How to get fromMexico City to Cancun

What to expect when visiting Cancun

Cancun is a vibrant beach city overlooking the Caribbean Sea. With its crystal blue waters and snow-white sand, the city can be too touristy for some visitors. But its location on Mexico’s east coast makes it the perfect gateway to other destinations like Chichen Itza, Isla Mujeres and Holbox.

You’ll find most tourists in the Hotel Zone, which is full to the brim with all-inclusive resorts, restaurants and lively bars. Depending on what you’re looking for, Cancun can just be a short stopover or a holiday destination by itself. Whichever you decide, make sure to explore other nearby destinations for a more authentic Mexican experience!

2 ways to get from Mexico City to Cancun

The 2 ways to travel the distance of 620 kilometers (385 miles) from Mexico City to Cancun are by: bus (1 day 2 hours to 1 day 5 hours) and flight (3 hours 5 minutes to 5 hours 25 minutes). The journey duration ranges between 3 hours 5 minutes to 1 day 5 hours and the quickest way is by flight. The lowest priced tickets start from 1,090 MXN ($54) for the flight.

Flights from Mexico City to Cancun are both fast and cheap, making them the most convenient choice when travelling this route.

While we’re not always in favour of taking flights due to their environmental impact, we can’t deny that it’s the best option to get from Mexico City to Cancun.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

The departure airport for flights from Mexico City to Cancun is Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX), located 10 km east of the city centre. You can get there in 4 ways: a 45-minute Metrobus, 25-minute taxi/Uber, 30-minute minivan, or 50-minute Metro.

For a combination of budget and convenience, we recommend taking the Metrobus, which only costs 140 MXN ($7). Take Line #4. You can ask the assistance of your hotel for the nearest bus stop or you can board one at Republica de Argentina, the closest bus stop to the main square.

If you prefer a private and fast ride, we recommend hailing an Uber with rates from 200 MXN ($9.90).

Staying outside of Mexico City centre? A Metro ride is the cheapest option at 5 MXN ($0.20). Note that you may have to make at least one train transfer.

Another convenient option is a shared minivan that will pick you up from your hotel and take you straight to Mexico City Airport. Fares start from 380 MXN ($18.80) from the city centre and 315 MXN ($15.60) from other areas. You can conveniently book your shared minivan ticket via BookAway.

For more details, you can check out our guide on How to get to/from Mexico City Airport.

You shouldn’t have a hard time getting nonstop flights from Mexico City to Cancun. There are plenty of schedules to choose from, with flights departing every 20-40 minutes from 06:00 to 23:00.

The cheapest flight costs 540 MXN ($27) and travel time is around 2h 10m.

There are 4 airlines flying from Mexico City to Cancun: AeroMexico, Interjet, VivaAerobus and Volaris. You can often get the cheapest flight prices with Viva Aerobus.

AeroMexico is a bigger airline and their service is superior, but this tends to come at a higher price. Interjet has mid-range prices, while Volaris is also on the affordable side.

For the best chance at cheap flights, it’s better to plan ahead and book your plane tickets some weeks in advance.

Your arrival airport is Cancun International Airport. If you want to head straight to Cancun city centre or the beach/resort area once you arrive, you can do it by bus, shared minivan or with a private shuttle. All three options have an average duration of 15m - 45m.

The bus is the cheapest option with ticket prices from 140 MXN ($7). These buses, operated by ADO, depart from the airport roughly every hour from 08:20 to 21:40. They park at Cancun’s main bus terminal, just within walking distance from many hotels in the city centre.

Shared minivans are a good option if you want to be dropped off at your hotel’s doorstep but don’t have the budget for a taxi. They depart every hour, 24 hours a day from Cancun Airport. You can book this service on BookAway, with rates starting at 160 MXN ($7.90).

The most comfortable option is to hire a private transfer, but as with most things, this comes at a higher cost. Rates start from 500 MXN ($25) for a 4-seater car. We recommend booking your ride online beforehand via BookAway for more spacious cars and trusted drivers.

For more info, visit our page for Cancun Airport.

If flying’s not really your thing, there are also buses operating direct trips from Mexico City to Cancun. But there’s a catch, they take around 1 day 2 hours to 1 day 5 hours to complete the journey.

We don’t really recommend the bus because apart from the travel time taking more than 1 day, fares are at least 2x more expensive compared to taking a flight. Even round-trip flights are cheaper than a one-way bus ticket! But if you’re up for it, make sure to stock up on water, snacks and maybe a podcast or two to pass the time.

Buses from Mexico City to Cancun depart from ADO’s northern bus terminal called Central Mexico Norte.

The easiest and most direct way to get to the northern bus terminal is via Uber/Taxi that takes around 30 minutes. Rates from the city centre start from 100 MXN ($5).

A more budget-friendly option would be to take the Metro, which only costs 6 MXN ($0.30). However, you’re going to have to make several transfers as there are no direct trains from the city centre to Central Norte. And since you already have a 27-hour bus ordeal ahead of you, we don’t recommend taking the Metro for this route.

Mexico’s most popular bus company, ADO, is the sole operator of buses from Mexico City to Cancun. All buses are airconditioned and equipped with reclining seats and a toilet. There are 4 bus departures daily.

Throughout your journey, the bus will make a few stops in different towns including Villahermosa, Campeche and Merida. Here, you should be able to stretch your legs, go to the toilet and grab a few snacks to keep you going for the rest of the trip.

One “advantage” of taking the bus is that if you had chosen to fly, you probably wouldn’t have the chance to see these smaller cities within Mexico. We’re not sure whether this “advantage” is worth the 27-hour bus ride though!

Buses park at the ADO Bus Station in downtown Cancun, with many hotels and hostels located close by or just a few blocks away. This gives you the perfect opportunity to exercise your legs after the long bus journey.

But if you’re staying further away or in the beach areas, you may want to take a taxi to get to your final destination. Taxis are available from outside of the bus terminal and are metered, so rates will depend on the distance and time. An average taxi ride to the beach area is around 210 MXN ($10.40).

Another option is to use public transport. Buses pass in front of the bus terminal on Avenida Tulum and lines R-1, R-3 and R-38 can take you to the beach and hotel area. The rate for the buses is 15 MXN ($0.70), to be paid directly to the bus driver.