Chichen Itza isn’t just a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s also one of the New7 Wonders of the World. So is it any wonder it usually sees over two million visitors every year? As the poster child of Mayan history in the Yucatan, Chichen Itza is a must-do for any Mexican adventure, but do you really want to share this incredible place with thousands of other visitors? Though you will never have that famous pyramid all to yourself, there is a way to avoid the heavy crowds. However, it does require a little more effort than simply hopping onto a tour bus. I understand why so many are drawn to the ease and convenience of tours, but I believe the best adventures are had when you go your own way. And visiting Chichen Itza without a tour is actually pretty simple.
The number one way to visit Chichen Itza and avoid the crowds is to arrive as early as possible in the morning, before the tour buses from Cancún, Tulum or Mérida arrive a few hours later. Depending on where you’re staying this may not be possible.
Which is why, if you want to get to Chichen Itza for opening time or early enough to avoid the crowds, I highly recommend staying in Valladolid the night before. It’s the closest city to Chichen Itza, just forty minutes away, plus the city is beautiful and deserves at least a few days to explore.
How to get to Chichen Itza Without a Tour – from Valladolid
The simplest option is to catch a colectivo, shared minibuses that make up the majority of local public transport in Mexico. Destinations are always written on the front of the vans, which are generally packed to the brim with more people than you might think should fit in there. It’s not the most comfortable way to travel, but if you’re travelling Mexico on a budget, you’re going to get very familiar with them.
Where to catch the colectivo from Valladolid: Calle 39, on the corner with Calle 48. The colectivo station has moved from its former position on the near side of the ADO bus station and is now just one block further down Calle 39.
Cost of colectivo: 40 pesos (March 2021).
The colectivo station technically opens at 7am, but that doesn’t mean the first bus will actually leave at that time. Each colectivo leaves when it’s full, so on a busy day it might leave immediately, or you could end up waiting a while. The day I visited Chichen Itza (a weekday, during the pandemic), the colectivo left at around 7.30am. Because it’s local transport, it does stop a few times along the way, so expect the journey to take just over an hour.
The second option of reaching Chichen Itza without a tour from Valladolid is by private taxi, which can be found pretty much anywhere in the city. But taking a taxi will massively bump up the cost of your visit to Chichen Itza, even for a group. Because I didn’t take one myself, I don’t have an up-to-date fare cost, but from what I can tell, it would be up in the mid- to high-hundreds, one-way. Compared to forty pesos for the colectivo, this is definitely a big jump in price.
Exploring Chichen Itza – El Castillo
The famous pyramid is the reason many people visit Chichen Itza in the first place. There are hundred of Mayan ruins in the Yucatan, but El Castillo is by far the most recognisable. Restored on two sides, El Castillo is one of the first things you see upon entering Chichen Itza and seeing it appearing through the trees as you walk from the entrance is quite a memorable moment. Officially known as the Temple of Kukulcán, the step pyramid was built to honour Kukulcán, the Yucatec Maya Feathered Serpent deity.
Like Newgrange in Ireland and Machu Picchu in Peru, El Castillo was built in a way that marked certain times of the year. Around the spring and autumn equinoxes, shadows cast by the afternoon sun on the northwest side of El Castillo create the illusion of a snake crawling down the pyramid. This phenomenon usually leads to massive crowds on these days. Chichen Itza was even closed for the Spring Equinox in 2021 because of the anticipated crowds leading to worries about social distancing.
Because the colectivo left late, and I was delayed at the entrance because I couldn’t take my breakfast in with me (they check your bags), it was after nine before I made it inside. So there were already a few people milling around, but I was still able to get a few photos of El Castillo without any people in them.
Just remember: you cannot climb El Castillo or any of the other structures at Chichen Itza. They are all roped off, so don’t be a dick and think the rules don’t apply to you. We are all responsible for protecting the places we visit. If you’re desperate to climb a Mayan pyramid, consider visiting Ek’Balam, which is located just twenty-five minutes to the east of Valladolid. It’s so quiet, has a cenote nearby and amazing views from the top.
El Castillo’s Echo
Did you know that Chichen Itza has a strange echo? I had no idea until I was right there and suddenly groups of people around me were clapping in front of El Castillo. Some say the pyramid was built deliberately with this in mind, others believe it’s just a strange coincidence.
To hear the echo you need to stand directly in front of one of the staircases and clap your hands together. You’ll hear a strange noise coming back at you. It’s very hard to describe, you just need to hear it for yourself!
The Field
The other well-known structure at Chichen Itza is known as The Field, the the Great Ball Court. Think of it as an ancient sport stadium, in which an old Mayan ball game was played. This was the largest ball court in Mesoamerica, more than twice the size of a modern football pitch.
With impressively-high walls running down each side, a temple at the north end and beautiful carvings, the Field is usually the second place visitors run to after El Castillo. The acoustics here are insane, created so that players and spectators could hear what was was going on at the other end of the huge playing field, apparently. The size of the Ball Field symbolised the city’s wealth and importance from the 7th to 11th centuries.
Playing this game was considered a very high honor, and occasionally the losing team was sacrificed to the gods, so the stakes could be pretty high. These sacrifices were often voluntary, or were captives from enemy cities. Games could last for weeks, with players only allowed to touch the heavy rubber ball with their right elbow, right hip or right knee. I can’t even imagine the skill needed for this game.
Exploring the rest of Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is more than just El Castillo and the Field. There are many more buildings within the complex, some of which are really interesting and beautiful. The Nunnery in particular is amazing with all its carvings, and the Observatory, called El Caracol, is a unique building within pre-Hispanic Mayan cities. It’s believed that the Observatory was built to provide a way for the Mayans to observe changes in the sky because the extremely flat landscape of the Yucatan didn’t give any obvious markers.
Away from the main area, the crowds thin out, so it’s really fun to explore. And most buildings helpfully have a plaque in front with a little information about them.
The Cenotes at Chichen Itza
Another part of Chichen Itza not to overlook are the two cenotes at opposite ends of the ancient city. You can’t go into either one, and looking at them, you wouldn’t really want to, but it’s interesting to see them. The Sacred Cenote is easier to find, down a long straight path lined on both sides with eager souvenir sellers (you will lose count of how many times you say ‘no, gracias’ at Chichen Itza). Standing above the green water, it was strange to think just how many people were sacrificed to the Mayan gods in that water. It won’t be the prettiest cenote you’ll see on the Yucatan Peninsula, but it’s worth a look.
Archaologists began dredging the cenote as early as 1904, finding thousands of valuable objects like gold, jade and pottery. Oh, and skeletons. There were skeletons too, men, women and children. All sacrificed to Chaac, the god of rain.
Hiring a tour guide at Chichen Itza
Yes, a guide will offer you a deeper insight into the history and mythology of Chichen Itza, and they speak multiple languages, but they do also come with a fairly hefty price tag. If you’re solo or a pair, this will add quite a bit to your day’s budget, but if you find a few others at the entrance willing to increase the size of your group, you could end up getting a good deal. You won’t have to look for these guides – trust me, they will find you.
Getting back to Valladolid
It’s really very simple. Whenever you’re finished with your visit to Chichen Itza, just head back to where the colectivo dropped you off and another will be along at some point. It’s as easy as that.
Chichen Itza Practical Information:
- Admission prices: 533 pesos for non-Mexican adults (€22/US$26), 80 pesos for children 3-12 years (prices accurate as of May 2021). Yes, unfortunately, the price of admission to Chichen Itza has skyrocketed in recent years.
- Opening hours: 8am to 5pm, last admission is 4pm.
Amenities at Chichen Itza:
- Chichen Itza has bathrooms (at the entrance only), a cafe, lockers and luggage storage.
- Bear in mind that no food can be brought into the ruins, and they check your bags going in (not very thoroughly, however). You can buy coconuts, cold drinks and snacks at a kiosk near the Sacred Cenote.
- There are dozens of souvenir stalls lining every pathway inside Chichen Itza, so be prepared to be followed by constant calls and offers. Another point in favour of arriving at opening time – most stalls haven’t set up yet, so you’ll be accosted far less. Many of the sellers say things like ‘everything one dollar!’, but I can tell you – nothing is just a dollar. At least not at first. Haggling skills and Spanish will come in handy here. Another thing to note: just because a piece of silver jewellery has 925 stamped on the back, doesn’t mean it’s actually 925 sterling silver. I learned that the hard way.
Side trip: Cenote Ik-kil
Just 3km from Chichen Itza, this is one of the most popular cenotes in the area. I didn’t visit myself, but many people combine the two places into one amazing day trip. The easiest way to get from one to the other is by colectivo.
Getting to Chichen Itza without a tour from other destinations
Mérida: an ADO bus runs from the TAME station in Mérida to Chichen Itza at 6.30, 8.30 and 9.15am, and takes about an hour. Only the first bus will get you there before opening. To return on this first class bus, you would need to wait until 5.20pm (which might suit if you also plan to visit Cenote Ik-kil), or you can get an earlier second class bus with the Oriente company which leaves every hour, but takes a much longer, non-direct route.
Playa del Carmen & Tulum: there is only a single ADO departure from Playa to Chichen Itza, shortly after 8am, returning at four in the afternoon. This bus passes through Tulum at 9am. The journey takes 3.5 hours from Playa or 2.5 hours from Tulum. To return earlier in the day, you can take a colectivo to Valladolid and transfer onto a second one to complete your journey back to the coast.
Cancun: according to other websites, there should be an ADO bus from Cancun leaving at 8.45am, taking three hours, and returning at 4.30pm. But no results come up when searching for this on the official ADO website, so it’s possible this bus has stopped for now.
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for iguanas at Chichen Itza too! There were so many roaming around, climbing all the structures that are off-limits to the rest of us.
Going to Chichen Itza without a tour was the best decision for me. I loved being able to explore this incredible ancient city without those huge crowds (especially during a pandemic). It was such a wonderful day trip from Valladolid, a city I completely fell in love with!
However, if even after reading this post you still feel more comfortable booking an organised tour, here are a few options for you:
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[…] #483 Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen Itza. One of the greatest Mayan cities, this place has been on my bucket list since FOREVER. The El Castillo pyramid is iconic, and being one of the New7 Wonders of the World, it sees thousands of visitors every year. […]