What's the best time to visit Tulum?
The best time to visit Tulum is from December to April, when you’ll find perfect beach weather and a lively atmosphere. This period offers clear skies and warm temperatures, ideal for diving, kiteboarding, and exploring. With vibrant nightlife and festivals like Zamna and Day Zero, Tulum truly comes alive during these months.
The town of Tulum, on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, has long been a popular destination for vacations, and is only growing in popularity.
Tulum has been blessed with natural beauty, both in the pristine waters of the Caribbean on whose shore it’s located and in the jungle around it, filled with cenotes and lush landscapes.
The town has also become a prime destination for the alternatively minded, creating a reputation as a great place for yoga studios, vegan brunch places, and excellent nightlife. But when should you visit? We’ll show you this and more below.
The Overall Best Time to Visit Tulum
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The overall best time to visit Tulum is from December to April, when the weather is the best and when there are the most things happening in the town. Tulum is on Mexico’s Caribbean coast and has a tropical climate.
That means that it is warm all year round, even during the winter. Average high temperatures between November and March are in the low 80s, while in the evenings the temperature only goes down to the high 60s. It is balmy weather perfect for lounging on the beach.
Like most tropical places, Tulum has a rainy season and a dry season. The seasons differ by precipitation instead of temperature. December to April is the region’s dry season, with only about an inch of rain per month.
Although you may encounter a rainy day or some storm, chances are that most of your vacation will be sunny and pleasant. This means that the weather during the dry season is perfect for whatever you want to do in Tulum.
It is warm enough to go swimming or even diving without a wetsuit, but still cool enough that you can go exploring the jungle without sweating.
Besides swimming, this season is the best for water sports. The waters are crystal clear, making it perfect for diving (the Riviera Maya is one of the world’s premiere diving destinations). Occasional winds make January a great month for kiteboarding.
December to April is the high season for all of the Riviera Maya, and Tulum is one of the most popular destinations. While this means you should expect more crowds, there is a benefit to that.
If you are a backpacker or digital nomad looking to meet fellow travelers, visiting during high season guarantees that hostels and yoga studios will be full of like-minded people.
This season is also the best for nightlife in Tulum, since the beach clubs and parties are rocking every night until the wee hours. For college students, the best time to party is during spring break, when hundreds of other students from the United States flock to Tulum to let loose.
Throughout the high season, there are plenty of other festivals dedicated to clubs and electronic music, such as:
- Zamna Festival (January)
- Day Zero Festival (January)
- Arena Festival (February)
Carnival in February is also a raucous party, combining traditional celebrations such as parades and costumes with long-lasting parties. Visiting between December and April is the perfect time for the typical Tulum experience.
Cheapest Time to Visit Tulum
Tulum, Mexico. May 25, 2021. Closed decorative food truck van parked on side of empty road against cloudy sky/Pandora Pictures/Shutterstock
The cheapest time to visit Tulum is during the off-season, which generally runs from June to October, when most people avoid the city.
During the summer and fall, most people avoid Tulum because this is the height of the rainy season. As a result, prices tend to drop. The only exception is in July and August, when there is a brief dry period that visitors take advantage of.
Prices also go up during July and August as those are summer vacation times for both Mexicans and visitors from the rest of North America.
Hotels tend to offer steep discounts during the months of September and October, which are the peak of the rainy season. You can find even some high-end hotels for 50% of the price you would pay during high season!
At the beginning of the low season, in late May and June, you can also find good hotel discounts, although not as steep. Autumn is also the least expensive time for transportation.
Flights to Tulum or nearby Cancun tend to be most affordable during September and October, when airlines know there is very little demand for what they are selling. If you are traveling from somewhere else in Mexico, you can usually get discounted rates on car rentals as well.
Least Busy Time to Visit Tulum
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The least busy time to visit Tulum is in the late spring or late fall, avoiding the hurricane season of the summer and the hurricane of tourists in the winter.
Tulum’s tourist frenzy peaks in early-mid April, depending on the timing of spring break or Easter in any particular year. Once Holy Week is passed and Mexicans return to their homes, the town is quiet for the next few months.
April and May are hotter and more humid than the dry season, but it’s still possible to lounge on the beach and explore the jungle. This is a good time to visit the nearby Mayan ruins as heavy rains have not made the jungle roads muddy yet, and you won’t have to fight other visitors to get a good photo.
Late fall is another good time to visit Tulum to beat the crowds. The rains peter out by late October, so November and early December have pleasant temperatures and sunny skies.
Visitors only start to come in mid-December when Christmas vacations begin (although there is a slight uptick in crowds around Thanksgiving).
November and December also have plenty of cultural events, like the high season, but the difference is that these tend to be more high-brow and oriented towards locals as opposed to the free-for-all parties of January.
Popular events during this time include:
- Riviera Maya Jazz Festival (November, in nearby Playa del Carmen)
- Art with Me (November)
- Festival de Cultura del Caribe (November)
You can also explore local culture by participating in the Dia de los Muertos festivities.
Worst Time to Visit Tulum
Tulum, Mexico. May 25, 2021. Skeletons carving on wooden bench with parked bicycle and signboard on city road/Pandora Pictures/Shutterstock
The worst time to visit Tulum is during the rainy season, from June to late October, although those who hate crowds will want to avoid the high season.
The rainy season in Tulum can be unpleasant. Temperatures are sweltering, often in the high 90s, and the weather is very humid. It rains nearly every day, making it difficult to do everything you want to do outdoors.
The hottest months of the year are also the seaweed season. Every rainy season, sargassum seaweed washes up on the Riviera Maya, clogging the beaches with smelly, slimy, seaweed.
You’re also likely to get tangled in it while swimming or diving. Rainy season is also hurricane season in Tulum, peaking in September and October.
Although not as affected as other Caribbean destinations, Tulum gets hit by damaging storms every few years. There are some benefits for traveling during the rainy season, such as almost no crowds and very low rates.
If you dislike crowds, the worst time to visit Tulum is between December and April, when most other people flock there. It’s common to wait in line for up to an hour to jump into a popular cenote or take a photo at a popular viewpoint, that’s how bad the crowding can get.
Frequently Asked Questions
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These other popular questions can help you figure out the best time to visit Tulum:
What is the best month to go to Tulum?
The best month to go to Tulum is November, when the weather becomes milder, and you can still get a good deal before high season.
When is the rainy season in Tulum?
The rainy season in Tulum lasts from June to October, and you can expect almost daily showers during this time.
What are the least expensive months to go to Tulum?
September and October are the least expensive months to go to Tulum as the bad weather chases away many potential visitors.
What month is hurricane season in Tulum?
Hurricane season in Tulum lasts from June to October, but tends to peak in August, September, and October.
What are the worst months for seaweed in Tulum?
June to October is also seaweed season in Tulum, but the worst of seaweed season happens in June, July, and August.
So, What’s the Best Time to Visit Tulum?
Most people visit Tulum between December and April, when the weather is at its best. If you want to avoid crowds, visit in November, early December, or May.