tulum

Since we returned home from Tulum a few weeks I have been dying to share our Tulum itinerary with you. I am still daydreaming about the clear blue waters, delicious food, and photogenic backdrops around every corner. Tulum has it all whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway or the perfect bachelorette party destination. My husband, Nathan, and I visited Tulum as part of our five year anniversary/babymoon vacation, and I’m so glad we did. There’s a lot to cover in this Tulum itinerary so let’s dive right into it.

Where We Stayed

We made KAN Tulum our home base. And let me tell you, it was one of the most peaceful stays we’ve ever had on a vacation. It’s located right between Tulum town and the hotel zone, so about a 10 minute drive to either part. However, it’s surrounded by jungle, so it feels like you’re in your own little world away from the hustle and bustle of Tulum.

kan tulum cenote

KAN Tulum is a unique and modern treehouse hotel that focuses on sustainable living and natural elements. The second you step onto the property you feel like you’ve entered a different world. It’s that mesmerizing. With a natural pool, natural cenote (yes, you can swim in it!), and nests atop the property there’s plenty of ways to relax and just enjoy your surroundings.

A vegetarian and gluten-free breakfast is served every morning and then the bar is open until 8pm. Definitely set aside an afternoon in your Tulum itinerary just to sip on a refreshing cocktail and lounge by the pool.

Getting Around

Car Rental

The hotel zone in Tulum is pretty walkable. If you decide to remain around this area just know that you probably won’t need a car. However, Nathan and I wanted to explore different areas of Tulum and even outside of Tulum. We decided to rent a car through Enterprise. At the time we had NO idea that driving in Mexico would be so crazy! People make up their own lanes, cut into traffic whenever they feel like it, and pedestrians give no warning signs that they’re crossing. Luckily my husband is a good driver. Otherwise, I’m not sure we would have made it out without a scratch, dent, or accident. Aside from the hectic driving scene and higher cost we were satisfied with our decision to rent a car as this allowed us to come and go wherever and whenever we pleased.

Taxi

Know that Uber is not available in Tulum, but there are plenty of taxis! Definitely more than enough to keep you from having to wait too long for one. I’ve heard of taxi drivers trying to upcharge tourists, but apparently you can negotiate the rate. Since we had our own car we never had a chance to try this. However, it’s something to look into if you plan to taxi everywhere and are worried about how much it’ll add up to be.

Bike/Scooter Rental

Bike and scooter rentals were also something we saw that was really common in Tulum. Most hotels do offer rentals through their own property, but if they don’t then you don’t have to search too far for a bike/scooter rental shop either. I would say that most of the main attractions and tourist spots are a 20-30 min bike ride away from each other at most, so it’s definitely doable to just bike around the entire town during your stay. Again, the driving is pretty chaotic, so I’m not sure how comfortable I would feel biking along next to cars. But it’s definitely a cheaper option for transportation!

Day 1- Cenotes & Relaxing

Start your morning with the refreshing hotel breakfast. The strawberry banana pancakes are to die for and always be sure to snag a fruit juice. The juice in Mexico is always fresh and was probably one of the things I raved about most.

A Tulum itinerary wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a cenote. We decided to visit Gran Tulum, which is also the most popular cenote in the area. It was about $25 USD per person to enter. I would suggest getting there as early as possible. We arrived around 10am, which was perfect as most of the guided tour groups didn’t start arriving until after 11am. And there were a lot of them! The cenote isn’t huge. Although I can’t speak for how large or extensive the cave system is because I was a little too chicken to explore the dark waters. We did spend a good two or three hours here though. Swimming in the crystal clear waters is so mesmerizing and it was fun to catch glimpses of all of the turtles swimming around you.

Other cenotes near Tulum:

For lunch, head to the Pueblo (the downtown area). In all of my research I did prior to arriving in Tulum I found that Antojitos La Chiapaneca was the top spot for street tacos. And holy cow! It did not disappoint. I am still dreaming about the al pastor tacos con queso. And for about $1/taco you really cannot go wrong. Do yourself a favor and make sure you do not skip this spot while visiting Tulum.

tulum itinerary tacos

Once your lunch has settled make your way back to KAN Tulum for some relaxing and rejuvenating by the pool. Even if you’re not staying at this exact hotel most hotels in Tulum offer some sort of pool/beach relaxation, so take advantage of the tranquil space and yummy cocktails. Sit back and relax. You’re in Mexico!

For dinner, make your way down to La Zebra’s beach restaurant & bar in the Hotel Zone. Ask for a table outdoors because you do not want to miss the aesthetic beach setup that is perfectly curated for Instagram photos. Nathan and I split the burger (I know, who goes to Mexico and orders a burger?). But let me tell you, it was better than any American burger I’ve ever had. For dessert you cannot pass up the carrot cake, which was also the best we’ve ever had. Once you’re done with dinner grab a drink from the bar and walk down to their beach lounge couches. It’s beautiful at night! With the sound of the waves crashing on the shore you’ll definitely feel like you’re in paradise.

Day 2- The Mayan Ruins & Hotel Zone

On your second day in Tulum take a trip to the Tulum Archeological Zone. The entrance fee was around $8 USD, and make sure you bring exact pesos because they don’t often have change on hand. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t super excited about visiting this touristy spot. However, I’ve concluded that I couldn’t not include this in my Tulum itinerary. It’s one of the biggest attractions, and even if history isn’t your thing it does make for a gorgeous walk. The endless rolling green hills, palm trees, and remaining Mayan ruins felt like something straight out of Jurassic Park. There are tour guides everywhere trying to talk you into a tour. However, we loved walking around at our own pace and just reading the informational signs throughout the property. Also, be prepared for crowds and bring all the sunblock! You’ll definitely need it.

For lunch, we just had to go back to our tried and true spot, Anotjitos La Chiapeneca. I’m not usually one to be a repeat customer when I’m on vacation because I want to try as many different things as possible. But I couldn’t pass up another meal here. It’s so affordable and so, so good!

Hotel Zone

For the remainder of your second day in your Tulum itinerary head to Hotel Zone and just explore! The entire Hotel Zone spans about 6 miles and is just full of the most aesthetic shops and restaurants. Leave some room in your suitcase because you’ll definitely want to do some shopping while you’re in Tulum! There are also Instagrammable spots around each and every corner. Definitely check out the beach clubs. Here a few we stumbled across:

While you’re walking the Hotel Zone strip make sure you grab a smoothie from Matcha Mama as well. You’ll probably recognize the swinging chairs and the ‘I Love Tulum So Matcha’ surfboard sign. I got the matcha colada and am contemplating a trip back to Tulum just so I can sip on this while walking along the beach again.

While we felt fairly safe in the area during the day we were a little skeptical once sunset hit. Multiple people stopped us on the beach asking if wanted to buy drugs off of them which we were super uncomfortable with. We also got our maternity photos done while we were in the area and were approached by a security guard demanding we pay him to shoot at the location we were at. Our photographer knew the area well and just ignored him. I’d read about police corruption in Tulum, so that exchange made me a little uneasy.

Food Delivery

We had planned to have dinner down in Hotel Zone but after these interactions we decided to head back to our hotel, grab a drink, and order delivery through the Tomato app. I’m not sure what it is about Mexico but everything just tastes better there! We ordered pizza from Pizzeria 85x Hundred, and, again, it was one of the best pizzas we’d ever had.

There you have it! A full two-day Tulum itinerary. Whether you’re visiting for a short weekend stay or for a week-long getaway there will definitely be enough to keep you busy. From Tulum, there are also many day trips you can make- Akumal and Playa Del Carmen being two of them. Just make sure you arrive with a fully charged camera and hungry bellies because there are no shortages of photo ops and amazing food here.

For more travel itineraries, check out my other blog posts here.

Sincerely,

Savanna

tulum itinerary
tulum itinerary