Tailor-Made Itineraries: Crafting a Tulum Getaway Just for You

Just 60 years ago, the population of Tulum was under 100. It was little more than a small fishing village steeped in ancient Mayan tradition.

But today, Tulum's population is inching closer to 50,000. The city, which sits on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, has also transformed into one of the best vacation destinations in the whole world. It currently attracts between 2 and 3 million tourists each year, mostly coming from the nearby United States.

Are you thinking about going to Tulum soon? If you are, make sure you come up with a Tulum itinerary in advance. It'll help you make the most of your time while you're visiting Tulum.

There will be so many things to see and do during your Tulum vacation. Check out a handful of things that should appear on your Tulum itinerary below.

Arrive at Cancun International Airport

One of the first things you'll need to do when planning a Tulum vacation is to book a flight to Mexico. But you should know you won't be able to book one directly to Tulum.

Instead, you'll need to fly into Cancun International Airport. It's located about 75 miles from Tulum and is the closest airport to it.

Arrange for Tulum Transportation

Once you arrive at Cancun International Airport, you might want to spend a few hours exploring Cancun before making your way to Tulum. There are so many fun things you can do in Cancun prior to going to Tulum.

But at some point, you will obviously want to head to Tulum. You should arrange for Tulum transportation so that you're able to get there quickly and safely.

There are Mexico airport transportation services you can hire to help you get from Cancun International Airport to Tulum. Book a ride with one of them so that you don't have to worry about how you'll get to Tulum after touching down in Mexico.

Book a Stay at a Tulum Hotel

After you get from Cancun International Airport to Tulum, you'll need someplace to stay while you're visiting the city. Thankfully, there won't be any shortage of options when it comes to great Tulum hotels.

Want to stay in a small beach bungalow? Olas Tulum might be the best option for you.

Prefer to stay in a larger resort? Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort might be a better choice.

These are just two of the many Tulum hotels that'll be available to you. You should book a stay at one of the nicest hotels in town so that you can rest and recharge while visiting Tulum.

Take a Tulum Tour

If you were to stay in Tulum for an entire month, there is a good chance you wouldn't be able to see everything in the city. There are so many sights scattered throughout Tulum that it would be difficult to visit them all, even over the course of 30 days.

But you can begin to get a good feel for what the city is all about by going on a Tulum tour. A tour like this will take you all over town and give you a glimpse of what it has to offer.

You'll be able to get a closer look at some of these sights as you work your way through your Tulum itinerary. But it'll be nice to get to know Tulum a little bit better from the start by going on a guided tour.

Travel to a Beach by Tulum

Tulum isn't situated directly on the beach. But there are tons of beautiful beaches nearby that you'll want to visit to soak up as much sun as you can while you're in Mexico.

Paradise Beach is one of the beaches by Tulum that those visiting the city seem to like the most. In fact, it's widely regarded as one of the most gorgeous beaches in the entire country. There are also a whole host of other beaches that would be worth visiting while you're in Tulum, including Playa Ruina and Playa Las Palmas.

Stop by the Cenotes Near Tulum

When you're visiting Tulum for the first time, you'll be shocked to see how many cenotes there are in and around the city. It would be impossible for you to see every single one while you're in Tulum, but you should make it a point to stop by one or two of them so that you can see what they're all about.

A few of the cenotes that Tulum visitors seem to enjoy the most are:

• Dos Ojos
• Gran Cenote
• Cenote Calavera

You'll be able to either snorkel or scuba dive in many of the cenotes in Tulum. It'll allow you to explore Tulum from a different perspective than you may have expected.

Sample All the Food in Tulum

In the weeks leading up to your Tulum vacation, you're probably going to want to watch what you eat and walk/run a few extra miles at the gym. Because once you arrive in Tulum, you're going to be filling your belly up with so much delicious food during every meal you eat!

It doesn't matter if you're grabbing tacos from street vendors or sitting down at some of the fancier restaurants in town for a meal. You'll love all the different food offerings that Tulum can provide.

You might want to go as far as to add a food tour of Tulum to your Tulum itinerary. It'll ensure that you get to try a little bit of everything while you're in town.

You should also consider washing this food down with the craft beers available at the Cervecería Tulum brewery. It's one of the coolest breweries you'll ever visit.

Shop Until You Drop in Tululm

As we alluded to earlier, Tulum's population has skyrocketed over the last half a century. Many of the people who have moved to Tulum are former Americans who made their way to Tulum and set up shop, in both a literal and figurative sense.

A lot of these people opened up boutique shops in Tulum and now serve the tourists who make their way to Tulum each year. You should stop by some of these boutique shops to pick up things you'll need while in Tulum, souvenirs for those back at home, etc.

Pura Vida Tulum is one of the most popular places to shop in Tulum. It's one of many shops you should patronize when you're visiting Tulum.

Tour the Tulum Ruins

A trip to Tulum will not be complete if you don't embrace the city's rich Mayan culture. Once upon a time, Tulum was a trading hub for the Mayans, and you can visit the Tulum Ruins to see what's left of the fortress the Mayans used for trading.

The Tulum Ruins are situated right on the coast and will give you a stronger sense of the city's history. It would be well worth going out of your way to get to the Tulum Ruins at some point during your Tulum vacation.

There are also other historical places you should try to see while visiting Tulum, such as the Coba Ruins and the Muyil Ruins.

Enjoy the Tulum Nightlife

The nightlife in Tulum isn't quite as lively as the nightlife in Cancun or Playa del Carmen (yet!). But it's well on its way to getting there, which is a big part of the reason why so many people flock to Tulum from all over the world these days.

Whether you're normally into embracing the nightlife or not, you should attempt to see what the Tulum nightlife is all about on at least one night during your vacation. From Papaya Playa Project to La Zebra Hotel, there are so many fun places to hang out at night in Tulum.

Explore Everything Else Tulum Offers

At this point, your Tulum itinerary is going to be bursting at the seams. If you're only staying in Tulum for a few days or even a full week, you might not have much room left for additional adventures.

But if you still have space left on your Tulum itinerary, here are several other things you might want to add to it:

• Swinging by Xplor Adventure Park
• Going on a sailing tour just off the coast
• Visiting the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

There won't ever be a dull moment in Tulum. You'll be free to make your Tulum itinerary as jampacked as you want.

Travel Back to Cancun International Airport

At the end of your Tulum vacation, the last thing you'll want to have to worry about is how you're going to start to make your trek back home. For this reason, you should once again arrange for a Tulum transportation service to take you from Tulum to the Cancun International Airport.

It'll give you one more opportunity to kick back and relax before you board your flight, and it'll guarantee that you enjoy your Tulum itinerary from beginning to end.

Use Your Tulum Itinerary to Your Advantage

Now that you know about what you should put on your Tulum itinerary, begin piecing one together for your upcoming Tulum vacation. It'll put you in the perfect position to explore Tulum from every angle.

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