How to Get from Tulum to Chetumal

Reviewed by Jean Nájera, Transportation Industry Expert

From Tulum to Chetumal, the ADO bus is the easy choice: US$32 to US$34 per person for about 3 hours 50 minutes down Highway 307, with departures through the day and overnight.

The Tren Maya also runs south from Tulum to Chetumal, usually twice a day. Drivers can do the 250 km in about 3.5 hours and stop at Bacalar on the way.

The detail everyone misses: Chetumal is the jumping-off point for Belize.

Water taxis leave from the city’s pier for San Pedro and Caye Caulker, and buses cross the border just south of town.

At a glance

• Distance: about 250 km south on Highway 307
• Cheapest and simplest: ADO bus, US$32 to US$34
• Departures: about a dozen ADO buses a day, from 01:50 into the afternoon
• Train: Tren Maya, usually twice a day, about 3.5 hours
• Arrive at: the ADO terminal on Avenida Insurgentes, north of the center
• Same time zone: Tulum and Chetumal are both in Quintana Roo

1. ADO bus, the one I’d book

ADO runs first-class buses from the main Tulum terminal on Avenida Tulum to its Chetumal terminal on Avenida Insurgentes, with one stop on the way.

GuateGo lists departures at 10:10, 12:10, 14:10 and 15:10 for US$33. Bookaway shows about a dozen buses a day from US$32, including an overnight 01:50 and a 09:00.

The ride takes about 3 hours 50 minutes. Buses pass Bacalar, so you can also get off there if you want to stop at the lagoon.

My verdict: the simplest way south, with plenty of departures. A morning bus gets you in by early afternoon.

2. ADO from Tulum Airport, if you are flying in

Bookaway lists an ADO bus from Tulum International Airport at 16:30 that reaches Chetumal’s bus station at 19:40, for US$37.

The airport sits south of Tulum on Highway 307, so the ride is shorter than from town.

My verdict: handy if your flight lands at Tulum in the early afternoon and you want to head straight south.

3. Tren Maya, the scenic alternative

Usually two southbound Tren Maya trains a day call at Tulum station, one in the late morning and one in the late afternoon, and run on to Chetumal in about 3.5 hours with a stop at Bacalar.

The train ends at Chetumal Aeropuerto station near the airport, not in the center. Tulum’s station is also outside town, so budget for a taxi at both ends.

My verdict: a comfortable ride if you like trains. The line continues west toward Palenque, covered in our Tulum to Palenque guide.

Check the timetable and fares on the official Tren Maya site, as departures change and the southern line has had short suspensions.

4. Rental car, for stops along the coast

Highway 307 runs south from Tulum through Felipe Carrillo Puerto and past Bacalar to Chetumal. It is about 250 km, free of tolls, and takes about 3.5 hours.

Fill up when you can, as fuel stations thin out south of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, and avoid driving the jungle stretches after dark.

My verdict: the best way to stop at Bacalar, the Muyil ruins or Mahahual. Compare rental cars on Booking.com and check the one-way fee.

Step by step: Tulum to Chetumal

1. Pick a departure. Morning buses arrive in daylight, and the overnight bus saves a hotel night.
2. Go to the ADO terminal on Avenida Tulum. Long-distance buses leave from the main terminal in town.
3. Ride south on Highway 307. The bus passes Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Bacalar.
4. Arrive at the ADO terminal on Avenida Insurgentes. It is north of the center and the bay.
5. Take a taxi to your hotel or the pier. The waterfront and the ferry pier for Belize are a short ride south.

What it costs for 1, 2 or 4 people

The bus is the cheapest way for one or two people. For four, a rental car can cost about the same and lets you stop at Bacalar.

Which option should you choose?

• Most travelers: the ADO bus from Tulum town.
• Flying into Tulum: the 16:30 ADO from the airport.
• Like trains: the Tren Maya, with a taxi at each end.
• Want to see Bacalar on the way: a rental car.

Arriving in Chetumal

ADO buses arrive at the bus terminal on Avenida Insurgentes, north of the center. It has ticket counters, a small café and taxis outside.

The center and Boulevard Bahía, the waterfront promenade, are about 2 to 3 km south, a short taxi ride.

The pier for water taxis to Belize is at the southern end of the waterfront.

Trains arrive at Chetumal Aeropuerto station near the airport, west of the center, so take a taxi into town.

Chetumal: things to do and where to stay

Chetumal is the capital of Quintana Roo, a relaxed government city on the bay with a long seafront promenade and very few tourists.

Visit the Museo de la Cultura Maya, walk Boulevard Bahía at sunset and take day trips to the Bacalar lagoon, the Oxtankah ruins or across the border into Belize.

Which area to stay in

• Centro: around Avenida Héroes, close to the museum, shops and restaurants.
• Boulevard Bahía: the waterfront, best for evening walks and close to the Belize ferry pier.
• Bacalar: about 40 minutes north, with lagoon-front boutique hotels if you prefer a prettier base.

Best places to stay in Chetumal

• Fiesta Inn Chetumal: a reliable business hotel in the center with a pool.
• Hotel Los Cocos Chetumal: a 140-room hotel on Avenida Héroes with a garden pool and a restaurant, within walking distance of the waterfront.
• Hotel Noor Chetumal: a stylish downtown hotel with modern rooms.
• TRYP by Wyndham Chetumal: a 72-room hotel in the center, the former Hotel Villanueva, with breakfast included and an indoor pool.
• The Explorean Kohunlich: an all-inclusive jungle lodge with 40 suites beside the Kohunlich ruins, about 40 minutes west of the city.

The city itself has no luxury resorts. For lagoon-front boutique hotels, stay in Bacalar instead, see Tulum to Bacalar.

Practical tips for the trip

Heading to Belize? Keep your entry stamp or tourist card (FMM), and pay Quintana Roo’s VISITAX tourist tax online before you leave the state.

Officials at the border can ask for the receipt, so keep it on your phone.

Bring a jacket. ADO buses run their air conditioning cold, especially overnight.

Use a VPN on bus and hotel Wi-Fi. Shared networks are easy to snoop on, so connect through ExpressVPN before you book onward tickets.

Carry pesos. Taxis and small restaurants in Chetumal often want cash.

Continuing to Belize City? See Tulum to Belize City for the direct bus and the border crossing.

Tours from Chetumal and Bacalar

Popular tours visit the Bacalar lagoon, the Kohunlich and Dzibanché ruins, and the Calakmul biosphere reserve.

Frequently asked questions

Prices last verified: November 2026. Sources: bus fares and times from GuateGo’s and Bookaway’s live listings; train times from the Tren Maya timetable; city details from local travel guides.

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AnaMaria is a dedicated SEO specialist and content strategist with profound expertise in Transport in Costa Rica, Transportation in Mexico, Transport in Guatemala, Transport in Peru, and Transport in Thailand.

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