How to Get From Cancun to Valladolid (5 Ways)

There are five main ways to get to Valladolid from Cancun: car, bus, private transfer, tour, or the new Maya Train. 

I’ll break down the pros and cons of each in this post. But first, this table summarizes your options (note: prices are one-way):

Method	Length	Cost	How
Rental Car	~2 hrs	$20+ /day	Book car
Maya Train	~1.5 hrs	~$45 /person	Book here
ADO Bus	~2 hrs	$8+ /person	Book bus
Private Transfer	~2 hrs	$342 /group	Book transfer
Day Tour	All day	From $38	Book tours

Table of Contents
🚗 Renting a Car (my pick)
🚆 Riding the Tren Maya (newest option)
🚍 Taking the Bus (cheapest)
🚐 Private Transfer (best for groups)
🌴 Taking a Tour (for day trippers)
Bonuses:
🛏️ Where to Stay
🔥 Valladolid Mexico Guide (opens in new tab)

How to Go From Cancun to Valladolid

Option 1: Rent a Car and Drive from Cancun to Valladolid

My favorite way to get to Valladolid is still to rent a car and drive. A car is not strictly necessary if you’re only visiting the town itself. But it’s very helpful to have your own wheels in Valladolid if you want to explore all the ruins and cenotes in the surrounding areas.

I know, I know, you may be thinking: driving in Mexico seems scary right?

Well, actually it’s not that bad. The road from Cancun to Valladolid is a straight shot along 180 D, which is a modern and wide road that’s probably not that different from driving in your home country.

The drive from Cancun to Valladolid is a little under 2 hours and is pretty easy. Here is a map of how to drive to Valladolid from Cancun:

If taking the toll road, just be sure to have cash on hand to pay the toll. I didn’t do it one time and I had to wait until a stranger was able to spot me the cash. It was super embarrassing!

Overall, I’ll still pick having my own car over any other form of transport when I have the option. Just be sure to read my guide to renting a car in Mexico if it’s your first time driving here.

Pros of Renting a Car for Valladolid

• Often cheaper if you have multiple people
• One of the fastest ways to get to Valladolid
• Having a rental car in Valladolid is great for day trips to Mayan ruins and Valladolid’s cenotes

Cons of Renting a Car for Valladolid

• Driving in Mexico isn’t for everyone
• Mexican rental agencies are notorious for scams
• You’ll need to pay local insurance (per Mexican law)

Option 2: Riding the Tren Maya to Valladolid

The newest way to get to Valladolid is to take Mexico’s shiny new Tren Maya (“Maya Train”). This train runs in a loop around the Yucatan peninsula, connecting Cancun to Merida, Campeche, and beyond (it also goes the other direction, to Playa del Carmen and Tulum). 

Valladolid is one of the first stops and the journey takes a quick 92 minutes or so. The train station is a few kilometers outside downtown Valladolid, so you’ll need to grab a short taxi to your hotel. 

I’ve taken the train multiple times and it’s super modern, clean, and comfortable. If you’re used to taking trains around Europe, you’ll find it to be a similar experience. 

You can find timetables and book your tickets on the official website. Note there are different rates for Mexican nationals and “Internacionals” (aka, tourists like us). 

There are a couple downsides to taking the train. First, the only station in Cancun is at the airport. That may be convenient if you plan to fly in or out right after your journey, but it’s not ideal if you’re staying in Cancun’s Hotel Zone. 

The other issue is that the train’s schedule isn’t all that frequent. As of the time of my writing (end of 2025), it runs about six times per day. So check to see if the schedule works for you. 

Pros of Taking the Train

• Super modern and comfortable train 
• Easy and predictable 
• No need to bother with hassle of renting a car

Cons of Taking the Train

• It only leaves from Cancun airport (not downtown or the Hotel Zone)
• Only ~6 departures per day 
• Kinda expensive, especially for groups
• Website sometimes has issues

Option 3: Taking the ADO Bus from Cancun to Valladolid

The Mexican bus company ADO runs high-quality first class buses from Cancun to Valladolid multiple times per day from Cancun town to Valladolid.

From 8 am until 6 pm, there is a bus to Valladolid roughly every hour, with more sporadic service during the late hours. You can check the exact schedule on the ADO website here.

The journey to Valladolid lasts a little over 2 hours and tickets start at 190 pesos ($9) if bought in advance.

Note that American credit cards may NOT work for purchases online on the ADO site (don’t get me started on that … sigh!). Instead, you’ll need to purchase at the ADO station itself (where, weirdly, those same credit cards are accepted).

That stinks because sometimes the buses book up, but the good news is that usually you’ll just have to wait an hour for the next bus in that worst-case-scenario. If leaving on a specific bus is important to you, I suggest going to the station a few days in advance to buy your tickets, or buying at the ADO stands outside baggage claim at Cancun airport.

The ADO station in Cancun is located on the southwest corner of the giant rotunda intersection of Av Uxmal and 307. Or any taxi driver will know where to take you if you just say “Ah-de-oh.”

Here’s a Google map to the Cancun ADO station:

The Valladolid ADO bus station is located conveniently right off the main square, making it easy to get to your hotel by foot. Taxis are also usually waiting in front of the bus station in Valladolid, in case your hotel in Valladolid is too far to walk.

Note there is no direct bus from Cancun Airport to Valladolid. To take a bus to Valladolid, you’ll need to take an ADO bus or taxi into Cancun town and then switch to take the bus to Valladolid from there. If coming from the airport, the train is a much better bet. 

Pros of ADO Bus to Valladolid

• Cheapest way per person to go to Valladolid from Cancun downtown

Cons of ADO to Valladolid

• No direct bus to Valladolid from Cancun Airport
• Not having a rental car in Valladolid can make it harder to explore surrounding area

Option 4: Hiring a Private Transfer

Coming from Cancun airport to Valladolid and don’t want to deal with the hassle of driving yourself or cramming into a bus? A private transfer will be costly but may make sense for a few of you, particularly if you’re a luxury traveler or are splitting the cost among a large group.

I suggest pricing out a private transfer from the local, family-run business Cancun Airport Transportation. They’ll pick you up wherever you are in Cancun and whisk you to Valladolid on your schedule.

See my review of Cancun Airport Transportation for more on why I love that service so much.

Pros of Private Transfer to Valladolid

• Most convenient, stress-free way to get to Valladolid from Cancun
• Fastest way to go to Valladolid

Cons of Private Transfer to Valladolid

• Expensive (but may be worthwhile if you have a large group)

Option 5: Taking a Tour from Cancun to Valladolid

Sometimes you just want someone else to take care of all the details right?

Well, in that case, consider taking a tour from Cancun to Valladolid. You’ll get to see and do some of the best activities around Cancun on the way to boot!

Most tour companies will pick you up at your hotel in Cancun, drive you to Valladolid, and take care of all the details so that you don’t have to worry about how to get from Cancun to Valladolid on your own.

In case you are interested in nerding out on details, we wrote a mega guide to the best Chichen Itza tours from Cancun, but here are our three top picks in case you are short on time:

• Day Tour Plus Cenote – If you’re really looking to focus your trip to Valladolid on exploring this magical town (beyond just the main square), then this tour is for you! You’ll dive deep into this awesome and under-touristed town.
  
• Valladolid, Chichen Itza, and Temezacal – This tour will take in Chichen Itza, the most popular tourist site in Mexico and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the town of Valladolid, and will include a bonus visit to a Temezacal – a traditional sweat lodge!
  
• Valladolid, Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, and a Cenote – This jam-packed tour not only takes you from Cancun to Valladolid and Chichen Itza, but it also covers the must less touristed Mayan site of Ek Balam and will take you swimming in a cenote!

Pros of Taking a Tour to Valladolid

• Stress-free – let someone else plan the trip for you
• Easy to combine with a trip to see Chichen Itzen

Cons of Taking a Tour to Valladolid

• You won’t be able to stay overnight, or explore Valladolid independently for very long

Where to Stay Overnight in Valladolid

Valladolid is one of my favorite places in the Yucatan and it really deserves more than a day trip from Cancun. So, if you have the time, opt to stay at least one night in town. But where should you stay?

I personally visited 18 different hotels in town to create my epic ranking of Valladolid Mexico hotels. Click that link to see the full list, or book one of our top three picks on Booking here:

• Real Hispano (Best Overall Hotel) – Located in an old convent one block from the main square, this newer hotel in Valladolid offers great quality for value. There’s a pool in the courtyard, and the rooms are nicely furnished. I stayed there recently and loved it.
• Colonté Hotel Origen (Best Boutique) – If you are looking for a luxury boutique, this is a great place to stay in Valladolid. Lovely rooms, a beautiful garden and pool, and delicious breakfast.
• Le Muuch Hotel (Best Tulum-Style Luxury Hotel) – This may be one of the most stylish boutique hotels I’ve ever seen in my five years of travel around the world. Be sure to book quickly, as it does fill up.

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That’s it for this guide for how to get from Cancun to Valladolid.

But, before you go, be sure to check out my totally free and amazingly-detailed monster Ultimate Guide to Valladolid, Mexico. It’s filled with insider tips about what to eat, where to drink, what to do, and more!

Enjoy Valladolid!