The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Chichen Itza, Mexico (2025)

The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Chichen Itza, Mexico (2025)

Visiting Chichen Itza is the highlight of every trip to Mexico. Chichen Itza is the most visited Mayan archaeological site and one of the best tourist attractions in the Yucatan Peninsula. The Mayan ruins receive more than 2.5 million visitors each year. Immerse yourself in the ancient Mayan culture and explore Chichen Itza on your own or on a guided tour.

This ultimate Chichen Itza guide includes the best time to visit, how to get there, entrance fees, practical information, and the best tours. Avoid the crowds and make the most of your trip to Mexico with our ultimate guide to visiting Chichen Itza.

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Where is Chichen Itza?

Chichen Itza is located on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, just a 45-minute drive from the beautiful colonial town of Valladolid, Yucatan.

Best Time to Visit Chichen Itza

The best time to visit the Yucatan Peninsula is from mid-November to April. The weather is pleasantly warm during this period, and rainfall is rare. However, this is the peak season in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, when prices are higher, and there will be crowds at the main attractions.

The perfect time to visit Chichen Itza is after the gates open at 8 AM or late afternoon (around 3 PM). This way, you can avoid the heat and crowds, especially if you want to take good photos.

Chichen Itza is open to visitors every day of the year, even on holidays. However, avoid Sundays when admission is free for Mexican citizens and residents (valid ID is required).

Read our → Ultimate Yucatan Peninsula Itinerary

Chichen Itza Opening Hours

Chichen Itza is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM. The last entry is at 4 PM.

Chichen Itza Entry Fee, Tickets

Two separate tickets are required to enter Chichen Itza. The Chichen Itza federal tax is 100 MXN, and the state tax is 571 MXN.

Chichen Itza entrance fee is 671 MXN (33 USD) for foreigners. You should bring Mexican pesos! Only the state fee can be paid by credit or debit card, and the federal fee must be paid in cash.

For foreign children (3-12 years old), the admission fee is 100 MXN (5 USD).

The entry fee for Mexican citizens with valid ID is 298 MXN (including state and federal fees). For locals (Yucatán), it is only 100 MXN.

How to Get to Chichen Itza

You can easily get to Chichen Itza by bus, train, taxi, car, or private shuttle. Alternatively, you can join a group or private tour that includes transportation.

Book the best Chichen Itza tours via Viator or GetYourGuide.

The nearest airport to Chichen Itza is Merida International Airport (MID), about a 2-hour drive away. Another option is to fly to Cancun International Airport (CUN) and reach the Mayan ruins in about 2.5 hours. We picked up our car at Cancun Airport, then drove to Valladolid and visited the Mayan ruins the next day.

Car rental will cost around 30-40 USD daily for a standard car with full coverage. Book your car in advance to get the best price!

Are you thinking of renting a car? Be sure to read our guide to renting a car in Mexico and driving in the Yucatan Peninsula.

If you’re arriving by car, there are plenty of parking spaces around Chichen Itza, and parking costs 80 MXN (4 USD) for the day. Always lock your car, and don’t leave any valuables in sight.

We have many detailed posts on how to get to Chichen Itza from different parts of Mexico, such as Cancun, Tulum, Merida, and Playa del Carmen, with all the information you need, such as toll road costs, ticket prices, and travel times.

• How to get to Chichen Itza from Cancun
• How to get from Valladolid to Chichen Itza
• How to get to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen

TIP
If you want to book bus tickets or transfers, use Bookaway.

Where to Stay near Chichen Itza

Most people take a day trip from Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, or Merida. But for the best experience, stay at Hacienda Chichen Resort and Yaxkin Spa, just a 5-minute walk from Chichen Itza and less than a 10-minute drive from Cenote Ik Kil.

Alternatively, stay in Valladolid, the perfect base for visiting Chichen Itza. These are our accommodation recommendations.

Best hotels in Valladolid

• Luxury: Oriundo Luxury Nature Villas
• Mid-Range: Hotel Waye or Meson del Marques
• Budget: Hotel Casa Bamboo

Best hotels in Cancun

• Luxury: Oleo Cancun Playa or Grand Fiesta Americana
• Mid-Range: Bed and Breakfast Pecarí
• Budget: Suites Malecon Cancun

We have a detailed post on the best areas and hotels in Cancun.

Photo credit: Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun

When was Chichen Itza built?

Chichen Itza was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Mayans. No one knows for sure when Chichen Itza was built, but many people think it was built between 400-600 AD (about 1,500 years ago).

What to see

Chichen Itza is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best attraction in Chichen Itza is the Temple of Kukulkan, also known as the Chichen Itza Pyramid. But this archaeological site is also home to impressive temples, platforms, columns, cenotes, a ball court, and an observatory.

• El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcán)
• The Temple of the Warriors
• Tzompantli (The Wall of Skulls)
• Plaza of a Thousand Columns
• The Observatory (El Caracol)
• Great Ball Court (Gran Juego de Pelota)
• Platforms of the Jaguars and Eagles
• Sacred Cenote & Cenote Xtoloc
• The Church (La Iglesia)
• The Temple of the Bearded Man
• El Osario

Visiting Chichen Itza on your own or on a guided tour

We visited Chichen Itza without a tour. We enjoyed exploring the world-famous Mayan ruins and browsing the beautiful souvenirs at our own pace. Alternatively, download a Chichen Itza Self-Guided Tour with Audio Narration & Map. The package includes audio, images, text, and a live GPS map.

To learn more about the mysterious Chichen Itza, hire a guide or join a guided walking tour.

Best Chichen Itza Tour

If you don’t want to worry about how to get to the Mayan ruins from Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, or Tulum, book a group or private tour that includes transport.

The tour price includes roundtrip transportation by air-conditioned vehicle, a certified bilingual tour guide, a Mexican buffet lunch, tequila tasting, a 30-minute stop at Valladolid’s main square, and the entrance fee to Cenote Chichikan.

Alternatively, book this top-rated private tour, which includes a visit to Chichen Itza, Cenote Oxman, and Valladolid.

Visiting Chichen Itza with Cenote Tour

After Chichen Itza, you should visit Ik Kil Cenote, which is about a 10-minute drive away. Once you’ve spent a few hours walking around the Mayan ruins, you’ll be looking forward to this refreshing experience. This cenote is always crowded because most Chichen Itza tours stop here, but don’t miss it.

Important note
Most tours visit Cenote Chichikan instead of Cenote Ik Kil.

Cenote Ik Kil is a beautiful open-air cenote, about 48 meters deep, and the perfect place to jump off the elevated platforms. Take a few photos from above and then go down and swim or jump into the turquoise water.

What to Pack

• Osprey Small Backpack: A very lightweight, versatile, and durable backpack, perfect for day hikes.
• Quick-dry towel: This microfibre quick-drying towel is ideal for traveling, hiking, swimming, bathing, and sports.
• Power bank: An essential accessory for anyone who needs reliable power on the go.
• Grayl Filtered Water Bottle: The Grayl filter removes viruses and bacteria and filters microplastics, chemicals, and heavy metals. Fill up your filtered water bottle anywhere and drink crystal-clear water wherever you go.
• Swimsuit
• Biodegradable sunscreen
• Mosquito repellent
• Camera
• Plenty of Water
• Snacks
• Local money (Mexican peso)
• Umbrella
• Hat or cap and sunglasses

Tips for Visiting Chichen Itza

• Arrive early or buy a skip-the-line ticket.
• The Chichen Itza complex area is quite large, and you will have to walk a lot. So wear comfortable shoes and light clothes.
• Don’t bring drones and tripods, as their use is prohibited at Chichen Itza.
• Spend at least 2-3 hours at Chichen Itza and explore the whole archaeological site.
• Avoid Sundays, as Mexican citizens and residents can visit Chichen Itza for free.
• To learn more about the famous Mayan Ruins, hire a guide or join a guided walking tour.
• Climbing the Chichen Itza Pyramid is not allowed.
• You’ll find some beautiful souvenirs at the Mayan Ruins, but be sure to bargain!
• It’s safe to visit Chichen Itza and well worth it.
• There is an ATM near the entrance, but it was not working during our visit. So bring enough Mexican pesos.
• Bring a swimsuit and towel if you want to swim in Cenote Ik Kil.

Don’t forget to buy travel insurance! We always choose SafetyWing for our travels.

We hope our complete guide to visiting Chichen Itza will help you plan the perfect day trip to the Mayan Ruins. If you have any questions or thoughts, let us know in the comment below.

Hotels – Booking.com
Car Rentals – Discover Cars
Flights – Skyscanner
eSIM – Airalo
Travel Insurance – SafetyWing
Tours & Attractions – GetYourGuide
Bus/Transfer – Bookaway

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