4 days & 4 nights in Tulum: Logistics & Itinerary

Flying, driving, and budgeting time

There are two types of people in the world: People who love planning and people who hate it. My friends and I mostly love planning, so our google doc was filled with ideas for Tulum that fairly easily translated into a fabulous four-day itinerary. I say four-day, but it was really three full days. However, we packed in some good eats and hang-time during the bookends of our trip, hence four-day.  

Getting to Tulum

We flew into Cancun airport, rented a car, and drove 1.5 hours to Tulum. Flights from Milwaukee were expensive; taking the red eye out of Chicago was more timely and cost effective. 

Renting a car

Yes, in Tulum you do need a car. People claim you can bike from downtown to the beach, but it's a haul. And it's so hot. And if you're staying in an Airbnb and want to grocery shop, you definitely need a car. Also, Uber isn't available in Tulum and taxis are hard to come by, unless you're staying on the main drag. We went to a neighboring hotel to try and hail a taxi one night, and even the hotel receptionist had trouble getting someone to pick us up.

As for safety: We were told there are "no rules in Mexico!" and read horror stories of corrupt cops pulling over U.S. tourists and taking them for all their cash. While I can't say that will never, ever happen, I can say nothing even close to that happened to us. 

I will also say that it's probably best to have a fearless driver among you. I am not a fearless driver, so I was grateful to have my New York friend Rachelle at the wheel. "This is like driving in Brooklyn," she said. I also imagine if you don't mind driving in Chicago, you'll be fine in Tulum. 

*All this said, if you're staying on the beach and have zero plans to leave it and/or your hotel offers shuttles, maybe you don't need a car. But consider your day trips, the cost of hiring a taxi, etc. Our group used the car multiple times every day — but you do you!*

Where to stay 

We loved our airbnb! It was located about a five-minute drive from downtown Tulum — off the beaten path, but within two blocks of Holistika (a gorgeous jungle retreat center) and Hotel Tiki Tiki, which has a beautiful bar that's open to the public. 

We loved that it was away from the busy main drag downtown, and that we got more bang for our buck than a hotel on the beach. See, there are two main areas to hang in Tulum: Downtown and the beach.

Downtown Tulum is fun and bustling. You'll find amazing, cheap tacos, shack-like bars and cafés, and touristy shops shilling Mexican blankets, painted skulls, and colorful pottery. But it's definitely more gritty. There are lots of wild dogs and, at night, more sketchy characters to be wary of as a group of young women. Not that we ever felt unsafe, but I don't think I'd choose to stay in downtown Tulum. I'd rather be near Holistika, as we were this time, or spring for some beachside fabulosity in a nice hotel.

And the beach strip is truly fabulous. Lots of hotels, restaurants, bars, and beautiful shops. This is the place to be as a tourist at night. There's much more to see and do on the beach, as opposed to downtown. Of course, you're also bound to spend a lot more money. When weighing the options of staying near Holistika vs. the beach, we opted to get more for our money: more space, a private pool, a full kitchen. You won't find all those amenities on the beach. But you would be within walking distance to all of the action! 

Money Matters

You will need cash all the time in Tulum. Many places — even nice restaurants — are cash only. If you run out, it's possible a business owner will also accept U.S. dollars.

Our Itinerary 

Here's an overview on how we budgeted our time. 

Front Bookend Day

Arrive in Cancun and drive to Tulum. Check into airbnb mid-afternoon and lounge. Grocery shop (get all the bottled water, wine, and snacks!). Get cheap tacos from Antojitos la Chiapaneca for dinner, lounge some more, and make it an early night. 

Day 1 

Sleep in and do 10am yoga at Holistika. Then head to the beach (we googled and landed on Playa Paraiso as a destination). For an afternoon snack, visit one of the beachside cafés. At night, hit up Hotel Tiki Tiki for a drink, then do cheap tacos at El Nero for dinner. *Note: We tried to find downtown nightlife that wasn't a sleazy club, but failed. Nightlife is better at the beach!

Day 2 

Get up early and see the Tulum Ruins or the Mayan ruins at Sian Ka'an. More details on this to come, but we did the Tulum ruins. They're touristy and crowded, but you end up at a beautiful beach making it all worthwhile. However, if you do Sian Ka'an, there is apparently jungle hiking, river floating, snorkeling, etc., in addition to the ruins. Pick your poison! At night, do the famous Hartwood for dinner, then bar hop on the jungle side of the beach strip. 

Day 3 

Go out for a yummy breakfast (we did Burrito Amor). Swim in a cenote. You can snorkel or dive, but we chose just to swim. Bop around downtown Tulum to knock some souvenirs off your shopping list. At night, head to the beach side of the beach strip and bar/restaurant hop for drinks and shared appetizers/entrées.

Back Bookend Day

Wake up, pack up, and grab a tasty breakfast before driving back to the Cancun airport (budget time for traffic!). 

Hasta mañana!