The outside is covered in five hundred (!) This tour starts REALLY early, but its so worth it. We had an interesting time at the toll booths and gas station. Hotel Chichen Itza is located just one mile from the ruins, in the center of the town of Piste. There are a few tricks that will help you find the best deals. So far, we've travelled to 94 countries and we love sharing travel tips and unique itineraries. BOOK IT HERE, Choose the Chichen Itza Early Access, Tequila Tasting & Buffet Lunch tour to visit the ruins before anyone else, enjoying a tranquil exploration around the site and benefitting from the insights of your private archaeologist guide. Recently, Expedia also introduced a full insurance policy, and the price is great, so make sure to check it out! There are quite a few Chichen Itza tours from Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya, and joining one of them is a great idea if youre traveling on your own or want to explore the nearby cenotes and highlights of the area besides the ruins. chichen itza playa carmen del tour Hi Wojtek! This lovely city is a great place to visit. Although there arent actually one thousand columns in this part of the ruins (200 is the real number), it is inspiring and grand. Here are the most important temples and buildings to visit in Chichen-Itza. Hi, fab information. Driving in Mexico City: things you need to know, Coyoacan the best district in Mexico City, Life on a Minimum Wage in London: What Can You Afford? Many structures roped off, none climbable. If you dont have it you will pay a fine. Whether you are going on a group tour from Playa del Carmen, or are visiting on your own, its good to know what cenotes are worth visiting around Chichen Itza. This was a great trip and a wonderful experience. Here are the main pros and cons of driving to Chichen Itza yourself, Flexibility you can decide when do you want to go there, when you want to have lunch and what do you want to see, Price: its certainly much cheaper to drive to Chichen Itza yourself even when taking into the account hiring a car, gas and tolls (unless youre hiring a 44, which you definitely dont need as the roads are great), Comfort its much more comfortable to be in your own car as opposed to a bus, Timing: you can arrive before the tourist buses and have Chichen Itza almost empty in all photos, Its around 5h driving to go to Chichen Itza from either Cancun, Tulum or Playa del Carmen both ways: its a lot of driving, -You need to hire a car and if you arent planning to go anywhere else in that car throughout your holiday, then it might not be worth it. There is a big property, swimming pool, air conditioning, and an on-site chapel. This amazing archaeological site is rich in history and if you have never been there you should visit Chichen-Itza at least once in your life. I would say 109 + 180 - it's the fastest route! This iconic pyramid was built right over the top of a hidden cenote. We skipped eating in Valladolid and continued on the libre road to Tulum. The price of Hacienda Chichen Resort is a bit higher than the hotels previously mentioned on this list, but guests say it is a relaxing and lovely place to stay. 
We have some spectacular pictures of the Pyramid that when you really look at them, seeing all the workers and scaffolding ruins it. Naturally, if you want to buy souvenirs, you also need to pay cash. Although in general if you stick to the main roads and dont drive at night you should probably be safe. The odd part is that this road doesnt accept any cards, so make sure to bring cash with you! Chichen Itza is absolutely worth the hype. It will probably work, especially if you have a European or US phone, but your roaming rates may be to the stars (check with your SIM provider). riviera itza chichen If youre vacationing in the Riviera Maya, you should include a trip to the magnificent pyramids of Chichen Itza on your itinerary. We always hire cars throughRentalcars.comas they have great affordable insurance. phinance itza chichen Youll get right in the doors at the opening hour. This is a big cenote, so even when big tours come through, it wont feel cramped. Its going to be a very tiring day, I warn you. But you can also combine Chichen Itza with other interesting sights in the surroundings. This 5-star day tour only costs $69 per person, although you can pay more to have a beverage included. Read more on my guide on Renting a car in Mexico. Since it was before the hoards of tours, we hired a guide for $60 for 2 hours (negotiated from $60/person to $60 for the group of 3). 
However, most probably, if you were only interested in the tours to Chichen Itza, you wouldnt be reading this post. Bring a lot of water with you, as there are not many stops along the way. If youre visiting Chichen Itza on your own, remember to get your tickets in advance to skip the lines and access the site faster. We took a day trip from Playa to Chichen Itza in November 2012. So if you are driving you can spend there one night and visit the Cenote when its close to the public! There are pros and cons when it comes to either of those options. You can check the prices and availability of online tickets for Chichen Itza here >, If youre interested in buying a ticket + tour guide combo, you can also check the prices and availability here >. Now that we know all the possible ways to get to Chichen-Itza from Playa del Carmen, in this section, Ill answer the frequently asked questions about transportation times and safety. A tzompantli is a structure common amongst the Maya. Picture colonial-era buildings, palm trees swaying in the wind, bohemian shops, and cafes, and lots of places to eat. Alright, if youre reading this, it means that you decided that youd like to drive to Chichen Itza. Different tours visit different cenotes. Very disappointing as it is highly over publicized and over crowded. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Credit cards or US dollars will not be accepted. You can get in touch and ask her anything. The ADO bus leaves at 8:17 am from Playa del Carmen and arrive in Chichen Itza at 12:17 pm. They are everywhere and out of control! If you plan to visit Valladolid, it will be easy to stop at Cenote Saamal on your way in or out. Carry a water bottle with you and fill it up where you find available potable water sources. Alternatively, you can purchase a self-guided tour packet, such as the Chichen Itza walking tour available through Action Tour Guide. A cheaper option is traveling from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza by bus. If youre new to this blog, hi, we are Liza and Jose, a millennial couple based in London, UK. Read more about Valladolid in my complete guide. However, if youre driving from Tulum to Chichen Itza, in this case, most of the road will be free, you will only need a small amount of pesos to pay for the last bit of the road (shouldnt be more expensive than $10 return). Pickup and drop-off from your hotel is included. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE. Booked through Viator. If you are renting a car, I recommend checking with the agency to see which type of plates they use. COMING FROM A DIFFERENT CITY?How to Get from Tulum to Chichen ItzaHow to Get from Cancun to Chichen Itza. The closest airport to Chichen Itza is Merida International Airport. In my opinion, it is well worth going to Chichen-Itza on the toll road because youll get there faster and you make sure you get there before the crowds. This deep sinkhole is the closest one to Chichen Itza (only ten minutes away). private tulum itza chichen carmen playa del tour We barely made it back with 1 dollar in our pocket! We arrived at Chichen Itza around 9:30am. We are a group of 4. Interested in more posts about Mexico? This is a spot favored by locals. Although the tourist visa for US and European travelers used to be 6 months long which you could easily renew by leaving the country for a couple of days and going back, nowadays they have been stricter. You can also find me on my digital nomad blog Boundless Road where I strive to empower women of all ages to live their best travel adventure move abroad and never look back! Jose (long for Pepe) was born and raised in Mexico; hence, as you can imagine, we travel to Mexico quite often. As we generally love road trips, driving to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen was a no-brainer for us; however, I can that it might not be the case for a lot of people. Cancun vs Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen and Tulum): what are the differences? We had an amazing experience visiting Chichen Itza thanks to this article! But then it gets confusing. If you want to learn more about both insurance and all your options, you can head over to my thorough post on the best travel insurance for Mexico. Tours usually include hotel pickup, transportation, a tour guide to lead you through the ruins, time to swim in a nearby cenote, and a visit to Valladolid. If you like cliff diving, you can jump off the sides. PRO-TIP Save money on food and buy your lunch at a restaurant in Pist instead of at the over-priced restaurants within the ruins complex. We are planning to drive but also considering to get a tour. They have regular Quintana Roo licenses and therefore do not stand out while on the highway or parking. You can also get Expedia points when renting a car and spend it on activities or hotels later (read my post about Expedia Rewards and whether Expedia Gold Status is worth it). This could include going on a full-day tour of the ruins, swimming in multiple cenotes, and exploring the streets of Valladolid. In fact, they believed that their serpent god Kukulcan was born in the underworld. Driving to Chichen Itza vs taking a tour? If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Playa del Carmen to Chichen-Itza, As long as you have travel insurance or credit card travel insurance, you do not need to get any other, so dont pay them for something you dont need. You can then choose to visit some of the nearby cenotes or the city of Valladolid, as the driver will be at your disposal for the day. Thank you! Is there a large queue to buy tickets for Chichen Itza? Whether you plan to go on a full-day tour or spend only 3 hours at Chichen Itza, Ive got you covered with all the information youll need! Much renovation going on with several buildings closed off including steam baths, Temple of the Warriors and other sites. As you can imagine, that means it can get pretty crowded at the ruins. If you decided that self-driving to Chichen Itza is not for you, you can check out these lovely tours to Chichen Itza: However, if you decided to opt-in for driving to Chichen Itza, keep reading! The Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid All-Inclusive Tour begins with pickup from your hotel (or a nearby location). thank you so much liza for sharing valuable info ! By starting out early, we arrived before the tour buses from Cancun and parked in the first row in front of the entrance. Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. Lol-Hais another beautiful cenote. According to Tripadvisor, some people report scams there (e.g.
We have some spectacular pictures of the Pyramid that when you really look at them, seeing all the workers and scaffolding ruins it. Naturally, if you want to buy souvenirs, you also need to pay cash. Although in general if you stick to the main roads and dont drive at night you should probably be safe. The odd part is that this road doesnt accept any cards, so make sure to bring cash with you! Chichen Itza is absolutely worth the hype. It will probably work, especially if you have a European or US phone, but your roaming rates may be to the stars (check with your SIM provider). riviera itza chichen If youre vacationing in the Riviera Maya, you should include a trip to the magnificent pyramids of Chichen Itza on your itinerary. We always hire cars throughRentalcars.comas they have great affordable insurance. phinance itza chichen Youll get right in the doors at the opening hour. This is a big cenote, so even when big tours come through, it wont feel cramped. Its going to be a very tiring day, I warn you. But you can also combine Chichen Itza with other interesting sights in the surroundings. This 5-star day tour only costs $69 per person, although you can pay more to have a beverage included. Read more on my guide on Renting a car in Mexico. Since it was before the hoards of tours, we hired a guide for $60 for 2 hours (negotiated from $60/person to $60 for the group of 3). 
However, most probably, if you were only interested in the tours to Chichen Itza, you wouldnt be reading this post. Bring a lot of water with you, as there are not many stops along the way. If youre visiting Chichen Itza on your own, remember to get your tickets in advance to skip the lines and access the site faster. We took a day trip from Playa to Chichen Itza in November 2012. So if you are driving you can spend there one night and visit the Cenote when its close to the public! There are pros and cons when it comes to either of those options. You can check the prices and availability of online tickets for Chichen Itza here >, If youre interested in buying a ticket + tour guide combo, you can also check the prices and availability here >. Now that we know all the possible ways to get to Chichen-Itza from Playa del Carmen, in this section, Ill answer the frequently asked questions about transportation times and safety. A tzompantli is a structure common amongst the Maya. Picture colonial-era buildings, palm trees swaying in the wind, bohemian shops, and cafes, and lots of places to eat. Alright, if youre reading this, it means that you decided that youd like to drive to Chichen Itza. Different tours visit different cenotes. Very disappointing as it is highly over publicized and over crowded. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Credit cards or US dollars will not be accepted. You can get in touch and ask her anything. The ADO bus leaves at 8:17 am from Playa del Carmen and arrive in Chichen Itza at 12:17 pm. They are everywhere and out of control! If you plan to visit Valladolid, it will be easy to stop at Cenote Saamal on your way in or out. Carry a water bottle with you and fill it up where you find available potable water sources. Alternatively, you can purchase a self-guided tour packet, such as the Chichen Itza walking tour available through Action Tour Guide. A cheaper option is traveling from Playa del Carmen to Chichen Itza by bus. If youre new to this blog, hi, we are Liza and Jose, a millennial couple based in London, UK. Read more about Valladolid in my complete guide. However, if youre driving from Tulum to Chichen Itza, in this case, most of the road will be free, you will only need a small amount of pesos to pay for the last bit of the road (shouldnt be more expensive than $10 return). Pickup and drop-off from your hotel is included. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE. Booked through Viator. If you are renting a car, I recommend checking with the agency to see which type of plates they use. COMING FROM A DIFFERENT CITY?How to Get from Tulum to Chichen ItzaHow to Get from Cancun to Chichen Itza. The closest airport to Chichen Itza is Merida International Airport. In my opinion, it is well worth going to Chichen-Itza on the toll road because youll get there faster and you make sure you get there before the crowds. This deep sinkhole is the closest one to Chichen Itza (only ten minutes away). private tulum itza chichen carmen playa del tour We barely made it back with 1 dollar in our pocket! We arrived at Chichen Itza around 9:30am. We are a group of 4. Interested in more posts about Mexico? This is a spot favored by locals. Although the tourist visa for US and European travelers used to be 6 months long which you could easily renew by leaving the country for a couple of days and going back, nowadays they have been stricter. You can also find me on my digital nomad blog Boundless Road where I strive to empower women of all ages to live their best travel adventure move abroad and never look back! Jose (long for Pepe) was born and raised in Mexico; hence, as you can imagine, we travel to Mexico quite often. As we generally love road trips, driving to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen was a no-brainer for us; however, I can that it might not be the case for a lot of people. Cancun vs Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen and Tulum): what are the differences? We had an amazing experience visiting Chichen Itza thanks to this article! But then it gets confusing. If you want to learn more about both insurance and all your options, you can head over to my thorough post on the best travel insurance for Mexico. Tours usually include hotel pickup, transportation, a tour guide to lead you through the ruins, time to swim in a nearby cenote, and a visit to Valladolid. If you like cliff diving, you can jump off the sides. PRO-TIP Save money on food and buy your lunch at a restaurant in Pist instead of at the over-priced restaurants within the ruins complex. We are planning to drive but also considering to get a tour. They have regular Quintana Roo licenses and therefore do not stand out while on the highway or parking. You can also get Expedia points when renting a car and spend it on activities or hotels later (read my post about Expedia Rewards and whether Expedia Gold Status is worth it). This could include going on a full-day tour of the ruins, swimming in multiple cenotes, and exploring the streets of Valladolid. In fact, they believed that their serpent god Kukulcan was born in the underworld. Driving to Chichen Itza vs taking a tour? If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Playa del Carmen to Chichen-Itza, As long as you have travel insurance or credit card travel insurance, you do not need to get any other, so dont pay them for something you dont need. You can then choose to visit some of the nearby cenotes or the city of Valladolid, as the driver will be at your disposal for the day. Thank you! Is there a large queue to buy tickets for Chichen Itza? Whether you plan to go on a full-day tour or spend only 3 hours at Chichen Itza, Ive got you covered with all the information youll need! Much renovation going on with several buildings closed off including steam baths, Temple of the Warriors and other sites. As you can imagine, that means it can get pretty crowded at the ruins. If you decided that self-driving to Chichen Itza is not for you, you can check out these lovely tours to Chichen Itza: However, if you decided to opt-in for driving to Chichen Itza, keep reading! The Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid All-Inclusive Tour begins with pickup from your hotel (or a nearby location). thank you so much liza for sharing valuable info ! By starting out early, we arrived before the tour buses from Cancun and parked in the first row in front of the entrance. Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. Lol-Hais another beautiful cenote. According to Tripadvisor, some people report scams there (e.g.
