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When Is The Best Time To Visit Tulum?

Wondering when is the best time to visit Tulum, the beautiful beach town in Mexico? While throughout most of the year Mexico, in general, is a good place to visit, with lots of things to do year-round, there are certain months and seasons when it’s more ideal to visit Tulum. Whether you’re looking for fewer crowds, better weather or cheaper hotel rates, we have you covered in this guide.

Boasting an array of amazingly perfect beaches, lush jungles, great restaurants, bars, nightlife, and world-class resorts, it’s no wonder it’s a very popular destination nowadays. Knowing when the best time to visit Tulum is is very important to a lot of travellers planning their trip to this pristine paradise.

The Best Time To Visit Tulum

Of course, the best time to visit Tulum depends on what you’re looking for and why you’re travelling there.

Typically the best time to visit Tulum is in November, just after hurricane season and when the hot temperatures of late summer and fall begin to drop. This is also the end of the rainy season and with it of course – more tourists.

The tourists don’t really start arriving until December, so if you’re especially looking for a party and enjoying the hustle and bustle of tons of people, then December to February is probably your best bet.

If you can’t quite make it during these months, we recommend April. This is when the crowds start to dissipate (after spring break and the high season) and the weather is still pretty decent. After April the temperature gets really hot, the beaches get covered in seaweed (sargassum) and there is really not much going on in terms of parties.

Best time to visit Tulum
An example of the seaweed (sargassum) on Tulum beaches during the summer months.

Monthly Temperatures in Tulum

MonthSeasonTemperaturesRain
JanuaryHigh Season65°F – 82°F (20°C – 27°C)
FebruaryHigh Season69°F – 82°F (20°C – 28°C)
MarchHigh Season71°F – 83°F (22°C – 28°C)
AprilHigh Season69°F – 82°F (20°C – 28°C)
MayLow Season75°F – 86°F (24°C – 30°C)
JuneLow Season77°F – 87°F (25°C – 30°C)Rainy
JulyLow Season76°F – 89°F (25°C – 31°C)Rainy
AugustLow Season77°F – 89°F (25°C – 32°C)Rainy
SeptemberLow Season76°F – 88°F (24°C – 31°C)Rainy
OctoberLow Season76°F – 88°F (24°C – 31°C)Rainy
NovemberHigh Season68°F – 82°F (20°C – 28°C)
DecemberHigh Season69°F – 81°F (20°C – 27°C)

When is the High Season in Tulum?

Like most other tourist destinations in Mexico (and around the world), the high season in Tulum is between December and February during the driest and coolest months. This is also when most people have vacation time, and snowbirds from the US, Canada, and Europe looking to flee from the winter months, so there are definitely a lot more people.

Because there are more people flocking to this remote corner of Mexico, flights, taxis, and accommodation prices skyrocket. Even though it’s the best time to visit Tulum, it may not be ideal for most because of the costs involved.

Cheapest Time to Visit Tulum

While December through February may be the best time to visit Tulum for some, for others the best time is also the cheapest time. The best time to visit is of course low season. The low season is usually from March to September, when the temperature is usually unbearably hot.

Generally, the cheapest time to visit Tulum is within the spring and summer months which would be anytime after April and especially May or early June just before summer. If you want a better time to visit but still cheap then we’d recommend September to November, when flights and hotels are still relatively cheap compared to the high season.

The Best Time to See Whale Sharks and Turtles?

Tulum and the surrounding area is a fantastic place to go snorkeling and see all kinds of amazing aquatic creatures and if you’re lucky enough you may even be able to swim with them.

If you’re looking to see Whale Sharks start getting busy with their mating season, then the best time to come is in June, which lasts all the way until September. While you can see sea turtles all year round, the best time seems also to be from Spring to Summer.

Visiting Tulum Monthly Guide

Tulum in January

Temperature: 65°F – 82°F (20°C – 27°C)

Overview: The most expensive month. Cooler weather, tons of tourists.

Things to do & events: New years day. Zamna Tulum festival. El Día de Los Reyes. Arena Festival Internacional.

January is the busiest month in Tulum and Mexico in general, due to the perfect climate with low humidity. The weather is typically nice and sunny but not too hot at 23°C (73°F) during the day.

With warm weather comes more tourists, especially during the holiday season. More people means more demand for hotels and resorts, so book in advance. Prices will rise drastically.

During this time in the new year, there are several events and festivals, including Zamna, an electronic festival that lasts from December until mid-January. El Dia de Los Reyes (Kings’ Day) is also a special day in Mexico and typically a gift-giving day on the 6th of January. Arena Festival is a week-long LGBTQ festival in Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

Tulum in February

Temperature: 69°F – 82°F (20°C – 28°C)

Overview: Expensive Perfect warm weather, not too hot. Lots of tourists.

Things to do & events: Carnaval

February is still high season in Tulum and Mexico with lots of tourists still but perfect weather, warm, sunny and nice and dry. Carnaval is the main event happening in Tulum in February.

Tulum in March

Average Temperature: 71°F – 83°F (22°C – 28°C)

Overview: Expensive. Perfectly warm beach weather. Lots of tourists arriving for Spring Break.

Things to do & events: Alborada Maya. Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza. Food & Wine Festival

March is a very popular time to visit Tulum as spring break begins and the weather is perfect for the beach, hot, dry, and sunny. If you’re looking for great parties, this is a great time to come. If you don’t like the crowds then we recommend you skip this month.

The Alborada Maya festival is a fusion of Mayan and Catholic religious traditions and is only found in Tulum. Around March 21st you can see the spring equinox over the magical Chichen Itza pyramid.

Tulum in April

Average Temperature: 74°F – 85°F (23°C – 29°C)

Overview: Cheap. Decent weather, not as many tourists. End of high season.

Things to do & events: Children’s Day

April is the end of the high season in Tulum and the end of spring break. The weather is still nice, and prices go down drastically compared to the month before. If you’re looking for a month that’s still decent weather, not too busy, and cheap then April may be the best time to visit Tulum for you.

Tulum in May

Average Temperature: 75°F – 86°F (24°C – 30°C)

Overview: Very Cheap. The weather is getting hotter, starting to rain. Sea turtles start to nest. Cheapest time to visit.

Things to do & events: Festival de Cultura del Caribe

Tulum in June

Average Temperature: 77°F – 87°F (25°C – 30°C)

Overview: Very cheap hotel and resort rates. Rainy season, whale sharks start to appear.

Things to do & events: La Fete de la Musique

Tulum in July

Average Temperature: 76°F – 89°F (25°C – 31°C)

Overview: Cheap. Rainy season and very hot. Baby sea turtles begin to hatch.

Things to do & events: 

Tulum in August

Average Temperature: 77°F – 89°F (25°C – 32°C)

Overview: Cheap. Unbearably hot and lots of rain. Excellent time for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Things to do & events: ZoukMX

Tulum in September

Average Temperature: 76°F – 88°F (24°C – 31°C)

Overview: Cheap. Rainiest month. End of whale shark season

Things to do & events: El Grito and Independence Day. Autumn Equinox at Chichen Itza.

Tulum in October

Average Temperature: 76°F – 88°F (24°C – 31°C)

Overview: Prices increasing. Rainy. End of sea turtle nesting.

Things to do & events: Halloween.

Tulum in November

Average Temperature: 68°F – 82°F (20°C – 28°C)

Overview: Average prices. Fewer tourists. Great weather begins again. Start of the high season.

Things to do & events: Dia De Los Muertos. Tulum Food, Spirits, and Wine Festival. Riviera Maya Jazz Festival.

In our opinion this is the best time to visit Tulum as there are fewer crowds, great weather and prices are affordable. This means you can stay in a fancy resort for free and enjoy a beach with very few tourists.

There is also of course Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which is celebrated just after Halloween to honour the souls of the dead.

Tulum in December

Average Temperature: 69°F – 81°F (20°C – 27°C)

Overview: Very busy. Expensive. Excellent weather, great festive atmosphere.

Things to do & events: Dos Equis Winter Beach. Christmas. New Year’s Eve. Sound Tulum

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