Tulum Express

(50 customer reviews)

PRIVATE TOUR: Uncover the Tulum Mayan ruins with a certified guide, followed by free time to snag the perfect souvenirs!

  • Exclusive Experience: Just you, your personal local guide, and driver!
  • Private Transportation: Convenient pick-up from your hotel or rental.
  • Escape the Crowds & Beat the Heat: Skip the lines & enjoy a relaxed, stress-free guided tour.
  • Capture Perfect Photos: Be the first to arrive at the best spots for stunning shots.
  • Set Your Own Pace: Stay longer or move on, the choice is entirely yours.
  • All-Inclusive at the Best Price: Transport, guide, entrance fees, water.

 

Scroll down for detailed info, inclusions, and itinerary.

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Seamless Booking & Free Cancellation

Book your tour now and if your plans happen to change, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours prior to the tour!

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    We advise 6:00 from your hotel.

    We advise 6:30 from your hotel.

    We advise 6:45 from your hotel.

    We advise 7:00  from your hotel.

    We advise 7:15 from your hotel.

    We advise 7:30 from your hotel.

    We advise 7:45 from your hotel.

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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:

General info

  • Private Tour: Only you, the guide and the driver, nobody else!
  • Duration: 3-5 hours (check the itinerary tab, as it depends on your pick-up location).
  • Physicality: Easy
  • Age: All ages
  • Mobility: We can adapt this tour for people with disability.

Price includes

  • Pick up and drop off at your hotel with private air-conditioned transportation (Booster car seat and baby car seat available on request)
  • Experienced certified private guide
  • Tulum ruins INAH entrance fee (National Institute of Anthropology and History)
  • Tulum ruins CONANP entrance fee (National Commission of Natural Protected Areas)
  • Tulum ruins JAGUAR PARK entrance fee (new tax mandatory since January 2025)
  • Cool drinks in the van (water, soda)

Price excludes

  • Ruins: In case you bring a go pro camera, a video camera or a phone with a selfie stick, there is a 60 pesos (around 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.
  • Tips

Itinerary

The recommended early pick-up time helps you avoid traffic, crowds, and heat at the sites, but you can opt for a later pick-up when booking.
Timing may vary based on traffic and your exact location.
We can spend more or less time at each location, moving at your own pace.
Discover the 3 benefits of an early departure to visit Tulum.

FROM PLAYA DEL CARMEN AREA
07:00am: Private transportation from your hotel to Tulum ruins
08:00am – 09:30am: Private guided visit of Tulum ruins
09:30am – 10:45am: Free time for shopping at the exit of the ruins
10:45am – 11:45am: Transportation to your hotel

FROM TULUM AREA
07:45am: Private transportation from your hotel to Tulum ruins
08:00am – 09:30am: Private guided visit of Tulum ruins
09:30am – 10:45am: Free time for shopping at the exit of the ruins
10:45am – 11:00am: Transportation to your hotel

FROM CANCUN AREA
06:00am: Private transportation from your hotel to Tulum ruins
08:00am – 09:30am: Private guided visit of Tulum ruins
09:30am – 10:45am: Free time for shopping at the exit of the ruins
10:45am – 12:45pm: Transportation to your hotel

We can skip free time after the visit if you don’t wish to shop.
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

 
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!

50 reviews for Tulum Express

  1. Angela

    Excellent tour with Alex and Enrique – truly no crowds!
    We booked the Tulum Ruins Express Tour, and it was excellent. Our tour guide was Alex G., and our driver was Enrique. They arrived at our resort early and were waiting for us to depart at 7:30 AM. As advertised, we reached the ruins site right when it opened, and we were the only tourists there! We had the opportunity to enjoy the site all to ourselves for most parts of the tour.
    Alex was an outstanding guide—knowledgeable and well-versed in the history of the site. He explained everything as we walked through and answered all our questions. The weather was perfect, making the experience both educational and peaceful, especially without a crowd.
    We completed the tour in about 2.5 hours and still had plenty of time to relax at our resort for the rest of the day. We highly recommend Alex and Enrique, as well as the tour company. We look forward to exploring more tour options when we return to Cancun/Tulum.

  2. Evan

    We went on a private “express” tour of Tulum.
    Our guide Juan made this an excellent excursion. He was extremely knowledgeable about Tulum, and did a great job breaking down and explaining the ruins. He also knew all the best views and places to take pictures. He was very flexible and was happy to also guide us through the new(er) museum and watch tower at Tulum, even though it was not strictly on the itinerary.
    This tour company seems really well organized, especially compared to some other companies we went on excursions with in Mexico. All of our tickets were booked ahead of time, and we were even able to put the site bracelets on before arriving! Thanks to this organization and leaving early, we breezed through the entrance and had a great experience as one of the first groups in the site. I would highly recommend this agency to anyone looking to explore Tulum, or any other Mayan ruins in the Playa del Carmen area.

  3. Ian

    First Class Trip
    As first time visitors to Mexico and wanting to explore historical sights we were unsure how to travel safely outwith our hotel in Playacar.
    Therefore after reading reviews decided to book the express private tour to Tulum and it sure was the right decision !
    We were picked up early from our hotel prompt at time arranged by Enrique driver and Joshus guide and conveyed to Tulum in an aircon vehicle, arriving there for gates opening at 8am. Joshua is a very polite,courteous, friendly, knowledgeable guide, who explained everything about the history of the site, during the walking tour.
    Joshua was able to answer all.our questions during the very leisurely stroll round….nothing rushed or too much bother.
    The site itself is really beautiful on the coast and remains are quite splendid.
    On completing the tour we were given free time at the shops/market stalls, coffee shop at entrance.
    Again, no rush, Joshua asked when we wanted to stay until and then when we were ready Enrique appeared in the vehicle at the exit, to return us straight back to hotel door.
    Felt 100% safe throughout.
    A great trip, thoroughly recommend Absolute Adventures for any trips in the area.
    Thankyou

  4. BKLIERZ

    Awesome time visiting Mayan Ruins in Tulum!
    My family took a private tour to see the Mayan ruins at Tulum. They raved about their guide Joshua, how knowledgeable he was, how helpful and friendly. They enjoyed the experience so much, we ended up booking another tour with Absolute Adventures the next day to swim with sea turtles, snorkel in a lagoon and swim in cenotes. We were lucky enough to get Joshua as our guide and since we were repeat customers, they even gave us a discount on the second tour. We had a blast. I would highly recommend Absolute Adventures if you want to do an excursion while in the Mayan Riviera area. And if you can, try to get Joshua as your guide.

  5. Cliff

    Alex was extremely knowledgeable and did a great job explaining the history as well as details about the ruins. He was very hospitable and allowed us plenty of time for questions and shopping. Going early was a great benefit as we felt as if we had the place to ourselves. As we were leaving, it began getting very crowded. Our family and friend group would highly recommend!

  6. Gene

    Reserve your tour now
    Juan is an incredible tour guide. After getting picked up at our resort, we arrived at Tulum at 8:00, and saw only about five other people. Juan was full of information and showed us the best spots to take photos. Even though the tour is called express, we never felt rushed and were able to spend as much time at Tulum as we wanted. The private tour and vehicle cost only a few dollars more than group tours making it a no brainer. Instead of sitting on a bus making stops at other resorts during group tours, we spent the time on the beach. Also, a group tour cannot compare to a great private tour.

  7. Duff

    We loved this tour and our amazing guide, Alex! My review will echo others, but basically this is the perfect tour, getting in before the crowds and heat, getting a private tour with an extremely knowledgeable guide, and getting back to your resort to enjoy the rest of your day. My group complained a little about having to get up early but then effusively thanked me and gave kudos when they saw the horde of large tour busses coming in as we were leisurely walking out. We also can’t praise Alex’s tour enough and loved the white board! Highly recommend this experience for your Tulum visit!

  8. Patricia

    Juan was a fabulous guide. He was very knowledgeable about Tulum and the Myan history & people. He also had the best photo op spots. We would highly recommend Juan and this tour

  9. Canela

    We had a very good experience with Joshua and Óscar on the trip to Tulum. Highly recommended.

  10. Sktalati

    Highly recommend!
    Had a wonderful tour guide and a great private tour for the family. Saw the full ruins and got a good understanding of the history.

  11. Angela

    Best option for families visiting Tulum! Take a private tour!
    We are so glad that we chose to come early with just our family! Definitely worth the extra investment to be in a smaller group and come before the crowds.
    Arturo was a fantastic guide! He had so much great information to share and answered all our questions.
    Yosmar was a safe and efficient driver who stayed with the van and our belongings while Arturo took us through the Archaeological site.
    I HIGHLY recommend that people bring umbrellas. I failed to bring ours and our little ones were melting. It is August and the sun is plentiful and shade is hard to find on the site. Arturo was so sweet and poured water on the kids heads to help them cool off and was always looking for any little shady spot where we could relax while he spoke.
    My mom (78yrs old) has some mobility challenges, and she stayed home, worried it would be too hard for her with the heat. There is definitely a good amount of walking and stairs to climb. I looked for but didn’t see good options for people with wheelchairs, but perhaps there was an alternate entrance. Regardless there are no ramps up to the higher areas, only stairs. So, just be aware of this as you plan your trip.
    Thanks to Arturo and Yosmar for helping our family learn so much and make amazing memories at Tulum!

  12. Alfonso M.

    Did the Tulum Express private tour with Joshua. He was great! Very knowledgeable of the historyof the ruins and the Mayan people.
    He promptly picked us up bright and early which I highly recommend. By the time we were walking out we were seeing huge crowds coming in, so glad we started the day early and skipped the crowd.

  13. Lexi

    We had Juan (JJ) as our guide! We did the express tour of Tulum and it was absolutely beautiful. We went early in the morning and Juan had several facts and wise knowledge on the ruins and temples. We had a lot of fun and would definitely do it again!!

  14. Marcela

    Juan gave the best tour! Very knowledgeable and friendly. We avoided all of the tourist lines and explored Tulum before the heat of the midday sun. I highly recommend this tour.

  15. Elena

    Great, informative family trip
    This was an amazing tour. They confirmed, arrived on time, and the transportation vehicle was clean. Alex was extremely knowledgeable and provided so much information. He was very detailed and had a bag with samples of many of the things he was talking about which engaged my teens. Going in the morning and doing a private tour was great to avoid the heat and crowds. I would highly recommend this tour and company.

  16. Melody

    Excellent experience! They gave great tips on ferries and timing. Juan was knowledgeable, attentive, patient, kind and funny. The perfect balance to a great guide! From the 18 yr old to the 82 yr old—everyone loved it. And Juan even negotiated us out of the human sacrifice! (I am joking!!)

  17. Mark

    Juan (Jj) was one of the best tour leaders ever. Didnt drown us in dates and ancient peoples names – painted the picture of what life in tulum was like.

  18. Renee T.

    Alejandro was an excellent tour guide – friendly & knowledgeable. He used our time efficiently, including the van ride from our hotel to the Tulum ruins. He purchased our tickets in advance so no time wasted waiting in line.

  19. 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.

  20. 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!!!!

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

  24. 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.

  25. 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.

  26. 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!!

  27. 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.

  28. 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!

  29. Maren

    So smart- less crowd and best food!
    Arturo was awesome!!! The trip was perfect before the crowds! Food was incredible and everything beautiful!

  30. 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.

  31. 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.

  32. 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.

  33. 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!

  34. 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.

  35. 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….

  36. 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.

  37. Audrey

    Our Tulum Express tour was a great experience! Very knowledgeable guide, and both guide and driver were very accommodating to our needs.

  38. 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!

  39. 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!!

  40. Megan

    Dulce did a great job and was very knowledgeable taking us around Tulúm! We had an incredible time!

  41. 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!

  42. 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!

  43. 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.

  44. 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!

  45. 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!

  46. 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!

  47. 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!

  48. 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!

  49. 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!

  50. 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!

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