Visiting the Mayan Archaeological Site of Chichen Itza (Chichén Itzá) in the State of Yucatan, Mexico
Chichén Itzá and The Temple of Kukulcán are recognised as one of the new seven wonders of the modern world. It is the most visited archaeological site in Mexico.
In this post, other than displaying these amazing photos, I also share, at the end of the post, my experiences of how to get from Merida to Chichén Itzá using public transport.
Chichen Itza finally ticked off the Mexico Bucket List.
I have now visited and blogged about these archaeological sites in Mexico: Teotihuacán, Monte Albán, Mitla, Palenque, Edzná and Chichén Itzá.
The name Chichén Itzá means ‘At the mouth of the well of the Itzá’.
The Temple of Kukulcán (El Castillo) dominates the archaeological site of Chichén Itzá, built by the Maya people in 600 A.D.
The Temple of the Large Tables, adorned with engravings of “Jaguars in Procession”:
Plaza of the Thousand Columns:
Beautiful engravings at Chichén Itzá:
How to visit Chichen Itza independently:
There is no need to take an organised tour.
You can take an ADO bus/minivan from the ADO Terminal de Autobuses in Merida to Chichen Itza. According to the ADO website (2025), buses depart at 07:00, 09:00, 11:00 and 12:00. The journey takes 2 hours and drops you right at the site entrance.
In 2021, this is the ADO Minivan that I took from Merida to Chichen Itza:
Having toured and explored the amazing Mayan ruins, I took an Oriente bus back to Merida. I bought the ticket a la minute and it was cheaper than the ADO bus. You could also continue to Cancun, Tulum, and Valladolid.
If anyone has done this more recently, feel free to leave a comment below.
How much does it cost to visit Chichen Itza:
Chichén Itzá is not a cheap day out. In 2021, I paid 553 pesos (80+453 pesos).
These are the details taken from the INAH website (November 2025):
- Standard Entrance Fee: 100 pesos
- Government of the State of Yucatan tax for foreigners: 548 pesos
- Government of the State of Yucatan tax for Mexican Nationals: 190 pesos (Residents of Yucatan are exempt from this fee.
So for foreigners, the total fee is 648 pesos (approx: 35 USD, 27 UK£ and 30€)
Opening times of Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza is currently open from 8 am to 4 pm.