Visiting Chichen Itza from Tulum
Chichen Itza from Tulum
If you’re visiting the trendy, chic boho beach town Tulum, you are less than 2 hours away from the most visited site in all of Mexico and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza!
You could book a tour but we found it was super enjoyable to just do a daytrip ourselves. Here is everything you need to know to plan a successful day trip to Chichen Itza from Tulum (or anywhere in the Maya Riviera!)
Tips for visiting
Rent a car the day and make a day trip down
Pass on the tour bus and rent a car! We did the road trip in late November leading into busy season but with the pandemic, a lot of the cars had been sold off. So we arrived as soon as the rental car lots opened and had to walk to 5 different ones before we found a car. Finally we got one at Hertz for $65 with full insurance.
Other travelers have found better deals for rental cars in other Mexican cities but Tulum has slightly higher prices. And because we got the last car available, if we didn’t book it straight away, there was a line of people behind us who wanted the car.
You may be able to shop around for a better deal, just know with Covid in Tulum that renting a car is slightly more difficult right now. Even people who made reservations in advance and showed up to collect their car were turned away. My best advice: wake up early and be the first ones at the car rental place to pick up a car!
2 hours from Tulum:
A super easy drive following the road signs
Many roads in Tulum are full of potholes and very difficult to drive on. After driving around Tulum the week prior, we were nervous about taking the rental car 2 hours away if the road conditions were similar. Fortunately the drive to Chichen Itza is very easy! Even when our google maps stopped working, we were able to easily follow the signs on the highway to reach Chichen Itza.
It’s a wonderfully easy drive and you’ll pass through a number of cute small towns full of beautiful shops selling hammocks, dream catchers and crocheted gifts.
Entrance fee is now $25 USD/ 497 peso
When I visited Chichen Itza with my family for the first time back in 2010, it wasn’t $25 to enter. In fact, Mexican officials doubled the price in 2019.
Other ruins in Mexico are just 80 pesos to visit. We were shocked by the steep jump in price- over 400 pesos more for this set of ruins! Yes it’s worth it but there are a lot a blogs that don’t have the updated/accurate prices listed.
So just be prepared to budget your day accordingly!
Masks required to enter
You will need a mask to enter the site so don’t forget it at your hotel. Once you are inside, you can also buy lovely embroidered masks from most of the vendors. I paid $3 USD for my mask from Chichen Itza and it’s stunning!
It’s the most visited spot in all of Mexico so go early to avoid crowds & the heat
It’s no secret that this New Wonder of the World gets a lot of attention. And while I find other ruin sites like Coba equally as interesting/incredible, Chichen Itza is the most visited spot in the entire country!
Arrive as soon as it opens to avoid the crowds.
And the longer you wait, the hotter it will be. There isn’t a lot of shade at the ruins, so expect to be out in the hot sun.
You can hire English speaking guides at the entrances to explain the ruins
No need to book a tour ahead of time, there will be guides waiting at the entrance who will offer to give tours in a variety of languages.
Wear bug spray & sunscreen
You’re in the jungle, so expect a lot of bugs. My ankles and knees were covered in mosquito bites whenever I forgot to put bug spray on in this region of Mexico.
As I mentioned earlier, there isn’t a lot of shade at the ruins. To avoid leaving with a sweltering sun burn, be sure to apply some sunscreen before you go!
Visit cenotes nearby: Ik Kil & Oxman
Many people visit Ik Kil after Chichen Itza to cool of and go for a swim! With the pandemic, some cenotes have been closed (or flooded with hurricane season!) but we knew from a fellow traveler that Oxman cenote was open and still in perfect condition!
This cenote is different from others I had swam in and is incredibly deep. It’s more like a natural well with tree roots hanging down from high above. It’s 150 peso to enter and I highly recommend it!
Drive through the colorful town of Valladolid
As you head back to Tulum or wherever you’re staying, it’s a nice little visit to drive through Valladolid. It’s only a few minutes from Cenote Oxman and it’s nice to see what Mexican cities look like outside the tourists hubs of Cancun, Playa or Tulum.
This also makes for a great place to have lunch after your morning at Chichen Itza.
Be off the roads by night for safety
Unfortunately, driving at night (especially as a tourist) isn’t recommended. Non-local license plates and rental cars are more likely to be the target of organized crime.
This blog post does a great job explaining why driving around Mexico at night is unsafe.
Read: TOP SAFETY TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO MEXICO
Have any questions about visiting Chichen Itza? Feel free to reach out!
More on Mexico
- SWIMMING WITH WILD WHALE SHARKS: 10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
- AVENTURAS MAYAS: AVOID THE CROWDS WITH THIS ADVENTUROUS TOUR COMPANY IN RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO!
- 25 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO
- ATV EXCURSIONS IN CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO
Follow along on the adventure…
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Hi Emily, just a *slight* correction: This is one of the NEW Seven Wonders of the World — a list voted on a few years ago by a promotional organization. The classic “Seven Wonders of the World” from historical records and the one most people refer to when listing “Seven Wonders” (without any modifiers), are all in the Old World. Great site!
Hi there!! Oops, good catch!! I knew Chichen Itza was part of the New World Wonders just forgot to clarify that here 🙂 I’ll add that in & thanks for reading! Have a great day 🙂
Hi Emily just wanted your honest opinion on how safe it is to drive from tulum to yucatan area like (a corrupt cop trying to take money from you or else they will bring you to jail) kind of situation?
Hi, we rented a car but I don’t recommend driving at night. Rental cars are frequently pulled over and tourists are sometimes harassed by the police. Even when we went, we had a confusing and uncomfortable encounter during the day. It was okay but if you drive yourself, just make sure you’re off the road by nightfall!
Any specific recommendations on where to eat lunch in VALLADOLID?