PRIVATE TOUR: Uncover the Tulum Mayan ruins with a certified guide, followed by free time to snag the perfect souvenirs!
Scroll down for detailed info, inclusions and itinerary.
Book your tour now and if your plans happen to change, you can cancel for free up to 24 hours prior to the tour!
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:
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!
You must be logged in to post a review.
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:
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!
You must be logged in to post a review.
You’ll have a dedicated guide and vehicle all to yourselves—no crowds, no waiting, just a smooth and personalized experience.
It typically lasts between 3 to 5 hours, depending on your hotel location and how much time you’d like to spend at each site.
Yes, round-trip transportation is included from Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal and Tulum. We’ll pick you up right from your hotel, resort, or Airbnb for a stress-free start to your day.
Please note: we don’t offer pick up from Cancun Playa Mujeres hotels unless your group has 6 or more adults.
Yes, you’re welcome to choose your preferred pick-up time when booking.
That said, we recommend an early morning start to help you beat the crowds, skip the traffic, and enjoy cooler temperatures—it really makes a difference!
We take a shuttle from the parking lot to the main ruins entrance, so you won’t need to walk far to get to the site.
The guided visit lasts about 45 minutes and we go at a comfortable pace, with breaks if needed.
Just a heads-up—there aren’t many spots to sit. If you have any limitations with walking or taking steps, keep in mind that a few are required to get in and out of the site and to reach the cliff area.
No, unfortunately, we cannot. The beach located within the Tulum ruins has been closed since 2020 and remains inaccessible to visitors.
Additionally, this tour does not include any stops at the Tulum beach area, the hotel zone, or Tulum town center.
Clothing & Footwear: We recommend wearing comfortable shoes for exploring the ruins—tennis shoes are ideal. Light, breathable clothing is also suggested due to the warm weather.
Reusable Water Bottle: Please note that plastic water bottles are not allowed inside the Tulum Ruins. If you'd like to bring water with you, make sure to bring a reusable water bottle. We'll have water available in the van for you to fill or refill before the visit.
You can safely leave your belongings in the van—our driver stays with it the entire time while you're out enjoying the activities.
You can cancel free of charge or reschedule (subject to availability) up to 24 hours before your tour.
We’re a small team and often fully booked 1–2 weeks in advance, so we recommend booking early to secure your spot.
Bonus: if you book at least 2 months in advance (60 days), you’ll qualify for our early bird discount*!
For full details, check out our booking policy page.
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.
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.