After going through customs and immigration at the Cancun International Airport, find the ADO Bus ticket counter in the middle of the exit walkway, wedged between car rental and tour companies. Ask for a bus that ends in Tulum - it will stop in Playa del Carmen along the way (150Pesos). The bus station in Tulum is located in town. You will have to take a taxi or walk to your hotel. After checking in, enjoy a great introduction to Mexican food dinner at Charlie's (great margaritas!) before trying free salsa dancing lessons at Zebra Bar on the beach (lessons only on Sunday).
day 1: 500P
monday, day 2: beach
Rent bikes from a shop in town (they'll be infinitely more expensive near the beach) and cycle your way to the beach. Try Playa Kin Ha for a quiet, secluded beach experience. Splurge on a gourmet Mexican lunch at El Tabano, or try Mateo's - both on the beach. Enjoy Tulum's favorite happy hour - 2-4-1 at Playa Kin Ha, or any of the many cabanas along the beach. For dinner, try your hands at al pastor tacos at one of the taquerias in town.
day 2: anywhere from 300-500 pesos, depending on food & drink
tuesday, day 3: mayan ruins
Visit Chichen Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and/or Coba, a ruined Mayan city only discovered in the 1980s and 10% excavated. Don't miss the cenote, or underground pool, outside of Coba. The easiest, most efficient way to do all of this in one day is to hire a taxi, but that's muy expensive. You can take an ADO bus to Chichen Itza, about 2.5 hours away. If you choose to only see one set of the ruins, my pick is Coba, but I'd probably be outvoted on that. If you only do Chichen Itza, visit the cenote near it. Pack plenty of water, buy more, and when you feel hydrated, drink even more. A packed sandwich for lunch will keep you moving (Subway in town really is a good, easy, fast choice). You'll probably be exhausted when you get back, so check out one of the taco carts in town and explore the merchant stalls.
chichen itza entrance: 120P
coba entrance: 60P
coba cenote entrance: 100P
bus to chichen itza: 200P
taxi for the day: 2000P + tip
wednesday, day 4: turtle beach + dos ojos cenotes
Hopefully you're well rested after yesterday and ready for more adventuring (albeit much more relaxing exploring)! Take it easy this morning with a leisurely breakfast at your hotel or a bakery in town. Rent snorkel gear wherever you find it cheapest in town (80-100P). Stand on the side of the street heading north and wait for a collectivo, or local bus, to stop to pick you up. Ask them to stop at turtle beach. If they don't know it, well, you might have to ask around town or the bus to find the name of this incredible beach because I just can't give away all my secrets! Snorkel on one of the most pristine stretches of beach you'll see, with fish that will light up your eyes for days. Wander back through the jungle to the nearby cenote. After your dip, jump in another collectivo toward Dos Ojos - it boasts the world's largest system of cave pools. Or check out some of the local watering holes (literally). Take a collectivo back to town and try El Camello or El Capitain for incredibly fresh seafood.
collectivo: 40-80P
snorkel gear: 80-100P
turtle beach/cenote entrance: donation
dos ojos entrance: 100P (note that you may need to take a taxi from the road through the jungle to the entrance)
other cenote entrance fees: varies
thursday, day 5: biosphere or beach day
If you have the time and money to splurge, head to the Sian Ka'an biosphere. The UNESCO World Heritage site is home to numerous bird and wildlife species, boasts beautiful sights and sounds, and a truly awe-inspiring wilderness experience. I've even heard rumors that in one kayak tour, you stop cliff jump into the clear water. If the steep entrance fee and guide (optional) isn't in your budget, spend another day at the beach. You are on the Caribbean coast, after all!
biosphere tour: 1000P (my understanding is that you have to have a tour)
friday, day 6: tulum ruins + private beach + town
Spend your last full day in Tulum seeing the sight that'll put this city on the map - the Mayan ruins at Tulum. Take a taxi or rent bikes to head up there. The ruins overlook the beach, and when you're done exploring them, you can swim and sunbathe at the ruins' own private beach. There's nothing like swimming and looking up at ancient ruins. It's beautiful. After, head back into town for lunch and sight-seeing. Take a walking tour of the town, stopping to take pictures of everything. Buy some Mayan honey and Mexican vanilla in a local market. Eat wherever is still on your must-try list.
tulum ruins: 60P
bike for the day: 80-100P
taxi to/from the ruins: 120P
photography and walking tour: free
saturday, day 7: cancun
Jump on an early ADO bus up to Cancun and check into your hotel in the Spring Break Capital. If you're like me, one day is too much to spend in this city, but well, you need the experience, right? Hop in a taxi or on a local bus without giving it too much thought. Ask for the closest beach and see where you end up. A taxi driver took us to his favorite beach, a locals-only type spot, where we drank 2-4-1 margaritas in lounge chairs, watched kids splash in the waves, and loved every second of our day in Cancun.
ADO bus to Cancun: 150P
Taxi/local bus: varies
Cost breakdown:
Hotel: $350 for 7 nights (based on Posada Luna del Sur = $100/night with 2 people)
Without including flights (about $350 from D.C.), Tulum can easily be a $1000/person trip. With two people, it was much easier to split things and take taxis instead of buses. The conversation rate as of 2/13 was 12 pesos for $1. I hope this itinerary and sample budget helps!
Great Trip Article..
ReplyDeleteI think you have rocked your trip dudes!!! I love to travel with friends in groups rather travelling solo.
Till now I have explored more than 32 cities and so want to increase the count of cities to explore more in future.