While many come to Tulum for its luxe beachside resorts and spendy nightlife, I was looking for more of an authentic, Tulum on a budget experience.
So, I skipped out on all-inclusive resorts and opted to stay in the Tulum Centro, or Tulum Town, and got to know the charm of Quintana Roo from there.
If you too are looking for a more laidback, budget-friendly Tulum trip, here is my 3-day itinerary for a wonderfully affordable trip to the Yucatan Peninsula.
Note: Some of the links below contain affiliate links. This doesn’t increase the cost of any item to you, but simply means that I’ll receive a small commission of any sales from those links. Thank you!
Is Tulum expensive?
Tulum’s reputation as a boho-luxury paradise means prices can be surprisingly high—especially in the Hotel Zone. This area is all beachfront resorts, upscale restaurants, beach clubs and even taxis that cater to a more luxury-focused crowd. In this area, you’ll find everything from Instagrammable boutique hotels to cocktail bars that charge $25 USD a drink.
On the other hand, Tulum Centro (the downtown area) is a more budget-friendly alternative–which is where I stayed during my 3 days in Tulum, Mexico.
In Tulum Centro, or Tulum Town, you’ll find local taquerías, budget hostels, laidback boutique hotels, and cozy cafes with much more reasonable prices. While the hotel zone is very aesthetic it’s also why Tulum is considered expensive: you’re paying for the location and the view! And it’s not the “real” Tulum.
So, is Tulum expensive? It can be—but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re willing to skip out on high end beachfront resorts and explore Tulum Centro with some awesome day trips, you can enjoy an incredible three-day trip and still have an affordable Tulum trip.
Tips Before Visiting Tulum on a Budget
- Avoid taxis: Tulum taxis are notoriously expensive, often costing around $50 USD to go from the Hotel Zone to Tulum Town.
- Rent a bike: Renting a bike costs around 130-200 MXN ($7-10 USD) a day, saving you loads of time spent walking as well as taxi fees.
- Visit Tulum Ruins without a tour: You can cycle from Tulum Centro to the ruins in about 10 minutes. Most of the park is bike-friendly. You’ll just park your bike when you arrive at the entrance of the Tulum Ruins. Download a self-guided audio guide instead of spending money on a guide.
- Always have pesos: A lot of places in Tulum only accept cash. Make sure you have pesos. There are plenty of local banks, like Santander, where you can cheaply take out cash.
- Get an eSIM: Get a Mexican eSIM in advance, so you can save money on roaming fees and have data during your stay. I used Ubigi for this! You can get 10% off with code SPIRITED10.
- Consider a travel-friendly credit card: I use Capital One VenuteOne and I have zero fees on transactions abroad.
- Bring a refillable water bottle: Don’t waste money and resources on single-use plastic water bottles. Fill up at your accommodation and restaurants.
- Consider travel insurance: SafetyWing is one of the best budget-friendly options.
3 Days in Tulum on a Budget
Upon arrival, you’ll most likely be coming from either the Cancun Airport or the new Tulum Airport. I flew into Tulum, as I found a great price from Jacksonville, and I had no interest in being in Cancun.
Whichever airport you arrive from, I suggest taking the ADO Aeropuerto Bus to the city center.
My bus ticket from Tulum was 226 MXN ($12 USD) and took about 30 minutes to get into town. The buses run frequently, roughly every 35-45 minutes, so it’s a convenient and cheap way to get to Tulum.
If you are coming from Cancun, you’ll have a longer journey to each the city center. You can take an ADO Aeropuerto Bus from Cancun to Tulum for around $27 USD each way. The drive is roughly 1.5 hours.
Buy your ticket online at the official ADO website (website is only in Spanish) or at the ticket desk at the airport.
Day 1 in Tulum, Mexico
Your first day in Tulum largely depends on when your flight lands. So, feel free to tweak today’s itinerary to fit your timeframe.
And by the way! This Tulum itinerary is perfect for couples and friends. However, it’s also great for solo travelers in Mexico. All the experiences I’m sharing below are my own during my own solo trip to Tulum.
Check-In at Hotel
There are many unique places to stay in Tulum Centro, catering to a range of budget travel styles. Personally, I chose to stay at the Mimosa Tulum Boutique Hotel in one of their private tee-pees.
Now that I’m in my late 20s and blogging for a living, I’m past the idea of staying in a hostel unless it’s just a one-night stay. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find this beautifully lush accommodation in the city center!
The private tee-pee cost me only $53 USD per night. However, they do have hostel dorms and other private rooms. So, it fits a range of budgets.
There is also a lovely swimming pool, bar, breakfast, laundry service, and bike rentals available at the accommodation.
All this to say, I highly recommend staying at Mimosa Tulum. It was truly one of my all-time favorite hotels I’ve stayed in!
Places to Stay in Tulum Centro
- Mimosa Tulum Boutique Hotel: private rooms + hostel beds with swimming pool, bar + serene ambiance
- LUM Hostel: hostel with privacy curtains, lively bar area, and great location near ADO bus depot
- Naala Tulum: Perfect if you want upscale at a budget-friendly price
Lunch in Tulum
After you’ve checked in or at least dropped your bags off (most hotels won’t be ready until 3 or 4 p.m.), head out for lunch in Tulum. I suggest starting the trip off with tamales at Suculenta Tamaleria.
This is a vegan restaurant but even meat-eaters love it because the food is that good. Order a tamale or two and a smoothie to hydrate and cool yourself off, and go sit in the garden. The space is very inviting!
If you prefer to have a meat-based Mexican lunch, no worries! Walk to Taqueria Maya Tulum or Tamales Don Taco. Both are highly-rated with great prices.
Rent a Bike
Since you are traveling to Tulum on a budget, I highly recommend renting a bike for the duration of your stay.
Your accommodation might have bikes to rent, but I would compare prices before going with the ones at your accommodation.
For instance, it was cheaper for me to rent my bike from Bicicletas Center Bikes Tulum than from my hotel.
Luckily, the bike shop was right around the corner from the hotel I stayed in (Mimosa Tulum) on the 307 in Tulum Pueblo. I paid a deposit of 1500 MXN ($76.50 USD) and then paid 150 MXN (7.50) per day. You will need to have pesos for this as they do not accept cards.
Cycle around Tulum
Now that you have a bike, you can enjoy cycling around Tulum. Go around wherever your heart desires! Just be careful on the 307 (the main road that goes through Tulum). People drive fast and erratic, particularly on that busy road.
Some areas to consider cycling:
La Veleta: Trendy neighborhood popular with foreigners. It’s laidback with lots of restaurants, coffee shops, and green spaces.
Aldea Zama: This is a luxury street with nice hotels and houses. You’ll find some nice cafes and boutique shops around here. I loved the Matcha Mama here and the boutique that’s inside. Definitely recommend stopping at Matcha Mama at some point during your trip. Best smoothie I’ve ever had!
Tulum Hotel Zone: Boho resort area along the Caribbean Sea with bars, clubs, eateries, and many of the luxury resorts. There is a bike lane on Av. Coba to get to the Tulum beach road. The road makes it a pleasant ride between the town and Hotel Zone.
Dinner at Fridas
One of the best places to eat in Tulum, Fridas is a beautiful Mexican restaurant set in a charming, colonial-style orange building.
They have indoor seating with air conditioning and a garden with fans. The menu is varied, but everything is traditionally Mexican.
My first night in Tulum I had chalupas poblanas and guacamole and tortilla chips. It was so filling that I needed a box and had food the next day!
So, I had a mango juice with my meal and then a beer afterward. My total for everything was around $22 USD. See the menu for more information on what they offer.
Unwind Back at Hotel
If you decide to stay at Mimosa Tulum, you’ll have access to the bar and swimming pool until 11 p.m.
That means that every evening you can come back to your room before relaxing by the pool and having a cocktail nightcap. They do a budget-friendly 2 for 1 deal on drinks.
The hotel also occasionally does events like movie nights, so ask the front desk so you know what’s going on each night of your 3 days in Tulum.
Day 2 in Tulum, Mexico
Now you can start exploring more of Quintana Roo and the surrounding cenotes! You have a couple of options here depending on your budget and interests, so I’ll break each of those down for you.
Option 1: Cycle to Gran Cenote and Cenote Calavera
This is the most budget-friendly Tulum day trip, and it doesn’t disappoint. Truly, the Gran Cenote was the most magical place I visited during my 10-day trip to Mexico.
So, pack a day bag with cenote essentials like water shoes, a swimsuit, and a quick-dry towel. Bonus points if you bring a waterproof pouch for your phone or a GoPro.
I recommend wearing a sturdy sun hat and a linen/cotton long sleeve for the ride. It’s only a 14-minute cycle, or so, but the UV index is very high in Tulum and there is no shade on the road from Tulum to Gran Cenote.
You will pass Cenote Calavera first. It’s only a 6-minute ride from Mimosa Tulum. However, I suggest visiting this cenote after Gran Cenote. You want to get to Gran Cenote right about when they open for the most tranquil experience.
This is because Gran Cenote gets a lot more visitors in comparison to Cenote Calavera.
Anyway, you will cycle straight along the 109. This is a main road that leads to Coba and Valladolid.
Now, tickets to the Gran Cenote are expensive. For example, these top Valladolid cenotes only cost between 180 to 250 MXN. For Gran Cenote, it costs 500 MXN ($25 USD) for adults to visit the cenote. I decided it was worth the splurge, and I’m glad I did because it truly is a magical place to visit in Tulum.
Then, I paid an extra 30 MXN to use a locker during the duration of my visit.
So, about the Gran Cenote.
Gran Cenote is a natural pool made up of several connected caverns and open-air swimming areas, surrounded by lush jungle with wildlife and limestone walls. As soon as you walk down the wooden stairs, you’ll see clear turquoise water. It’s so transparent that you can see fish and turtles swimming. Luckily, there’s snorkel gear available as well!
There are multiple entry points, but the main wooden platform leads you right into one of the larger pools. If you swim through the arched rock formations, you’ll find your way into a series of low-ceilinged caves, where TONS of birds nest in the limestone crevices. It’s cool and shaded in these tunnels, and so ethereal.
Like I mentioned, you’ll want to bring your own snorkeling gear or use the ones onsite. The visibility is great, and you’ll be able to see the tiny fish, cave formations, and turtles around the waters of the cenote. Your GoPro or waterproof phone pouch will also come in handy here.
Swim around the whole thing, and swim across the cave to a more secretive area. While the whole place is very natural, the more tucked away area has an even more natural feel with trees and calm transparent water.
Remember you must shower before entering to help protect the delicate ecosystem, which is standard practice at most cenotes in the Yucatán.
Give yourself at least an hour and a half here to fully explore, float, snorkel, and soak it all in. I ended up spending over two hours. It’s the kind of place that makes you slow down and just be.
And before you go, walk around the exterior to spot wildlife like lizards, iguanas, and birds.
On your way back to Tulum Centro, stop at Cenote Calavara. It’s a smaller, lesser-known cenote with a swing and ladder leading down to the water. It costs 250 MXN to enter, and it closes at 5 p.m.
Option 2: Chichen Itza/Coba Ruins + Cenotes Tour from Tulum
Even if you’re on a short trip to Mexico, you still don’t want to skip out on seeing ancient ruins like at Coba and Chichen Itza.
Fortunately, you can easily get to these ruins as a day trip from Tulum. There are tours of varying prices, some private and some shared. I recommend this budget Maya ruins tour from Tulum.
Coba is awesome because, like Ek Balam and some of the other smaller Maya ruins, you can still ascend the ruins and get unique perspectives–something you cannot do at Chichen Itza. That’s why I recommend visiting multiple ruins during your 3 days in Tulum.
So, this full day tour takes you out of Tulum to Coba with a guided tour. Then, you’ll arrive at Chichen Itza where you’ll do another tour with free time for exploring more of the ancient settlement.
Finally, you’ll stop at Cenote Chichikan where you’ll have lunch and plenty of time to enjoy this ultra-lush cenote.
Overall, it’s a pretty good deal. Everything is included except the tourist taxes you’ll pay the ruins.
If you’d rather skip Coba, do this Chichen Itza w/ Valladolid and Cenotes tour. If you’d rather skip Chichen Itza, this Coba and Mayan Ceremony tour is really cool (but pricier).
Dinner at Wang Tulum
Once you’re back from your tour or cycling excursions, wash up at your hotel before heading out for dinner (and optional drinks!).
If you’re ready for some other types of food during your 3 days in Tulum, definitely check out Wang Tulum. It’s super popular with local foreigners and tourists.
It’s very casual. You’ll order at the window and go sit at one of the low top, Asian-style dining tables.
The food is very authentic Chinese with incredible biang biang noodles, dumplings, soups, and cold cucumber dishes. It’s a very simple menu but the flavor is everywhere–in the best way.
Prices are also excellent. I had the meatless biang biang noodles for 80 MXN ($4 USD) and the cold cucumber dish for 40 MXN ($2 USD).
They also have some nice coconut water, coffees, and other drinks. PS. It’s a great spot for people-watching! ;D
Drinks at Walicho
Walicho is a lush, outdoorsy spot for drinks in Tulum Centro. The vibe is so relaxed and inviting, and the owners have great taste in music, so something good is always playing.
I ordered a spicy margarita while I was there and it was gorgeously prepared with tajin around the rim and jalapenos for the spicy flavor.
They specialize in craft beer as well, so be sure to check out their selection.
Great spot to unwind, meet new people, eat late night empanadas and other snacks, and enjoy a casual night out in Tulum on a budget.
Day 3 in Tulum, Mexico
So, days 2 and 3 in Tulum are very interchangeable. Choose whichever layout best suits you. For example, some days are better than others when it comes to visiting Chichen Itza.
Mexicans can visit Chichen Itza for free on Sundays, so it tends to be busier that day compared to Monday. If your trip to Tulum falls on a Sunday on day 2, you might consider swapping around the days.
Anyway, let’s get on it with it! Here’s how to spend the last day of your 3 days in Tulum itinerary.
Breakfast at Fridas Tulum or Café K anaab
Start the day off with breakfast, particularly somewhere near the 307 closest to the ruins of the city with the ruins. This is because you’ll be riding your bicycle to the ruins today!
So, I recommend either Fridas Tulum or Café K anaab. I know I have you visiting Fridas for dinner on your first night, but having their Mexican breakfast menu is also divine!
However, if you want to visit somewhere new Café K anaab is very jungle-style cozy with great coffee and Mexican and international breakfast foods. I had the divorced eggs, and it was one of my favorite breakfasts of my entire trip.
Tulum Ruins
From either of the two restaurants, it’s about a 10-minute cycle to the ticket area of the Tulum Ruins. The ride is pleasant, as there’s a dedicated bike path (the curvy camino blanco on the right side of the road).
To get to the ruins, follow signs for the Ruinas Tulum. Once you’re on the 307, it’s straight until you turn off for the ruins on the right-hand side of the street.
You will go through the entrance, ride until you see a bunch of vendors and shops. This is where you’ll pay the visitors fee to enter the Parque Nacional Tulum. This costs 415 MXN ($22 USD) for foreigners and 255 MXN ($13 USD).
Then, you’ll ride your bike through the entrance and cycle down the cobbled road until you reach a cobbled entrance with four large open doors. Opposite of that is a trailer where you’ll buy your ticket to visit the Tulum Ruins. This is 100 MXN ($5 USD) and is cash only.
From there, they’ll scan the QR code on your paper ticket and you’ll be able to explore the Tulum Ruins. You can book a guide for a more in-depth experience or download a self-guided audio guide like I did. I found one through Action Tour Guide for $10 USD.
The Tulum Ruins are relatively small, but there is still a lot to see, so take your time!
Pro tip: Bring an umbrella or long-sleeve linen layers for protection from the sun. It’s hot and the UV index is high here!
If you’d rather do a tour and not cycle there, check out this Tulum Ruins tour—which also takes you to two cenotes: Cenote Mariposa and Cenote Chen-Ha. This is a great alternative if you’re not interested in going snorkeling.
Snorkel at Parque Nacional Tulum
After an immersive walk through the remnants of ancient Tulum, hop back on your bike and cycle down to Playa Pescadores. This is within the Tulum National Park. You can ride along the Camino Blanco (the wide white road where you’ll see shuttle trolleys going past) to get there.
You will first pass the entrance of Playa Santa Fe. Go past that until you see the sign for Playa Pescadores. There will be a bike rack where you can park your bicycle.
Walk down and go right and you’ll see a sign for Tulum Snorkel Services. This is where you’ll do your snorkel tour! I recommend booking online. You’ll select the 2-hour Snorkeling on Tulum’s Reef tour. Tickets are already $40-45 USD.
I LOVED my experience snorkeling off the coast of Tulum. During the two hours, I was able to see tons of sea turtles, schools of fish, a sting ray, and part of the Tulum coral reef. Highly recommend!
There are three different times: 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. My guide told me that noon was the quietest time to go. I opted for that and was the ONLY person on my tour. It was really cool to have the experience nearly all to myself, though there were some other tours going on at the reef spot.
Dinner in La Veleta
Come back to Tulum Centro, refresh in your hotel, and get ready for your last night out in Tulum. I recommend spending the evening in La Veleta, which is a cool, boho neighborhood popular with foreigners.
El Agavero is a great choice for Mexican cuisine in a beautiful, jungle-boho setting. You can follow this up with drinks at Mistico Garden La Veleta. They have wonderful margaritas!
However, if you want something more budget-friendly for the night, visit a taqueria like La Vegan Taquería (not in La Veleta) or Tacos Calle 8.
You can still go out for drinks afterwards or head back to Mimosa Boutique Hotel and have drinks by the pool there!
Reminder! You’ll either want to drop your bike off before dinner or in the morning before you leave Tulum. I ended up dropping mine off around 5 p.m. on my last full day in Tulum and just walked to dinner that night.
Other Things to Do Near Tulum
There is no one-size-fits-all itinerary for Tulum, so here are some other options you might consider. Feel free to swap out any experiences listed above to fit your personal travel style.
Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve: There are beautiful wetlands south of Tulum, ideal for birdwatching, kayaking, and exploring the lagoons. Pricier, but probably worth the splurge. I would have booked this day trip if I had more time in Tulum.
Akumal: This is a beautiful seaside pueblo north of Tulum, home to some gorgeous luxury resorts and some of the best snorkeling in Quintana Roo.
Escultura Ven a la Luz: This is the sculpture park you see all over Instagram. I personally thought it seemed overpriced. It has mixed reviews, but if you’re trying to get some cool travel photos from Tulum, this might be a good stop for you in the Hotel Zone.
Valladolid: You could hop on the bus and do a day trip from Tulum to Valladolid. However, you’re going to want more time than just a day trip because Valladolid is MAGICAL.
FAQ
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions by those planning a trip to Tulum on a budget.
Thank you for reading! I wish you a wonderful trip to Tulum, Mexico. Please feel free to comment down below if you have any questions or thoughts. I’ll get back to you! <3
Buy me a coffee
