The Ultimate Tulum Travel Guide: Insider Tips + Must See Destinations

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Looking for the perfect Tulum Travel Guide? Here is everything you need to know about traveling to Tulum!

Tulum, Mexico has grown substantially in popularity in the last few years, and it is easy to see why.

Perched along the stunningly blue waters of the Caribbean sea, sits an area rich in exciting activities and beautiful places to visit.

Whether you are an adventurer at heart or want a relaxing vacation, Tulum has it all!

World class scuba diving, Mayan Ruins, uniquely designed hotels and gorgeous beaches makes up the majority of Tulum. It really is the perfect place for a vacation.

This blog post will go over everything you need to know before booking your trip to Tulum, Mexico!

Disclaimer: This blog post features affiliate links. This means I get a small commission if you make a purchase (at no extra cost to you :))!

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Tulum Travel Guide – FAQ

Quick Facts

Language: Spanish

Currency: Pesos- 1 Peso equals roughly .052 US Dollars

Continent: North America

Tulum Travel Guide:

When Should You Go To Tulum?

November- April are the best months to travel to Tulum.

Tulum, Mexico Weather

The high season in Tulum is November through April– this time of the year boasts wonderful, sunny weather but prices can be higher due to the influx of tourists.

I made it to Tulum in December and the weather was perfect (besides the high winds which are common this time of year)

May-August, or “shoulder season” in Tulum and is a great time of year to go to avoid high prices and still find wonderful weather.

A fair warning: I have heard through friends that this time of year (shoulder season) is considered “seaweed season” and can bring an influx in seaweed which can change the water color and cause the beaches to be speckled with it.

June, September and October on the other hand are best to be avoided as it is the rainiest time in Tulum and many places close.

Tulum, Mexico Location

Tulum is located on the Southern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. It is a 2 hour drive from Cancun, Mexico where the closest airport is.

The city of Tulum is a 20 minute walk from the gorgeous beaches of the Caribbean Sea. It is located in a tropical environment filled with thick, lush jungle and white, sand coastline.

The Yucatan Peninsula is a really interesting area, filled with thousands of cenotes and Mayan Ruins. This mix of culture, adventure and tropical paradise is what draw’s millions of people to visit this area every year.

Tulum Travel Guide

How To Get To Tulum, Mexico

When traveling to Tulum from out of the country you will need to fly into the airport of Cancun, Mexico (CUN) from there it is around a 2.5-hour drive to the city of Tulum.

You have a couple of options on how to make that journey.

First Option: Hotel Arranged Pickup

The first option is to have the hotel you are staying with arrange a pickup at the airport in Cancun and take you back to the hotel. This does normally cost extra so you will want to compare it to the next two options.

Second Option: ADO Bus & Taxi

The second option is to take the ADO bus from the airport and ride it into Tulum Centro where you will hail a taxi to take you to your hotel.

The ADO bus is essentially a greyhound bus that takes tourists all over the Yucatan area of Mexico. The bus is quite nice and only costs around $13 each way. You can buy your ticket in person at the airport in Cancun (they only accept cash) or at the bus station in Tulum.

If you are staying in Tulum Centro you will be able to walk to your hotel. If not you can take a taxi from Tulum Centro to the Hotel Zone for around $15 USD

In total, you will end up spending $28 (give or take)USD dollars on transportation.

Third Option: Rent A Car

The third and final option is to rent a car in Cancun and drive down to Tulum.

I personally think this is the best option and what I wish we would have done. Car rentals are surprisingly cheap in this area (think $27 a day and up) and it is great to have a car while traveling around the area.

READ MORE: Check Out These 20 Photos To Inspire You To Visit Tulum Mexico

Is A Trip To Tulum Worth It?

YES

Tulum is a gorgeous city to visit and has many things to explore while you are here.

The one thing I would caution is if you are looking for an “off the grid” or very cultural Mexican experience, Tulum might not be your best bet.

Tulum has enjoyed a lot of growth in the past couple of years, and while that means more beautiful hotels and restaurants it also means that authentic charm of the area has been diminished.

I found Tulum to be quite touristy and sometimes it was quite annoying to deal with. Things were also a lot more expensive than I expected and I did feel “nickel and dimed” at times as there was almost nothing you could do that wasn’t somehow charged.

Who Would Enjoy Traveling To Tulum?

Adventure Seekers, Scuba Divers, Wellness Gurus, Luxury Travelers and History Buffs.

Tulum has amazing options for a wide variety of people. In saying that, I think you will enjoy Tulum the most if you are either really excited about diving in the cenotes, love “wellness/boho” vibes, are really interested in Mayan Culture or center your travel around luxury resorts.

While I personally enjoyed traveling to Tulum for the adventure and photography possibilities, I do think I would have liked it even more if I already had my scuba certification and could explore even further.

Check Out My Tulum Wall Art!

Tulum Travel Guide

How Many Days In Tulum Is Long Enough?

It ranges! From 2- 10 days.

This is a terribly difficult question to answer- and it really depends on you!

Tulum can easily be explored in a couple of days or you could spend 10 days + diving in all of the cenotes and exploring all of the Mayan Ruins.

Is A Week In Tulum Too Long?

My trip to Tulum lasted 1 week (without including travel days) and I personally felt like it was the perfect amount of time to be in Tulum!

There are many activities to fill your time with while you are in Tulum. You could easily spend a week + enjoying all of the adventures, restaurants and hotels Tulum has to offer.

Tulum Travel Guide: Where To Stay In Tulum

When it comes to finding a place to stay in Tulum there are two major options: the Hotel Zone and Tulum Town. These two have very different vibes so you will want to think carefully about where you stay- or just do what I did and stay in both!

Hotel Zone

The hotel zone of Tulum is what probably comes to mind when you think of the Tulum you see on Instagram.

High end hotels are perched along the sea on one side of the street while fancy restaurants, high end clothing boutiques and cute cafes line the sand on the other side of the street.

This area is by far the most touristy, but it also has the most going on. This is where you will find the famous Tulum Statue, Matcha Mama Cafe, hotels you see on Instagram and beach clubs.

If you want to stay along the beach- you will want to narrow your search to hotels in the Hotel Zone. These book up fast and are at least double the price of hotels in Tulum Town so I would plan to book at least a month or two in advance.

Tulum Town

While the hotel zone in Tulum is what may initially come to mind, the actual town of Tulum- or fondly called “Tulum Centro” is located around a 15 minute drive from the beach area.

Tulum Centro, feels more like a normal Mexican city. It is still a very cute place to roam around but you are more likely to be met with construction, un-finished roads, and trinket markets with owners haggling with tourists.

I do think this area is worth a visit but it doesn’t quite have the relaxing, vacation feeling of the hotel zone.

This area is great if you are looking for cheaper accommodation. You can easily rent bikes and bike to the beach and the food here is a lot more affordable.

Hotels In Tulum

Budget Accomodation In Tulum

If you are looking for cheaper accommodation in Tulum your best bet is to stay in Tulum Centro. This is the actual town of Tulum and will have many beautiful options for your stay. The only downside is you will have to bike, taxi or walk to the beach.

We stayed at Hotel Posada 06 in Tulum and it was a lovely property right next to the main town area. We really enjoyed staying here for three nights and found it to be good value for what we paid.

Luxury Resorts In Tulum

There are tons of luxury resorts in Tulum. We stayed at one called Hotel Nerea Tulum (pictured above) and it was a beautiful place to stay! It was wellness based so they had wonderful food, snorkel gear and kayaks! This was in a different part of town than the Hotel Zone or Tulum Town so I would recommend having a rental car if you want to stay here! You Can Book Hotel Nerea Here

Other options include Ahau Tulum– beautiful beach bungalows, Azulik Tulum– gorgeous and unique treehouse villas, Nomade Tulum– all inclusive resort in Tulum , and Habitas Tulum– gorgeous wellness hotel.

Private Villas In Tulum

If you are looking for a real, private getaway or you are traveling with a group of people you could consider renting a private villa!

Zorba Tulum has absolutely gorgeous villas right on the beach in the Hotel Zone and is the perfect place to relax and enjoy all the amenities of a house with all the perks of a hotel!

You can find my full blog post on Zorba Tulum here: Beachfront Villas In Tulum

Tulum Expense Rating

One of the most surprising things about Tulum was the prices of everything. Generally, I would expect Mexico to be cheaper than the US but that wasn’t the case here.

Everything from hotels to meals were either equivalent or more expensive than being back home in Seattle which was a bit frustrating.

Another thing I found annoying was that pretty much anything you wanted to do- you had to pay for. Want to take a picture in front of a statue? $3 USD please. Bring your camera into a cenote? $12 please. Go swim with the turtles? $30 USD for a tour or you can’t enter.

After a whole week of feeling nickel and dimed I was honestly kind of happy to get home where at least I could head to the beach without being pressured into buying a beach club cover to hangout on the sand.

Is Tulum Safe?

Safe-ish

I found Tulum to feel quite safe, and I do think the Mexican government works very hard to make sure it stays that way.

It wasn’t uncommon to see government ordered trucks filled with men with guns patrolling the streets. This made me feel safe but also made me wonder why it was necessary.

In saying all of that, this is still Mexico so I personally wouldn’t walk around at night alone as a woman and I made sure to keep an eye on all of my belongings while I was out. Other than that I never felt in danger and had a great time.

A UNIQUE STAY: Beachfront Villas In Tulum -Zorba Tulum

Tulum Travel Guide

What To Bring To Tulum

Tulum is located in a very tropical environment- this makes light weight materials, swimsuits and sandals the best

A swimsuit- I love One One Swimwear– enter the code LIANA26654 for 15% OFF

A Microfiber Towel

Sandals- Chacos are my favorite adventure sandal!

A Swimsuit Cover

My Camera- go-pro is great for underwater photography unless you have a
A Snorkel Set– Mask and Snorkel
A Waterproof Phone Holder
Lightweight Dresses
Linen Shorts
Cute Sandals for nights out
Camera Gear
Sunscreen
Sunglasses

Things To Do In Tulum

Grab Dinner At One Of The Many Amazing Restaurants

The one thing Tulum doesn’t lack is amazing restaurants. Out of everywhere I have traveled the restaurants in Tulum have some of the best vibes, interior design, and healthy food I have ever experienced. I share my favorites a bit farther down in this blog post, make sure not to miss them!

Snorkel At The Cenotes

The cenotes are by far the most unique and exciting part of visiting Tulum! There are thousands to choose from and you can either visit on your own or with a tour. Personally, I enjoyed renting a car and exploring them on my own!

Check Out My Blog Post On The Best Cenotes In The Yucatan

Take A Picture At The “Follow Your Dreams” Street Sign

If you are staying in the Hotel Zone you cannot miss this cute photo op! The“Follow That Dream” street sign- is totally worth the short stroll from the villa. It is right next to the boutique “Lolita Lolita” so if you put that in your maps you won’t miss it!

Visit The Mayan Ruins

If you are a history buff you will probably know all about the Mayan Ruins down in the Tulum area. There are some amazing architectural sites to visit including the Chichen Itza Pyramids, Muyil Ruins, and the Tulum Ruins!

There are so many things to do in Tulum, Mexico that I made an entire blog post dedicated to my 11 favorite things I did in Tulum!

READ MORE: Check Out These 11 Unique Things To Do In Tulum

Tulum Cenotes

Cenotes are not a common occurrence anywhere in the world besides the Yucatan, where there are over 7,000 and more being discovered each day!

Cenotes are essentially caves which are filled with water. Many of these caves have had their ceiling cave in and then they become open cenotes!

These cenotes have become amazing diving and swimming sites in the modern day, but they were discovered long ago by the Mayans who thought they were the entrances to the underworld!

READ MORE: Check Out These Best Cenotes In Yucatan

Where To Eat In Tulum

The restaurant scene in Tulum is truly out of this world. Not only is the food amazing but they go above and beyond at creating atmosphere and beautiful interiors.

You can expect tons of vegan options, great Mexican food and everything made with fresh and healthy ingredients.

What I loved the most about Tulum was the “wellness vibe” that seemed to infuse everything. The locals here seem to really care about using great ingredients and adding things like ashwaganda, CBD and different herbal supplements at any chance they had.

Some of my favorite restaurants were:

Burrito Amor– best burritos I have ever had! We came back here 4 different times

Raw Love– great vegan food, best avocado toast I have ever had and amazing smoothies

Pizzeria Manglar– amazing and cheap pizza

Matcha Mama– super yummy acai bowls

Mezzanine- great Thai food but even better views and aesthetic

Good Burger– great margaritas and appetizers (and 2 for 1 from 11am-5pm!)

Conclusion

Traveling to Tulum is a trip you won’t soon forget. There are so many adventures to be had here, and I hope one day to come back and explore even more! Let me know in the comments what you are most excited for in Tulum, Mexico!

I hope this Tulum Travel Guide helped you get ready for a trip of a lifetime!

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