The dynamics of the photoinduced cyclization reaction of furyl fulgides has been studied applying femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. For furyl fulgide 1 and adamantylidene-substituted furyl fulgide 2 in different solvents, a scheme of the reaction mechanism is set up and the reaction rates are determined by fitting individual transients. Two parallel reaction pathways can be distinguished, one of them including an intermediate state. Reaction times in the picosecond range support the application of fulgides in optical data storage media and as molecular photoswitches.