Los Cabos, Baja California Sur
Chauffeur service from Los Cabos International to San José del Cabo, the Tourist Corridor, Cabo San Lucas and the Pacific coast, priced in US dollars with IVA, Highway 1D tolls and airport access already inside the quote.
One airport, one coast road and a toll highway behind it. What changes from booking to booking is where the day goes and how many people go with it.
Los Cabos International for commercial flights and Cabo San Lucas airport for private aircraft. We follow the flight from departure, and the first 60 minutes after the wheels touch down cost nothing.
Los Cabos airport transfersFor a day split between San José del Cabo, a lunch on the Tourist Corridor and the marina in Cabo San Lucas. Two-hour minimum, the car stays with you between stops, and the same booking handles wedding transportation and group movements.
Hourly chauffeur in Los CabosTodos Santos on the Pacific side, La Paz on the Sea of Cortez and Cabo Pulmo on the East Cape, each quoted as one fare from the door to the destination.
Day trips from Los CabosCabo San Lucas is a tender port, so passengers come ashore at the marina rather than at a pier. Cruise transfers in Los Cabos connect the marina with SJD, Pedregal and the resorts, timed to your ship.
Los Cabos cruise transfersA Los Cabos chauffeur service is private ground transport booked in advance at a fixed US dollar price, carried out by a licensed chauffeur operator holding a federal tourism transport permit from SICT (Secretaría de Infraestructura, Comunicaciones y Transportes, through its Dirección General de Autotransporte Federal) and the airport operator's access authorisation at SJD. That permit and that authorisation are what allow the chauffeur to meet you at the terminal. The car, the chauffeur and the total are agreed before you fly, whether the booking is an SJD airport transfer, an hourly car service along the coast or a private transfer between resorts.
The alternative at the airport is the official taxi kiosk outside Terminal 2, which sells zone tickets and prefers cash. In 2026 those tickets run roughly US$65 to US$85 to San José del Cabo and US$90 to US$115 to Cabo San Lucas. A pre-booked Los Cabos car service lands in much the same range, so the case for booking ahead is certainty and the name sign rather than a saving. Ride-hailing apps are not authorised to collect at the airport, which is why a reserved taxi alternative matters more here than in most cities.
The same reservation reaches the whole municipality and past it. SJD to San José del Cabo takes about twenty minutes, SJD to the Tourist Corridor covers Palmilla, Esperanza, Chileno and Cabo del Sol, and SJD to Cabo San Lucas runs the length of the coast. Private jets use Cabo San Lucas airport. Wedding parties and corporate travel groups landing across a day are planned as one job.
Nearly every visitor lands at SJD. Private aircraft also use a separate field closer to Cabo San Lucas, and La Paz is a long way north but sometimes the right ticket.
| Airport | Where it is | Typical drive, off-peak | Typical drive, peak | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Cabos InternationalSJD, Terminals 1 and 2 | About 10 km north of San José del Cabo | 15 to 25 min to San José, 45 to 60 to Cabo San Lucas | 25 to 40 min to San José, 60 to 80 to Cabo San Lucas | Every scheduled flight, domestic and international, and the whole Cape |
| SJD general aviationNorth end of SJD, FBO PrimeSky | On the SJD airfield | As for SJD | As for SJD | Business aircraft landing at SJD, met at the general aviation terminal |
| Cabo San Lucas InternationalCSL, private aviation | About 26 km south of SJD | Quoted to your address at booking | Quoted to your address at booking | Private jets on a 7,000 ft runway, with customs as a port of entry |
| La PazLAP, state capital | About 200 km from SJD | 2 h 30 to 3 h to SJD | 3 h to 3 h 30 to SJD | Fares or connections that only work through La Paz, or a stay in La Paz itself |
Times are door to door for a direct private vehicle, not a shared shuttle stopping at several hotels. Peak here means the things that actually slow the Cape: congestion in downtown Cabo San Lucas and the roadworks at the Glorieta Fonatur roundabout near the airport. Protest stoppages sit outside both columns. Los Cabos is on Zona Pacífico time, UTC−7 all year, one hour behind Mexico City.
At SJD the hard part is not finding the car. It is getting through the corridor between customs and the exit without being sold a timeshare tour.
International flights arrive at Terminal 2, where you clear immigration and customs. Straight after customs comes an indoor corridor that regulars call the shark tank. Timeshare sellers and tour vendors work it, and many will offer transport, a free ride or a discount in exchange for a presentation. None of them is your chauffeur. Keep walking and carry on through the doors; your booking needs nothing from anyone inside.
Pre-booked drivers wait outside, past the second set of glass doors, in a large shaded area laid out in numbered stalls. Your chauffeur stands there with a sign showing your name, and the message sent before you land confirms where they are standing. Detail and timings are on the SJD airport transfer page and on SJD to Cabo San Lucas.
Domestic flights from elsewhere in Mexico use Terminal 1. The pickup is outside the terminal exit, and your chauffeur confirms the exact door in the message sent before you land. The Ruta del Desierto airport bus also boards at Terminal 1.
GAP, the airport operator, plans to enlarge Terminal 2 by about 22,000 square metres and move domestic airlines into it, around late 2027, after which Terminal 1 would close. As of May 2026 the major construction phase had not begun. The airport handled 7.5 million passengers in 2025, and traffic in 2026 has been running lower, with March down 6.9 percent on the year before.
Business aircraft landing at SJD use the general aviation terminal at the north end of the field, where PrimeSky is the FBO. Give the tail number and FBO with the booking and the chauffeur meets you there.
Cabo San Lucas International is a separate airport for private aviation, about 26 km south of SJD, with a 7,000 ft runway and status as a port of entry. Ground handlers include Manny Aviation. Pickup is arranged with the handler, and the operator confirms the meeting point once your arrival slot is set.
Terminal facts above were checked against public sources in October 2026. With a terminal expansion planned, assignments may move, so confirm yours from your boarding pass and follow your chauffeur's message on the day.
Three things can add to the cost of getting from SJD to your hotel: the toll highway, the 16 percent IVA and a state visitor fee. Two of them are inside a RYDES price. The third is a government charge each traveller pays directly.
Highway 1D, run by Capufe, is the only toll road in Baja California Sur. It runs inland 58.9 km from the airport to Cabo San Lucas, and the car tolls from April 2026 are MXN 51 from the airport to San José del Cabo, MXN 118 from the airport to Cabo San Lucas and MXN 93 between San José and Cabo San Lucas. The coastal Highway 1 through the Tourist Corridor is free, as is Highway 19 north to Todos Santos. When your chauffeur takes the toll road to save time, the toll is already in your fare.
IVA at 16 percent is included in every quote, along with any airport access charges. What is not included is Embrace It, the Baja California Sur visitor fee of MXN 470 per international visitor. It is paid online only at embraceit.bcs.gob.mx, there are no booths for it at SJD, and neither your chauffeur nor the operator collects it. Paid parking, if you ask the car to wait somewhere that charges, is the only other cost outside the quote.
| RYDES chauffeur | Official airport taxi | Ruta del Desierto bus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the price is set | At booking, then fixed | Zone ticket bought at the kiosk on arrival | A fixed ticket, about US$5 a seat |
| Typical cost to Cabo San Lucas | In the same range as a taxi | About US$90 to US$115 | About US$5 per person |
| Highway 1D tolls | Inside the quoted price | Ask at the kiosk what the zone ticket covers | Part of the bus ticket |
| IVA at 16 percent | Inside the quoted price | Inside the zone price | Inside the ticket |
| Embrace It visitor fee | Not included; paid online by each visitor | Not included | Not included |
| Paying | Card at booking, in US dollars | Cash preferred | At the bus |
| Waiting for a delayed flight | 60 minutes free from landing | You queue when you land | Runs 04:30 to 22:00, boards at Terminal 1 |
| Gratuity | Optional, offered once at payment | At your discretion | Not applicable |
The route choice belongs to the operator. Toll road or coast road, it does not change the number you agreed. A chauffeur heading to Palmilla usually stays on the free coastal highway; one heading to Pedregal at the far end of Cabo San Lucas may take Highway 1D and avoid the corridor. The full cost comparison is on Los Cabos taxi versus chauffeur.
The airport sits just north of San José del Cabo, at the opposite end of the coast from Cabo San Lucas, so where on the Cape you are staying decides the drive. These ranges allow for the roadworks and the evening queues in Cabo San Lucas.
| Route | Off-peak | Weekday peak | What moves it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJD to San José del Cabo | 15 to 25 min | 25 to 40 min | About 10 km; the Glorieta Fonatur roundabout works and Arroyo Costa Azul detours, expected to run to about November 2026 |
| SJD to Puerto Los Cabos | 15 to 25 min | 25 to 40 min | The marina development east of San José, through the same roundabout |
| SJD to One&Only Palmilla (Km 7.5) | 20 to 30 min | 30 to 45 min | About 27 km, the nearest of the Corridor resorts |
| SJD to Esperanza (Km 7) and Chileno Bay (Km 15) | 35 to 45 min | 45 to 60 min | Coastal Highway 1, free of tolls |
| SJD to Cabo del Sol and Four Seasons (Km 10.3) | 30 to 45 min | 45 to 60 min | Toll road or coast road, chosen on the day |
| SJD to Grand Velas (Km 17) | 30 to 45 min | 45 to 60 min | Close to the Cabo San Lucas end of the Corridor |
| SJD to downtown Cabo San Lucas | 45 to 60 min | 60 to 80 min | Highway 1D, 58.9 km to Cabo San Lucas; downtown congestion at the far end |
| SJD to Pedregal | 50 to 65 min | 65 to 90 min | Through or around downtown Cabo San Lucas, the slowest final stretch |
| SJD to Todos Santos | 1 h 30 to 1 h 45 | 1 h 45 to 2 h 15 | About 119 km; Highway 19 is free |
| SJD to Cabo Pulmo and the East Cape | 2 h 30 to 3 h | 3 h to 3 h 30 | About 185 km; the last 8 to 11 km are dirt road |
Weather moves these numbers more than traffic in late summer. Pacific hurricane season begins on 15 May by the local authorities' count, and a storm can disrupt roads and flights. Hurricane Odile struck Cabo San Lucas as a Category 3 on 14 and 15 September 2014. Hurricane Polo made landfall in central Baja California Sur, in Comondú rather than Los Cabos, on 28 and 29 September 2026.
Day trips and onward runs are quoted as one fixed fare to the address, not by the kilometre, so a slow dirt track at the end does not change what you pay.
| Destination | Distance | Typical drive | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Todos Santos | About 119 km from SJD | 1 h 30 to 2 h 15 | Pacific-side town on free Highway 19; a common day out or a stay of its own |
| La Paz | About 200 km from SJD | 2 h 30 to 3 h 30 | The state capital on the Sea of Cortez, and a second airport |
| Cabo Pulmo and the East Cape | About 185 km from SJD | 2 h 30 to 3 h 30 | Last 8 to 11 km on dirt and no fuel in Cabo Pulmo; SUV class advised |
| El Arco and the marina | Downtown Cabo San Lucas | Depends on your start | Boat trips to the arch leave from the Cabo San Lucas marina; we drop off and collect at the agreed time |
| Cruise transfer | Typical drive, off-peak | Typical drive, peak | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marina tender landing to SJD | 45 to 60 min | 60 to 80 min | Allow for the tender queue as well as the drive on a disembarkation day |
| SJD to the marina before a sailing | 45 to 60 min | 60 to 80 min | Fly in the day before if you can; a late flight can cost you the ship |
| Marina to Pedregal | A short downtown run | Slower on busy ship days | Downtown Cabo San Lucas congestion is the variable |
| Marina to Tourist Corridor resorts | Quoted to the resort | Quoted to the resort | Time depends on the resort's kilometre marker |
Large ships anchor offshore and tender passengers into the marina, while smaller ships may dock at Puerto Paraíso Marina. Send the ship name and date with your booking and the chauffeur confirms the meeting point. Port management passed from Fonatur to ASIPONA, so landing arrangements may change between seasons. There is no fuel in Cabo Pulmo, which the operator plans for on East Cape runs.
The whole municipality of Los Cabos and the roads north and east out of it. The chauffeur meeting you is dispatched by a licensed operator working locally.
The passenger number below is the comfortable one, not the maximum. Golf bags, surfboards and dive gear take more room than suitcases, so mention them and size up.
| Class | Typical vehicles | Passengers | Luggage | In Los Cabos, best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StandardComfortable everyday sedan | Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata | 3 | 2 medium | A couple with light bags going to San José del Cabo or Puerto Los Cabos |
| BusinessThe everyday standard | Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac CT6 | 3 | 2 large, 1 small | One or two travellers to a Corridor resort, or an evening run to the marina |
| FirstFlagship sedans | Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 | 3 | 2 large, 1 small | Client arrivals and villa guests in Pedregal where the cabin matters |
| SUVRoom for luggage | Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon | 5 | 5 large | Families with checked bags, golf clubs, the dirt road to Cabo Pulmo and most SJD arrivals |
| VanA seat and a case each | Mercedes V-Class, Mercedes Vito, Ford Transit | 7 | 7 large | Up to seven with luggage, Todos Santos day trips and cruise groups from the marina |
| GroupUp to sixteen | Mercedes Sprinter, executive minibus | up to 16 | By arrangement | Wedding guests, incentive groups and conference transfers between SJD and the resorts |
An SUV is the sensible choice for families and anyone heading to the East Cape, where the road to Cabo Pulmo ends on dirt. Capacity and luggage detail for each class is on the vehicle classes page. For larger parties, see group transportation in Los Cabos.
One number in US dollars, set when you book. Nothing gets added at the hotel door.
Los Cabos is not a city where a chauffeur saves you money against a taxi, and there are trips where a bus does the job for a fraction of the price.
On a budget, travelling light and staying in San José del Cabo or Cabo San Lucas, the Ruta del Desierto bus is about US$5 a seat (the fare reported in December 2024, which may have moved since). It boards at Terminal 1 and runs from 04:30 to 22:00. If you simply want a car and do not mind queuing, the official taxi kiosks outside Terminal 2 sell zone tickets at roughly US$65 to US$85 to San José, US$75 to US$95 to the Corridor and US$90 to US$115 to Cabo San Lucas, mostly in cash. A pre-booked private transfer averages close to the same, around US$80, US$95 and US$110 for those zones.
What a booking buys is not a lower price. It is a named chauffeur waiting outside when you land, a price fixed in US dollars before you fly and payable by card, a car sized for your bags, waiting time if the flight runs late, and a driver who goes to Pedregal or Cabo Pulmo without renegotiating. If none of that matters, take the bus or the taxi. The side-by-side is on Los Cabos taxi versus chauffeur.
The terminal, the sales corridor, the toll or coast road decision. Your chauffeur deals with all of it.
Pickup, destination and time, plus the flight number so we can watch the aircraft from take-off. Ask for an English-speaking chauffeur in the notes if you want one.
Each class appears with its total in US dollars, IVA and tolls counted, so you compare final prices.
Chauffeur name, photo, car and plate reach you three hours before pickup, with the meeting point for your terminal.
If yours is not here, dispatch answers around the clock at +1 888 881 7933 or support@rydes.co.
At Terminal 2, outside the building. After customs you pass through an indoor corridor where timeshare and tour sellers work; walk past them. Pre-booked drivers wait past the second set of glass doors in a large shaded area with numbered stalls, holding signs with passengers' names. Domestic arrivals at Terminal 1 get the exact door in the chauffeur's message. See the SJD airport transfer page.
They are timeshare sellers and tour vendors working the corridor between customs and the exit at Terminal 2. A free or discounted ride is usually tied to attending a sales presentation. They are not connected to your booking, and your chauffeur will not be among them. Keep walking until you are outside past the second glass doors.
Not from the airport. On 30 October 2025 SICT said ride-hailing apps have no authorisation to provide airport service, and as of April 2026 app pickups at SJD remained prohibited, with no app pickup zone. At the airport your options are a pre-booked operator with the federal permit and airport access, the official taxi kiosks or the Ruta del Desierto bus.
Official airport taxis charged roughly US$90 to US$115 to Cabo San Lucas in 2026, US$75 to US$95 to the Tourist Corridor and US$65 to US$85 to San José del Cabo, sold as zone tickets at kiosks outside Terminal 2, with cash preferred. Pre-booked private transfers average about the same. Compare on Los Cabos taxi versus chauffeur.
Yes. IVA at 16 percent, Highway 1D tolls whenever the route uses the toll road and airport access charges are all inside the US dollar price quoted at booking. Car tolls from April 2026 are MXN 118 from the airport to Cabo San Lucas and MXN 51 to San José del Cabo. Parking where you ask the car to wait is not included. Details on SJD to Cabo San Lucas.
No. Embrace It is the Baja California Sur visitor fee, MXN 470 per international visitor, and it is a government charge each traveller pays. It is paid online only at embraceit.bcs.gob.mx and there are no booths for it at SJD. Neither the chauffeur nor the operator collects it, and it is not part of a RYDES price.
Yes. Every airport pickup is carried out by a licensed chauffeur operator holding a federal tourism transport permit from SICT, issued through the Dirección General de Autotransporte Federal, and the airport's access authorisation, which is what lets the chauffeur meet you at the terminal. Inside the federal airport zone only concession taxis, permit holders and operators with that authorisation may collect passengers. Permits and insurance are verified before an operator can accept bookings.
Baja California Sur's Unidad de Transporte y Movilidad had required federal tourism permit holders to also obtain state permits. On 23 June 2026 the Supreme Court struck down that requirement, and local taxi drivers held a one-hour stoppage on 30 June 2026 in protest. The governor's position is that federal permits cannot be used to run as urban taxis, and operators log airport-to-hotel trips on an agreed platform.
Usually 45 to 60 minutes, and 60 to 80 minutes when downtown Cabo San Lucas is congested or the roadworks near the airport slow the start. The toll Highway 1D runs 58.9 km from the airport to Cabo San Lucas. San José del Cabo is 15 to 25 minutes and Pedregal 50 to 65. See SJD to Cabo San Lucas and SJD to Pedregal.
It depends on the resort's kilometre marker. One&Only Palmilla at Km 7.5 is about 27 km and 20 to 30 minutes. Esperanza at Km 7 and Chileno Bay at Km 15 are typically 35 to 45 minutes, and Cabo del Sol, Four Seasons and Grand Velas 30 to 45 minutes off-peak. The coastal highway through the Corridor is free. See SJD to the Tourist Corridor.
Yes, at one fixed fare to the address. Todos Santos is about 119 km from SJD on free Highway 19, around an hour and a half. Cabo Pulmo is about 185 km and 2.5 to 3 hours, with the last 8 to 11 km on dirt road and no fuel in Cabo Pulmo, so an SUV is advised. See SJD to Todos Santos and SJD to the East Cape.
Yes. Cabo San Lucas is a tender port: large ships anchor offshore and bring passengers to the marina by tender, while smaller ships may dock at Puerto Paraíso Marina. Send the ship name and date and your chauffeur confirms the meeting point. Marina to SJD is usually 45 to 60 minutes, plus the tender queue. See cruise transfers in Los Cabos.
As of the advisory dated 29 May 2026, the US State Department rates Baja California Sur, the state that includes Los Cabos, at Level 2, Exercise increased caution due to terrorism and crime. Check the current version at travel.state.gov before you travel.
Not necessarily. Request an English-speaking chauffeur in the booking notes and the operator confirms before pickup whether one can be assigned.
At least 3 hours before pickup, and RYDES takes reservations up to a year ahead. Book early for winter high season, whale season (the official observation season runs 15 December to 15 April), cruise season from October and holiday weeks. Hourly bookings have a two-hour minimum in 30-minute increments; see hourly chauffeur hire.
We track the aircraft from the flight number, so a delay moves the pickup automatically at no cost and the 60 free minutes start at the actual landing time. Beyond that, waiting is charged in 15-minute increments and you are told before it starts. A diversion to another airport is handled by dispatch on +1 888 881 7933, around the clock.
Every airport, route, area and service we cover around Los Cabos, each with its own pickup detail, timings and pricing.
Chauffeur service across Mexico and the rest of North America: see every city we cover.
See your Los Cabos price in under a minute, in US dollars, with IVA, tolls and airport access already counted.
