Tulum Travel Guide and Itinerary
When I scroll through my IG feed I see a lot of really beautiful travel destinations being advertised and boasted about. We all know them… Bali, Greece, Italy, Maldives, Thailand, Tulum and more. I personally never had a strong desire to travel to Tulum but when a opportunity came up a few weeks ago to venture to this tropical jungle destination that EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE has been to or talked about I had to go check it out for myself. I of course created a detailed itinerary to which would entail everything a first timer needs to do, see and eat when traveling to Tulum.
Tulum is located in Quintana Roo a Mexican state that lies on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. It gained some serious traction and popularity about 4 years ago when influencers, models, and basically young (hot) people made it a hot spot via social media traction. Prior to this it was a quaint, quiet village. Since then the entire town has been overwhelmed with the astounding amount of tourism that hits the area year round. The primary language is Spanish and the locals seem to work primarily in the tourism or service industry as from what I gathered when I visited which showed that even during slow season the city is overcome with tourists flocking to the area for a jungle get away.
The guide will serve as a “all you need to know” document about Tulum, travel tips and tricks for the destination, and of course a detailed daily itinerary that you can use or manipulate to work with your travel plans.
How to get to Tulum:
I would personally recommend renting a car for this trip. The drive from the airport is a hour and a half to two hour commute from Cancun International Airport. Once you arrive to Tulum you’ll quickly realize that the taxi services are very pricey and Uber and Lyft simply does not really exist in the area. You can get around Tulum via a scooter and bike as well but I was not comfortable enough with the traffic laws and safety of Tulum to opt for this route.
We rented via Hertz car rentals through credit card premiums and points. The credit card links we use to travel on a budget can be found HERE. Once you land you’ll go through immigration and collect your luggage. Head to the exit and find numerous car rent agencies where you’ll be able to receive your reservation.
Due to some serious airline mishaps I actually had to take a public bus from Cancun to Tulum as my partner’s flight was delayed many hours and the vehicle reservation was in their name. If you must take the bus I would 10/10 recommend it as a safe, comfortable and cheap ride to Tulum. It is a bit longer as there are a few more stops but it took me 2.5 hours and cost me 20$. The buses are air conditioned and have luggage areas and comfortable seats. I used Bus Buddy and ADO bus company.
Tulum Tips, Pros, Cons & Facts:
Seaweed season in Tulum and the entire coast seems to be from April time to October although this is a general estimate. The pubic beaches are heavily dense with the seaweed while the beachside resorts seem to attempt to clean it up in the early hours of the day everyday. Regardless, the seaweed exists in Tulum and there’s not much you can do about it.
Tulum is expensive. Mexico is generally deemed a cheaper travel destination but Tulum has capitalized off this tourism and digital nomad era of young travelers for sure. To give you a general idea of prices (USD) a iced latte is 5-6$, a nice meal is 30-40$, breakfast plates are 10$, and drinks range from 5-20$ depending on the area. All prices are about 20% cheaper in the main town than the beach road. Anything and everything on the beach is marketed towards tourists and is very expensive.
The beach situation is odd. There are a few public beaches that were nice (see itinerary) but I found it kind of annoying that most of the beach is run but the day clubs and beach hotels that own that section of the beach. A day pass to sit at the beach and maybe 1 drink and a appetizer is 50-100$ USD.
The traffic is insane. Tulum is a busy city. The locals, taxis, and tourists run these small paved and dirt roads to the ground. There are few traffic lights and stop signs and it’s more of a “you go I go” system which in the heat of the moment can cause some serious traffic scares. I personally hated driving in Tulum. The roads are in very poor condition due to the influx of tourists I am assuming (so yes I admit it is our own fault) and I am sure the city simply can’t keep up.
The language barrier was apparent but doable. If you speak a little bit of Spanish like me you’ll be okay I presume. There are certain workers and areas where most know English but also even at busy tourist locations staff may not be fluent in English making for some pretty tricky communication moments. I find that being patient on both ends works well and you’ll both eventually get the point across. General rule to not expect English.
Street food is the way to go. The street tacos, fruit stands, churros and crepe stands are phenomenal!! The tacos are beyond delicious and the prices are insanely cheap. One night we got a plethora of tacos, quesadillas etc. for about 5$ USD a piece.
Centote culture is a specific feat in itself. The centoes were personally the highlight of the trip for me as I found the history, aqua blue waters, and pure joy of jumping into a cave beyond fun. Things to know is that they are also you guessed it, overpriced. Depending on the cenote you are looking at about 10-30$ USD per person for entry into the cenote. Popular cenotes will also charge extra for any camera gear that is more than a iPhone. Including drones, go pros, cameras etc. Like I said Tulum has marketed the area perfectly to digital nomads and influencers and they know it. They will profile you as that category if you “look the part” you will be charged likewise.
Tulum was once home to the Mayan people and the Tulum Ruins is a very popular tourist destination, for good reason. It’s spiritual, religious and cultural history is fascinating. I highly suggest reading about the ruins prior to visiting to get some intel. With that being said it’s important to respect all cultural practices by locals when visiting a new city. There were not many norms to follow in the area other than be sure to respect the land, beaches, water etc.
Where you stay will create a entirely different experience for you. If you are on a budget saying in town will save you hundreds. There are numerous hostel, hotel and Airbnb options that are beautiful. We stayed at IKAL Bungalows and Chechen La Veleta. Nothing but wonderful things to say about both locations which I will go into more detail about BUT these beautiful stays in town are generally in areas that are currently being developed which means the areas are dirt roads, off the beaten path and although we personally had no safety issues, I would assume given the around the clock security for these places that safety has been a issue in the past. Just something to beware of!
Use Pesos always. I suggest taking out a bit in the states just in case of emergency when you land but for the most part the best exchange ratio seemed to be in Tulum Town at small banks.
Purchase travel insurance. Tulum is a beautiful jungle destination but just like any other international trip its smart to have travel insurance. We use HeyMundo.
Parking is a HASSLE. I very very rarely find myself getting “scammed” when I travel anymore. When I was 18 I dropped money all over Europe while street vendors took advantage of a new young female traveler for sure. Tulum is the first place in a long time where we were simply scammed beyond compare. And parking it the ultimate culprit here. Like I said before most of the beaches can only be accessed via private beach hotels which require you to have a minimum spend, valet parking and even cover during busy season. I just wanted to read on the beach and relax so we found a area with street parking with a parking attendant, and multiple cars parked up and down the road. After about a hour of reading and walking back to our car we discovered are car, was no longer there. After some rough translation with a few taxi drivers nearby we discovered that we were towed. Now starts a 6 hour journey of trying to get our car back. I won’t go into much detail but locals will pose as parking attendants, have tourists park and then the police will tow them and ticket for illegal parking. After it was all said and done we were charged about 5,000 pesos or 250 ish USD. It was awful.
Must pack items: Reefsafe sunscreen, aloe, bug spray, reusable cold water bottle, snorkel mask sets, wet bag, beach bag, medications and vitamins, film camera, important documents and copies of them, emergency pesos, downloaded maps to the cenotes, simple translations sentences for if you are in a pinch and need to communitcate, reservation details online and printed.
Tulum is beautiful, the culture, food, history and views are well worth the trip but for me personally it was not my favorite destination. I was exhausted from working multiple night shifts as a nurse prior to the trip and overall I was not in the best headspace for the trip to begin with so I personally would love to visit again under different circumstances to see how I like it then.
Tulum 5 day Itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrive at CUN airport late morning and go through immigration and get bags.
Pick up car rental and drive to Tulum Town
Grab lunch at Burrito Amour and get a burrito of course and a cold fruit smoothie or juice. My favorite burrito was the pork and pineapple combo. The green juice was delicious and refreshing and the banana date smoothie was sweet and tasted so fresh.
Check into IKAL Bungalows around 2 or 3 PM
I would suggest grabbing a lot of bottled water for the Airbnb as the tap water in Tulum is not drinkable.
Relax at this jungle inspired airbnb, take a dip in the pool, read on one of the many hammocks, or take a well deserved nap.
Take a walk through Tulum town and Centro main road to scope out shops, bars, coffee shops, restaurants etc.
Grab street tacos at Anto la chi panacea and churros at Churros la Lupita.
Either grab a drink or head back to the Airbnb to get some sleep as it’s your first night and you have a lot planned over the next 4 days.
Day 2:
Rise and shine early at 6am and catch a beach sunrise and walk on Las Plamas public beach about a 20 min drive from the Airbnb.
Head back and grab coffee and breakfast at Sin Etiqueta. The iced lattes, avocado toast, and mango pancakes were delicious.
Head to Cenote Calevera a very popular cenote about 10 min from breakfast. Entry is 12 USD. This cenote is very popular. When we went early in the morning it was not busy at all. We were free to jump in the caves as we pleased. We spent about a hour and a half here laying in the sun, jumping and exploring the cenote. Be sure to shower prior to entry at the public showers. Life jackets are not required, any professional camera equipment is a extra charger.
Next, you’ll be heading to Cenote Dos Ojos and Tak Bi Ha. Both are about a 30 min drive and are pricey. We payed about 25$ per person for entry. I must say these cenotes were absolutely stunning, the cave systems are so unique in each cenote and I enjoyed being able to explore multiple cenotes. We spent 2.5/3 hours here.
After multiple hours of swimming, cave jumping you’ll be exhausted and hungry. We grabbed fresh mango from a street vendor on the highway and lots of tacos at a random street shop. I honestly forget the name we were starving but any street taco will suffice.
After this you’ll wan to do something that requires a little bit less exertion. Head to Secret Beach for a couple hours of relaxation and sun. Bring a good book and some towels and sunscreen!
After you are sick of the sun head back to the airbnb and shower, rest and get ready for dinner at El Pescador! This vibey seafood restaurant has awesome margs, amazing surf and turf and fresh seafood.
After dinner calls for a after dinner drink of course! Most happy hours in Tulum last until about 9 PM. The bars are located on rooftops. We wandered into a few bars and grabbed 2 for 1 margs until we were ready for some Zzzz’s.
Day 3:
Today is the day to see the ruins! Wake up bright and early if you can around 7:30 am and head to breakfast at Ki’bok coffee Tulum. The coffee here is absolutely the best and the food is very yummy as well. The entire place is a quaint colorful little place connected to a hostel. The prices are great as well. We ordered Quevos Rancheros a local breakfast dish with enchilada type sauce, eggs, tortilla and black beans. You also can’t go wrong with the breakfast burrito!
I would try to get to the Tulum Ruins as early as possible as it gets extremely busy. When we arrived there was zero parking inside the park and we had to park almost a mile down the road. NO professional camera equipment is allowed. Entry fee is 5$ USD. The Ruins will take about 2 hours to fully get through.
After that head to Las Plamas or Playa Paradisio public beaches for a half beach day. Beware and mindful of the parking situation, beach vendors, and also expect lots and lots of seaweed as the public beaches are not cleaned to the same extent.
There are tons of food and drink options up and down the beaches for lunch.
After the beach head back and shower and get ready for dinner at Akuma Tiger Sushi in Tulum town or Ukami Sushi on the beach road area.
Grab drinks at Batey Mojito and Guerapo Bar, Encanto Cantina, or Dona Lucha.
Day 4:
Sleep in and spend the morning lounging around this beautiful airbnb (IKAL bungalows) as you’ll be checking out and into a new one Chechen La Veleta. I woke up almost every morning at IKAL bungalows and read my book, lounged in the hammocks, did quick workouts in the common bungalow area or went for a swim in the beautiful pool.
After checking out head to breakfast at Raw Love Cafe on the beach. Okay, this place is a total tourist attraction and stupidly overpriced but the sheer beauty and vibe of the establishment was enough for me. The entire cafe is filled with colorful art and the statue leading to the cafe is one of a kind and a must picture moment.
At this point you should be close to being able to check into the next airbnb (if you choose to stay at two). Check in and get settled in and change into your most extra bikini as today is going to be spent drinking 4 too many margs at Papaya Project beach club. This place is again, overpriced.. but so beautiful. The entry is 75$ per person and includes 2 drinks and a appetizer. You’ll have all day access to the beach beds, cabana areas and bars. Most tourists spend everyday at these clubs, we couldn’t fathom spending that kind of money but the one day spent doing this is relaxing and a very fun vibe.
Dinner at Safari Comedor, Zamia, or Casa Banana Tulum. I would look them all up and see what kind of vibe you are feeling! All very popular mid priced restaurants in Tulum.
I would also suggest a sunset walk and a drive down the entire stretch of the Tulum beach road as the architecture is so unique and impressive.
Day 5:
Sleep in a bit, hit a workout, read in your private pool at the airbnb or sit on your phone. Who cares. Vacation is short and soon you’ll be back home, spend the morning doing whatever your heart desires.
Once you work up a appetite head to Match mama for a latte and smoothie or açaí bowl for breakfast.
I personally left this day very chill and free for you to be free to hit something you didn’t have time for prior, or just relax.
We opted to head to Akumal beach about 30 min away and do some snorkeling and lay on the beach. This beach is known for having a lot of sea turtles! Be respectful when snorkeling, you are in their home, not vice vera. Grab some food on the beach while your there!
After a day of beaching it head back and rest at the airbnb before dinner at Bonita Burgers! These are a must try. The most elaborate and delicious beef or veggie burgers ones heart can desire.
Again, feel free to grab drinks, hit a beach walk or just relax at the airbnb. We opted to take a sunset walk and pack up for the early flight the next day. The airbnb has a beautiful rooftop area that’s great for lounging as well!
Day 6:
Depending on your flight times you’ll probably have to wake up pretty early, check out, fill up the rental car with gas and head to the airport.
Fly back home:(
And we have come to the end of this detailed Tulum Guide and Itinerary! I hope you enjoyed. Follow along and check out some of my other travel guides and blog posts here.
