How to take the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza
One of the stops on the Tren Maya is the Chichen Itza ruins. This is one of the more predictably popular stops on the Tren Maya. In this guide we will tell you how the connection is, how much it costs to connect and recommendations. Since the Tren Maya is new, please read the next section carefully because currently it is very hard to take the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza. We will update this when the schedules change.
Note: The information is beneficial for those coming from both direction to Chichen Itza. However, since many of our readers are visiting the Riviera Maya, some of the information is specific to arriving from Quintana Roo.
Note: When booking Tren Maya tickets, the website is still only allowing bookings for about 1.5 months in advance. It will show dates for the year but when you click on it, it says no trains are available.
How much is the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza?
From the Cancun Airport Station to the Chichen Itza Station it is 954 pesos for first class and 596.50 for second class. These are the international tourist prices. Even people with residential visas need to pay this price. So, we are only posting these prices since almost all readers will end up paying this.
Current Conditions for the Tren Maya and Schedules
January 2025: The Tren Maya Station at Chichen Itza is open and people are using it now. However, due to the limited number of trains and the schedules, it makes it very hard to line up train transportation. For example, below are the two-way schedules round trip between Cancun Airport and Chichen Itza.
You could leave from the Cancun Airport to Chichen Itza at 9:30am or 11:45am. The other trains leaving at 16:40 and 19:40 will arrive after Chichen Itza is closed. To return from Chichen Itza Tren Maya Station to Cancun Airport you have the options of 16:05 (4:05pm) or 17:47 (5:47pm). This means that if you take the 9:30am train from Cancun Airport you arrive at the Chichen Itza Train Station at 10:44am and will have about 5 hours before the first train is available back to Chichen Itza. If you take the 11:45am train from Cancun Airport you arrive at 12:44pm at the Chichen Itza Train Station. Your only option for the return trip is the 16:40 (4:40pm) train. This would give you about 3 hours in the ruins. This is sufficient time to walk about, have a rest at the cafe and return.
The one train that does line up makes it possible to have about 3 hours at Chichen Itza, but you are trapped at the ruins. This means you will need to eat on the train or in the overpriced and not so great options at Chichen Itza. You also have to plan your transit from to and from the Cancun Airport Tren Station. The Tren Maya still is not as efficient at taking a tour, driving yourself or taking the bus in most cases.
Trains from the Riviera May to Chichen Itza
If you are boarding the Tren Maya from the Riviera Maya, there is only one train that leaves and connects in Cancun and leaves for Chichen Itza. From Playa Del Carmen the only train that connects all the way is the 6:35pm train and arrives at the Chichen Itza Station at 8:30pm. Unfortunately, the ruins are closed at this time, and you would need to stay at a hotel and visit the ruins the next day.
Our video of taking the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza Station
Like everything on our website, we go and explore and see how things work. We recently took the Tren Maya to Chichen to show you how the connections are and how it is working now.
Connection times from the Chichen Itza Tren Maya Station
When you get off the train you need to purchase your bus ticket for the short trip to the entrance of the ruins. After purchasing your ticket, you need to find the bus parked outside. This process takes about 30 minutes. Then the ride to the ruins about 12 minutes. Then it takes about 10 minutes to buy tickets. These times need to be calculated in your time between your arrive and departure on the Tren Maya.
Note about time: Quintana Roo and Yucatan State are one hour apart. Train times are in local times. It is important to look at the total travel time rather than the hours it arrives and departs because these are the local times where you board.
Note: Meals, if you are coming from the Cancun Airport Train Station you will have to think about eating. You have the train or Chichen Itza Ruins to get something. There are no other options. You will have to leave the ruins site by taxi to the nearby town of Piste. It is about 5 minutes away. Most of the restaurants cater to bus groups and offer buffets. We will say that we have never been impressed with a restaurant in Piste.
Optional transportation from Chichen Itza ruins
If you want to experience the Tren Maya now you still can take it to the ruins. It is more the return journey you will need to plan out. Since Chichen Itza is so visited, there are a lot of buses and shuttles that service the ruins. Here are some options:
- There are daily buses going to Playa Del Carmen, Cancun and Merida from Chichen Itza. Check the ADO website for the schedules. It is recommended to buy the tickets in advance because it can sell out. These buses will be the most direct and most comfortable option.
- There are colectivo shuttle vans that go between Chichen Itza and Valladolid. These shuttles are only 40 pesos each way and drop you a block from the bus station in Valladolid. They do fill up fast and you might have to wait a little for one, but they are direct. In Valladolid you can connect to a bus to your final destination. You can find people selling the tickets in the bus area of the parking lot in front of the Mercado. There is a drink stand, picnic table sand a tree. This is where you will find someone with a shirt logo. Vans are more frequent earlier in the day.
These are the vans that go between Valladolid and Chichen Itza. - In the entrance of Chichen Itza in a shop, there is a bus ticket table. The gift shop has a sign outside indicating “Bus Tickets”. Some of these are local buses that make a lot of stops. This is however an option. This is the 3rd best option in our opinion to try. Most of these buses will take you to another city where you will need to get a connecting bus.
How to get to Chichen Itza ruins from the Tren Maya
When the train arrives at the Chichen Itza Train Station riders are directed to the desk where the bus tickets are sold for the connection to the ruins. Tickets for the bus are 50 pesos each way. There is no other form of transportation to the ruins. From the time we arrived at the station, waited in line for tickets and walked to the bus, it took 30 minutes.
The buses drive down a new road that has been cut through the forest. You will also pass one of the new large hotels the Tren Maya is in connection with. There are several hotels being built like this near other large Maya ruin sights.
The bus takes about 12 minutes to the entrance of Chichen Itza. When we were arriving to the ruins, traffic was backed up, so the bus dropped us off in a satellite parking area and we walked down the trail to the ruins. It took about 10 minutes more.
How it is supposed to work in the future
When there are more trains, it will be easier to plan a round trip on the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza. The connecting buses will be timed to meet the train going in both directions. It currently is 50 pesos each way on the bus.
So why is the bus not included in the ticket of the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza? Afterall everyone needs to get from the train station to the ruins. Well, we imagine in the future some tours will sell the Tren Maya as transportation to the ruins and then they will have buses that meet the group. These bus tours will take you to the ruins and also a local cenote or other attraction before taking you back to the Tren Maya. Also, some locals might use the stop and have friends pick them up, so no bus would be necessary.
Going to Chichen Itza?
And if you are going to Chichen Itza, see our guide here with lots of tips!
Conclusion
Although it is still not a great option to visit Chichen Itza now round trip by train, we hope in the future the timing of the trains and connections are better. We will be updating this when there are more trains or other updates. Thanks for reading and watching our video. Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below and we will be sure to get back to you.
About The Author
Looks like the schedule has been updated now with more trains, so I’d appreciate if it this article could be updated too!
This has been on our list of things to update, and we just have. Unfortunately, the schedules are still not very good.