The most convenient transport from the airport is the official taxi, which will take you to the centre in about 320 mxn. The Uber mobile app is often cheaper with prices starting from 180 mxn.
The airport is very close to the centre. It takes about 5-10 minutes by car and bus to get to Marina and about 30 minutes to get to downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Public transportation in the form of crowded and unconditioned buses costs 10 mxn.
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Taxi
Taxi is the most widely used mode of transportation from the airport. There are two options.
The official airport taxi
There are several official taxi companies operating at the airport, the largest of which is Trip.
There are counters in the arrivals hall for these taxi companies, where you order a ride and pay directly. You will be given a ticket to walk out with and the taxi coordinator will put you in a free car. You don't pay anything to the driver.
At the counters you can usually pay with both cash and card.
Prices are fixed by zone. The indicative current prices as of 2025 are as follows:
- Zone 1A (Marina Vallarta) - 290 mxn
- Zone 1 (Downtown Puerto Vallarta to the Sheraton Buganvilias Hotel) - 320 mxn
- Zone 2 (South of Puerto Vallarta to the Hyatt Ziva and the central part of Nuevo Nayarit) - - 430 mxn
- Zone 3 (North of Nuevo Nayarit and the entire south of Puerto Vallarta around the Mismaloya Hotel) - - 525 mxn
Yellow City Taxi
Slightly cheaper are the city taxis, also official and safe. The cars are marked yellow with white back and front.
The taxi rank for these taxis is outside the airport area, but still very close.
All you have to do is cross the pedestrian bridge over the highway (about 200 meters). The yellow taxi rank is in front of the bus stop.
However, you must always agree the price in advance with the taxi driver and you can only pay in cash. It is a good idea to check the official taxi prices at the terminal. The price of a yellow taxi should be about 20-30% lower, i.e. to the Marina approx 205 mxn and to the centre of Puerto Vallarta approx 240 mxn.
Uber
Driving via the Uber mobile app tends to be significantly cheaper than a taxi. Remember that the price is calculated according to the current demand. Prices therefore vary and below is an average.
Waiting times usually range from 3 to 13 minutes.
- Marina - 80 mxn
- Puerto Vallarta downtown - 180 mxn
- Puerto Vallarta South - 250 mxn
- Nuevo Nayarit - 220 mxn
The Uber stop is outside the airport area, similar to the yellow cabs.
After exiting the terminal, take a left and cross the pedestrian bridge in front of the freeway. Uber stops about 20 meters north of the bus stop - see map.
However, on the way to the airport, Uber cars can drop passengers off right outside the terminal.
Rent a car
Rent a car at the airport if you want to be a little more active and take trips outside of Puerto Vallarta, or simply if you want to be fully independent of other transportation.
The airport has a large number of well-known car rental companies, whose counters are located in the arrivals hall just after you exit the transit area.
Car rental prices for a week in high season are around 190 usd.
Compare prices - book a car on booking.com
Public transport
Public transportation in Puerto Vallarta is provided by buses, which are a great option for travelers with small luggage. Buses tend to have very little space and are often overcrowded, so if you are travelling with larger luggage, the bus ride will be uncomfortable for you and other passengers.
Buses in Puerto Vallarta are usually not air-conditioned.
However, bus travel around the city is safe and by far the cheapest. The fare on all lines for 1 ride (regardless of distance) is 10 mxn.
Always pay cash only to the conductor or driver inside the bus.
The bus stop is located about 150 meters to the left of the terminal under the pedestrian bridge that goes over the highway. However, do not cross the bridge to get to downtown Puerto Vallarta. The stop in the direction of downtown is on the side of the road closer to the airport.
There are several lines that pass by the airport. The number is usually marked on the windshield, but sometimes the windshield just lists the destinations the bus is going to.
The individual lines run at intervals of 10-30 minutes, but there are always several lines together to the centre, and for example the interval to the nearby Marina, where all the lines from the airport go, is between 2 and 10 minutes.
- C24 - Marina, North Puerto Vallarta (Plaza Las Glórias, Plaza Caracol), South Puerto Vallarta (Muelle, Zona Romantica), does not go through downtown (bypasses it through a tunnel)
- C25 - Marina, North Puerto Vallarta, Central Puerto Vallarta (ZT1)
- C26A - Marina, north Puerto Vallarta, ends at the northern edge of downtown
- C28 - Marina, inland Puerto Vallarta (north - Vistas del Mar), does not go to downtown
- PT23C - Marina, north Puerto Vallarta, central Puerto Vallarta (Malecon)
- PT23T - Marina, northern Puerto Vallarta (Plaza Las Glórias, Plaza Caracol), southern Puerto Vallarta (Muelle, Zona Romantica), does not go through downtown (bypasses it through a tunnel)
- PT26BC - Marina, North Puerto Vallarta, Central Puerto Vallarta (ZT1)
- PT26BT - Marina, North Puerto Vallarta (Plaza Las Glórias, Plaza Caracol), South Puerto Vallarta (Muelle, Zona Romantica), does not go through downtown (bypasses it via tunnel)
- PT35C - Marina, inland centre of Puerto Vallarta
- PT35T - Marina, Puerto Vallarta inland centre, South Puerto Vallarta (Muelle, Zona Romantica), but southbound route is significantly longer than PT26BT, PT23T and C24
- T01 - Marina, North Puerto Vallarta, Central Puerto Vallarta (Malecon), South Puerto Vallarta (Zona Romantica, Muelle)
For official information and a listing of all routes, visit rutasvallarta.com/rutas.
Buses run from approximately 5:00 am to 11:00 pm.
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Transfer from travel agency
After passing through immigration control, look for your delegate with your travel agent's identification, who will take you to the bus directly to your resort.
The bus stop for the buses that will take you to your hotels is directly in front of the terminal about 20 meters from the exit.
