Hello there!
Welcome to another itinerary blog post for... Tulum, Mexico!
I spent 7 days in Tulum and had such a wonderful time. This itinerary highlights what MY itinerary looked like on my trip. I will also include other spots that I haven't gone to showcase other things to do nearby as well! I try to stay short and unfussy with my itineraries, so please feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions!
You can also use this guide to pick out things to do to create your own itinerary!
Side Note: None of the companies and establishments noted in this blog post were sponsored.
Preparations
What I booked ahead of time
Flights - We flew with Frontier
Airbnb - We booked at SOKO TULUM through Airbnb
Rental Car - We rented from America Cars by booking through DiscoverCar
Whale Shark Snorkel Tour with Mexico Whale Shark
Picking Where to Stay
Tulum Pueblo - Budget friendly to semi-expensive, walking distance to many restaurants, bars, and cenotes
There are a variety of hotels, hostels, and Airbnbs to choose from here!
Hotel Zone - Luxury, ton of nice restaurants and bars, access to beach
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival Day
Arrive at Cancun airport, pick up rental car.
When you exit the airport towards all the car rental companies, there will be a lot of people advertising their taxis, car rentals, etc. Be sure to know who you are looking for and where you are headed if you booked ahead of time.
Although I don't always recommend taking out money at the airport, we just exchanged $50 USD for pesos for tipping purposes or any expenses we need to pay for immediately. Generally speaking, most people accept both USD and MXN.
Drive to Tulum (~1.5 - 2 hours drive depending on traffic) and check into hotel.
Explore Tulum Pueblo (I will be making a separate post on my restaurant and bar picks!)
Day 2 Exploring Tulum
Pick Up Bike Rentals | Starting at $180 MXN
We rented bikes from iBike Tulum. Since there was a special going on, we only paid a total of $600 MXN for 3 days for both myself and my partner.
With iBike Tulum, there is a reasonable holding fee on my credit card in case of any damage incurred. Be aware that some bike rentals will require to hold your I.D. (which I was personally not comfortable with) or hold very high holding fees.
Tulum Ruins | $58 MXN park fee + $90 MXN ruins fee
If you’re biking, there are plenty of areas to park and lock. I saw many parked near the entrance of the ruins and locked to single standing trees. If driving, expect to pay for parking.
There are two fees you must pay: The “federal tax” fee for the park (includes wristband) & the ruins entrance fee.
It takes at least an hour to walk around the ruins. There is very little shade so be sure to wear the appropriate sun protection!
Beach at Playa Paraiso, Playa Pescadores, Playa Santa Fe | Free
From Tulum Ruins, you can head straight down the road to the beaches. From Tulum Pueblo, it's about a 20 minute bike ride to the beaches and Hotel Zone. There are bike racks at entrances leading to the beach.
There are plenty of restaurants, bars, and beach clubs that line the beach.
End your evening in Tulum's Hotel Zone
The Hotel Zone is the perfect place to catch the sunset at a rooftop bar or restaurant to end your day.
I recommend biking here because you can easily park your bike. If you plan on driving, expect to pay for parking.
Azulik - The famous Azulik Hotel is a popular spot to have a lovely dinner in their rooftop nests at their Kin Toh restaurant. They are also known for their impressive architecture and art, as well as wellness and spa.
Escultura Ven a la Luz - Take a picture underneath the large sculpture for that Instagram moment!
KARMA - We enjoyed the sunset on their rooftop nest with a delicious dinner. The service was top-notch and definitely ensured that you will have a wonderful experience here.
Day 3 Snorkeling with the Whale Sharks
Whale shark snorkel tour with Mexico Whale Shark!| $160 per person *price varies
Again, NOT sponsored!
The marina is based in the northern end of Cancun. They have transportation services to and from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Tulum – Akumal, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, and Holbox. The prices vary depending on the pick-up/drop off point. We opted to drive ourselves to the marina, which cost us $160 per person.
The price includes roundtrip transportation from the lobby of your hotel or condo (except for the no transport option), light breakfast at the marina, snorkel gear, life jackets, and food and beverages onboard. We had a very tasty ceviche at lunch anchored off of Isla Mujeres!
For our trip, we showed up to the marina at 7:00am and got off the boat around 2:00pm. A trip may take 6 to 11 hours.
If you choose to drive yourself to the marina, there is paid parking across the marina.
Tips & Other Info
Purchase a waterproof phone case. The ride can get pretty wet (and we got rained on at the end of our trip)! Instead of renting GoPro for ~$55 USD, you can take videos and pictures from your phone using this phone case.
Bring eco-friendly sunscreen. Not-so-eco-friendly ones not only will pollute the waters but it may also hurt the whale sharks. You can purchase this sunscreen at the marina for about $15.
If not a whale shark tour… Try a cenote snorkel or scuba dive tour!
It’s important to note that if you choose to scuba dive, do it early. Not only can there be weather delays, but flying after scuba diving can put you at risk for decompression sickness. According to PADI, avoid taking any flights 24 hours in advance.
Day 4 Free Day
I always like adding in a “do whatever you like to do!” day. Saw something along the beach or the road the other day? Why not check it out!
We spent this day relaxing, sleeping in, and visiting a cenote (description included in Day 5).
Other things to do:
Catch the sunrise at Playa Paraiso
Visit Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Visit and climb the Coba Ruins
Day 5 Swimming in the Cenotes
There are many cenotes in and around Tulum that are accessible by both bikes and vehicles. Be aware that you will be biking on the side of the road (but I felt safe biking for most of the ride). All three cenotes we visited also accepts USD. We typically spent 2 hours at each cenote.
What is a cenote? A natural sinkhole that is a cave with permanent freshwater. There are three types: caves, semi-open, and open cenotes.
General Rules & Tips
Bring cash. We didn't have issues paying in either USD or MXN.
You must rinse off/shower before entering the cenote.
Wearing sunscreen is not allowed (it can pollute the waters).
Bring your own swimsuit, towel, and waterproof phone case for the pics!
I recommend bringing your own goggles/snorkeling equipment if you would like to do that. Some cenotes have rental gear as well.
Swimming rules vary from each cenote.
Some places have rental lockers, but we had no issue laying our stuff out in the open or by a chair while we swam.
Here are the 3 cenotes that we visited (to include the one from the previous day):
Cenote Calavera | $250 MXN per person
How We Got There: Bike (~15 mins). Plenty of parking spots for both bikes and vehicles.
Overview: Semi-open sinkholes. This is a younger cenote, meaning that the cave has not really fallen onto itself. You’ll find holes where you can jump into the cenote. Not really suitable for snorkeling (because it is a little dark), but a fun opportunity to jump into the holes!
Gran Cenote | $500 MXN (We paid $30 USD per person)
How We Got There: Bike (~20 mins). Plenty of parking spots for both bikes and vehicles.
Overview: Semi-open air sinkhole. A lot of freshwater turtles and a great spot to snorkel.
Tip: Be sure to bring water with you because we did not see a small shop to purchase drinks and snacks from.
Cenote Carwash | $300 MXN (We paid $20 USD per person)
How We Got There: Bike (~25-30 mins). Plenty of parking spots for both bikes and vehicles.
Overview: Open-air sinkhole. Looks like a small pond. Great amenities here to include a full outdoor restaurant.
Gran Cenote
Day 6 Chichén Itzá & Valladolid
Getting There
Start early! Be mindful that if you are coming from Quintana Roo state, there will be a one hour time difference. The Yucatan state follows CST.
There are plenty of tours that take you to Chichén Itzá, but we rented a car to get there. It’s about a 2 hour drive. Google Maps took us to a hotel resort called Mayaland, which is NOT the entrance to Chichén Itzá. Be sure to keep heading down the road and follow the signs to Chichén Itzá.
Purchasing Tickets | $614 MXN *parking fee varies
You must purchase two tickets: Institute of History and Anthropology of Mexico & Ministry of Culture of Yucatán. Altogether, they cost about $614 MXN for non- resident adults (aka tourists like me).
There is also a parking fee, but we took the shuttle from Mayaland.
What We Ended Up Doing
Mayaland is a hotel resort. They offer parking, transportation to/from Chichén Itzá, tickets, no waiting in line, and lunch upon your return.
The cost for the whole package was ~$1980 MXN for two people (about $115 USD total). It ended up being worth the cost for us because parking was super crowded (and must pay fees), waiting lines were long under the blazing sun, and we got a three course lunch meal at the end.
I didn’t eat breakfast that day so that 3 course lunch meal was a steal. For me, this a blessing in disguise!
Chichén Itzá
One of the largest Mayan cities, as well as one of the seven wonders of the modern world!
We spent about 2 hours strolling through the ruins. We did not do a tour, but if you're a history buff, I think a tour would be worth it (because the description on the plaques didn't really explain much about the history in my opinion)!
On the way back to Tulum, we stopped by Valladolid!
Things To Do In Valladolid (that we did!)
Casa de los Venados | Free, but take donations
An intimate museum in the private home of John and Dorianne Venator, which houses more than 3000 Mexican folk art.
There are tours running every couple of hours. You will not be able to tour the house yourself. The guide speaks both Spanish and English.
Grab an ice cream and enjoy the scene at Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado.
We bought our ice cream from wabi gelato (C. 39 196, Centro, 97780 Valladolid, Yuc., Mexico). A quaint little ice cream shop with delicious and local flavors (like spicy chocolate!)
People-watch and enjoy the grand Templo de San Servacio.
Take a stroll through the picturesque streets
You can find many small shops and cafes.
Other Things To Do (that we didn’t do)
Visit cenotes nearby
Cenote Suytan - A popular Instagram spot. For some reason, they were closed when we arrived (even though Google said it was open).
Cenote Zaci
Visit the Convent Of San Bernardo
Day 7 Departure
We woke up early to catch the last sunrise on Playa Paraiso to end our trip on a good note. 🌅
Ending Thoughts
Not only was this was my first time visiting Mexico, but also Central America. I will admit that I visited very touristy places, but it was still an eye-opening experience. I had many people caution me and my partner to be aware of the dangers in Mexico, but as long as you're traveling smart, then you won't have many issues. I honestly could have been comfortable traveling to Tulum by myself. I saw plenty of families visiting here as well. Tulum is definitely a place for everyone, whether you're a budget traveler or a bougie one. This trip was special to me, and I hope to explore more of Mexico in the near future!
I will be making another post specific to food and restaurant recommendations in Tulum Pueblo, so stay tuned for that! See you in my next post!
- Sarah
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