This is The Ultimate Tulum, Mexico Travel Guide that has information on everything you want to know before you go!

Ok so Mexico is awesome….buy a plane ticket here ASAP!! Beautiful beaches, amazing food, the culture, nice people, ancient ruins, cenotes, the fun is endless.

I spent 10 days here from late December to early January as a first-timer with my family and loved it so much, I often think about when I will return next to the beautiful country. As a young woman, I felt extremely safe here. The locals are all very nice and welcoming. Strangers say hi with a smile.

Our home base was along the coast on Tankah Bay, right next to Tulum, we loved this location. All of my time spent in Mexico was spent mostly exploring the Tulum area and the island of Cozumel.

In this post you will find all the things you need to know before you go! Traveling there, where to stay, renting a car, where to eat, things to do. tips, tricks and more. So let’s dive right in!

The Ultimate Tulum, Mexico Travel Guide (Know Before You Go)

Getting there

There is no airport actually in Tulum so fly into Cancun International Airport, the closest airport to Tulum.

Once you’ve arrived in Cancun you’ll have about an hour and half drive south to Tulum. Now, you have a few options:

Rent a car

Depending on how much exploring you want to do is how you should decide to rent a car or not. If you are staying at a hotel, mainly want to relax on the beach and do minimal activities you don’t need a car.

Want to explore? Rent a car! It’s so nice to have and be able to go wherever you want at any time. Don’t be afraid to drive in Mexico.

Make sure to rent your car from Europcar! Avoid Hertz and the others…the price you get quoted will double when you arrive to pick it up and it’s not worth paying that much.

Europcar showed us a price online, we booked it and that’s what we paid. To rent a ‘small suv’ (compact car) for 10 days cost a little under $1000- it was totally worth it. Adding the basic insurance is recommended, you can call your insurance company and see if they’ll cover you in Mexico. When you pick up the car don’t let them up-sell you on insurance. Get basic and you will be fine. Take pictures of the car right when you get it so they don’t try and blame you for any dings or dents.

Driving in Mexico

So you decide you rent a car, great! Out of everyone going, have the most confident driver, drive.

In Mexico you drive on the right side of the road, coming from many other places this is very common which helps. On the highways it feels very relaxed. In the cities drivers can be a little aggressive.

Check all of your mirrors, be careful when merging, and drive a little aggressive like the locals and you will be fine! After a day or so you’ll become comfortable with it.

Take the bus

This is another great option! The buses are safe and clean. Go onto BusBud and buy your ticket for only roughly $11. Super cheap and no stress of driving!

Take a taxi

There are taxis EVERYWHERE in Mexico, especially when you walk out of the airport. Want to avoid transportation with other people? Take a taxi!

You can simply wave one down when you get off the plane and they will bring you right to your hotel. This option will be more expensive than the bus.

Where to stay

So many options on where to stay! Rent a house, an apartment, get a hotel in town or on the beach, stay on a quiet bay around the corner or stay right where the parties are!

We opted for renting a house through VRBO directly on the beach on Tankah Bay (next to Tulum Beach) and were SO happy we did. I’ll link it here if you are interested!

If you have a family or a bigger group, a house is definitely the way to go. If you are looking to stay right on Tulum Beach you can’t go wrong…There are beautiful boutique hotels, some big beach clubs that are a lot of fun and also quiet upscale places. To save some money you can stay in Tulum town. There are dozens of hotels, airbnbs and some hostels. We visited some, I’ll list my favorites below:

Hotel Zulum – Tulum Beach
Straw-Hat Hostel– Tulum Town
Mezzanine– Tulum Beach Boutique Hotel
Dreams Resort– Tankah Bay

When to visit Tulum

October through December is great weather, it will be busy so try and book things early to avoid high prices.

This time of year is a great time to visit because you will most likely avoid sargassum seaweed season when seaweed literally takes over the beaches.

Coming from somewhere cold? This is the best escape! You’ll arrive here to 85 degree days with a nice ocean breeze. You can soak up all the vitamin D you need!

Things to do in Tulum

Relax on the beach

This is a must do! You could literally do this everyday while in Mexico and have an awesome time. The beaches are just so beautiful.

Tulum Beach is a great one to hangout on. Good vibes, white sand, and stunning blue water.

Visit a beach club

If you’re not staying at a beach club go hangout at one for the day! They play awesome music, drinks and food are available and the energy is so much fun.

Walking by the music will pull you in! That’s what happened to us. Tantra Bohemian Beach Club is a lot of fun! I recommend going here for the day if you can!

Kayak/paddle board

Staying at a hotel or airbnb? If they have kayaks and/or paddle boards for you to use, do it! Go explore some of the ocean, it’s really cool to paddle way out into the ocean and see the coastline that way. The colors of the water just get better as you paddle out.

Explore Tulum town

There is the beach area of Tulum then the city. They both are pretty different vibes. Take a day to drive into the city and just explore.

Here you’ll find lots of shopping, restaurants and hotels. While in the city, make it a point to stop at Encanto Cantina. Stop by for lunch, a cocktail or a coffee, you’ll be happy you did! The waitstaff are so sweet and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful! I couldn’t stop taking pictures of everything.

Boat day

Get out on a boat!! Whether it’s a private boat with friends and family or a seat on a public snorkel excursion, get out on one! This is such a fun activity to do for the day with so many different options for activity.

Go fishing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, diving, or just relax with some margaritas! We rented a private boat for the day, if possible do this! We used Playa Yachting and had a blast! The staff were amazing and made our experience so much fun. Awesome food, drink, and service.

Tulum Ruins

Early bird catches the worm…wake up early for this!! Keep that in mind when you plan to go, also avoid going on a Sunday. The locals can go for free so it’s extra busy on top of it normally already being busy.

The Tulum Ruins are truly one of a kind. Ancient ruins on the beautiful blue coastline is a sight like no other, so beautiful. Some tips when visiting: buy your ticket ahead of time if possible, bring water and wear a big hat (sun is very strong and will be directly on you).

When you pull into the road where the ruins are, you will be waved down and lots of people will come to your window. Ignore them all. They will say they are official workers and they aren’t. Drive as far back as you can and park over there to the right. And don’t forget to bring your camera! The beach is closed when the turtles are laying their eggs to protect them so it’ll depend on the time of year you visit if you can access this beach or not.

Cenotes

I had no clue what a cenote was until I started researching what to do on our trip to Mexico. One of the magical things about Mexico are all of the Centoes they have! Literally thousands of them. So unique all in their own way.

If you’re wondering what a cenote is…

ce·no·te | \ si-ˈnō-tē \

Definition of cenote

: a deep sinkhole in limestone with a pool at the bottom that is found especially in Yucatán

Depending on the shape of which you visit, you can almost always: swim, snorkel, dive, kayak and paddle board in them!

Some are wide open at the top where others you are pretty much in a cave. Ask the locals which centoes they recommend, they will tell you about the best ones!! Dos Ojos Cenote is one that we were recommended by a local.

Casa Cenote

The house we rented had one just a 5 minute walk away which we visited, Casa Centoe. Full of all kinds of beautiful fish and different underwater greenery.

There is a crocodile that lives in the centoe we were in but we didn’t see it! This is a cool cenote to check out! It cost 150 pesos per person to snorkel on your own. 500 pesos per person for the guided tour. There is also a scuba diving option here, the cenote is very deep.

We brought our own snorkels, masks and flippers so we only had to pay the entrance fee which included a locker to put our belongings in while snorkeling. We also brought our GoPro, we read they would try to get us to pay extra for it and they did. They asked us if we had an underwater camera when we arrived. Just hide your GoPro until you get in the water to avoid paying.

Chichén Itzá

One of the new Seven Wonders of the World! This is a must see while in Tulum being so close by. Chichén Itzá is one of those places where you keep saying “wow” over and over again. The size of it, the thought of the Mayans building it dating back to 250 A.D. – 900 A.D. is hard to wrap your head around. The structure and surrounding ruins are truly breathtaking.

It is a bit of a hike to get out to the ruins from Tulum, a little over two hours. If you have a rental car wake up bright and early and make the drive! Or, sign up to go on a tour where a bus brings you.

I have a post How to make the most of a day trip to Chichén Itzá (Know Before you Go) you can check out!

Take a day trip to the Island of Cozumel!

Escape your vacation in Tulum for the day to another mini vacation on the beautiful island of Cozumel!

You are so close to this island, if you have any interest in it head over for a day. It’s very easy to get there and back. There is so much to do on the island, something for everyone! Rent a car and explore the island, relax on beautiful secluded beaches, go diving, snorkeling, shopping, scooter rentals, Jeep tours and more. Check out my blog on Cozumel for all of the details!

Check out my plans for a day trip to Cozumel here!

Where to eat in Tulum

Local Local Local!!

I cannot emphasize this enough!

The locals know what they are doing…I LOVE Mexican food and oh I was in heaven while on vacation in Tulum.

We did a mix of going out to eat at some really nice beautiful hotel restaurants, some we read about online and wanted to try out and also some little taco stands on the side of the road and hole in the wall local places (my favorite part). I think it was a nice mix and would recommend doing this.

Some places I recommend

Jashita Tulum – dinner, make reservations ahead of time, upscale
Encanto Cantina – breakfast/lunch, walk-in, laidback
Mereva Tulum – dinner, make reservations ahead of time, on the nicer side
Cielo Maya Tulum – dinner, walk-in, laidback
Funky Geisha – dinner, make reservations ahead of time, upscale
La Coqueta Tulum – lunch, walk-in, laidback
Taqueria el crucero Tulum- food truck – lunch/dinner, walk-up, can eat there (have chairs), laid back
Mezzanine – dinner, make reservations ahead of time, upscale

Going out to eat in Tulum

Anywhere you go out to dinner on Tulum Beach (the main strip) make reservations, do it before you even leave for your trip if possible. There are a lot of people in this not very big area all wanting to go out to eat at the best places. We often saw people get turned away if they didn’t have a reservation, even if it was just two people.

Prices vary for going out to eat. If you go to the well-known places at the upscale hotels on the beach you will spend a lot (at least $50 per person) if you go to the lesser-known places not right on the beach but more tucked away it’ll be next to nothing ($3-$5 per person). The waitstaff in Mexico are hardworking and very friendly! It’s expected to tip 20% on meals unless included in the bill.

Going out to eat can be whatever you want to make it! You can keep it super laid back, very upscale, or a nice balance of both.

Tips & tricks to know in Mexico

Either bring some with you or exchange around $200 USD (of your currency) into Mexican pesos. When you go shopping you can always get a better deal on things if you pay in Pesos.
If you are from North America your phone plan should work in Mexico with no extra charge- check with your phone company before you go.
Bring a big sun hat – the sun is very strong here when you’re out all day long you’ll be happy you did.
Bring bug spray!
When you go to touristy destinations don’t let anyone up-charge you on things like parking, tickets, gifts, etc. they will try and get your money anyway they can so be aware of this.
Drink only bottled water.
Be aware when you get gas, all pumps have attendants- keep an eye on how much they pump and charge you so you don’t get scammed.
If you need to get a COVID test before going back home go outside of Tulum Beach & Tulum City. If you go a few minutes down the road there will be no lines where in the popular areas we saw lines of 20+ people deep.
Bring reusable shopping bags for groceries or you’ll have to buy some.
Always have cash on you- if you get pulled over the police will most likely say they are going to take your license and you have to then go get it from the police station, if you have cash you can usually pay them off and they will give it back to you

Tulum…

All and all, Tulum is a very trendy, beautiful and fun destination to visit.

Lots of unique restaurants and hotels, beautiful beaches and lots of history. A place where you can party all day, every day, escape to more secluded areas and just relax or find a new adventure to do each day.

A place for young people, older people, couples, singles and even for families. If you go as a family with younger kids just think about staying outside of the beach club area, you will have a great time.

Tulum is a really good time overall.

Have you visited Tulum yet? If so what did you think of this tropical getaway?

Comment below and tell me about your experience!

The Ultimate Tulum, Mexico Travel Guide (Know Before You Go)

The Ultimate Tulum, Mexico Travel Guide (Know Before You Go)

Getting there

Rent a car