How to Visit the Tulum Ruins Mexico in 2024
Do you want to visit the Tulum Ruins in Mexico? You’ve come to the right guide!
As a travel blogger that lives in Playa del Carmen, just north of Tulum, I’ve been to the Tulum Ruins many times and I’m here to help!
If you’re not familiar with the area, it can be difficult to know what to expect and how to make the most of your visit.
In this post, I’m sharing everything you need to know about visiting the Tulum Ruins including an overview of the Mayan archaeological site, how to get there, visitor info, and top tips for visiting.
Plus, I’m sharing some recommendations on what to do and see in Tulum after you’re done visiting the ruins.
Ready to find out how to see the Tulum Ruins Mexico for yourself? Let’s get started!
About the Tulum Ruins
First, let’s start with a brief overview of the ruins of Tulum, which are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico:
What are the Tulum Ruins?
Located just outside of Tulum’s city center, the Tulum Mayan Ruins were originally built as an oceanside fortress and are the only beachfront Mayan Ruins in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo.
The most notable feature of the Tulum Ruins is the oceanfront location with the ruins elevated at a height of about 12 m (~39 feet), offering spectacular seaside views of the brightly colored Caribbean Sea.
At the Tulum archaeological site, many basic structures remain including El Castillo (The Castle) and many different temples. The site also offers public beach access to cool off after visiting the ruins.
Although the Tulum Ruins are not as grand as what you’ll see on a Chichen Itza Mayan Ruins tour or at Cobá, they are definitely still worth a visit if not for the views alone.
Plus, they are some of the closest Mayan ruins to Playa del Carmen, so they are definitely worth visiting if you’re looking for a unique cultural experience.
Where are the ruins in Tulum?
The ruins in Tulum Mexico are located just outside the city center of Tulum, or about an hour south of Playa del Carmen.
Due to the site’s close proximity to the city center, visiting the ruins is the perfect activity for any Tulum itinerary.
Driving times from nearby destinations are as follows:
- Tulum to Tulum Ruins: 10 minutes
- Playa del Carmen to Tulum Ruins: 1 hour
- Cancun to Tulum Ruins: 2 hours
- Merida to Tulum Ruins: 3 hours
- Valladolid to Tulum Ruins: 1 hour 30 minutes
Tulum Ruins Map
What does Tulum mean?
Tulum means “wall” in the Mayan language but the town of Tulum was previously called Zama, which means “city of dawn.”
Can you climb the Tulum Ruins?
Unfortunately you are not able to climb the Tulum Ruins. The ruins at the Mayan city of Tulum have been off limits to tourists and are roped off to protect and preserve them.
How to Get to the Tulum Ruins
The ancient Ruins of Tulum can be visited fairly easily on your own or you can book a guided tour for the added convenience of roundtrip transportation with pickup from hotels in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya.
Book a Tulum Ruins Tour
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of driving or figuring out public transportation, then I would recommend booking a Tulum Ruins tour.
Most Tulum tours will include all entrance fees, a knowledgeable tour guide, and roundtrip transportation with pickup from Riviera Maya hotels.
In addition, many tours also include snorkeling and visits to cenotes in Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya, which are hidden swimming holes that can only be found in the Yucatan peninsula.
With these added activities, you get more bang for your buck and a hassle free booking option.
👉 I recommend booking a Tulum Ruins tour with this tour company!
Travelista Tip: If you have a larger group or are looking for a personal tour guide, consider booking a private Tulum Ruins tour.
Drive to the Tulum Ruins
If you decide to visit on your own, the best way to get to the Mayan ruins in Tulum is by driving or renting a car. This would allow you the freedom to explore the ruins at your own pace.
From Playa del Carmen, it is a little less than an hour drive south on the main highway 307.
You will see signs off the highway with the “Ruinas” symbol. Turn left at the sign and you’ll arrive to the main entrance.
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Tulum Ruins Parking
Parking at the ruins is easily available but a little expensive (around $160 pesos ~ $8 USD) so make sure you have some cash on hand. There will also be many tour buses parked on-site.
Take Public Transportation to the Tulum Ruins
By public transportation, the Tulum Ruins can be reached by taking a colectivo or the ADO bus:
Colectivo to Tulum Ruins
If you don’t have a car, the cheapest way to get to the Tulum Mexico Ruins from Playa del Carmen is to take a colectivo (shared van).
The vans leave from the main bus depot on Avenida Juarez and Highway 307 (📍Google Maps location). Just make sure you get on one that is heading towards Tulum.
It’s a little less than an hour’s drive from Playa del Carmen and costs around $50 pesos (~$3 USD) per person.
Tell the driver you’re going to the ruins (“ruinas” in Spanish) and take note the stop is before the main stop in downtown Tulum.
Once you get off the colectivo, cross the highway and head straight towards the main entrance.
It’s about a 10 minute walk to the main entrance but there is also a small train that drives visitors from the parking lot to the main entrance, which can be taken for an additional fee (I think it’s around $50 pesos).
ADO Bus to Tulum Ruins
The Tulum Ruins can also be reached by taking the ADO bus from nearby towns and the route offers drop off directly at the Tulum archeological site.
The ADO is a large and comfortable charter-style bus, which provides a convenient and inexpensive mode of transportation to the ruins.
ADO tickets can be booked on the ADO website (Spanish only), through Busbud (English), or directly at the ADO station.
When booking tickets, make sure to purchase tickets to the Tulum Ruins (“Tulum Zona Arqueológica” in Spanish), rather than Tulum Centro.
The ADO bus to the Tulum ruins is a little more expensive than a colectivo and runs less frequently but is probably an easier and more comfortable option especially if you don’t speak Spanish.
👉 Book ADO tickets to the Tulum Ruins on Busbud here!
Tulum Ruins Visitor Info
Here’s the basic visitor info for the Tulum Ruins including opening hours, entrance fee to Tulum Ruins, and best time to visit:
Tulum Ruins Opening Hours
The Tulum Ruins hours are currently daily from 8:00AM-5:00PM. And the last entrance permitted is at 3:30PM.
Entrance Fee for the Tulum Ruins
The Tulum Ruins entrance fee is around $95 pesos (~$6 USD) per person for visitors. Make sure to have cash (pesos) on hand as USD and credit cards are not accepted.
There is also a $61 peso (~$3.50 USD) CONANP Protected Area fee that is required to enter the Tulum National Park. Senior citizens and kids under 12 years old do not have to pay this fee.
Additionally, if you are planning to bring a GoPro or professional camera, you’ll also need to pay a photography fee (around $45 pesos).
Entrance is free for Mexican residents on Sundays.
Travelista Tip: Beware of scammers when you arrive to the ruins that might try to sell you unnecessary tours and tickets. Only buy Tulum archeological site tickets at the official ticket counter.
Best Time to Visit the Tulum Ruins
The best time to visit the Tulum Ruins is during the week. Entrance is free for Mexican residents on Sundays so it can get extremely crowded with local families.
In addition, it’s best to get there as early as possible if you want to avoid the crowds and get the best pictures.
How Much Time to Spend at the Tulum Ruins
You can expect to spend 2-3 hours in total exploring the Tulum Ruins archaeological site. You’re free to explore the site at leisure so you can stay as long as you like.
Exploring the Ruins at Tulum
The ruins are located on a large site with an arrival area, the famous archaeological site, and public beach access.
Arrival Experience
Once you make your way past the parking lot, there is an arrival area with the large colorful “Tulum” letters where you can take photos.
You’ll also find large souvenir shops, restaurants, and food and drink stands. Most of the souvenirs at the ruins are pretty overpriced and you’d be better off to stick to the shopping in Playa del Carmen.
You’ll then proceed to the ticket booth to purchase your Tulum Ruins tickets and go through some turnstiles.
Then you’ll have to walk a ways through a wooded area to get to the Tulum walls and stone entrance of the main archaeological zone.
Tulum Ruins Tour Guides
Once you get to the main entrance, you also have the option to hire a tour guide that will walk you around the site and explain its history and significance.
There’s typically tour guides available for hire at the entrance and you can expect to pay around $500-$600 pesos (~$25-$30 USD) for a Tulum Ruins guide.
Tulum Archaeological Site
Once you pass through the stone tunnel at the entrance, you are free to explore the ruins at your leisure.
The ruins are all roped off so you can’t walk on them and just have to view them from a distance.
It’s a bummer but with hundreds of people visiting daily, it’s understandable that they have to preserve them.
There are small informational plaques in front of each structure (written in English and Spanish) that provide tidbits on the Mayan history and how each building was used.
You’ll learn many interesting facts about Mayan culture, and that the Tulum pyramids and ruins weren’t originally built by the Mayans but were inhabited and expanded by them in the 13th century.
The ancient walled city of Tulum ran as a sophisticated operation which included sacrificial temples, a castle (“El Castillo”), the main pyramid, watch towers, and trading posts.
The best views can be found from the top of the Tulum site overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
This is where everyone is fighting for photo ops and also where you’ll see the wooden stairs leading down to the beach.
The ruins are widespread so be prepared for a lot of walking and some steps to get up to the top.
There is little shade on the main site so be prepared for the heat! Temperatures in Tulum can be very hot all year round.
Tulum Ruins Beach
One of the most unique features of the Tulum Mayan Ruins is the public beach access directly on the site.
Beach access at the Tulum Ruins has changed recently and you can no longer access the beach from the wooden stairs right in front of the ruins.
Instead, the public beach access has moved just south of the ruins and there’s now an additional fee to access the Tulum Ruins beach.
Swimming is normally allowed but some days the beach access can be closed due to weather conditions or turtle nesting.
If you do plan to swim, be sure to bring a bathing suit, towel, biodegradable sunscreen, and extra money for the entrance fee.
👉 I personally use and recommend Sun Bum biodegradable sunscreen, which is reef-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free.
What to Do After Visiting the Tulum Ruins
If you get to the ruins early, you’ll still have a good part of the day to explore Tulum town or head to a Tulum beach.
Here’s my recommendations for things to do in Tulum:
Visit a Beach Club
After you’re done walking around the ruins, you’ll more than likely be dripping in sweat and ready for a cold beverage!
I would highly suggest heading over to a beach club in Tulum–it’s the perfect way to cool off and relax for the rest of the day.
Plus the beautiful beaches in Tulum are much more chill and widespread than the beaches in Playa del Carmen.
One of my favorite beach clubs in Tulum is Ziggy’s Beach Club, which is about a 20 minute drive from the ruins. There are a line of taxis waiting right outside the ruins that you can take to get there.
Once you arrive, you can grab a table at the restaurant or head directly down to the beach to reserve a beach bed.
Pricing varies by season but there is usually a minimum consumption for use of the beach beds.
Visit a Cenote
Another fun activity after visiting the ruins is to head to a nearby cenote, which are freshwater swimming holes unique to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
There are tons of cenotes near Tulum but Gran Cenote is probably the best one to visit that is the closest proximity to the ruins. The easiest way to get there is to take a taxi from the main entrance.
Once there you can swim, snorkel, or just hang out in a beautiful natural setting. Make sure to bring biodegradable sunscreen, water shoes, and a quick dry towel.
Tips for Visiting the Tulum Ruins in Mexico
Follow these tips to make the most of your experience at the Tulum Ruins:
- Get there early: The ruins are open daily from 8AM–5PM but can get very crowded and the last entrance is at 3:30PM. If you go early, you can beat the tour groups, enjoy the site with less people, and still have time to hit a beach club afterwards.
- Watch out for scammers: At the entrance, there will likely be a lot of vendors trying to sell you tours and tickets. If you don’t want to hire a tour guide, then only purchase tickets from the official ticket counter.
- Be prepared for the heat: There is very little shade at the ruins so I would bring a sun hat and a water bottle to stay hydrated. It can get VERY hot.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes: The ruins are very widespread with stairs and areas of uneven terrain. It’s best to wear tennis shoes, sneakers, or comfortable walking shoes.
- Bring beach gear if you want to swim: There is public beach access directly from the Tulum archeological zone so if you want to swim I would recommend bringing a swimsuit, towel, and biodegradable sunscreen.
- Bring an umbrella: It’s a good idea to bring a compact umbrella if you have one. There is little to no covered areas at the ruins and rainstorms can come on very quickly. This happened to me the first time I was there and I got drenched! And if it doesn’t rain, you can use the umbrella for shade!
Visiting the Tulum Ruins: FAQs
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about visiting the Tulum Ruins:
The Tulum ruins open daily at 8:00AM.
The Tulum Ruins price for entrance is $95 pesos (~$6 USD). There is also a $61 peso (~$3.50 USD) CONANP Protected Area fee that is required to enter the Tulum National Park.
The Tulum Ruins are located about 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Tulum town.
The easiest way to get to the Tulum Ruins from Tulum town is by taking a taxi. It’s also possible to walk there but takes about 50 minutes.
What sets the Tulum Ruins apart is the oceanfront location overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The Tulum Ruins are the only oceanfront Mayan Ruins in the state of Quintana Roo.
Final Thoughts: Tulum Ruins Mexico
Teeming with rich history and flaunting pristine oceanfront views, the Mayan Ruins at Tulum is one of the best day tours from Playa del Carmen and one of the top things to do in the Mayan Riviera.
Even if you’re not a history buff, there is still much to be enjoyed at the ancient Mayan Ruins of Tulum from the stunning views, secluded beach access, and the many nearby options for exploring or just relaxing in Tulum.
The easiest way to get there is by booking a Tulum Ruins tour for the added benefit of a knowledgeable tour guide and round-trip transportation.
But even if you choose to visit the Mayan Ruins Tulum Mexico on your own, you’ll still have a fascinating experience exploring this ancient Mayan city!
Read next: Tulum vs Chichen Itza: Which Mayan Ruins are Best?
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