You’ve booked your hotel for a beach break in Cabo.
Now you want to know about your Cabo airport transportation options.
Specifically, what’s the best way to get from the Cabo airport to your hotel or resort?
You’ve come to the right place!
We travel often to Cabo and have used many different Los Cabos airport transportation services.
Cabo airport transportation
Taxis, the airport shuttle bus and semi-private or private Los Cabos airport shuttles are your main Cabo airport transfer options (apart from renting a car).
If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s also the public bus, Ruta del Desierto.
Here, we start with taxis, then cover the bus options and finish with our reviews of the 6 best Cabo airport shuttle companies. We also cover airport tips and finally, Uber.
Contents: Cabo airport shuttle options and reviews
Cost of a taxi – From the airport to Cabo San Lucas
Los Cabos Express – Why you don’t want to take it
Public bus from the airport to Cabo San Lucas (and from Cabo to the airport) – Ruta del Desierto
Cabo airport transportation – Semi-private vs. private transfers
6 best Los Cabos airport shuttle companies – Reviews
Los Cabos map and location of the airport
Timeshare vendors at the airport – How to avoid getting sucked in by them
Uber in Cabo San Lucas – Can you use Uber?
Recommended reading: Check out our ultimate Los Cabos Travel Guide! Find tips on the best restaurants, local buses, fun activities and more!
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 airport to Cabo San Lucas will cost you a minimum of $85+ USD.
If you’re traveling as a couple, that cost will be about double the price of a shared airport shuttle.
Los Cabos Express
Shuttle buses are operated by Los Cabos Express, which sells seats on large buses ($16 p.p.). You often have to wait for the bus to fill up, which stops at many resorts along the way.
The good news is that if you’ve forgotten to pre-book a transfer, and you don’t want to fork out for a taxi, you can buy tickets for the shuttle bus inside the airport when you arrive.
The first time we visited Cabo, this is how we got to our resort.
We don’t recommend this option, however.
This Cabo airport shuttle bus takes much longer than one of the pre-booked (shared) Cabo San Lucas airport shuttles in a smaller vehicle – which only cost a little more per person.
And – for virtually the same cost – wouldn’t you rather spend your time on the beach rather than in the bus?
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 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
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, it takes from about an hour to 75 minutes to reach Cabo town from the airport.
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 80 pesos (a little more than $4 USD).
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 Cabo airport transfers by public bus.
Best way? Cabo airport shuttle transportation
Cabo San Lucas shuttle from airport:
The fastest, most convenient and best-value way to get to your Los Cabos hotel is to book one of the Cabo San Lucas airport shuttle services in advance – a semi-private or private transfer with a reputable company.
Your transfer company driver will be waiting for you outside the airport terminal, holding a welcome sign with your name on it.
(Note that you must pass by all the timeshare vendors inside the airport first.)
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:
Private Los Cabos airport transportation is usually in a Suburban or other large SUV or van.
Reviews of Los Cabos airport shuttles
Los Cabos airport shuttle reviews
These 6 are reputable transfer companies, which we review below (noting prices for each):
1) Cabo Transfers
2) TransCabo
3) Cielito Lindo
4) All Ways Cabo Transportation
5) Blue Dreams
6) Cabo Airport Shuttle
We have personally used and been happy with #1, #2, #3 and #5 above.
We haven’t yet tried All Ways Cabo Transportation and Cabo Airport Shuttle. (We will though!) But they both get great reviews on TripAdvisor, so we’re including them here in our round-up of best Cabo San Lucas airport transportation companies.
Here are the best Cabo shuttle transfer options, in no particular order:
1) Cabo Transfers
Cabo Transfers offers a professional, quality transfer service within Los Cabos.
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 a private shuttle for the 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
- $21 p.p. for a one-way shared airport transfer – or $85 for a private transfer (for a group of up to 6 passengers) – to Medano Beach hotels in Cabo San Lucas
- $25 for a one-way shared airport transfer – or $90 for a private transfer (for a group of up to 6 passengers) – to the Pacific-side resorts
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.)
Cabo Transfers: Bottom line?
Cabo Transfers offers the cheapest semi-private (shared shuttle) transfer service.
2) TransCabo
One of the first companies to get into the business of driving guests around in the area, TransCabo offers a premium Cabo airport transportation shuttle service.
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.
Drivers are professional, helping you with your luggage and offering 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
- $126 for a one-way private transfer (up to 7 passengers) to Medano Beach hotels
Transcabo can provide infant car seats or baby car seats (they need to be reserved in advance). Ask for the cost of this service.
TransCabo: Bottom line?
TransCabo are trusted and reliable (receiving a 2020 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor).
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 like stocking your villa with groceries before you arrive and private sightseeing tours 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 been in business for more than seven years, and they come highly recommended.
They get excellent reviews on TripAdvisor – All Ways comes up as the #1 company for “transportation in Cabo San Lucas.”
Their fleet of vehicles includes Suburbans (least expensive – up to 5 passengers), premium 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 Cabo airport transportation company offers a break on round-trip costs.
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.
Blue Dreams cost: Examples
- $120 one-way for 2 people for a private transfer to San Jose del Cabo hotels (e.g., Hyatt Ziva)
- $150 one-way for 2 people for a private transfer to the Grand Velas Los Cabos
Blue Dreams: Bottom line?
Blue Dreams is a good choice when only the best will do (and price is no barrier).
6) Cabo Airport Shuttle
Cabo Airport Shuttle is another good low-cost transportation company (like Cabo Transfers, #1 above). See TripAdvisor reviews of Cabo Airport Shuttle.
They offer both shared shuttle and private transfers from the Cabo airport.
Book online through their easy-to-use website, over the phone or via email. Satisfied customers say the company is extremely prompt in responding.
Drivers are courteous, and the Cabo Airport Shuttle vehicles are clean.
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.
For the shared shuttle, vans are usually used, but the type of vehicle depends on the number of passengers that will be sharing the vehicle.
For private transfers, you’ll find complimentary chilled beer and water waiting for you in a cooler.
Cabo Airport Shuttle services:
You can book a semi-private (or shared) service as well as private airport transfers.
Cabo Airport Shuttle cost: Examples
- $22 p.p. one-way for a shared shuttle to Cabo San Lucas hotels
- $75 one-way for a private shuttle to Cabo San Lucas hotels for up to 6 people
- $135 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 the cheapest private transfer service for a family or small group.
Please bear in mind that the Los Cabos airport transfer companies noted in this post may change their costs at any time.
What cool things will you do in Cabo? See our epic list of things to do Cabo San Lucas!
Map and Cabo airport location
Where’s your hotel or resort located?
Los Cabos is made up of three main areas:
- Cabo San Lucas
- San Jose del Cabo
- Corridor – the 20-mile stretch of coastline connecting the above two resort towns
See this Google map showing the location of the Los Cabos International Airport.
You’ll see that Cabo San Lucas is the furthest away from the airport.
This explains why the transportation or shuttle from the Cabo airport to your hotel is more expensive than, say, to a Corridor or San Jose del Cabo hotel.
Where to stay? Read our reviews on the best hotels in Los Cabos (from boutique places to popular all-inclusives)
Where’s the airport?
There are two airports serving Los Cabos.
The Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) is Cabo’s main airport and the airport you’re likely to fly into; the Los Cabos airport code for this airport is SJD.
The Cabo 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.
Hey, where are good places to eat? We think these are the best Italian restaurants in Cabo
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!
Recommended reading: Want to know how to bargain in Mexico the right way?
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.
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!
Two Uber services are running: UberX for 1 to 4 people and UberASSIST for people with reduced mobility.
Approximately 1,500 drivers have registered.
We’ll have to wait and see if Uber will be allowed to continue, however.
The taxi union is very strong in Los Cabos; they are unhappy about this development and will likely do all they can to prevent Uber from gaining a foothold in Los Cabos.
Note: There’s no Uber at the Cabo airport
Unfortunately, you can’t currently use Uber to and from the airport.
Airport transportation: Cabo San Lucas
This completes our guide to the available Cabo airport transportation options.
How do you like getting from the airport to your resort? Have you used any of the Cabo San Lucas airport shuttle services we’ve reviewed? Let us know! You can share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Experience more of Los Cabos!
Read our posts on:
Where to play | Non-cheesy sunset cruises? Water taxi rides? Check out these 8 top water activities in Cabo!
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.
Photo credits: 3 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 5, 6 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 are the owners and founders of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents.
Find destination guides, global food-and-wine stories, articles on cultural explorations and soft adventure trips, luxury hotel reviews, insanely useful travel tips and more!
Manish Ambaliya
Friday 2nd of April 2021
Amazing! I know nothing about traveling through Mexico, what a wonderful-looking place to explore. Thanks for the information about traveling from the Cabo airport.
Janice and George
Friday 2nd of April 2021
There's lots to love about Mexico -- lots to see and do :-)
Jess
Thursday 18th of June 2020
Thank you so much for the information. I booked cheap transportation thanks to your post. Thank you also for the info about the bus, we will be using that also. ...wish there was a post about affordable things to do there 😊
Janice and George
Friday 19th of June 2020
So glad you found the information here helpful!
Yes, Cabo is an upscale holiday destination. But there are actually lots of free and affordable things to do in Cabo! Did you see our posts on?
~ Snorkeling at Santa Maria Beach – you can take the bus there and snorkel for free ~ 5 Best Beaches in Cabo San Lucas – the beaches are free :-) ~ 8 Fun Water Activities in Cabo San Lucas for Beach Lovers – the water taxi rides to the Arch and Lover's Beach are about $10 to $12 USD p.p. (round trip) ~ Art and Wine at Art Walk – it's free on Thursday evenings in winter
Have a great Cabo holiday!
Kevin
Wednesday 17th of June 2020
Recently with the COVID situation we been looking for private transportation in Los cabos. We found Cabo Shuttle has very good rates in addition to being quite careful with their units and we as their clients.
Robert Allen
Sunday 26th of January 2020
Wonderful post. Thank you Janice and George. Good tips, great info and hyperlinks to boot. Our first trip to Cabo is coming up in a couple of weeks in Feb 2020. Bumping into your webpage will prove useful!
Brandon
Wednesday 22nd of April 2020
I think the best deal to get to your destination from Cabo airport to Cabo San Lucas is offered by a company named Cape Transfers, Google them, the shuttle is $18 and the private for up to 4 is only $65, it was the best deal we found on the internet, you can thank me later ;)
Janice and George
Sunday 26th of January 2020
Thanks for letting us know you find our Cabo airport tips useful. It's always nice to hear from readers, especially kind words :-).
Be sure to also check out our complete Los Cabos Travel Guide -- packed with links to where to stay, best beaches, bargaining tips and more...
Leanne
Thursday 24th of October 2019
Hi, Do you know if I can catch that same bus from Cabo San Lucas back to the airport? And if so, are there bus stops to do that from?
Janice and George
Thursday 24th of October 2019
Yes, that Ruta del Desierto bus goes both ways between Cabo San Lucas and the airport, via San Jose del Cabo. In Cabo, the bus stop is in front of the Puerto Paraiso mall. So you can take the bus from there to the airport :-). It seems like quite a few folk are interested in taking the public bus, so we'll expand this section and add additional information so hopefully it's clearer - thanks for writing in...