First of all, everybody and their momma going to Tulum right now. This was my experience for 5 person girl's trip for 5 days. We had a blast; if you watched my story on my @tammyjr_ Instagram handle, you'd see all the festivities.
The airport is 1.5 hours away from Tulum. It is best to prebook a shuttle with a hotel. However, there are shuttles available at the airport.
We stayed at Era Hotel Tulum. It was a very quaint hotel, a total of 9 villas on the property, and a good 20-minute drive from the heart of the beach area in Tulum. We didn't stay in an Airbnb for safety precautions. Many Airbnbs don't have security or secured lockdowns, and we're getting robbed. If you're not in a group 5 plus or mixed-gender group, I would recommend a hotel. Our hotel had an amazing cafe there; there was delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, fresh smoothies, juices, coffees, and cocktail options for no more than $15 USD. So we ate there every morning. It was more convenient than taking a cab.
What I will say is the most frustrating part was their money exchange. Make sure you exchange your USD for pesos (MXN). You'll get robbed blind if you pay with USD. The exchange rate is supposed to be between $20-$21 USD for 1 peso. However, hotels, restaurants, taxis, and excursions can choose what they'll give you for an exchange rate. So anywhere between $16-$18, which means you will get fewer pesos back for your USD dollar. But if you pay with your credit card or debit card, the regular exchange rate will be applied to your card, so it's closer to the national rate, and you save more money. I'd advise either using a credit card or pesos.
Also, Taxis are the worst, lol. Pretty please if you can get a rental car or private driver. You'll spend less money. All our day money went to taxis. We all basically went with $650-$750 budgeted to use while in Tulum, but it wasn't enough because of the exchange rates and taxis. And each driver would make up their own price especially leaving the beach area.
Food isn't expensive. We ate at a few expensive places, but that's normal for us; we real big spenders, lol. They're serious about their tip because of tourism, so count for that too whenever paying for food or excursions; they will literally remind you over and over while you're trying to pay the tab. They rarely have changed to give back, so try to have the exact amount in pesos.
We did the best thing to make reservations at each restaurant for every night we were there, especially for the restaurants on the beach. It's heavily congested with people. NO ONE wears masks, lol. I mean, taxi drivers do, restaurant workers though, maybe the hostess. Protect yourself, especially at restaurants and beach clubs. Sanitize as much as possible with wipes and so on. We tried our best, but it was hard, but the social distancing guidelines are just not there.
We really didn't do the nightlife, which I mean I don't really mind. The Taboo beach club (must-go) is a vibe during the day. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time. You pay for a table or a lounge area near the water; this ranges from $70- 150 USD per person. Each arrangement comes with a food allowance; the tiki package we purchased was around 130 per person and a food allowance of around $450 USD. My math is not exact, but I was drunk, so it's a blur. We really thought we were going to get small portions, but it was so much food. The drinks were also very strong and delicious. Another almost nightlife experience is dinner at RosaNegra (must-go); it definitely gives Nikki Beach vibes; that restaurant turned into a whole club once it hit 10 pm. Other reservations we had were La Brasa, Yaax'ik, Kin Toh ( this is the treehouse restaurant that consumes Tulum travel pics), and Mur Mur.
We got a Covid test at CostaMed Tulum for $46 USD or 1000 Pesos. We took it two days before our flight, and results were provided a few hours later (rapid antigen). Save your results because you'll need to provide them at the airport at check-in. As well as a health declaration form provided by your airline. Make sure to print it off in the USA before arrival. As a matter of fact, prints out all airline documents before arrival, so it's already filled out when needed for departure. The USA guideline is no more than 3 days before your departure date for the Covid testing.
The excursions we did was Casa Tortuga Cenotes (400 pesos for entry and Laguna Kaan Luum ( 200 pesos for entry). We also had a yacht day, which definitely leaned more on the expensive side, almost $300 USD per person.
Other potential options include:
Tulum Ruins
Coba
Chichen Itza ( one of the 7 world wonders)
Muyil Ruins
Tulum Beaches | Resorts | Beach clubs
Playa Paraiso
Santa Fe Beach
Casa Malca
Ziggy Beach Club
Coco Tulum
Ahau Tulum ( Instagram worthy shot of the big lady made out of wood and leaves)
Mia Beach Restaurant
Sunrise Beach
Xplor Action Park
Underground Cenote Exploration
Hammock Splash
River swim
Underground water rafts
Ziplining
Amphibious Vehicles A jungle tour through the Riviera Maya
Tulum Shopping Boutiques
Nightlife/Club
Papaya Playa Project
Batey Mojito & Guarapo Bar
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