
  • Price – from 209 mxn
  • Journey time – 50 minutes
  • Frequency – on average 6–9 times a day, depending on the current flight schedule
  • Find beach resorts in Tulum – booking.com
• Playa del Carmen– the main ADO bus station in the city centre (location on google.com/maps).
  • Price – from 295 mxn
  • Journey time – 80 minutes
  • Frequency – on average 5–6 times a day
  • Find beach resorts in Playa del Carmen – booking.com
• Bacalar
  • Price – from 538 mxn
  • Journey time – 2.5 hours
  • Frequency – on average once a day
  • Find the best-rated hotels in Bacalar – booking.com

​​​​​​​For other destinations such as Cancún, Valladolid and others, you’ll need to buy two separate tickets – from the airport to Tulum and from Tulum to your final destination.

Car hire

Don’t just stay at the beach resorts – explore the Mayan ruins and the natural beauty of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Tulum Airport, with dozens of car hire companies, is the ideal starting point for a road trip around Mexico.

Prices for a week’s car hire start at 190 usd.

In Mexico, you should expect high security deposits of around 1 500 usd, which will be deducted from your card before you collect the car and refunded approximately 10 days after you return it.

For example, I personally hired a car at Tulum Airport and returned it 14 days later at Cancún Airport.

I can’t really imagine how I would have explored all the cenotes, historical sites and beaches without a car.

Compare prices and book a car

The car hire counters are right in the arrivals hall and the car park is only about 50 metres from the terminal.

The “Tren Maya” train

The station on this modern railway line, which opened in 2025, is situated roughly 3 km south of the airport grounds and is connected to the terminal by a shuttle bus.

Tickets and timetables can be found on the website reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx.

How exactly does it work?

1. You can buy a train ticket online
2. In the arrivals hall or at the railway station, you buy a shuttle bus ticket at the ticket counter for 35 mxn (you can pay by card or in cash)
3. Shuttle buses always connect directly with trains, and in the event of a train delay, the bus will wait

Tren Maya trains do not run very frequently via Tulum Airport, so for the time being it is generally better to take the red ADO bus.

Trains depart from Tulum Aeropuerto station in the following directions:

• Playa del Carmen(you can take a shuttle bus to the centre for 35 mxn)
  • price 398 mxn
  • journey time – 70 minutes by train + 15 minutes on the Tulum Airport shuttle bus <-> from the train station + 15 minutes on the shuttle bus from the train station to the centre of Playa del Carmen
  • Frequency – 3 times a day
• Cancún Aeropuerto (take the shuttle bus to the centre for 55 mxn)
  • Price 657 mxn
  • journey time – train 2 hours + 15 minutes on the Tulum Airport shuttle bus to <-> the train station + 40 minutes on the shuttle bus from the train station to the centre of Cancún
  • Frequency – 3 times a day
• Bacalar (take the shuttle bus to the centre for 25 mxn)
  • Price 848 mxn
  • journey time – train 2.5 hours + 15 minutes on the Tulum Airport shuttle bus <-> to the train station + 15 minutes on the shuttle bus from the train station to the centre of Bacalar
  • Frequency – twice a day
• Chetumal Airport (take the shuttle bus to the town centre for 35 mxn)
  • Price 998 mxn
  • journey time – train 3.5 hours + 15 minutes on the Tulum Airport shuttle bus <-> to the train station + 15 minutes on the shuttle bus from the train station to Chetumal town centre
  • Frequency – twice a day
• Valladolid(take the shuttle bus to the city centre for 36 mxn)
  • Price 1 222 mxn
  • journey time – train 3 hours 50 minutes + 15 minutes on the Tulum Airport shuttle bus to the <-> railway station + 15 minutes on the shuttle bus from the railway station to the centre of Valladolid
  • Frequency – once a day