Tulum ruins guide (Mexico): how to visit the mayan ruins next to the beach

Tulum ruins are one of the most visited in all of Mexico and the truth is that no matter how many photos you see, you will still be surprised when you arrive. Strolling through an 800-year-old Mayan city framed by a postcard Caribbean beach of fine sand and turquoise waters is a plan not to be missed when you travel to the Riviera Maya.

There are several ways to get to this special place and tricks to make the most of your visit. In this small guide we tell you everything we learned and what you need to know to organize your visit to Tulum ruins: the best day and the best time to go, whether to go on your own or on a tour, with or without a guide, prices, what the visit includes and what you will see.

If you do not want to complicate things or do not have many days, you can hire a tour from many areas of the Riviera Maya (which also includes a visit to a cenote), although we recommend you sleep in Tulum and make the visit on your own with time.

If in addition to visiting the archaeological site you also want to visit Tulum, take a look at our complete guide to Tulum:

Best things to do in Tulum (México): a travel guide with everything you need to know

Quick summary of the history of Tulum

Tulum is actually a modern name that means wall or rampart in Mayan, in reference to the wall that we can still see and that protected the city. Apparently, the original name was “Zama” which means “sunrise” in Mayan, because if we look from the archaeological site towards the sea, the sun rises from there.

As a curiosity, the peninsula where Tulum is located, Yucatan, also has a curious history behind its name. According to what our guide Luis told us, the name originated during the Spanish colonization due to a misunderstanding, although there are several theories about it. When the colonizers asked the resident Maya population what the place where they were staying was called, they received the answer, in Maya,“uh yu ka t’ann” which means “hear how they speak” (other theories say that what they said was“ma’anaatik ka tánn” or“ci u t’ann” which means I don’t understand you, or I don’t understand what you are saying) and the Spaniards’ phonetic misunderstanding led to the birth of the word Yucatán. We find ourselves, then, in the Peninsula of I don’t understand you.

Tulum is one of the most recent Mayan cities, which was active during the last period of pre-Hispanic control in the Yucatan Peninsula (1250 to 1550), although some elements found and dating from earlier dates may indicate that it was founded earlier.

It is believed to have been one of the most important cities in the area at that time due to its elevated position (although not much, it is located in the highest area of the region), its strategic location and its defensive system (the wall that gives it its name, since Tulum means wall or rampart in Mayan). It is believed to have been an important commercial port.

Inside the walled area only the nobility lived (about 500 people), while the rest of the population lived outside (about 6000 people). The houses of the population were made of wood, not stone, so outside the wall only stone platforms have been found (on which the houses were built).

The book “Itinerario de la Armada” (the full title is a bit longer), attributed to Juan Díaz (chronicler of the expedition led by Juan de Grijalva), narrates the itinerary followed by that expedition in 1518 through the Yucatán peninsula, Tabasco and Veracruz. In one of the parts, it narrates the sighting of a populated area the size of Seville, with a very tall tower, which is believed to refer to Tulum. Here is the actual piece, you can read the whole book here:

…we ran day and night along this coast, and the next day, near sunset, we saw far away a town or village so large that the city of Seville could not seem bigger or better; and a very large tower could be seen in it. Along the coast there were many Indians with two flags that raised and lowered, signaling us to approach; but the captain did not want us to….

Itinerario de la Armada, by Juan Diaz

In theory Tulum was abandoned after the Spanish colonization and in 1579 it was described as a city in ruins. The archaeological zone remained abandoned until 1842, when in theory John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood rediscovered the ruins, half-buried due to the passage of time.

How to get to the archaeological site of Tulum?

There are two options to visit Tulum ruins:

• With an organized tour: if you are visiting the Riviera Maya/Yucatan Peninsula, from almost all tourist sites it is possible to book a tour with transportation to the Tulum Archaeological Zone, which also includes a visit to a cenote. You can book your Tulum ruins tour here
• On your own: whether you have your own car, rent one (you can compare prices with DiscoverCars) or use public transportation, it is easy to get from any other point of the Yucatan Peninsula to Tulum ruins to visit on your own. Here are the details of each option:
  • With your own vehicle: simply enter this point in your GPS and drive there (the detour is easy on federal highway 307 that connects Cancun with Chetumal). There you can park in one of the paid parking lots and walk to the main entrance.
  • By ADO bus: there are several ADO connections linking different points of the Yucatan peninsula with Tulum. If you are coming from another point specifically to visit the archaeological zone, be sure to choose the stop “Tulum Zona Arqueológica”, which will drop you off right at the intersection and from there you can walk to the main entrance.
  • From Tulum town:
    • By “Combi” (van): if like Randomtrip you are staying in Tulum town, you can catch a combi (small vans that work like a local bus for short trips) on the main road. Just head north on the main road and when you see a van stop it to ask if it is going to the ruins and if it has space for you. It costs 25 MXN per person. They will also drop you off at the intersection, from where you can walk to the main entrance. It takes about 10-15 minutes to make the trip, and it will take you another 10-15 minutes to walk from the crossroads to the main entrance.
    • By cab: if in the previous case you can’t find the van or you don’t want to wait, a cab will take you for 100-150 MXN. It also takes about 10-15 minutes.
    • On foot or by bike: you also have the option of going on foot from Tulum town (about 50 minutes) or by bike (some accommodations in Tulum town include them, or you can also rent one).
  • From Tulum Hotel Zone:
    • By bus/combi: we do not know if there is a direct bus from the hotel zone to the ruins; in case there is not, you can take the combi that connects the hotel zone with Tulum town (30 pesos), get off on the road, and there wait for a combi to the ruins as in the previous case.
    • By cab: if in the previous case you don’t find the van or don’t want to wait, you can use a cab (we don’t know the price).
    • On foot or by bike: you also have the option of going along the old road along the coast on foot from the hotel zone (about 50 minutes) or by bike (some accommodations in the Hotel Zone include them, or you can also rent one).

Our recommendation is that if you have time, sleep in Tulum (or even near the archaeological site) and visit the ruins on your own.

If you want to stay close to the archaeological zone and the beach you can consider staying at Villa Pescadores , in a suite at Kai Tulum, at Siente Tulum or, something simpler and more economical at The Free Hostel. If you go with your family or in a group of at least 6 people, you can consider these houses for 6 and 8 guests or this one for up to 9 people, both with swimming pool. We recommend more options in the section Where to stay near the Tulum Ruins.

Where to park to visit the Tulum archaeological site

If you come with your own vehicle, once you arrive at the intersection you will find different parking lots, with different prices (in theory none of them is official) that vary between 50 MXN and 200 MXN for the whole day. Choose the one you prefer or have room for. From where you park you will have to walk a short distance to the official entrance.

Both in the parking lots and along the way, people will appear indicating that they are official guides, that they want to help you, etc., with the goal of taking you to their parking lot and selling you tours or similar, in many cases with higher prices than normal or that do not comply with everything they sell you. Just ignore them.

Is it possible to park for free to visit the Tulum ruins? Currently it is not possible to park for free in the vicinity of the Tulum ruins. In the past, you could park for free along the old road (which connects the archaeological site with the hotel zone), but this is no longer the case. The only option would be to park for free in Tulum town and take a combi to the archaeological site, but I don’t think it is worth it considering that there are parking lots for 50 MXN, which is the cost of a one-way combi ride for two people.

Price: how much is the entrance ticket to Tulum ruins?

To visit the ruins of Tulum you have to pay 153 MXN per person, in two different places:

• Entrance to Tulum National Park (Parque del Jaguar): 58 MXN per person. You will have to pay it here first and they will give you a wristband needed to access the area where the ticket sales for the archaeological site are located. You can pay by credit card(we paid with our N26 card to avoid commissions). Previously there was no charge, they started charging in February 2023, in preparation for the official inauguration of the Parque del Jaguar. Local people (from towns bordering the park) do not pay, as well as other exceptions that you can see on the website of CONANP, which manages the park.
• Entrance fee to the Tulum Archaeological Zone: 95 MXN per person. You pay here, arriving at the entrance of the Archaeological Zone. You can NOT pay by credit card and in principle they do not give change, so bring just enough money.

Opening hours: when do the Tulum ruins open and close?

Currently, the Tulum Archaeological Zone is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with the last access allowed at 3:30 pm.

Before the pandemic there was a special, more expensive schedule to enter the ruins of Tulum before 8:00 to see the sunrise, but for the moment that option has not been recovered.

What time and day is best to visit the archaeological site of Tulum?

If you go on your own (since if you go by tour you will not be able to choose a timetable), the ideal is to make the visit either early (at 8:00) or late (at 13:00 or 14:00), since in the central hours (from 10:00 to 13:00 approximately) tours begin to arrive from all corners of the Yucatan Peninsula, often with groups of 30-40 people, and since the archaeological site is not very large, it becomes very saturated and loses part of its charm. Keep in mind that the archaeological zone of Tulum is one of the 3 most visited in all of Mexico (the other two are Chichen Itza in the state of Yucatan and Teotihuacan in Mexico City).

As for the day of the week, if you want to avoid the crowds it is best to avoid Sundays (when admission is free for Mexicans or Mexican residents), and weekends and holidays in general. The ideal is to go on a weekday that does not fall near holidays.

What to visit in Tulum ruins

Map of the archaeological zone of Tulum

Here is a Google Maps map with the location of the archaeological site of Tulum as well as other relevant information:

Here is also an official INAH (National Institute of Anthropology and History) map of the archaeological site of Tulum (click on the image to download it in larger size and resolution). Currently access is through the S zone (above Casa de Chultún, in the area where the Servicios are indicated (restroom, store and ticket office), and not through the side, although this is likely to change with the improvements that are being implemented and there will be several possible entrances:

Is it worth hiring a guide?

Once you buy your tickets to access the archaeological site, you will see several guides offering their services. In our opinion, if you really want to get the most out of your visit and understand what you are seeing, it is always worth hiring a guide.

When we visited the ruins, the prices of the guides inside the archaeological site were 600 MXN for 2 people or 800 MXN for groups of 4 people, for a 1-hour visit (if you want to save money, you can wait at the entrance and ask if someone wants to share a guide). Organized tours usually include the guide, although the guide is shared with the whole group.

In our case we hired Luis, who told us a lot of interesting details and even gave us local recommendations to go eat, we loved it, we were lucky (not always the case). If you want to do the tour also with him, you can contact him at +529841273744.

If you arrive early (which we recommend) and want to take some pictures with less people, you can take a walk on your own and then return to the entrance where you will find the guides to hire them.

How long does it take to visit the archaeological site of Tulum?

If you hire the guide, the tour usually lasts one hour, so if you want some more time at your leisure, in 1h30 or so you get there. In our case we spent about 2 hours (we arrived at 8:30, walked around on our own, then hired the guide and finally spent some more time on our own taking some pictures).

The following are the places to visit in the archaeological zone of Tulum in order of visitation:

1. La Muralla (The wall)

The wall is what gives the name to Tulum (tulum means wall or rampart in Mayan). It protected the city on 3 sides (since the 4th side that is missing is the cliff and the sea), and has 5 entrances (two north, two south, one west); the wall is the first thing you will see because you will use one of its entrances to access the archaeological site (in our case, the west one, although it used to be one of the north ones), and another one to go out (in the south side). The 5 entrances are said to represent the 5 days of their calendar: the Mayan calendar has 18 months of 20 days (360 days) and an extra short month of 5 days, during which the population made pilgrimages to this place.

The entrances are Maya arches (unlike Roman arches, the upper central stone is not the one that holds the arch). They are small, since they are used to access a sacred area and in this way they forced the people who entered to bend down.

2. Casa del Halach Uinic (Palacio del Gran Señor)

Once inside and with our guide, our first stop is the House of Halach Uinic, also known as the Palace of the Great Lord. The Halach Uinic in Maya culture was the highest political authority, the supreme ruler of the area. Here he lived with his family.

We see some stone benches that Luis, the guide, told us were used as benches during the day and as beds at night.

We can see some rooms, columns, and the holes where the wooden beams for the roof (which was covered with palm leaves) used to be, which is no longer there because wood and palm leaves do not survive the passage of time like stone.

3. Casa del Noreste

We see one of the houses inside the walls, the Casa del Noreste. Our guide Luis tells us that it was customary among the Mayan population of this area to bury their dead relatives in the house itself. Because the ground underneath is limestone, difficult to traverse, they first built platforms of a certain height (on which they could then bury their relatives) and the house on top of that platform.

4. Casa del Cenote (Cenote House)

We continue to the Casa del Cenote, so called because underneath it we can see a cenote that is running out of water.

The cenotes are subway rivers found throughout the Yucatan peninsula. They are all connected (so with a good bottle of oxygen you could enter through one and exit through any other) and their water is drinkable because it is filtered by the limestone rock.

For the Mayan people, cenotes were considered sources of life and an entrance to the underworld.

5. Templo del Dios del Viento (Temple of the God of the Wind)

The Temple of the God of the Wind is one of the most photogenic due to its elevated location and the fact that we can see it from a viewpoint where we can also see a small beach and the sea.

The name is due to the fact that the building has round shapes, which are associated with the God of Wind (Kukulcan, or feathered serpent). Legend has it that this temple had a hurricane detection system: when a hurricane approached the area, a hissing sound was produced in a hole in the temple, warning the population to flee and seek protection.

6. Sea and reef views

Continuing on our way to the next monument (Playita Tortuga), we clearly see in the sea the area where it collides with the coral reef, the second largest in the world after Australia’s, and that goes from Cancun to Honduras. The reef was a natural barrier to access the area by sea.

7. Playita Tortuga (Turtle Beach)

La Playita Tortuga is a small beach that used to be accessible but nowadays is not allowed because it is a turtle nesting area.

8. El Castillo (The Castle)

And we arrived at the most important building in the archaeological zone: El Castillo. Obviously it is not a castle (there were no castles around here).

It is the main temple of the city, in which no one lived. Its stairs are steep to force those who go up to walk sideways, showing cheeks and shoulders (going up from the front was a lack of respect).

Because of its acoustics, when the governor spoke in the area above, everyone could hear. The idea was also that the higher the temple, the closer one was to the gods.

In front of it was the sacrificial altar, in this area the guide told us that they sacrificed mostly deer.

There is a small window, which during the summer solstice (June 21) coincides with the path of the sun at dawn.

In the sea, just in front of El Castillo, there is a hole in the coral reef through which boats could pass. It is said that torches were placed in the windows of El Castillo and that it acted as a lighthouse to guide boats to the right place.

9. Casa de las columnas (House of Columns)

L-shaped residential building that stands out for its columns, hence its name. It has two rooms (and two others attached), and is one of the largest structures in the archaeological zone. In the center of it you can see a sanctuary.

10. Templo de los frescos o Templo de las pinturas (Temple of Frescoes or Temple of Paintings)

The Temple of the frescoes is the most artistic one of the archaeological zone: in the corners we can see two opposite faces (one with open eyes, the other with closed eyes) representing day and night, duality.

We can also see two babies represented, one face up representing life, the other strangled representing death, also duality.

The name comes from the fact that in its interior are preserved remains of mural paintings, in theory the most complex and best preserved, which in theory represent scenes related to fertility. Our guide Luis told us that the temple is dedicated to Ixhcel, goddess of fertility, love and medicine.

11. Casa del Chultún (Chultun’s House)

La Casa del Chultún is so named because a “chultún” (a combination of two Mayan words: “rainwater” and “stone”, a subway reservoir for storing rainwater) was found in a corner.

12. Playa Ruinas (Ruins Beach)

Finally, we return to the sea, to the right of El Castillo, from where we can see the beautiful Playa Ruinas, with fine sand and turquoise waters. Bathing is currently prohibited (some time ago it was possible to go down the stairs and take a dip during the visit to the ruins), although according to the Tulum Tourism Department and the new Parque del Jaguar account, this is temporary and will depend on the new management of the Parque del Jaguar. Likewise, within the National Park there are other beaches you can go to afterwards.

Before leaving, keep walking in the opposite direction to El Castillo: you will find more viewpoints (and less people) from where you can get a nice view of El Castillo and Playa Ruinas. Surely you will also find some iguanas. If you continue to the end you will find the exit through one of the south gates.

Tips for visiting Tulum ruins

Here are some tips for your visit to the archaeological site:

1. Go early (at 8:00 when they open if possible) or late (at 13:00 or 14:00), because between 10:00 and 13:00 most tours arrive (some with more than 40 people) and the experience of the visit changes due to the number of people, since the area is not too big and the space is small. In our case we arrived at 8:30 and stayed about 2 hours, and at the end the space was already quite crowded. To avoid the crowds, avoid going on Sundays and holidays in general.
2. Bring cash (and if you can, the exact amount) to pay the entrance fee to the archaeological zone (95 MXN per person). The other entrance (to the national park, 58 MXN per person) can be paid by card (use cards such as Revolut or N26 to avoid paying currency exchange fees).
3. There is hardly any shade and it is quite hot, so bring cool water, sunscreen, a hat or similar, sunglasses, cool clothes and comfortable shoes (in our case Birkenstock sandals). It is also a good idea to bring mosquito repellent. Nothing is sold inside so you can also take some snacks if you think you will be hungry.
4. Hire an official guide inside the archaeological site if you want to better understand what you are seeing during your visit.
5. After your visit, we recommend going to the left (turning your back to the archaeological site, parallel to the sea) instead of going back the way you came in, as this is the way to access the rest of the beaches of the National Park (Parque del Jaguar) and take a well-deserved dip, so don’t forget your towel and swimsuit. The first detour is to the lighthouse that is being restored and gives access to Santa Fe Beach.

Can I go to the beach at the Tulum archaeological zone?

Unfortunately when we went (December 2023) it was not allowed to go down to the Playa Ruinas of the archaeological zone (apparently it is something temporary that has been like this since the pandemic and they will open later although they have not been able to confirm when) but you can cool off on the beaches that are next to it!

Leaving the archaeological zone you will find several public beaches, such as Santa Fe, Pescadores and Paraíso. Since you can only access these beaches by paying the 58 MXN (3USD approx.) fee of the National Park (Jaguar Park), and since you will have to pay this fee to access the archaeological zone, ideally, after visiting the ruins in the morning, enjoy these incredible beaches for the rest of the day.

Regarding the beaches of the Hotel Zone of Tulum there you have it much more complicated to access for free because practically the entire coast was invaded by hotels and beach clubs that took over the beaches privatizing them, so to enjoy the beach you will have to be either a guest of one of the hotels/resorts or pay the minimum consumption required in their Beach Club (at very inflated prices) where you can even pay a daily pass (between 60 to 100 USD). There are a couple of free accesses to the beach but in not so nice areas. All this is detailed in our complete guide to Tulum.

Where to stay near Tulum Ruins

If your main purpose of your visit to Tulum is only to visit the archaeological site (and do some beach time), you can also choose to sleep nearby:

• The Free Hostel (from 32$/night): double rooms from or beds in a shared room less than 2 km from the Ruins and 1.3 km from Playa Paraiso
• Siente Tulum (from 152$/night): suites very close to the archaeological site of Tulum with outdoor pool, fitness center and terrace.
• Hotel Poc Na Tulum (from 165$/night): if you want the best of both worlds, to be close to the ruins of Tulum but also to the beach, this hotel offers rooms and suites, with sea or jungle views, 1.7 km from the Archaeological Zone.
• Amazing 3Br & Private Patio With Pool in Tulum (from 171$/night): house with three bedrooms and private pool, ideal for a large group of up to 9 people.

• Villa Pescadores (from 218$/night): double rooms and suites, some with ocean views, 1 km from the Tulum Archaeological Zone.

• Kai Tulum (from 253$/night): suites, some with ocean view, 1.1 km from the famous Tulum ruins

• Exclusive Jungle Villas W Luxury Amenities (from 222$/night): four-bedroom houses for 6 or 8 people with rooftop pool.

Find more accommodations near Tulum Ruins here and remember that the prices we mention are approximate and change according to the type of room and season.

If you prefer to stay in Tulum town with cheaper lodging and restaurants or in the Hotel Zone of Tulum, we recommend several options in our free Complete Guide to Tulum.

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We hope we have answered all your questions before you start your visit to the Tulum ruins, Randomtipper! And, if you have any more, leave them in the comments! Have a good trip or, as they say in Mayan, Xíiktech uutsil!