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Is Chichen Itza Worth It? + When It’s Not
Chichen Itza has gotten a bit of a bad reputation lately. After all, it does get throngs of tourists every day. Local people have obviously caught onto this. So they line the walking paths selling trinkets and souvenirs.
The commercialization has led some visitors to wonder, “is Chichen Itza worth it?”
Since my family and I lived in Mexico for over a year, we’ve been to Chichen Itza several times, before and after the pandemic. While some things have changed, we still feel the same about it.
YES, CHICHEN ITZA IS WORTH VISITING! Definitely. Even just as a day trip during a one-week Riviera Maya vacation.
I have a few tips that will help most any visitor to this massive Mayan temple complex agree that Chichen Itza Mexico is worth it.
I’ll also talk about why it may not be worth it for you. So keep reading to see if you’re one of the folks who should skip Chichen Itza.
Quick Answer to “Is Chichen Itza Worth It?”
Convinced already that Chichen Itza is worth it? 😎
👉 This Chichen Itza Private Tour and this guided tour with cenotes are both amazing. You’ll have a blast!
Best Tips for Making a Visit to Chichen Itza Worth It
These are our top tips, from personal experience, for getting the most out of your visit to Chichen Itza.
1. Get There Early in the Day
Arriving right when it opens, or shortly thereafter, helps make the day go more smoothly. It also means you avoid the hottest part of the day. It takes approximately two hours to see the highlights of Chichen Itza.
Especially during spring and summer, temperatures at the ruins can regularly exceed 90 degrees. Since there is little shade there, it feels hotter than that!
In addition, most tour groups tend to arrive closer to 10 am. Both times we’ve gone, we were some of the only people at Chichen Itza. If you want to see the sites without being surrounded by hundreds-or thousands-of others,
Bottom Line: Chichen Itza is worth it when you don’t have to contend with heat or crowds. Getting there early avoids both of these.
2. Book a Tour Guide
If you’re going to pay the higher-than-average entrance fee to see this place, then don’t skimp by not hiring a guide. There aren’t a lot of explanatory markers at each structure. Without a guide, you will have no clue what you’re looking at or why it’s important.
There are a few places and ways to get a guided tour when you travel to Chichen Itza. Just don’t book a large tour group, as then you won’t have the flexibility to leave early in the day to avoid the masses.
Private tours are the way to go in order to make Chichen Itza worth it.
Pre-Book a Private Guided Tour
There are a lot of companies offering tours to Chichen Itza. The benefit of a guided tour is you don’t have to wait in line for tickets, you have a tour guide already assigned to your group, and you usually don’t have to worry about paying tolls.
👉 The first time we visited Chichen Itza, we booked a Chichen Itza Private Tour with friends.
If we didn’t have our own car in Mexico, I’d have absolutely done this tour again. It was a no-stress day that we enjoyed tremendously. Plus, we also got to swim in a cenote and have lunch on the way back to our resort.
👉 This guided tour includes a cenote, lunch, and a stop in Valladolid centro to shop and explore.
This is a great option for people interested in seeing one of the Yucatan’s Pueblo Magicos.
Hire a Private Guide at the Gate
When we visited Chichen Itza in 2022, we drove ourselves. We did not have a guide pre-booked.
As we entered the road leading to the parking area, a guy offered a private tour for 1800 pesos. We passed on his offer knowing that we could get a better deal at the gate.
There are two guide booths set up right next to the ticket counters. These are legitimate tour companies with set prices in seven languages.
💲 Spanish: 900 MXN
💲 English: 1,000 MXN
💲 Italian: 1,200 MXN
💲 French: 1,200 MXN
💲 Dutch: 1,200 MXN
💲 Netherlands: 1,200 MXN
💲 Portuguese: 1,200 MXN
We were pleasantly surprised to see that you can now book one of these certified guides for Chichen Itza in advance. This can be done by contacting them on their Facebook page or by emailing them at guiaschichenitza@gmail.com.
With this option, you still need to provide your own transportation, entry fees, etc. The price for this option is strictly the guided tour inside the archaeological site.
If you’re seeking a guide for English or Spanish, this isn’t necessary. However, I’d recommend doing it if you want a tour in a different offered language.
Buy a Self-Guided Walking Tour
If a guided tour or private guide is out of your price range, don’t fret! You can still get a guided experience on a budget.
👉 This self-directed guided tour of Chichen Itza is GPS tracked for accuracy and costs just $7/device!
While technically you could buy one tour for a group, playing it loudly on a speaker is rather rude to the visitors around you.
As you approach one of the structures in the list, the app will automatically start playing information about it. This gives you extra flexibility to go and see things in the order you prefer. So if one area is busy you can circle back to return to it later.
For kiddos that don’t have a GPS-capable device, you can either hotspot them via wifi or get a headphone splitter so each kid can share listening easily with an adult.
👉 We travel with this audio input splitter. It’s also handy on flights when we want to watch a family movie on an iPad or laptop.
Regardless of what type of tour you take, the extra knowledge you glean from the tour makes a trip to Chichen Itza worth it.
3. Embrace the Vendors
Not literally. Hugs are still a no-go with strangers due to the pandemic. But yes, having people try to sell you things can be annoying.
Pro Tip: Going first thing when Chichen Itza opens allows you to get through most of your tour before most finish setting up their wares (usually around 10 am).
Reframing your perspective on the salespeople will also help. You learn during the tours that Chichen Itza was a major commercial center for the Mayan people.
There was a large market of vendors selling things from all over the Mayan empire. The tables of souvenirs and trinkets you see actually reflects that rich history.
It helps to remember that just because you aren’t planning on buying anything doesn’t mean that the vendors detract from the experience. After all, if people weren’t willing to buy then there wouldn’t be anyone trying to sell. Just roll with it.
4. Visit Chichen Itza at Night
While closed during most of the pandemic, the Chichen Itza light show is back! We hadn’t even heard of this before heading to Mexico in 2021.
Insider Tip: Kukulkan Nights is the best-kept secret in Chichen Itza tourism. It runs Tuesday through Sunday.
The Kukulkan Pyramid has a laser show projected onto it that is an exciting show full of history and beautiful light effects. The ancient Mayan ruins come to life thanks to the dramatic lights, images, and sounds.
Kids especially, enjoy watching a projected (and educational) light show rather than staring at stone buildings during the day.
➡️ Ticket Sale Start Time: 3 pm
➡️ Ticket Cost: 600 pesos for adults and kids over 3
➡️ Entry Time: 5:45 pm
➡️ Sunday Special: Tickets are half price for everyone
➡️ What to Bring: Mosquito repellent
Blanket for sitting on the ground
The coolest part is even before the show starts, visitors are free to walk around the grounds within certain areas to take pictures. During the show you can stand or sit on the ground to watch the show when it starts.
Only a few hundred people attending the night show are present so it’s so much more intimate than visiting during the day. In my opinion, this is truly the best way to make Chichen Itza worth it.
5. Be Prepared
These essentials will help make your visitor to the ruins more enjoyable. This way you’ll feel like your time at Chichen Itza was worth it.
✔️ Wear proper footwear.
Sneakers or closed-toe hiking sandals are best. Flip flops will result in you hurting your toes and/or rolling your ankles if you trip on a root or on uneven ground.
✔️ Bring sunscreen and an umbrella.
There is very little shade at Chichen Itza. Apply sunscreen while waiting in line to buy tickets. It will soak in properly before you start your ruins tour. If you’re very sensitive to the sun or have kids who are, the umbrella will provide extra sun protection.
✔️ Have water handy.
We travel with a two-liter water bladder. It rolls up flat and fits well in our day pack. With so much sun and heat, it’s vital to stay hydrated at all times. There are a couple of snack shops inside the park that sell water. However, the shops aren’t always accessible on your tour route and everything inside is pricey.
👉 We use this day pack with 2L water bladder. The shoulder straps are comfortable and the zip pockets store extra essentials.
✔️ Eat well before you enter.
Outside food is not permitted in the park. Not even the snacks they sell at the vending machine next to the ticket counters. There are no exceptions to this rule. Have a good breakfast before you enter, so you are prepared for the 1.5-2 hours ahead of you.
The snack shops are located in the main area near the large pyramid. So if you don’t think you or your kids can make it, detour there for a snack to take with you while you’re following your guide.
✔️ Leave the stroller at your hotel.
There are no paved paths. Strollers are absolutely impossible to use in designated walking areas. So are those fold-up wagons we see parents using lately.
Plan to babywear if you have small children.
👉 I recommend the Tula Carrier for its durability and comfort. Plus it has different carriers that fit little ones from 7-60 pounds.
✔️ Bring Pesos.
Between tolls, the entry fees, and shopping it’s just a good idea to have some on hand. A minimum of 1,000 pesos will get you through essentials. However, more are never a bad thing.
6. Do Other Things Near Chichen Itza
Just visiting Chichen Itza means you’ll miss out on cultural experiences and the cool cenotes for which the Yucatan peninsula is famous.
When you drive yourself, even for just a night, you have a lot more flexibility to really enjoy the things to do near Chichen Itza. A slower pace made our second experience at Chichen Itza worth it.
Mayaland Hotel Planetarium Show
I have never seen the Chichen Itza tour companies include this show in a guided tour. That’s a real shame because all of us absolutely loved it.
👉 The Mayaland Hotel & Bungalows presents a daily show in its planetarium that explains the history of Mayan astronomy.
The planetarium is a life-size replica of “El Observatorio,” which visitors see at Chichen Itza.
➡️ Presentation Name: Tales of the Mayan Skies
➡️ Length: 30 minutes
➡️ English Presentation Times: Noon and 5:30 pm
➡️ Reservations Required: No
➡️ Cost: 185 pesos (~$9 USD); kids are discounted
Just walk up to the front desk at least 10-15 minutes before the show begins to buy your tickets if you’re paying with a credit card. The staff member who runs the show can also sell tickets directly on-site to people paying with pesos.
To get there, just map to Mayaland Lodge on your GPS. Or a taxi can take you there if you’re getting around by public transit.
Balankanche Caves
The word “Balankanche” means “Throne of the Jaguar.” These caves are an ancient Maya cave site located just six kilometers from Chichen Itza. For over 2,000 years, it has been a focal point ritual dedicated to the Maya rain god, Chaac.
The Balankanche Caves are a popular tourist destination for Chichen Itza visitors because it’s a great place to visit after a hot sunny tour at the Mayan city. The stalactite and stalagmite formations throughout the cavern are fascinating to look at.
In addition, there are actual Mayan artifacts still there, leftover from religious ceremonies performed over 800 years ago.
Ik Kil Cenote
➡️ Cost: 150 pesos for adults; kids are discounted
➡️ Parking Cost: Free
➡️ Hours: 8 am to 5 pm
➡️ Accepts Credit Cards: No
Like most cenotes in the Yucatan, Ik kil requires all visitors to wear life vests. They are included with your entry fee. Lockers are also included.
The ticket booth to the Ik Kil Cenote was only a 10-minute walk from our hotel room. We visited this cenote almost 14 years ago with friends. It was really amazing to return with our son.
👉 We stayed at Doralba Inn Chichen Itza and highly recommend it for visitors to Chichen Itza!
The cenote requires everyone to shower off perfumes and sunscreens before entering the water. These rules are for safety, of the guests and of the underground river system that connects every cenote in the peninsula.
Yaxunah Ruins
The lost sister city of Chichen Itza is 500 years older than its famous counterpart. There are over 650 structures at this site, but almost no one visits it.
In fact, there isn’t even a guardhouse or an entry fee. Anyone can just stop their car on the side of the road and wander out to a field to see the remnants of this ancient city.
Some of the best structures are located a way out in the jungle. If you really want to explore them, drive to the town of Yaxunah. Ask a local to show you around and give them a nice tip if they don’t quote you a price.
And make sure you’re wearing sneakers so you don’t hurt your feet wandering around an unexcavated Mayan ruin site.
Because it’s a lot more rugged, this adventure is better suited for families with older kids. I wouldn’t recommend taking toddlers or young children traipsing through the Mexican jungle.
Samaal Cenote
➡️ Cost: 80 pesos for adults
50 pesos for kids
100 pesos extra for the adult buffet (drinks not included)
60 pesos extra for the kids buffet (drinks not included)
➡️ Parking Cost: Free
➡️ Hours: 8 am to 5 pm
➡️ Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
We heard really bad things about the buffet at Cenote Ik Kil so I’m glad we skipped it. Instead, several people recommended we visit Hacienda Selva Maya.
In addition to a good buffet, there is also a really pretty cenote. Samaal Cenote is on the property of Hacienda Selva Maya and has a lot of similarities to Ik Kil. It’s underground with a round opening that has a lot of vines hanging down into it.
We visited Ik Kil and Samaal on two consecutive days. This allowed us to compare and contrast them fairly easily. Little Man quickly pointed out that the water at Cenote Samaal was much colder!
While lockers were included in the cenote entry cost, we always keep our cell phones and other essentials with us. David uses a neck pouch for his phone.
👉 I love this waist pouch. It triple seals before rolling down to velcro shut. After 2+ years of regular use, I’ve had no problems.
I noticed that the life jackets fit better (since they didn’t go over my head) and were in nicer condition. These are small issues, though. We enjoyed our time at Samaal Cenote and definitely recommend it to others visiting the area.
While it is also popular with tour groups, we didn’t really see any big tour buses like we saw at Ik Kil. Instead, the tour groups tended to be in the white tour vans popular throughout Riviera Maya. Most groups had 10 people or less in them.
So overall, the cenote was less crowded in the middle of the day when we visited.
Should you skip Chichen Itza?
If you’re wondering “should I skip Chichen Itza?” keep reading. There are plenty of reasons why someone might want to skip this iconic spot.
For starters, the site can get overcrowded and it can be hard to appreciate the grandeur of the ruins when surrounded by hundreds of other visitors.
And, since it’s such a popular location, ticket prices are usually quite high. They’re the highest-priced ruins we visited in all of Mexico. On top of that, the area can get quite hot and humid during the summer months.
The lengthy commute from Riviera Maya to Chichen Itza, combined with its uneven terrain, presents a navigational challenge that may deter many visitors.
This can make it less appealing, particularly for those who are not as physically fit or who have limited time or don’t feel up to exploring the site’s vastness and intricate details.
For these reasons, it might be worth looking into some of the less well-known ruins in Mexico for a unique experience.
The Mayan city of Uxmal (near Merida) or Tulum are both great alternatives to Chichen Itza as they offer beautiful scenery without the large crowds and hefty price tag.
What is Chichén Itzá?
This Unesco World Heritage Site is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is an expansive set of fully excavated Mayan ruins covering 25 square kilometers.
Over 100,000 people visit this national park in Mexico each year. It’s one of the most visited sites in all of Mesoamerica.
Chichen Itza was an important commercial center and city for the Mayan people. It’s believed that over 50,000 people lived there at the height of the Mayan’s civilization.
Where is Chichen Itza?
Chichen Itza is located approximately 120 miles west of Cancun, and many visitors often ask, “How far is Chichen Itza from Cancun?”
Visiting Chichen Itza is typically done by booking guided tours. We’ll talk more about tours later in this post.
What many people don’t realize is that it’s also possible to rent a car and drive yourself. But is Chichen Itza worth it if you drive? Yes!
👉 I recommend using Discover Cars for renting a car on your trip!
You’ll ultimately spend more time there since you won’t be rushed. In addition, you can see and do some cool stuff that the tour groups don’t. More on that later in the article, too.
The journey from Riviera Maya to Chichen Itza is a popular day trip among tourists visiting Mexico.
How to Get to Chichen Itza from Cancun
This route is the easiest to get to Chichen Itza. Just drive highway 180/180D west from Cancun. This is a toll road, so have at least a thousand pesos on hand to get to Chichen Itza and back.
At the Valladolid exit, you’ll get off the toll road and take 180 local among a few towns until you reach Chichen Itza.
The town of Piste has grown up just a couple of kilometers from Chichen Itza. There are a number of hotels and restaurants there for tourists to enjoy while staying overnight near the ruins site.
How to Get to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen
Visiting Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen is also fairly easy. Highway 305D is a highway that runs from Playa del Carmen to highway 180D.
Like with driving from Cancun, once 305D connects to 180D, just drive highway 180/180D west to Valladolid. At the Valladolid exit, get off the toll road. Take the local 180 along a few towns until you reach Piste and Chichen Itza.
How to get to Chichen Itza from Tulum
Tulum is further south than both Cancun and Playa del Carmen. So the route to Chichen Itza from here uses different roads. Highway 109, also known as the Chemex-Coba Highway, runs from Tulum to Valladolid.
Travel Tip: The Coba ruins are also along this road and are worth their own day trip as well.
Take Highway 109 to Valladolid, where you will switch to local 180. After this point, you drive the local through the same few towns you’d pass if driving from Cancun or Playa del Carmen.
👉 Regardless of where your drive originates, stay in a hotel near Piste and visit Chichen Itza the next day.
Chichen Itza Entrance Fee
Entrance fees can by paid by cash or credit card. Often the line goes faster if you are paying by cash because there are limited credit card machines on site. If the card readers go down you’ll have to wait in line until they are up and running again.
💲 Adults: $571 MXN
💲Children (3-12): $85 MXN
💲 Children Under 3: Free
💲 Mexican Citizens & Legal Residents: $253 MXN
💲 Locals: $85 MXN
💲 Sundays: Free admission for Mexican citizens and resident foreigners.
*ID is required for free admission*
If you pay by credit card, they split the payment and still require a partial cash payment. Our family of three had to pay a little over $200 MXN in cash despite paying the rest with a credit card.
I wasn’t expecting this, as it’s not made clear until it’s your turn to pay admission. That thousand pesos I recommended will help you out here, too, if you aren’t paying cash for the entire entry.
Whatever you do, don’t expect to pay with US dollars. The exchange rate will not favor you at all. This means paying in USD will result in you being overcharged all the time. This practice is common in all countries that accept foreign currencies.
👉 To make the most of your time at Chichen Itza, consider booking “skip the line” tickets.
They cost a bit more but they’re worth it. These tickets entitle you to avoid spending 20-60 minutes of your morning waiting in line with a couple of hundred other people.
Parking at Chichen Itza
It is possible to park for free at Chichen Itza. Unless this is the only option available to you, I don’t recommend doing it. The road on which visitors park for free is two-way and very narrow.
There’s a strong chance your car could get damaged by a passing semi trying to navigate between moving and parked cars. I wouldn’t want small kids walking on this road either. For better family safety, pay the few bucks to park closer to the entrance.
Pro Tip: On-site parking only costs 80 pesos (~$4 USD) and is valid all day!
Just drive as close as possible to Chichen Itza and you’ll see a small, white ticket booth. It’s also less than 100 meters from most of the parking area to the ticket counters. This is a much more secure parking option.
👉 While we have global health insurance for our day-to-day lives, we also elect travel insurance with SafetyWing for our spurts of fast travel adventure!
Final Thoughts on “Is Chichen Itza Worth It?”
So is Chichen Itza worth it? Absolutely! Unless any of the reasons to skip Chichen Itza that I listed above apply to you. Just don’t go on a big tour bus from Riviera Maya with a hundred other people.
Even if a guide is included in that tour, you won’t be able to hear anything or get decent photos. While we prefer to drive ourselves, that isn’t always an option.
A private tour of Chichen Itza is also an excellent choice for a positive overall experience. It’s a great opportunity to explore the Mayan ruins and gain knowledge about this incredible culture.
👉 For my money, I recommend this Chichen Itza private tour and this guided tour with cenotes. They’re both fab!
With a private tour, there will be no waiting around and you can marvel at the grandeur of these historical sites in peace. The guide will provide an excellent insight into their history and you can ask as many questions as you like!
Happy touring! 🌴 🚐
