Tulum Express Private Tour
Experience Tulum Mayan Ruins like a VIP !
Skip long lines, packed shuttles and crowded ruins. Our private Tulum Express tour give you the VIP treatment with direct access, private guide and more time at the ruins.
Go beyond the basics with an in-depth cultural and historical tour led by experts.mOur local guides offer fascinating insights into Mayan life, religion, architecture and more. Uncover stories that bring the ruins to life and give you a new appreciation for this ancient civilization. You’ll walk away feeling like you’ve uncovered a hidden treasure of Tulum’s history.
This Tulum express tour is perfect for those that want the informative feel for a guided tour, but the flexibility to move that their own pace. Throughout this self-paced guided tour, you will have the opportunity to visit all parts of the site, with stops at the Castillo, the temple of the paintings and several still-existing houses and palaces from Mayan history.
At the end of the visit, some free time will be offered to you to shop for souvenirs.
Your Tulum Express tour will start at your hotel where one of our guides will pick you up in private transportation. We recommend to start early in an effort to beat the crowds that generally surround these areas.
If you are looking to do more activities in one day, you can consult the following private tours:
Itinerary
Our tours are scheduled at the best hours to avoid high traffic and heat on the sites.
Discover the 3 benefits of an early departure to visit Tulum
07:00am: Private transportation from your hotel to Tulum ruins
08:00am – 11:00am: Private guided visit of Tulum ruins + free time for shopping at the exit of the ruins
11:00am – 12:00pm: Transportation to your hotel
Itinerary is based on a departure from Playa del Carmen.
Pick up time is recommended time to avoid the crowds. We can leave later if you want to.
This tour doesn’t include Tulum centro/Tulum beach-hotel areas. Only Tulum Mayan ruins.
What to bring
- Resusable water bottle: at Tulum Ruins, it is forbidden to enter the ruins with plastic water bottles. If you wish to bring water for the visit, please bring your own reusable water bottle. We’ll have water in the van for you to fill or refill.
- Comfortable shoes for the ruins (We recommend tennis shoes)
- Hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
- Cash (for tour payment, tips, souvenirs…)
- Camera
- Ruins: In case you bring a go pro camera, a video camera or a phone with a selfie stick, there is a 50 pesos (less than 3USD) per device charged at the entrance of each archeological site, to be paid in pesos (INAH tax) – Drones and Tripods for video/cameras are forbidden.
You can bring personal belongings you require during the tour (phone, camera, extra set of clothes…). While you are visiting or snorkeling you can leave the things you don’t need in the van. Our driver will always be in the van, so keeping your things safe!
Connie –
Our tour guide Alex was amazing. We were never rushed and he was very knowledgeable. Wear comfy shoes and be prepared for it to be pretty warm.
georgina –
Amazing experience. Alex and Omar were engaging, entertaining, and extremely knowledgeable about the area. We have been on a tour of Tulum before and this tour was SO much better!!!!
Phyllis –
Spectacular!
My daughter & I had a private tour of Tulum with Dstuso & Georgio as our driver.
We were exceptionally blessed to have Dstuso as our guide as he is an Architect. He is extremely knowledgeable and brings additional insight due to his architectural experience.
I had a private tour of Tulum previously years ago. I felt I learned very little at the time compared to what I gleaned this trip with Dstuso and Absolute Adventure.
This was a Spectacular experience with the ease of booking, communication, safe comfortable transportation and tour. They will always be my first choice for tours while in the Riviera Maya.
C0rnish_Maid –
Such a great trip to Chitchen Itzá we booked again to visit Tulum. Timing was perfect and we saw both ahead of the crowds. Joshua was a knowledgeable guide and happy to answer our many and varied questions. Would recommend Absolute Adventures.
deepas886 –
Awesome well informed guided tour
We had a very insightful tour of Tulum ruins with our guide Juan, he was very well informed and told us so much of facts and culture of Mayans.
Martha –
Not to be missed
We had an unforgettable experience on this tour learning about the Mayan civilization and walking among these amazing ruins. Our guide, Alex, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. He was so friendly and very considerate about our needs, since we are a bit older. The setting is right on the coast, so you have magnificent views of the water. You come to have true admiration for the many discoveries and advances achieved by the Mayans.
Kekemn –
VIP Tulum Express Private Tour: Excellent, No Fuss Excursion
Four of us staying in the Cancun Hotel Zone wanted to see the Tulum ruins but didn’t want to spend a whole day driving around making multiple stops. The VIP Tulum Express Private Tour was perfect for us. Joshua was knowledgeable and patient. Omar was a great driver. We really enjoyed the ruins. Absolute Adventure Mexico has excellent communication and everything went smoothly. I would definitely book another excursion through this company without worry.
Megan –
Great experience!!
What a wonderful experience!! This was such a great tour. We chose the early morning excursion to beat the heat and the crowds and we did! We were the first ones through the gates and had the place to ourselves for a while. Our guide, Alex was incredibly knowledgeable about the Mayan culture, we learned so much! I had to reach out to Cyril multiple times with various questions and he was always quick to reply. Great communication! 10/10 would recommend this tour and this group! Thank you for such a wonderful visit!!
Deborah –
Great tour. Arrived before crowds. Guide was excellent. We moved at our own pace which was great particularly for a friend who had some mobility issues.
Ebby –
My fiancé and I wanted to see the Tulum ruins during our stay in Riviera Maya, but we wanted to avoid going in a massive tour group. Absolute Adventure tours, and our awesome tour guide Arturo, made that possible! They picked us up from our hotel, drove us to the ruins, then guided us through them, and brought us back. We didn’t have to think about or plan anything, and Arturo taught us a ton about the ancient Mayan civilization. He was also happy to take plenty of pictures for us, and we even got to feed an iguana overlooking the picture-perfect blue waters. Would recommend!
Maren –
So smart- less crowd and best food!
Arturo was awesome!!! The trip was perfect before the crowds! Food was incredible and everything beautiful!
Sofie –
Tulum was beautiful on the edge of the ocean.
Tulum was beautiful. Very nice location overlooking the ocean. The guide was very knowledgeable about the history and could tell very engaging stories. He was able to answer all our questions. Definitely recommended to visit.
Maria –
Visit to the Tulum archaeological site with guide Arturo
The experience of visiting the archaeological site of Tulum with the guide Arturo was excellent, the ruins themselves surprise us with the way Arturo tells the whole story of this site, the landscape is beautiful and the guide is very helpful, interested in guiding us in the best way possible. , trying to avoid crowds and the scorching sun at 8:00 AM, our thanks to Arturo.
Michael –
Fantastic! Arturo did a wonderful job during the Mayan ruin experience. It was great having him provide information and the historical context while exploring the city. Would recommend him for small group tours.
Dana –
Great experience with this tour company. We were on the fence about doing a day trip since our time was limited but we saw this express option to Tulum that was perfect so we booked last minute and they were able to accommodate us. Loved that we got a car, driver and guide all to ourselves. We’ve done tour bus style tours with 20-40 people before and find that it’s worth the extra money to book a private tour.
Omar and Alex were promptly waiting for us at our hotel at 6:00 am to start our adventure which was the recommended time coming from Cancun. You can select a later start time but you will probably spend extra time stuck in traffic plus it will be more crowded and hotter when you do get there. Do yourself a favor and go with their recommended start time based on your point of departure. It will be a much more pleasant experience!
Since it was so early nothing at our resort was open for breakfast so we made a pit stop for coffee and pastries. On our ride there Alex shared a wealth of knowledge to prepare us for our visit. When we got there we walked right in and were blown away by the oasis we were surrounded by. It definitely maximized our appreciation of the site to have a guide provide perspective. It wouldn’t have been the same had we visited by ourselves. In total we spent about 2 hours on site. We headed back and arrived at our resort by noon with practically the whole day in front of us!
Sandesh –
SOLID Tour All Around…
Arturo was our chaperone/guide, he was fantastic. Great car accommodations, knowledgeable, helpful with our 70 and 75 yr old parents, created a comfortable and safe experience. Coming from the US, we were concerned about safety, but I would recommend Awesome Adventures to any group. In a short period of time we had a very valuable and fun experience.
Honeymonster27 –
Another excellent tour with absolute adventures mexico.
Always a pleasure to deal with this company. We were picked up by the lovely Juan and Carlos (, who we had requested as we had gone with them last year,). Like meeting old friends…
Juan guided myself and my 82 year old father around the Tulum ruins. Very knowledgeable about the ruins and gave plenty of opportunities to stop.
Had no reservations about recommended company to friends who arrive later this month.
Thank you again for another great day….
Michelle –
Our guide Arturo was very knowledgeable & took great care of our group with breaks & help with any needs along the trip. We really enjoyed our tour.
Audrey –
Our Tulum Express tour was a great experience! Very knowledgeable guide, and both guide and driver were very accommodating to our needs.
Dalc –
Excellent Tour and Guide! Ruins site is small but our guide Alex brought up the whole culture and history alive for us in 2 hours. 5 stars for us here!
Owen –
Had a great time with our tour guide Arturo! He was a really nice guy and very knowledgeable about the Mayan ruins. Having him with us made the experience much better. Would definitely use the company for an excursion again!!
Megan –
Dulce did a great job and was very knowledgeable taking us around Tulúm! We had an incredible time!
Bowerstravels –
Our family (2 adults, 1 teen) thoroughly enjoyed our private tour of the Tulum Mayan ruins. Our guide, Alex, provided a great overview of the Mayan culture on our drive from the resort to Tulum. We arrived at the site in the morning and before it got too crowded. Alex explained the importance of the city and the Mayans. We loved it. Afterwards we stopped at the shops just outside the entrance and picked up a few things. Prices were better than in the Cancun Airport. We left our resort around 7:30 (stayed at Hilton Tulum) and were back by lunch. Perfect amount of time!
Kate –
We had a private tour of the tulum ruins. Arturo was amazing- we had a member of the family that couldn’t walk very far and he went out of his way to be accommodating and make everything easy for us. Highly recommend!
Foodbaby8 –
Amazing start to our week in Mexico. Wanting to see the sights, but short on time this express Tulum tour was just what we needed, picked up at 6.30 and back round the hotel pool for 11.30. Our guide Claire was really knowledgeable and friendly and took us round Tulum explaining exactly what we were looking at and how the Maya lived in Tulum. Claire happily answered all our questions (even the daft ones. Our boys aged 10 and 14 also enjoyed the tour and asked a lot of questions, Claire took lots of photos for me on my phone too, it’s rare to get photos of all 4 of us together so that was a great bonus. As we left there was huge queues to get in so we avoided the crowds and the heat of the day by doing this tour.
William –
Manuel and Josue were fantastic to have a private tour with. Manuel was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable of both the site and general Tulum area. Would recommend him to anyone wanting a shorter stint at the archeological area close to Tulum for a stress free experience. Thank you Manuel and Josue!
Mikayla –
This was an overall great experience. We did the Tulum Express tour so that we could see the ruins but not eat up an entire day, and this tour fit that goal perfectly. Our guide, Juan, met us at our hotel bright and early with our driver and van. The drive was smooth, the tour was informative, and the ruins were spectacular. Juan made sure we kept ahead of the crowds and showed us all of the great picture spots. I would highly recommended this tour company and Juan for a great experience in the Riviera Maya!
Araisk06 –
Cannot say enough good things. Rodrigo is a very safe driver. There were four adults in our party. The van is spacious, cold drinks are offered. Very smooth ride from our hotel lobby and back.
Our guide Clare is a gem. She is a wealth of knowledge and pointed out a few fun items you’d miss for sure on your own. We never felt rushed. Enough time was allotted to tour the site, take pictures and see the immediate surroundings.
There is no other proper way to tour Tulum. Worth every cent!
z7346 –
Chris was a great tour guide! Him and pascual picked us up at our hotel in playa del carmen on time! It was about a 45 min drive which conversation was great. Once we arrived we chris knew everything on how to avoid lines and always keeping us safe and avoiding crowds. Very safe and following covid safety from pick up to drop off. It was just me and my wife so granted there werent alot of people but its noce to know that safety was a priority. The tour itself was great and very informative. We wanted a half day tour to get back to other things throughout the day but it was very informative and chris gave us time to ourselves to explore the ruins. Overall a great experience if you are short for time or dont want to spend all day at the ruins. They also offer packages which we did not partake but next time we definitely will choose absolute adventures. Thank you for a wonderful tour!
Esther –
This was the perfect solution for us! We wanted to see Tulum, but we didn’t want more than a half-day tour, and we didn’t want to be forced into shopping situations. We got an in-depth personal tour with our guide who went with us all the way around the ruins. We came away with a great understanding of the life and story of the ancient Mayans. Plus, we were home by late morning and had the rest of the day to do other things!
cchart54 –
Great trip with Claire…getting there early was the way..little crowds and fantastic views. Tulum is a remarkable place and Claire made it even more interesting..highly recommended!
karen –
A great way to visit Tulum when bringing along three teens. We arrived right as Tulum was opening so we had virtually no other tourists (maybe 2-3 other small groups there at the same time) plus the added benefit of it being cooler at 8am. When we were leaving at 10am the crowds were building up. Manuel was our tour guide and he was very friendly and knowledgeable. He even helped us find some good tequila and mezcal to purchase. Very good English and great personality. An added bonus was that he knew quite a lot about the plants and trees and since our son is very interested in horticulture, this was a big plus. Thanks for a great experience!