How to get from Cancun Airport to Cancun

There are different ways to get from Cancun Airport to the city of Cancun. There is private transport that you can make reservations for before departure, there are taxis, minivans, and ADO busses.

The most inexpensive way to get from the Airport is on the ADO bus. These comfortable touring cars will bring you right to Cancun, or when you are traveling in the other direction to Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. They even travel to Merida and Tulum.

Busses from ADO depart from Cancun airport all night at regular hours.

Departure time

00.45
01.35
03.15
08.15
08.45
09.15
09.35
09.55
10.15
10.45
11.15
11.45
12.15
12.45
13.15
13.45
14.15
14.45
15.15
15.45
16.15
16.40
17.05
17.30
17.55
18.15
18.35
18.55
19.20
19.45
20.10
20.40
21.10
21.40
22.10
22.40
23.20
23.50

Where to buy a bus ticket?

After you passed immigration and customs, you walk down a hall with car rental booths everywhere and some tour operators. There is an ADO ticket booth in that hall. It is recognizable by the Red and White ADO logo.
Keep your ID ready, they need it to register you. Your ticket is personalized and probably has assigned seats as well. Although on these short trips seating usually is free even if there is a seat number.

Signs from ADO will point you in the right direction as will the person selling you the tickets.
When you are getting ready to buy a ticket, do not listen to taxi drivers and “helpful’ Strangers to inform you that the bus will take hours or the bus just left. Those are tricks to get you into an expensive taxi ride.
Busses depart every half hour and the ticket registration is efficient and working towards full busses departing as much as possible. Although they tend to stick to the schedule and leave on time. But I have bought tickets for a bus waiting for me on directions from the sales attendant. She will tell you to hurry.

The bus ticket price is 94 Mexican Pesos
The duration of the trip is 25 minutes
The destination is ADO bus station in Downtown Cancun
keep your ticket, it is your insurance and they check it before entering the bus
You put your luggage in the luggage department of the bus, no tags are given but they keep a good eye on it
from most terminals (2,3) the bus is on the right of the terminal exit, only in terminal 4, you walk to the left

The bus station in Cancun is not near the hotel zone, from the bus station you need to get a taxi to the hotel zone, is that is where your hotel or resort is.

You have to take a taxi from the bus station or travel by SEA (red busses) City Bus R1 or R2, they stop across from the bus station on the right corner near the footbridge.

Please note that city buses are not comfortable traveling with suitcases or large pieces of luggage. There is no space to put the luggage and the busses are crowded.

Is your resort or hotel in Punta Sam?

If your resort or hotel is in the direction of Punta Sam you better take a taxi. Busses and Collectivo’s (minivans) going to Punta Sam are R18 and R19 but they are difficult to locate when you are new to Cancun’s Public Transport. If you do want to investigate how to get to Punta Sam, please check out this article.

Within city limits, it is my advice to take a taxi. They should not charge you more than 50 pesos for a ride. But since you have luggage and you look like a tourist, you might need to bring the price down. Going to the Hotel Zone they will charge you 200-300 pesos, if not more.

Most hotels and resorts have Airport Shuttle. Check with your resort if they pick you up at the airport.