The top things to do in Tulum are the cliff-top Maya ruins, the cenotes on the Coba road, the beach below the ruins, the Sian Ka'an reserve and the Coba ruins. A foreign visitor pays 265 pesos to see the ruins in 2026: 100 pesos for Parque del Jaguar and 165 pesos for the ruins and Tulum National Park. We read the federal decree, INAH's pages and CONANP's pages on 14 October 2026.
The Tulum ruins and Parque del Jaguar
The ruins sit on a cliff over the Caribbean, just north of Tulum town. INAH gives the main entrance as km 230 of Highway 307. The federal decree says the ruins sit inside Parque del Jaguar, which also covers Tulum National Park.
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Last entry 3:30 p.m. (INAH, Zona Arqueológica de Tulum page and its Lugares INAH page, both read 14 Oct 2026)
Price: Parque del Jaguar: 100 pesos for foreigners and free for Mexicans. Ruins plus Tulum National Park: one payment of 165 pesos for foreigners (65 for the park and 100 for the ruins), and 80 pesos for Mexicans Monday to Saturday. In force from 20 July 2026, for 2026 and 2027 (federal decree on Parque del Jaguar fees, Diario Oficial de la Federación, signed 17 Jul 2026, read on SIDOF 14 Oct 2026)
Price: INAH's Tulum page shows "costos unificados" of 80 pesos for Mexicans and 265 pesos for foreigners, and says these include the CONANP and Grupo Mundo Maya charges (inah.gob.mx, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: The decree makes the ruins and the park free for residents of Tulum municipality. Mexicans pay nothing for the park on Sundays, and Mexicans and foreign residents of Mexico enter the ruins free on Sundays. A state-majority company, Grupo Aeroportuario, Ferroviario, de Servicios Auxiliares y Conexos Olmeca-Maya-Mexica, charges the Parque del Jaguar fee (same decree)
INAH's second page, on Lugares INAH, still shows the old separate fees: 210 pesos at INAH, 295 pesos at Grupo Mundo Maya and 120 pesos at CONANP for foreigners. CONANP's own Tulum page still shows 125 pesos. Both look out of date next to the decree. Other discounts, for students, teachers or seniors, are not confirmed for the new fee. Bring pesos and ID, and check the amount at the window.
Cenotes near Tulum
A cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with fresh water. The Tulum cenotes people name most are on or near the Coba road.
| Cenote | Where | Fee as a guide reports it |
|---|---|---|
| Gran Cenote | About 4 km toward Coba on the Coba road | About 500 pesos |
| Cenote Calavera (Temple of Doom) | About 5 minutes from town on the Coba road | About 300 pesos |
| Dos Ojos | About 20 minutes north of Tulum | About 25 to 30 US dollars, no peso price given |
Price: Fees and locations from The Tulum Times, "The Best Cenotes in Tulum", marked "current as of October 2026". The page cites no official source and says prices change, so confirm locally (tulumtimes.com, read 14 Oct 2026)
We did not find the cenotes' own sites, so we could not check these figures with the cenotes. Every cenote fee and opening time here is not confirmed. Whether a life jacket or snorkel gear is included is also not confirmed. Bring cash.
Beaches
Note: Playa Ruinas is the beach directly below the cliff at the ruins. The Tulum Times calls it one of Tulum's free public beaches and says access can close in high surf or for turtle nesting (tulumtimes.com, "Tulum Mayan Ruins", read 14 Oct 2026)
CONANP lists sea turtle nesting among the activities in Tulum National Park. Along the beach road, hotels and beach clubs sit in front of the sand. We did not check which sections are open to the public, or the rules at other beaches such as Playa Paraíso. That is not confirmed.
Sian Ka'an
Hours: Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve: open every day, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entry fee 225 pesos (CONANP, Sian Ka'an page, read 14 Oct 2026)
Note: CONANP says the north part of the reserve is 10 km from Tulum. The Muyil gate, another way in, is 23 km from Tulum. Punta Allen is reached through the Arco Maya gate on 50 km of dirt road. It says to come by private or rented car, or with operators that go in with a booking (same page)
CONANP does not say whether the 225 pesos is per person or per day, or who it applies to. Tours often add their own charges. Ask your operator what the price covers.
Coba
Coba is an inland Maya site with a tall pyramid in the jungle.
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Last entry 4:00 p.m. Fee 105 pesos for Mexican visitors and 210 pesos for foreign visitors. From Highway 307 at Tulum, take State Highway 109 toward Nuevo Xcan. The site is 43 km from that point (INAH, Lugares INAH Cobá page, read 14 Oct 2026)
We found no official drive time. Buses to Coba are not confirmed.
Where to stay in Tulum
We checked no hotel's rate, so we give no prices. Rates change a lot by season, so look up your own dates. We found no official guide that compares Tulum's lodging areas, and we did not visit.
| Area | What it is | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Pueblo (the town) | Tulum town, just south of the ruins | Your rate, and how you will get to the beach |
| Zona Hotelera (beach road) | The coast road, where hotels and beach clubs sit in front of the sand | Your rate, and how you will get to town |
| Aldea Zama and La Veleta | Newer neighborhoods. The Tulum Times keeps a news hub on them and on Region 15 and Selva Zama | Recent local news, such as road and crossing problems |
Note: The Tulum Times neighborhoods hub covers "Aldea Zama, La Veleta, Region 15, Selva Zama, and the urban geography shaping Tulum." Its lead story, dated 13 Oct 2026, is headlined "La Veleta waits for a crosswalk as federal road money falls" (tulumtimes.com, Neighborhoods topic hub, read 15 Oct 2026)
Which area is best or safest is not confirmed by any official source. For the State Department advisory, see our safety page.
If you live in the US but are not a US citizen
Indian, Filipino and Chinese passport holders need a Mexican visa unless they hold a valid US visa or a valid US green card. INM lists India, the Philippines and China as countries whose nationals need a Mexican visa. Mexico's consulates in the US say a valid US visa or green card replaces it.
Note: Consulado de México en Washington: holders of a valid, unexpired US visa, or of a valid US resident card, need no Mexican visa for tourism, business or transit. Show it with your passport, and both must stay valid for the whole stay. "All EAD cards, I-797 A Forms, Advance Parole Forms, I-20 OR DS-2019 are not accepted to enter Mexico." If your US visa or card has expired, you must apply for a Mexican visa (consulmex Washington, English visa page, read 14 Oct 2026 for our Cancun page; the page shows no update date)
Which US visa types count is not confirmed, so ask the consulate that serves your state. Coming back to the US is a separate check. Our Tulum safety page covers green card re-entry and the 30 day "automatic revalidation" rule for visa holders.
What we checked and what can change
Read on 14 October 2026: the federal decree on Parque del Jaguar fees (DOF, signed 17 July 2026, read on SIDOF), INAH's Tulum page and its Lugares INAH pages for Tulum and Cobá, CONANP's pages for Tulum National Park and Sian Ka'an, and Tulum Times pages on the cenotes and the ruins. Read on 15 October 2026: The Tulum Times neighborhoods hub.
Not confirmed: which lodging area is best, every cenote fee and opening time, discounts under the new ruins fee, beach access along the hotel road, what the Sian Ka'an fee covers, a drive time to Coba, and bus times. Tulum's fees changed in July 2026, so check at the window. We did not travel to Tulum for this page.
