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Tulum Travel Guide

Tulum Travel Guide

Everything you need to know about planning a trip to Tulum, Mexico

TULUM TRAVEL GUIDE CONTENTS

Quick Info | Book Your Trip | Tulum BlogThings To Do | HotelsRestaurants | Nightlife | Budget | FAQ


The most visited destination in the state of Quintana Roo, Tulum’s undeniably beautiful beaches draw many young travelers and digital nomads around the world. Filled with archaeological sites and Jungle-style Airbnbs, Tulum is definitely a great vacation destination in Mexico, especially for those who are looking for vibrant nightlife. In this Tulum travel guide, you will find everything that you need in planning your trip to Tulum Mexico.


✈️ Tulum Travel Quick Info

  • 🇲🇽 State: Quintana Roo
  • ⏰ Timezone: Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5)
  • ✈️ Airport: Cancun International Airport
  • 💲 Currency: The currency in Mexico is called Mexican pesos (MXN). Mexico also uses the $ sign so don’t be confused if you see this all over town – it’s not in USD so don’t be fooled!
  • 🔌 Power plug: Mexico uses a type A socket (US, Canada). For more information about power plugs in Mexico, see this link (with photos)
  • 📱 Mexico sim card: The best provider that works in Oaxaca is Telcel. See our complete Mexico sim card guide for more information.
  • 🛃 Visa: In November 2021, Mexico stopped granting visitors a 180-day visa. It really depends on the immigration officer how many days he/she will give you but just show proof of accommodations (with dates) and it should be fine.
  • 🤟 Language: Everyone in the travel industry can speak English in Tulum although some local street food stalls can only speak Spanish.
  • 🪅 Culture: Tulum has a small-town culture where everyone knows everyone. It is a famous party destination for Spring Breakers and is also a great travel destination for those who wish to see cenotes.
  • 📶 Wifi: Not all areas of Tulum have good wifi but resorts and boutique hotels can have up to 25 Mbps Internet speed.

🗺️ Tulum Map

🏖️ Book your trip to Tulum Mexico

🚦 Tulum Transportation Guide

  • 🚕 Tulum Airport transfer: The airport that serves Tulum is Cancun International Airport. It will take about 45 minutes to get to Tulum and the transfer price starts at $60 USD. You can book your airport transfer to Tulum before arrival but you can also get a shared ride once you are at the airport.
  • 🚶‍♀️Walking: Tulum is a small town and when you are in the center, everything is walkable. This is the best way to see Tulum! Depending on where you are staying, you can use the location “Tulum Centro” on Google maps to know how far the walks are. This is the center of town where you will find all the things to do, landmarks, and attractions.
  • 🚌 Bus: Within the town of Tulum, you don’t need to take a bus but if you are going to nearby destinations in Quintana Roo like Playa del Carmen, Cancun, or Bacalar, the busses from Tulum are very efficient. You can also visit the cenotes of Tulum by bus!
  • 🚗 Rental cars: The best way to get around Tulum and Quintana Roo is by renting a car at Cancun International Airport. The daily rate is about $45 USD for a Sedan (4-seater).
  • 🚴‍♀️ Bicycle: Tulum is a bicycle town! This is the locals’ preferred mode of transportation and you will also see many Tulum tours on a bicycle. The daily bike rental in Tulum starts at $25 USD.

📍 Tulum Attractions

tulum travel guide
Sian Ka’an
National Park
tulum travel guide
Aktun Chen
Underground River
tulum travel guide
Tulum Archaeological Zone
Historical landmark
tulum travel guide
Cenote Calavera
Popular cenote near Tulum
tulum travel guide
Laguna de Kaan Luum
Lake with turquoise water
tulum travel guide
Gran Cenote
Limestone cenote
tulum travel guide
Muyil Archaeological Zone
Ancient Mayan site
tulum travel guide
Xel-Ha Park
Amusement Park
tulum travel guide
Tulum Tower
Unique experience
tulum travel guide
Playa Ruinas
Iconic Tulum beach
tulum travel guide
Casa Tortuga
Eco Park
tulum travel guide
Ven a la Luz
Instagrammable sculpture

🏄‍♀️ Things to do in Tulum

🛏️ Tulum hotels: where to stay

🌮 Essential Tulum restaurants

☕ Best cafes in Tulum Mexico

🍸 Tulum bars and nightlife

💰 Money and Costs

  • 💵 US dollars: Tulum is still a cash society and only Mexican pesos is widely accepted. Some establishments will accept US dollars but at a lower conversion rate. You can also exchange USD to Mexican pesos upon arrival at the airport.
  • 🏧 ATMs: As a small town, Tulum experiences cash shortage on ATM machines. It is best to take out money once you arrive at Cancun International Airport, before taking your airport transfer to Tulum.
  • 💳  Credit/debit cards: Credit cards are widely accepted in major establishments in Tulum but not everyone accepts Amex. Visa and Mastercard are the most accepted credit cards.
  • 💸  Tipping: f you didn’t like the service, 10% will do but if you liked the service, you can tip up to 20%. Tipping is recommended especially in restaurants as Mexico’s daily minimum wage is very low. The tipping culture in Mexico and the US is the same so you can also tip as you would do it back home in the US.

  • 🍲 Eating out (restaurant, center): $10 USD
  • 🍔 Fastfood restaurant: $7 USD
  • 🌮 Street food: $2.50 USD
  • 🍾 Bottle of wine (supermarket): $25 USD
  • 🏠 Monthly rent (center): $650 USD
  • 🏡 Monthly rent (OK area): $350 USD
  • 🚰 Utilities (1 month): $36 USD
  • 📶 Internet (1 month): $25 USD
  • 🧹 Housekeeper (per hour): $8 USD
  • 🚌 Bus (one-way): $4 USD
  • 🚕 Taxi (one-way): $15 USD
  • 🍸 Cocktail in a pub: $12 USD
  • 🍺 Beer in a pub: $4 USD
  • ☕ Coffee (center cafe): $3 USD
  • 🍷 Glass of wine (restaurant): $15 USD
  • 🏋️‍♂️ Gym membership (per month): $50 USD

⁉️ Tulum Travel FAQs

The best months to go to Tulum are from November to April. At this time, you will experience great weather (with no hurricanes or rain showers!) These months are the high season in Tulum so expect to pay higher prices.

Tulum is not for everyone so before planning your trip, make sure you know what to expect during your travel and if it caters to the type of traveler that you are. A trip to Tulum is always worth it if you love archaeology, Mexico cenotes, and pristine beaches.

It is hard to say if Tulum is better than Cancun because these Mexico destinations are dependent on the traveler type. If you like to travel with friends and have a week of partying, choose Tulum. If you are traveling with family and loved ones, Cancun is more appropriate.

Both Cancun and Tulum are in the state of Quintana Roo, which is also the most visited of all Mexico states. There isn’t an exact indicator that Cancun is safer than Tulum but bear in mind that these touristy areas will not do anything to harm tourists. Bad things happen to locals (which is not fair at all) but crimes are very rare to tourists unless you are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The number one thing you should avoid in Tulum is buying drugs. Tourists are very safe in Tulum and locals are always the ones who are hit by crimes but if you put yourself in the drug business (let alone buying weed), you can get into trouble in Tulum.

Tulum is very popular because of its small-town vibe, endless parties, pristine beaches, and of course, the cenotes. Tulum has been visited by over 600,000 tourists in 2021 alone.

3 days is enough for Tulum if you are getting on a direct flight to Cancun International Airport. If you are stopping in Mexico City, you will spend a full day traveling (back and forth) so you will only enjoy Tulum for 3 days if you hop on a direct flight. Otherwise, the shortest recommended stay in Tulum is 5 days.

Yes, Tulum is more expensive than most Mexico destinations. It is now even more expensive than Los Cabos, Baja California Sur

The walk from Tulum town to Tulum beach about an hour so better take a taxi or rent a bicycle.

tulum travel guide
tulum travel guide

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