How to Get from SJD Airport to Your Cabo Hotel: Transfers, Areas and Check-In Times

You land, you clear customs, and then you walk into a room full of people who want to give you a ride. The first ten minutes at SJD decide how the first day goes. Here is how to get from the airport to your hotel without stress, and what to know about where your hotel actually is.

The walk through arrivals

After customs there is a hall with desks and friendly people offering transport, maps and deals. Keep walking. Your driver is outside, past the sliding doors, holding a sign with your name. If you did not book a ride, the official taxi stand is outside too. Nothing you need is inside that hall.

Your transfer options

• Pre-booked private transfer. Our pick, every time. The price is set before you land, and you go straight to your hotel. Always arrange it through a reputable service before you fly.
• Shared shuttle. Cheaper, slower. You wait for the van to fill and you stop at other hotels first.
• Airport taxi. Fine if you did not plan ahead. Confirm the fare to your hotel before you get in.
• Rental car. Worth it if you plan day trips. Not needed if you are staying put at an all-inclusive.
• Hotel transfer. Some hotels include it. Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach lists complimentary airport transportation, for example. Ask when you book.

Do not count on a ride app at the curb. Book ahead.

Where your hotel is

The airport is outside San José del Cabo. One highway runs from there along the coast to Cabo San Lucas, and the drive between the two towns is about 30 minutes. Your ride time depends on which end you booked.

San José del Cabo, the short ride. The closest hotels to the airport. Viceroy Los Cabos is on the Malecón. Casa Natalia is in the historic district, steps from the galleries. Drift San José del Cabo is on Hidalgo in the center. Hotel El Ganzo and Secrets Puerto Los Cabos are in Puerto Los Cabos. Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos are here as well.

The Corridor, the middle. Hotels along the highway between the towns. Le Blanc Spa Resort Los Cabos is at Km 18.4. Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa, Paradisus Los Cabos, Marquis Los Cabos and Nobu Hotel Los Cabos are on this stretch too.

Cabo San Lucas, the far end. The longest ride, at the end of the highway. RIU Palace Cabo San Lucas is on Medano Beach. Sandos Finisterra is by the marina. Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa is out by Land's End. The Cape, a Thompson Hotel sits on the cliffs with the Arch in view. Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is reached through its own private tunnel, which is a good way to end a travel day. Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach and Pueblo Bonito Pacifica are on the Pacific side, past town.

Staying in Todos Santos, at Guaycura Boutique Hotel? That is a longer drive up the Pacific coast. Book a private transfer or rent a car.

Check-in times

Most hotels here check in at 3:00 PM and check out at noon. A few are later: Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, Grand Solmar Land's End and Drift San José del Cabo check in at 4:00 PM, with an 11:00 AM checkout. Casa Natalia also checks out at 11:00 AM. Guaycura is earlier, at 2:00 PM.

If your flight lands in the morning, your room may not be ready. Ask the hotel to hold your bags, change in the lobby bathroom, and start the trip at the pool.

Practical notes

• Book the transfer round trip. The ride back is the one people forget.
• Send the driver your flight number, not only the landing time.
• Carry small bills for a tip.
• Download offline maps before you leave home. Cell service is spotty outside town.
• Grab a business card from the hotel on day one. Hand it to any driver on the way back.

Book the ride before you fly, walk past the desks, and look for your name. See where to stay on our Los Cabos resorts page.