Travel Guide for the Ultimate Tulum Experience

Whether you’re planning a vacation or trying to figure out what all of the Spring Break hype is about, you’ve heard of Tulum. This ultimate travel guide will give you the ins and outs for planning your trip. The best way to learn more is to visit Tulum for yourself!

Transportation

Flying In

Tulum itself does not have an international airport or a commercial airport at all, so you’ll want to find a flight into a larger city. We recommend flying into Cancun because it is by far the largest airport in the area so this means the best flight options in terms of both time and money.

Getting Around

From Cancun, there are a few ways to get to Tulum. If staying in Cancun or Playa del Carmen, there is a non-stop bus option that will take you tour style to Tulum. There are also tour buses that you can take for an all-inclusive option which will typically provide both transportation and a ruin tour. If the tour bus life isn’t for you, you can rent a car which will allow you more freedom throughout the day. There are plenty of car rentals in either city. From Cancun to Tulum it is about a 1 hour and 50-minute drive (82 miles) or from Playa del Carmen to Tulum it is about an hour less.

Things To Do

VISIT LOCAL CENOTES

Cenotes are sinkholes that are particular to the Tulum area because the ground is made of limestone on top of underground rivers. As the Earth kind of sinks in, it creates these beautiful freshwater areas sporadically throughout the area.

There are tons of cenotes to visit. We found one called Cenote Xunaan-Ha which, unfortunately, wasn’t dog friendly so keep that in mind if traveling with your fluffs. Because cenotes are made from sinkholes, there are edges all the way around them to jump in from or some even have rappelling setup. Best part about cenotes? They’re typically super cheap. Sometimes you only have to pay for parking!

Make a day out of it and see how many cenotes you can find.

Ruins

Tulum is full of history which makes for lots of fun, interesting things to see. Tulum is known for its Mayan Ruins which are sprinkled all over the area. Chichen-Itza isn’t far from Tulum which is actually one of the 7 Wonders of the World!

Snorkeling and Diving

The reason we ventured to Mexico was to try out hand at scuba. Tulum is an awesome area for snorkeling and diving because of all of the underground rivers to check out. The water is so blue with lots of fish and its freshwater which is nice if you’re sensitive to saltwater.

Where to Stay

Rental Homes

When we travel, we typically like to stay in rental homes/apartments just so we have access to things like a kitchen and they’re almost always pet-friendly. We found an apartment called Sonido del Mar at Agoda.com that is a full apartment with a swimming pool and is super close to the Mayan ruins!

Here are some other great options for any price range:

Budget Option: Selva Tulum- For only $25 a night, you get a full apartment, pool, and bicycles!

Moderate Option: Day @ Jungle Sanctuary- Beautiful penthouse with a balcony hot tub. Ooo!

Luxury Option: Casa Xuul Tulum- Ok, this place is incredible. Massages and a private chef? Sign me up.

For $55 off your first trip with Airbnb, click HERE.

Hotels

Hotels are a super easy options and typically have booking agents to make planning your days easier. Agoda.com has all sorts of places to stay from full resorts to quaint bed and breakfasts. The Copal Tulum Hotel is a hotel with an apartment type of feel for privacy but the amenities of a hotel.

Budget Option: Zendero Tulum- Great amenities and comes with airport pick up and drop off.

Moderate Option: Las Villas Akumal- Great reviews and you can’t beat the location right on the beach!

Luxury Option: TRS Yukaton Hotel- Amazing reviews and is an all-inclusive facility!

Get to Packing

The best way to prepare for your trip to Tulum is to make sure you have all the travel essentials. Tripped Travel Gear Backpack is perfect not only for day trips but also as an overnight bag. Throw your things into a couple Compression Cubes, toss them in the backpack and you’re all set to go! Perfect for holding your swimsuits, sunscreen, and cenote essentials.

More packing tips in our tropical vacation packing guide

Have a great trip to Tulum and happy planning!

Pin for later!