Day trip from Playa del Carmen to Cancún
Cancún lies 65 km (41 mi) north of Playa del Carmen, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
At 65 km (41 mi) apart, Cancún is a realistic day trip from Playa del Carmen: about 1 h 4 min each way by road.
| Playa del Carmen | Cancún | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Mexico | Mexico |
| Population | 149,923 | 888,797 |
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Time now | UTC-5 (America/Cancun) | UTC-5 (America/Cancun) |
| Postal codes | 77710 | 86936–89604 |
Where to book tours and tickets in Cancún
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Staying in Cancún
Our booking partner lists 2,019+ places to stay in Cancún (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 724 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (328), and 82 are five-star. Across 330 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.1 out of 10. Guests have left 301,237 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Cancún
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Cancún from Playa del Carmen?
65 km (41 mi) in a straight line, north of Playa del Carmen; by road roughly 80 km (50 mi).
How long does it take to get from Playa del Carmen to Cancún by road?
About 1 h 4 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Playa del Carmen and Cancún?
No, both are on America/Cancun at the moment.
Where can I stay in Cancún?
Our booking partner lists 2,019+ places to stay in Cancún, bookable on this site.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.