Chichen Itza

CHICHEN ITZA MEXICO

Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is a fascinating ancient city to visit in Mexico. Though it can be crowded, it is certainly worth visiting Chichen Itza, not only because it is one of the 7 new wonders of the world, but also because it incorporates mysterious historical facts. We felt like the pyramids in Chichen Itza were massive and we really enjoyed our trip there even though the weather was excruciatingly hot. Our self-guided tour to Chichen Itza was in March 2021 and we were lucky to visit these Mayan ruins during the pandemic because it was relatively empty. We want to share our experience about visiting Chichen Itza and answer some important questions about this must see place in Mexico!

IS CHICHEN ITZA OPEN?

Yes, Chichen Itza is open every day from 8 am in the morning to 5 pm in the afternoon. The last visitors are allowed in at 4 pm. Although it is best to check from the official website of Chichen Itza archaeological zone.

HOW TO VISIT CHICHEN ITZA?

You can do a Chichen Itza tour by yourself or you can choose to buy a Chichen Itza all inclusive tour. Honestly we don't like going around with a guide very much and self-guided tours are excellent for keeping your own pace. You can stop whenever you want or leave when you are bored. On the other hand, Chichen Itza all inclusive tours are convenient because then you don't have to pay for gas, renting a car or parking. You just sit back and relax, maybe sleep on the way not worry about planning an itinerary for Chichen Itza. You also get to learn about the history of Chichen Itza in depth. So it's really a matter of choice in the end.
You can check Chichen Itza tours from here and decide which one is more to your taste.

HOW MUCH IS THE ENTRANCE FEE TO CHICHEN ITZA?

Entrance fee to Chichen Itza is 533 MXN, which is around 25 USD for general admission. This is the ticket price for foreign tourists but residents of Mexico or nationals get different price Chichen Itza tickets.

HOW MUCH IS PARKING IN CHICHEN ITZA?

Parking is 80 pesos per car at Chichen Itza archaeological zone. It's open parking but it's possible to find a spot with shades.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT CHICHEN ITZA?

Chichen Itza is the second most visited place in Mexico. Before the pandemic, more than one million visitors came here. It is an important historic site but the mysterious facts about Chichen Itza make it a very interesting place. The most famous legend about this place is the equinox shadow game on the stairs of Kukulkan Pyramid. If you happen to visit Chichen Itza in March or September during the equinox, they say the shadows of the stairs play an illusion and it's possible to see a snake sliding down the pyramid stairs. There is also another temple beneath Kukulcan Pyramid with a mysterious jaguar statue but it's closed to the public since 2006.

Another creepy one of the Chichen Itza facts is the Cenote de Los Sacrificios, which is thought to be a sacrificial cenote for Mayans because a lot of gold items, jewellery and skeletons (!) were found at the bottom of this cenote. It is possible that they sacrificed people and valuable things to the rain God Chac during the long droughts.
One thing that couldn't be fully explained is the decline of the Mayans. When the Spanish arrived, this city and a number of other Mayan cities were already abandoned. The reason remains still unknown but it may be due to the overpopulation or maybe the droughts.

IS CHICHEN ITZA MAYAN OR AZTEC?

Chichen Itza is a Mayan ruins site.

CHICHEN ITZA HISTORY

Chichen Itza was an important center between the years of 750-100 AC. They ruled the Yucatan region from here during those centuries. Though it has a history of 1000 years, a big part of the area hasn't been excavated yet and the information about what the Mayan ruins were used for back in the day is mostly based on the carvings on the ruins. Kukulcan Pyramid, aka El Castillo, is the most impressive building of Chichen Itza zone and it will greet you right when you pass the entrance. Kukulkan is the name of a snake god in the Mayan culture and El Castillo Chichen Itza has a snake related mystery, which we told about below. Moreover, the Temple of Kukulkan has 4 stairways (each representing a point on the compass) and 365 stairs in total, which is matching the days in a year.
The Temple of the Warriors has 200 columns and once it had a roof on top of these columns but now it's gone. Another noteworthy structure is the Maya Ball Court of Chichen Itza. It is the largest ball court in the world. If you wonder what is a ball court, it's an arena where Mayans play pok ta pok, an ancient game where players hit the ball with their hips. What's more interesting, or should I say horrifying, is the fact that winning team's captain gets decapitated!

CAN YOU CLIMB CHICHEN ITZA?

No, unfortunately you can't climb the pyramids in Chichen Itza. It was possible to climb Coba ruins before the pandemic but as far as we know, it's not possible to climb any of the Mayan ruins at the moment.

WHEN WAS CHICHEN ITZA BUILT?

According to some scholars, Chichen Itza was built during the early 400's AC but its prime was between 700-1100 AC.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN VISITING CHICHEN ITZA

- Make sure to bring water and snacks as there aren't any restaurants in Chichen Itza. There are a few small shops at the entrance where you can buy snacks and water but it's a little overpriced.
- Don't forget to bring your hat and put on sunscreen. Chichen Itza is a big zone, you will spend 2-4 hours under the heat, so choose your clothes accordingly. Chichen Itza weather is hot almost throughout the year.
- There is a Chichen Itza map at the entrance and it's a good idea to make a clockwise tour.
- There are two cenotes inside Chichen Itza but they are not swimmable. Make sure to go to Ik kil Cenote near Chichen Itza (just 5 km). It's a fascinating cenote and you see its pictures in almost every Mexico itinerary.
- There are many stalls to buy souvenirs from Chichen Itza but keep in mind they can be deceitful, we bought a Mayan mask and were told it was wood but then we realized it was actually gypsum!
- We thought best time to visit Chichen Itza was morning hours but we visited the zone at noon time and didn't have to wait long queues. It took only 15 minutes to buy our tickets and get inside. Even though the weather was hot, there are massive trees in Chichen Itza and you can rest under the shades.

HOW TO GET TO CHICHEN ITZA?

Chichen Itza is located approximately 50 km from Valladolid. It's an easy drive from Valladolid to Chichen Itza but for instructions about how to drive from Cancun to Chichen Itza, the journey takes 197 km and around 2.5 hours. It's a pretty straight forward drive via 180D. But there are two options about how to get to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen. One of them is to take the paid highway and go through 305D and then join 180D from Los Aluxes. Paid highway from playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza costs around 15 USD and it's 182 km. If you choose to take the free highway, you will pass from Tulum, then turn to Coba direction and arrive to Chichen Itza after passing Chemax and Valladolid. This will be 214 km and it's not a difficult road to drive on. If you choose this free way from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza, you will pass through villages after Tulum. We chose to take this way and really enjoyed the scenery while we passed through small Mexican villages and had no difficulty at all. If you are going to Chichen Itza from Tulum, you can also opt for this free way, or you can plan your Yucatan itinerary and see Tulum on the way to Chichen Itza. There is also the option to stop by Chichen Itza on your way to Merida, which is 119 km from Chichen Itza.

Ado Bus from Cancun to Chichen Itza is around 270 mxn (13 usd) and it will take 3 hours. Ado Bus Mexico is pretty comfortable and they have air conditioner as well as numbered seating. You can buy your tickets online or on the spot but keep in mind, weekends and public holidays can be a little crowded, so it's best to get your ticket beforehand. There is also the option to take a collectivo to Chichen Itza. Though they are smaller than buses, they have air conditioner and intercity colectivos are comfortable. Although we are not sure it's cheaper than ADO Bus, you can just go and line up for colectivos and they will leave when they are full. Last we were there (May 2021), intercity collectivos were leaving from Calle 2 and Federal Highway in Playa del Carmen.

WHERE TO STAY WHEN VISITING CHICHEN ITZA

It's a nice trip if you plan an itinerary to visit Valladolid-Chichen Itza-Ik Kil Cenote. Staying in Valladolid while visiting Chichen Itza is a good idea because it's close and it's a very pretty city. Hotels in Valladolid are budget friendly and it's delightful to spend a day or two in Valladolid. We stayed in two hotels in Valladolid and enjoyed both of them. One of them is El Zaguan Colonial and the other one was Hotel Real Colonial but we loved El Zaguan better as it had a pool and great customer service.
You can check all hotel prices in Valladolid from here.

You can also watch our Chichen Itza vlog on Youtube: