So you’ve booked your vacation to Los Cabos. And you can’t wait to dive into the fun activities this Mexican resort area offers!
Now you want to know about Cabo airport transfers.
Specifically, what’s the best way to get from the Cabo airport (SJD) to your hotel or resort? What’s the cheapest way?
You’ve come to the right place!
We travel often to the region and have tried out many forms of transportation between the Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and our resort – from luxury shuttles to the bus.
Cabo airport transfers
For most people, taxis and semi-private or private Los Cabos airport shuttles are the main options for transferring to their hotel (apart from renting a car).
If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s also the public bus, Ruta del Desierto.
Contents: Cabo airport transfer options and reviews
Cheapest semi-private or private transfer? – Quick answer
Cost of a taxi – From the airport to Cabo San Lucas
Public bus from the airport to Cabo San Lucas – Ruta del Desierto
Cabo airport transportation – Semi-private vs. private transfers
6 best Los Cabos airport shuttle companies – Reviews
Timeshare vendors at the airport – How to avoid getting sucked in by them
Uber in Cabo San Lucas – Can you use Uber?
Note: We use “Cabo” and “Los Cabos” interchangeably here.
Both terms (as we use them) refer to the whole resort area in Baja California Sur. The geographical area of Los Cabos includes:
- Cabo San Lucas town
- The town of San Jose del Cabo
- The resorts located along the 20-mile Los Cabos Corridor between (and around) the two towns
For more information, see our guide on Los Cabos vs. Cabo San Lucas.
All prices shown below are U.S. dollars.
What’s the cheapest Cabo airport transfer?
Cheapest shared shuttle
Cheapest round-trip shared shuttle
For $37 USD a person, you can book a round-trip shared airport transfer to and from your resort in Cabo San Lucas through Viator, a TripAdvisor company). This works out to $18.50 p.p. for a one-way transfer.
The shuttle cost varies, depending on where you’re going.
It costs less if you’re going to San Jose del Cabo ($30 round-trip) or to a hotel along the Tourist Corridor ($34 round-trip). It’s more if you’re heading to the Pacific Coast side ($45 round-trip).
Cheapest one-way shared shuttle from the airport
It costs only $18 USD a person for a one-way shared shuttle from the airport to Cabo San Lucas.
It’s $15 to San Jose del Cabo; $17 to hotels along the Tourist Corridor; and $24 to resorts on the Pacific Coast side.
This cost is not available for a return transfer from your hotel back to the airport. (If you want a return trip too, you should book a round-trip transfer.)
Shuttle details
You’ll travel in a mini-van or SUV (with only a few other passengers). If you’re lucky, you might get even get a private ride, despite it being a shared shuttle!
The transportation provider is Gray Line Los Cabos, an international transportation and tour provider. They’ve been in the tour and airport transfer biz in Cabo since 2002.
We haven’t yet gone with Gray Line, but they have hundreds of 5-star reviews on Viator. One of our readers has also commented that he takes Gray Line and is happy with them. (See the Comments section at the end of our post.)
Among the transfer companies that we’ve personally used, Cabo Airport Transfers (#1 below) offers the cheapest airport transfers for a single person or couple in a shared shuttle.
The cost is $22 a person or $44 a couple (one-way) to Cabo San Lucas.
Note: You also have the option of booking through Cabo San Lucas Tours (a third-party tour operator). Their cost is $18 per person, and they use TransCabo (see #2 below).
Cheapest private airport transfers
Cheapest round-trip private transfers
You can book a private airport shuttle in Cabo for $139 for up to 5 passengers in a van (round-trip transfers) with Legacy Transportation Los Cabos.
Cheapest one-way private transfers from the airport
If you have a group of 10 people, your best bet is Ballard Tour Services. Their cost for a private one-way transfer from the airport to your hotel in Cabo is $154.
Taxi from airport to Cabo San Lucas
Taxis in Los Cabos are large blue or turquoise (occasionally white) vans that seat 8 to 10 people. But, gulp, Cabo taxi fares are steep.
A taxi from the international or SJD airport to Cabo San Lucas will cost you a minimum of $80 USD. This cost covers up to 4 people. Each extra person is $20 p.p.
If you’re traveling as a couple, that cost is about double the price of a shared airport shuttle.
Cabo airport bus: Ruta del Desierto
Is there a public bus that goes from the airport to Cabo San Lucas?
And does the bus also do the return trip and go from Cabo San Lucas back to the airport?
The short answer is “Yes.”
We’ve ridden the regular public bus in Cabo many times – for example, to go snorkeling at Santa Maria Beach and to travel between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.
It’s cheap and perfectly safe.
(We’ve also taken the bus between several colonial Mexican cities – and that service was like flying business class. Really!)
Traveling within Mexico? Check out our post on the excellent long-distance Mexico buses
About the Ruta del Desierto bus
The Ruta del Desierto bus is the inexpensive public Cabo airport bus. It runs every day to and from the Cabo airport.
You can take this bus from both Terminal 1 (domestic terminal) and Terminal 2 (international terminal) right into Cabo San Lucas.
The bus isn’t fancy. But it’s air-conditioned, reasonably comfortable and very easy on the wallet :-).
The bus makes several stops.
Depending on traffic, the travel time on the bus to get from the airport to the town of Cabo San Lucas is about an hour to 75 minutes.
If you’re going to the airport from Cabo, budget about 90 minutes to be safe.
Bus from Cabo airport
If coming in on an international flight (arriving in Terminal 2), you need to go up one floor to the Departures Level.
There’s an escalator that goes upstairs. Look to the left after passing the timeshare sales vendors.
Up top, exit the doors and go outside, and you’ll see the bus stop by the curb to the right, at the far end of the terminal.
If flying into the domestic terminal (Terminal 1), there’s a Ruta del Desierto bus stop right outside.
Bus to Cabo airport
When returning home and going back to the Cabo airport, you can catch the bus at the stop in front of the Puerto Paraiso Mall.
Cost of this Cabo airport bus?
The cost is 85 pesos (about $4.20 USD) per person.
If you need Mexican pesos, there’s a Banamex ATM machine on the Arrivals Level of Terminal 2, just after customs.
Cabo airport transportation by public bus
For more information on Ruta del Desierto, check this thread on TripAdvisor.
If you understand Spanish, here’s the bus line’s Facebook page. (Facebook also does a credible job at translating into English.)
We haven’t personally taken the bus to or from the airport. So we’ve relied on reader input and comments, combined with other research, to give you the scoop on taking the bus.
Best way? Cabo airport shuttle transportation
Cabo San Lucas shuttle from airport
When planning your trip to Cabo, we recommend that you book one of the Cabo San Lucas airport shuttle services in advance.
A semi-private or private transfer with a reputable company is the fastest, most convenient and best-value option for getting to your Los Cabos hotel.
And you’ll enjoy the best customer service this way.
Simply exit Terminal 2 at the airport, cross the road and you’ll see two outdoor bars to your left and a row of numbered awnings on the right for the airport shuttles.
Find the number of the awning your transfer company gave you.
Typically, you’ll see a greeter or attendant holding up his company’s sign. Go to him, and he’ll phone or radio the shuttle driver to come pick you up.
The driver will arrive within a few minutes.
Semi-private transfers
Semi-private transportation is usually in a 9-person van; you may have to share with another couple or group.
Private transfers
Larger vehicles are usually used for private Los Cabos airport transportation services, something like a Suburban or other large SUV or van.
Los Cabos airport shuttle reviews: 6 good companies
Here, then, are the six best Cabo airport shuttles, in no particular order.
We have personally used and been happy with all of them.
The only exception is All Ways Cabo Transportation (#4), which we haven’t used.
But like the others we cover below, they also gets great reviews on TripAdvisor. So we’re including All Ways here in our round-up of the best Los Cabos airport shuttles.
(Oh, and just so you know, we don’t make a commission if you book your transfers from any of the companies below – we’re just sharing useful info with you!)
1) Cabo Transfers
Cabo Transfers offers a professional, quality transfer service within Los Cabos.
Kick off your travel sandals, sit back and enjoy the ride. On our many visits to this desert-meets-the-sea resort destination, we’ve used Cabo Transfers several times.
Cabo Transfers’ website is easy to use.
Simply plug in your transfer choice (e.g., shared airport shuttle) and your hotel, and you’ll be given a quote.
You’ll be asked for your flight arrival and departure information, and they will email you confirmation of your transfer(s) with pick-up times and details noted.
When traveling as a couple (without other family members or companions), we’ve booked the shared shuttle and we’ve never had to wait very long.
Sometimes we’ve been the only clients and enjoyed private airport transportation for a shared shuttle price!
Vehicles for the private transfers are a Suburban or Expedition (up to 6 passengers), Toyota Hiace (up to 10 passengers) or Ford Transit (up to 16 passengers).
They come with free WiFi and TV screens in the seat backs if you want to watch a video.
All vehicles are air-conditioned and have working seatbelts.
They’re clean, comfortable and stocked with ice-cold bottled water, beer and soft drinks (extra cost, depending on the service). Drivers are courteous and polite (and enjoy practising their English on you).
As well as airport transfers, Cabo Transfers offer other driving services; we used them to transfer from the Grand Velas Los Cabos to another resort.
Cabo Transfers shuttle services
Both shared shuttle (i.e., semi-private) and private shuttle services are offered.
Cabo Transfers cost: Examples
- $18 p.p for a one-way shared shuttle to San Jose del Cabo hotels, e.g., Hyatt Ziva ($58 for a private transfer for up to 6 people)
- $20 p.p. for a one-way shared transfer to Puerto Los Cabos hotels, e.g., Hotel El Ganzo ($74 for a private transfer for up to 6 people)
- $22 p.p. for a one-way shared airport transfer to Medano Beach hotels in Cabo San Lucas, e.g., the Pueblo Bonito Rose ($89 for a private transfer for up to 6 passengers)
- $25 for a one-way shared airport transfer to Pacific-side resorts, e.g., Nobu ($90 for a private transfer for a group of up to 6 passengers)
A grocery stop costs $40 for one hour of shopping at a supermarket close to your resort.
Costco and Walmart are on the way if you’re staying in Cabo San Lucas. (Stock up on your favorite Mexican fruit – limes! – for mixing those all-important tequila drinks.)
Cabo Transfers: Bottom line?
Cabo Transfers offers the cheapest and best rates for semi-private (shared shuttle) transfer services.
It’s $22 p.p. ($44 a couple) to get from the airport to a Cabo San Lucas hotel.
2) TransCabo
One of the first companies to get into the business of driving guests around in the area, TransCabo offers a premium service for airport transportation in Cabo.
They have a fleet of over 50 recent models in different sizes (all clean and air-conditioned).
TransCabo representatives are easy to spot. When you leave the airport, just look for their bright orange shirts.
The professional drivers help you with your luggage and offer you bottled water.
For the shared Los Cabos airport shuttle, no more than 10 people per van are booked, with no more than three stops.
And you could luck out and end up having the vehicle to yourself (in effect a private transfer for the shared shuttle cost)!
Trans Cabo shuttle services
Trans Cabo offers both shared shuttle (i.e., semi-private) and private shuttle services.
TransCabo cost: Examples
- $24 p.p. for a one-way shared airport transfer to Medano Beach hotels
- $115 for a one-way transfer to Cabo San Lucas in a van (for up to 10 people) or $130 for up to 6 passengers in a Suburban
If you need an infant or baby car seat, it should be reserved in advance. (Ask TransCabo for the cost of this.)
Note: If you book your transfer through Cabo San Lucas Tours – a third-party tour operator which uses TransCabo – you’ll save about 30%. Here’s the Cabo San Lucas Tours’ website for airport shuttles.
TransCabo: Bottom line?
TransCabo are trusted and reliable (receiving a 2022 Traveler’s Choice award from TripAdvisor).
They also offer good prices for private transfers in a van for large groups of 10 people.
3) Cielito Lindo
Cielito Lindo is a great option if you’re traveling as a single person or a couple and you want private car services from the airport to Cabo.
As with all agencies here, reservations must be booked in advance (Cielito Lindo requires three days’ notice for individuals and seven days’ notice for groups).
Again, you’ll receive email notification about how to meet the driver, who’ll be waiting for you outside the airport terminal.
Your vehicle will be meticulously clean – and a welcome bottle of cold water will be waiting for you.
As Cielito Lindo is a travel agency, they also offer other services.
They can stock your villa with groceries before you arrive – you need avocadoes to make guac and your other favorite Mexican food dishes!
Cielito Lindo can also take you on private sightseeing trips to Todos Santos and La Paz.
Cielito Lindo shuttle services
Only private car or van services are offered. (You can’t book a shared airport shuttle.)
Cielito Lindo cost: Examples
- $79.50 for a private transfer for 1 or 2 persons to Cabo San Lucas
- $85.00 one-way for a private transfer for 3 or 4 people to Cabo San Lucas ($170 round-trip)
- $105.00 one-way for a private transfer for 5 or 6 people to Cabo San Lucas ($210 round-trip)
A half-hour grocery shopping stop arranged in advance costs $45 (one hour for $60).
Cielito Lindo: Bottom line?
Cielito Lindo offers the cheapest private Los Cabos airport transfers for a single person or a couple.
4) All Ways Cabo Transportation
All Ways Cabo Transportation has more than eight years of experience in the business, and they come highly recommended.
They get excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. (All Ways comes up as the #3 company for “transportation in Cabo San Lucas.”)
Their fleet of vehicles includes Suburbans (least expensive – up to 5 passengers), premium Cadillac Escalades (up to 5 passengers), vans (9 passengers), limousines (10 passengers) and Sprinters (16 passengers).
Drivers are on-time and courteous, and you’re welcomed with beer, water and often bubbly too!
All Ways offers other Cabo transportation services too.
Perhaps you want to do a day trip from Cabo San Lucas? Maybe to explore Los Barriles or Todos Santos?
Booking this kind of service means you can have a hassle-free time, without the bother of renting a car (and all of you can have lunch with Mexican margaritas without worrying about a designated driver).
All Ways shuttle services
You get the whole vehicle for yourself, no matter whether you book for 1 person or 10 people (no shared shuttles).
All Ways Cabo Transportation cost: Examples
- $90 one-way to Medano Beach and Cabo San Lucas hotels for up to 5 people in a Suburban (cheapest vehicle)
- $165 round-trip to Medano Beach and Cabo San Lucas hotels for up to 5 people in a Suburban
- $175 round-trip to Pacific-side hotels like Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach (for up to 5 people)
All Ways Cabo Transportation: Bottom line?
This company offers a break on the cost for round-trip Cabo airport transfers.
And rather than competing on price, All Ways Cabo Transportation aims for the sweet spot – great service at a fair cost.
5) Blue Dreams
Blue Dreams is a private transfer company that started in Cancun in 2005.
They now also operate in Los Cabos.
It’s used by select luxury resorts like Grand Velas Los Cabos to transfer their guests.
(The Grand Velas used Blue Dreams to pick us up from the airport for our stay at the all-inclusive resort.)
Expect to be welcomed with a chilled facecloth and cold bottle of water, followed by a very comfortable ride.
Blue Dreams shuttle services
Only private shuttles services are offered.
The cost is the same, whether you book for one person or for 6 people.
Blue Dreams cost: Examples
- $70 one-way for 2 people (or 6 people) for a private transfer from the airport to San Jose del Cabo hotels (e.g., Hyatt Ziva)
- $150 one-way for 2 people (or 6 people) for a private transfer to the Grand Velas Los Cabos or Hilton Los Cabos (located on the Corridor)
- $120 one-way for 2 people (or 6 people) for private trip transfers to the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica (on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas)
Blue Dreams: Bottom line?
Blue Dreams is a good choice when only the best service will do (and price is no barrier).
6) Cabo Airport Shuttle
Cabo Airport Shuttle is another excellent low-cost transportation company for private transfers from the Cabo airport.
Book online through their easy-to-use website, over the phone or via email. The company is extremely prompt in responding.
They’ve been in business for several years now and are expanding, counting some 30+ vehicles in their fleet – Escalades, Suburbans, Mercedes Benz vehicles and so on.
They also aim to offer the fastest Cabo San Lucas airport transfers by investing in radios.
This means the greeter at the airport with the Cabo Airport Shuttle sign can radio the driver to pick you up immediately, without relying on WiFi for What’s App (which sometimes goes down at the airport) or spotty cell service.
The uniform for Cabo Airport Shuttle drivers consists of a dark green shirt and black pants – the greeter with the company sign wears the same uniform.
Drivers are courteous, and the vehicles are clean. In fact, the black Escalade we rode in recently looked brand new.
When settled in your vehicle, you’ll find complimentary chilled beer and water bottles waiting for you in a cooler.
Oh, and the drivers are super helpful too. One customer reports that after he accidentally left his phone in the vehicle, the driver quickly brought it to him at his hotel.
Our driver was very pleasant.
Cabo Airport Shuttle services
The company specializes in private airport transfers.
Cabo Airport Shuttle cost
- $85 one-way for a private shuttle to Cabo San Lucas hotels for up to 6 people
- $155 round-trip for a private shuttle to and from a Cabo San Lucas hotel for up to 6 people
Cabo Airport Shuttle: Bottom line?
Cabo Airport Shuttle offers solid and reliable private airport transportation services for solo travelers, couples, families and small groups.
Please bear in mind that the Los Cabos airport transfer companies noted in this post may change their costs at any time.
Cabo airport location
Where’s the airport?
There are two airports serving Los Cabos.
The Los Cabos International Airport is Cabo’s main airport and the airport you’re likely to fly into; the Los Cabos airport code is SJD.
This international airport is about 28 miles from Cabo San Lucas (a 40- to 45-minute drive) and eight miles from San Jose del Cabo (20-minute drive).
There’s also a much smaller airport closer to Cabo San Lucas for very small aircraft; the Cabo San Lucas International Airport code is CSL.
Beware the sales people selling Los Cabos timeshares!
After you’ve collected your baggage at the Los Cabos airport, you must pass by a slew of timeshare vendors before you exit.
Don’t get waylaid by the timeshare vendors – unless you want a free taxi ride (and a tour or other incentive) in exchange for giving up a half-day of your precious vacation time in Cabo to attend a timeshare presentation.
Just outside the terminal doors, you’ll see all the transfer company drivers holding signs for their passengers.
Locate your driver, and soon you’ll be on your way to a sunny Cabo holiday!
Note: The timeshare vendors are clever!
As you glance around, unsure about how exactly to exit the airport, they will approach you and ask if you need help finding your driver. Following them is an invitation to getting ensnared in discussions with them.
If you’re not interested in talking about timeshares, simply say “no thank-you” and continue walking straight through and out of the airport.
Recommended reading: Want to know how to bargain in Mexico the right way?
Uber in Cabo San Lucas
What about Uber in Los Cabos?
Can you get Uber in Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo?
In October, 2018, the company started to operate in the two towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo – yeah!
Apparently, more than 1,500 drivers have registered to offer Uber services.
The situation with Uber is complicated, however.
If you Google, you’ll find sites saying it’s “illegal” and not authorized to operate.
The taxi union is very strong in Los Cabos. They are unhappy about Uber coming to Cabo and they’re still doing all they can (unsuccessfully) to prevent Uber from gaining a foothold in Los Cabos.
But the fact is it exists in Cabo – and lots of visitors have used Uber.
For the most part, Uber works well within Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.
We recently used it to go from our Medano Beach resort in Cabo to a restaurant – and our Uber driver arrived within 4 minutes. (The cost was about $7 USD.)
We also used Uber (no problem) to help transport our groceries from the Selecto Chedraui grocery store in the Puerto Paraiso Mall in Cabo San Lucas to our Medano Beach resort.
Note: There’s no Uber at the Cabo airport
Unfortunately, you can’t currently use Uber from the airport.
It can also be difficult to use Uber to get to the airport.
That said, we do know of people who’ve successfully taken Uber to the airport (at a cost of about $48 USD from resorts on Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas).
That’s it for our post on Cabo San Lucas airport transportation!
Hopefully you’ve found our guide on the airport transfer options helpful!
Have you used any of the shuttles we’ve reviewed? What company do you think offers the best airport transfers?
Let us know! You can share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Experience more of Los Cabos!
How to play: Are you visiting in winter? Then you’ve got to go whale watching!
When to go: Hey, did you know summer in Cabo is a great time to visit?
Where to eat: In Cabo, do yourself a favor and eat at the beautiful farm-to-table Flora Farms restaurant.
Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one. (We especially like their flexible cancellation policy!)
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.
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Photo credits: 3, 6, 8, 16 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 4, 5 Ruta del Desierto | Cabo airport shuttle photos courtesy the respective shuttle companies
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, luxury hotel reviews, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, cruise reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!
J.D.
Wednesday 21st of June 2023
You can never get too much information when it comes to traveling. This is great information! Thanks for the reviews and links.
We're going with AllWays for an August 2023 trip.
Janice and George
Tuesday 27th of June 2023
We always like lots of information too, so we can make (hopefully!) better decisions for us :-).
Ben L.
Monday 19th of June 2023
What is the cab cost from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas? We have a group of 12 staying in San Jose, but would like to do a few days in Cabo.
Also, do you have any clue on the bus cost from San Jose to Cabo and the time to get there?
Thanks!
Janice and George
Saturday 1st of July 2023
Hi Ben,
You're probably looking at about $60 to $70 USD for a cab from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas.
As for the bus, it's 40 Mexican pesos (just under $2.50 USD) p.p. and it takes about 40 minutes, depending on how many stops there are.
Hope this helps :-).
Tony N.
Wednesday 5th of April 2023
Too much information here. I take Gray Line (reserve online) to and from my Cabo condo (or hotel). It costs $15 each person, one way to San Jose del Cabo, from the airport.
Janice and George
Thursday 6th of April 2023
Yes, sometimes shorter is sweeter :-). So we've made the Gray Line option more clear, right at the beginning of this post.
Tracy S.
Tuesday 7th of March 2023
Just an FYI: The first private transport you have listed no longer does grocery stops. Apparently the government doesn't allow it anymore, so I assume the others would all be the same.
Anyway, helpful article!!
Janice and George
Tuesday 21st of March 2023
Thanks, Tracy, for letting us know :-). We'll check that out...
Nick Gann
Tuesday 18th of January 2022
Saw this on your FB post and thought I'd give it a read. Good details, well written.
Janice and George
Friday 21st of January 2022
Awww, thanks, sweet of you to take the time to comment :-).