Day Trips to Chichen Itza from Cancun

Among the many activities to see and do in Cancun, one of the most interesting is to discover Chichen Itza, the main archaeological site of the Yucatan Peninsula and one of the most important sacred spaces of the Mayan Culture with its more than 1500 years of history.

Chichén Itzá, which during the height of the Mayan civilization was a city or ceremonial center, houses in its interior the El Castillo, which is the most famous Mayan temple, the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors and the Sacred Cenote, which is 60 meters in diameter and has vertical walls of more than fifteen meters.

Chichen Itza is not only the most recognized archaeological site of the Mayan civilization in the world, but also a space considered sacred and one of the most interesting excursions to do from Cancun.

On these excursions you can discover the ancient monuments that have been standing for more than 1500 years and that amazed the Spanish conquistadors when they colonized the city in the 16th century, including the Pyramid of Kukulcan, also known as El Castillo.

This type of day trip also includes a swim in the waters of the Saamal Cenote, or Sacred Cenote, located near Chichén Itzá, and a tour of the majestic city of Valladolid, characterized by its temples and warrior past.

Today it is one of the most famous colonial cities in Yucatán and the oldest in Quintana Roo.

On these excursions, which usually include hotel pick-up, you will also have time to shop for gifts in the gift stores and a buffet lunch is included. The transfer is by bus and the duration of the excursion including the return to Cancun is about twelve hours.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts from 69 euros per person, including round trip transfers, entrance fees to the attractions, expert local guide and lunch.
• Duration of the tour... Approximately 12 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... In a one day tour you will get to know Chichen Itza and the most famous cenote in depth.

In these complete excursions you will be able to visit in one day the archaeological site of Chichen Itza and one of the most spectacular amusement parks in Mexico.

In addition to visiting the most famous Mayan city, which is considered one of the seven new wonders of the modern world, you can visit Xcaret, a park that has more than forty water activities, natural attractions, cultural shows and an impressive coral reef that will leave you with your mouth open.

If you prefer to make an excursion to Xcaret from Cancun on another day, you can exchange this visit for the entrance to Xel-Ha or Xplor.

Xel-Ha is considered the largest natural aquarium in the world, with hundreds of species of tropical fish and more than ninety marine species.

Xplor, which can also be reached by excursions from Cancun, is an adventure park where you can jump on zip lines and swim in the waters of the cenotes or throw yourself off the hanging bridges.

In any case, in this type of excursion you can visit Chichen Itza and the Pyramid of Kukulkan: and, at the time of booking, choose one of the three proposed parks.

These excursions usually include buffet lunch with unlimited soft drinks, round trip transportation from Cancun with hotel pick up and entrance fees to the attractions.

The best thing about this tour is that you could choose to do them in different days as long as you do not spend more than fifteen days between both tours.

Details of interest

• Price of the tour... It starts at 120 euros per person, including round trip transfers, entrance fees to Chichen Itza and one of the parks and lunch with unlimited soft drinks.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 12 hours if you decide to do both excursions on the same day.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is an interesting option if you want to visit Chichen Itza and one of the parks because you can save money by booking both together.

This type of excursion offers the most complete option to visit two of the most impressive archaeological sites of the Mayan culture.

In a two-day tour you can visit the city and ceremonial center of Chichen Itza with all its temples and ancient monuments and the Ruins of Tulum, the walled city of the Mayan culture located in Quintana Roo and bathed by the Caribbean Sea.

Although you can book the tour to Chichen Itza and the excursion to the Tulum Ruins from Cancun separately, the best thing about combining both attractions is that you will save time and money.

The tour takes place in a bus that will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel in Cancun. The price of the tour includes lunch on the first day.

Visiting Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins is one of the most effective ways to get the most out of your visit to Mexico. This way you will realize that Quintana Roo has much more to offer than the best beaches of Cancun.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts at 136 euros per person, including round trip transfers, entrance fees to Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins and lunch on the first day.
• Duration of the excursion... The tour is a two-day tour, with twelve hours of excursion in each day.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is the most complete way to visit the two most famous archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization.

If you are traveling in a group, the ideal option to travel to Chichen Itza from Cancun is in a private van tour.

There you will see the most important archaeological site of the Mayan civilization, El Castillo, the temples and the ball court.

Private tours usually also include lunch with non-alcoholic beverages and entrance fees to the excursions.

These types of tours usually also include a visit to the Sacred Cenote, with free time for swimming in its crystalline waters, and a visit to Valladolid, the oldest city in Quintana Roo and the second most important city in Merida.

This city stands out for its large temples and its indigenous reminiscences, as Valladolid was a warrior city, so it pays homage to the indigenous uprisings.

This tour includes hotel pick-up from Cancun and lasts approximately eight hours. It does not include an expert local guide, but it is possible to hire a guided tour at the entrance of Chichén Itzá.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... It starts at 180 euros per person calculating a private van with driver for four people, including entrance fees to the attractions and with hotel pick-up.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 8 hours.
• Advantages of this tour... If you travel in a group it is the most comfortable way to travel and save time.

You can book an excursion to Chichen Itza from Cancun online or you can also buy it from a local tour service provider once you arrive in the city.

Keep in mind that the latter option is not the most advisable, since online booking offers cancellation guarantees and gives you important information about the service provider.

Keep in mind that in Mexico there are many independent service providers who, in order to convince you to contract with them, may promise certain conditions and then not fulfill them, such as that the entrance fees to Chichen Itza or the Sacred Cenote are included in the price when this may not be the case.

Also remember that the influx of tourists in Cancun is very high throughout the year but especially in some months. If you are traveling to Cancun in January keep in mind that it is best to have your tour booked in advance, as visits to Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins tend to sell out quickly.

The answer will depend on the type of tour you choose, but on average they last between eight and twelve hours.

Those tours that last two days, such as the Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins excursions, include overnight return to the hotel on the first day and early morning pick-up the next day.

It also depends on the sites included in the excursion, in addition to Chichen Itza. By bus from Cancun to the archaeological site the trip is approximately two hours and three hours are usually allotted for the tour of the temples and pyramids.

To this must be added two hours at the Sacred Cenote, in the case of those tours that include it, and the visit to Valladolid.

In any of these excursions you will visit Chichen Itza, which is the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan civilizations and also along with other attractions such as Machu Picchu and the Roman Colosseum, one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Afterwards, depending on each excursion you can live other experiences, such as visiting the cenotes in the area. Here is what you will find in each of them:

• Chichen Itza: It is the main attraction of the tour, the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan culture and also the seat of historical monuments such as El Castillo, the ball court, temples and magical spaces such as the Sacred Cenote. The city is well preserved and is more than 1500 years old.
• Sacred Cenote: Also called Cenote Saamal, it is located very close to Chichen Itza and is a crystal clear water cenote of 60 meters in diameter and walls fifteen meters high. It is one of the most recommended natural experiences in Mexico and adds to the fame of Chichen Itza as a city of sorcerers.
• Ruins of Tulum: It is another famous archaeological site of the Mayan civilization and the most visited in the world, only behind Chichen Itza. This walled city is later than the Pyramid of Kukulkan and, therefore, has buildings of more complex architecture. Its site atop a cliff that flows into the Caribbean Sea gives the city one of the most spectacular landscapes in Quintana Roo.
• Valladolid: It is the oldest city in Quintana Roo and the second most important of Merida. Its colonial buildings, chapels and monuments that pay homage to the indigenous uprisings make it a very peculiar city. There is also exquisite gastronomy in Valladolid.
• Xcaret: This is the most famous amusement park in Mexico and has more than forty aquatic attractions and a coral reef that will leave you in awe. In the excursions that include it, you can also choose to visit the Xel-Ha and Xplor parks.

Chichén Itzá is one of the most interesting attractions in Quintana Roo and all of Mexico and part of the history of the original peoples of the Mayan culture.

Being located in a large space and being a tour that can be exhausting, it is ideal that you wear comfortable shoes and bring water for hydration, especially if you visit Cancun in June, which is the hottest month.

I also recommend that if you travel to Cancun in high season, book your excursion to Chichen Itza in advance, as it is one of the most demanded tours by tourists. If you book online you will be able to secure a cancellation insurance and you will know details about the service provider.

The answer depends on the type of excursion you hire, but the most economical ones, which are the excursions to Chichen Itza from Cancun by bus, start at 69 euros. These excursions include a visit to the Sacred Cenote.

The most expensive are those that include, in addition to the entrance to Chichen Itza, the entrance to Xcaret or any of the other two parks, and those in private vans, although this will depend on the size of the group you are traveling with.

A very good value for money option is the excursion that includes, in addition to Chichen Itza, the archaeological site of the Tulum Ruins. Also, this is one of the best activities to do from Cancun.

Because it is a historic site, revered worldwide as the most recognized seat of the Mayan civilization and one of the new seven wonders of the modern world.

If you are visiting Cancun you will not want to miss a millenary site that is also aesthetically very beautiful and very interesting. That is why I recommend you to visit the Tulum Ruins if you have the opportunity.

Another reason to visit Chichen Itza is that depending on the excursion you choose, you will be able to visit the cenotes, which are one of the most interesting natural wonders of Mexico, and the city of Valladolid.

If you book a guided excursion to Chichén Itzá you can, depending on the tour, have the assistance of an expert local guide.

A guided tour is the best way to get the most out of your visit to the most famous archaeological site of the Mayan civilization, otherwise you will miss its best stories and, in addition, you will not get to know it in its entirety due to its extension.

A guided excursion is also a good excuse to visit other nearby places, such as the Sacred Cenote and Valladolid, or to include a fun activity such as a visit to Xcaret to your visit to Chichén Itzá.