3 Days in Tulum: The Perfect Quick Escape

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3 days in Tulum is the perfect amount of time to relax, rejuvenate, and experience everything that Tulum has to offer!

Thanks to Instagram, Tulum has rapidly become one of the biggest, trendy travel hotspots in the world.  For those of us located in the US, its close proximity makes it way more accessible than Bali, French Polynesia or the Maldives.  It’s definitely one of those bucket-list destinations that feels possible. Located about an hour south of Cancun, it’s just a quick flight away making a long weekend trip totally do-able. 

If you’re looking for an off the beaten path experience, Tulum is by far not that, however, sometimes we all just want a vacation. An escape is exactly what Tulum is curated to be. If you’re looking to relax, enjoy the beach, and explore nature it makes for a great quick escape. 

Getting there: 

Tulum’s nearest airport is in Cancun.  Coming from the US, you can find direct flights from nearly every major city. It’s also one of the most affordable international flights you’ll find coming from the US.  This makes it a perfect 3 day destination. 

If you’re coming straight from the Cancun airport by car, follow the signs for Playa del Carmen/Tulum.  You’ll follow the main highway the entire way. 

There are also private shuttles and buses from Cancun.  The ADO bus is very safe, comfortable, and reasonably priced.  

If you are looking to save money or prefer to travel more independently instead of using tours, I recommend renting a car.  Especially for a short trip, you can more easily maximize your time, see more, and save money by not having to use taxis.

Renting a car: 

The best way to get around Tulum and explore the surrounding areas is by car.  If you’ve got wheels, you’ll save a lot of money and time by traveling to the cenotes, ruins, and other attractions on your own instead of with a tour. 

Renting a car in Mexico is super simple. All the major car rental companies have offices right in the Cancun airport and most of them are open 24/7.  Unless you are planning to adventure off road into the jungle, the roads in Quintana Roo are very well maintained so there’s no need for a 4×4. A small compact car gets you around just fine. 

Mexico does require you to purchase liability insurance which can add an additional $15-20 USD per day to your rental costs.  To avoid paying for collision insurance, book your rental with a credit card that offers this coverage. 

As a solo female traveler, I have driven in the Quintana Roo and Yucatan states over five times now, and I have never had a problem.  Follow the speed limit, stick to the main highways (called cuotas) and stick to driving during the day. As long as you obey local traffic laws, you should have no problems.  

Where to stay for 3 days in Tulum: 

Having stayed both on the beach and in town, hands down I prefer staying in town. While waking up to sunrises on the beach are breathtaking and memorable, you can find hotels and Airbnbs in town that are much more comfortable for a much, much cheaper price. (And you can still bike or drive down to the beach in the morning to catch that sunrise!)

The food options in town are also much cheaper, and if you’re looking for authenticity, better.  For me, tacos = life.  I can drive to the beach, but good food needs to be right outside my doorstep. All the local taquerias are located in the center of town.  If you’re a foodie on a budget, this is where you need to be. 

Plus, mosquitos.  I never once got bitten in town in the evening, but despite soaking myself in bug spray and using the mosquito net at night, my night on the beach road left me covered in mosquito bites the next morning. 

Tulum’s beach road is famous for its super trendy, Instagram-able boutique hotels, but there are a ton of super cute options in town as well! 

If you prefer quiet and seclusion, I recommend finding an Airbnb or hotel in the La Veleta neighborhood.  It’s a little further outside of the center of town, but still less than a 5 minute drive to the center of it all.  This affordable Airbnb option in La Veleta was my favorite place to stay. The rooftop plunge pool was the perfect place to watch the sunset. (First time using Airbnb? Click here to save $65 off your first booking!)

If you’ve got a car, its super easy to drive down to the beach for the day.  If not, you can get a taxi or rent a bike.  Note: If you do opt for the bike, keep in mind it can get very hot in Tulum. Be sure to bring lots of water and sunscreen! 

How to spend 3 days in Tulum: 

Day One: 

This is your first day waking up in Tulum! Grab your self some breakfast and get ready to explore! 

If your hotel offers a free breakfast go ahead and take advantage of that, if not check out these yummy options: 

Matcha Mama

Even if your accommodations provide breakfast, take some time to make your way over to this super cute spot.  They offer a wide variety of fresh juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls.  If you need something healthy and refreshing, this is it.  

There are two locations: one on the beach road and one in town.  They’re both very similar and the one in town is just as adorable to take some cute photos in and usually much less crowded than the one by the beach. 

Taqueria Honorio 

Tacos for breakfast? Ummm, yes please! I rave about this place to anyone and everyone who asks me about Tulum. Seriously, I ate here every single day.  It is that good.  They open at 6 and I highly recommend coming before 11 am because this place gets packed! They’ve got the full menu even in the morning as well.  Definitely try the cochinita pibil, or roast suckling pig, a local specialty in Quintana Roo. 

Visit the Tulum Ruins: 

While definitely one of the more touristy things to do in Tulum, the Tulum ruins are very unique.  They are the only Mayan ruins located right on the beach!  If crowds and the heat aren’t your thing, be sure to get here early! I arrived around 8:30 am and had most of the place to myself.  If you’re coming to take pictures, be sure to get here early to avoid crowds. 

There are two entrances—one from the beach and one coming from the road in town.  If you’re driving keep in mind that coming in from town you have to park a little further away from the entrance than if you take the beach entrance.  

When I visited, I entered through the entrance closest to the town off the main road. If you are coming by car, there are people waiting to flag you down and get you into a parking space.  I paid $100 pesos for parking. 

The Tulum archeological site is pretty small, but very picturesque.  There are guides available if you’d like a guided tour to learn more about the history of the site.  I opted to walk around on my own.  Exploring the entire site and taking a few pictures took just under an hour.  The guided tour may take a little longer. 

After you’ve explored the Tulum ruins…

Grab some lunch and spend the rest of the day at a beach club

Think you can’t spend the day at a fancy Instagram-able beach hotel if you booked accommodations in town? Think again!  Most hotels also have day access to the beach club.  There’s usually a minimum amount you must spend in order to use the beach beds and facilities, but its usually covered by the cost of some lunch and a drink or two. 

Here are some of my favorites: 

La Zebra Beach Club

If you’re looking to treat yourself to some luxury, check out La Zebra. This beach club is located in a fancy resort on the south end of the beach, but if you spend some money, you can hang out here just for the day!  It is a little pricy but, for the cost of a cocktail and ceviche (I spent about $30 USD) you can hang out for the day and use their beach beds.  There’s also free parking across the street if you’ve got a car. 

Ziggy’s

Like La Zebra, Ziggy’s is located on the south end of the beach and has a fancy beach club vibe as well. Again, I came for a cocktail and a bite to eat and spent the day on the beach beds. This one is a pretty popular spot so if you are coming during peak tourism season, I’d recommend calling for a reservation, or arriving early. 

Villa Pescadores Beach Club

This was the most relaxed of the beach clubs I visited, and my personal favorite.  The food here was amazing and priced well. Unlike the previous two beach clubs I mentioned, this one is located on the north end of the beach, which has more of a local vibe. If you’re looking for a good seafood lunch on the beach, don’t miss this spot.  I recommend the grilled octopus. 

Get the best mojito in Tulum:

After spending the day on the beach, shower off all the salt and sand and make your way into town for the evening.  While almost nothing beats cocktails on the beach, hands down the best drinks in Tulum are found at Batey Mojito Bar in Tulum Centro. And the best part… they’re only a fraction of the prices found down by the beach! 

Day Two: 

Visit Muyil and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere

The Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is filled with so many amazing Mayan archeological sites, one of my favorites to visit is Muyil.  A little off the beaten path, Muyil is one of the lesser-known Mayan ruins so you’re more likely to have the place more or less to yourself, especially if you visit early in the day. The site is also still within the jungle.  Many of the other archeological sites have been mostly cleared of trees, but Muyil still has that very jungle-y vibe.  Beware, however, as this also means it is full of mosquitos. Make sure to spray on some bug spray before visiting. 

Entering the ruins, you can hike through the jungle into the Sian Ka’an reserve.  It’s about a 1 km hike to the water.  From there, you can take a boat tour through the canals. I didn’t bring enough cash for the boat tour when I visited, and I was ready to escape the mosquitos after having made the mistake of not bringing bug spray, but it is the top of my bucket-list when I return to Tulum! 

The entrance fee into Muyil is 40 pesos.  There is another small entrance few once you reach the Sian Ka’an Biosphere on the trail.  Once you reach the boats, the rate for a boat tour is $1000 pesos per person. 

Laguna Kaan Luum 

On your way back to Tulum, make a stop to swim in this beautiful, turquoise laguna. The center of the lagoon is an open air cenote.  If you’re scuba certified, you can dive in the cenote as well!  The deep area of the cenote is a deep, dark navy blue while the surrounding shallow areas are a bright turquoise.  

The laguna has got swings and water hammocks set up in the water for you to relax (or snap some cute photo ops) and it’s the perfect depth for a relaxing float. The clay on the bottom of the lagoon is also a great spa treatment for your skin! 

Refuel with some tacos: 

Once you’ve made it back to town after your jungle adventure, refuel with some delicious tacos from Taqueria Honorio.  I swear I ate here every single day I was in Tulum—it’s that good! For only $20 pesos each (about $1 USD) you can fill up on as many tacos as you’d like no matter how tight your travel budget. 

 Day Three

Visit a cenote

Like so many things in Tulum, if you want to avoid crowds, come early. Many of the popular cenotes are located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum so they draw tourists from both areas. If you want to avoid the tour groups, I recommend arriving near opening time and leaving before mid-morning. 

If Tulum is a stop on a longer Mexico trip for you, check out this cool Airbnb in Puerto Morelos with its own private cenote!

A great off the beaten path cenote is Casa Cenote.  It’s about a 10 minute drive from Tulum Centro.  This cenote is an open cenote, so it’s not enclosed in the cave like many others. However, what makes this one so interesting is that it’s also part of a small river. You can take a snorkel trip along the river and see turtles, fish, and crocodiles along the way. Across the street is also a beautiful beach.  If you’re a scuba diver, this cenote is also a great place to dive.  I haven’t ventured into cenote diving just yet, but it’s on my Mexico bucket list! 

Check out this list of the best cenotes near Tulum for more ideas!

Spend the day at Playa Paradaiso

The vibe on the northern end of Tulum’s long stretch of beach is totally different from the trendy (and pricy) beach clubs along the south end of the beach.  This side of the beach has a much more low-key, local vibe. Here you can access the public areas of the beach for free at Playa Paradaiso and Playa Pescadores. You can also get a great view of the Tulum ruins from below! 

Grab some delicious seafood on the beach: 

Get some lunch at a yummy seafood spot on the beach.  Villa Pescadores Beach Club has delicious seafood, reasonable prices, and for the price of lunch you can spend the day lounging in their beach beds.  If you’re looking for a low-key day by the beach, Villa Pescadores is the perfect spot. They’ve got good food and nice beach beds, but without the high minimum spend limits of some of the more trendy spots on the south end of the beach. 

To get to Playa Paradaiso:  When coming from Tulum Pueblo, you’ll take a left when the beach road forks to go toward the northern end of the beach.  There will be guys flagging you down offering you their rate for parking, but if you’re arriving earlier in the day or plan to get lunch in a beach club, keep driving.  Most beach clubs offer free parking. If not, if you’re getting to the beach early in the day, you should be able to find a free parking space near the public beach entrance by Villa Pescadores. 

Have more than just 3 days?  Check out these other amazing destinations in Mexico! 

Need some help planning your perfect getaway to Tulum? Ready for a getaway but no time to plan your escape?  

Connect with me and let’s chat! I can curate the perfect Tulum trip for you.