Is Chichen Itza or Tulum better to visit?

If you are coming to the Riviera Maya and are thinking about tours to take, no doubt Mayan ruins are always towards the top of most people’s list. You might have time for one and you don’t want to overdo it visiting lots of ruins. So, between two the most popular ruins, which is better to visit, Chichen Itza or Tulum? In this article we will break down the differences and also, we have some videos to show you more of the two ruins. We will also compare going on a tour or visiting without a tour.

What are the pros and cons of visiting these two ruins?

To help you make a decision, we have complied some very honest assessments of both Tulum ruins and Chichen Itza ruins. But first, here are some things true for both Chichen Itza ruins and Tulum ruins.

You cannot climb at either of these ruins (the only one of the big four ruins is Ek Balam). Public bus transport is available for both ruins, however getting to secondary locations (i.e. restaurants, cenote, or other attraction) can be complicated and might require a somewhat pricy taxi. Both ruins have new things to see. The Jaguar Park is being built to connect the Tren Maya to the Tulum ruins and Chichen Itza Viejo (or old Chichen Itza) is now open to the public for the first time. Currently the old part of Chichen Itza it is open just two days a week, (Friday and Saturday). Check official website for updates.

Pros of Visiting Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is one of the most well-known ruins and you can check it off your bucket list.
The ruins are larger, and some have been restored so you can get a sense of what it was like at the time.
The area that Chichen Itza is in is a contrast to the touristy Riviera Maya. You will pass by people still living in traditional maya houses and see people selling local fruit along the road, for example.

Cons of Visiting Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is at least a 3-hour drive from the Riviera Maya each way. So, the day is longer and there is about 60% more travel time.
Planning a self-guided trip or a tour will be a cost more per person. About $20-25 USD more.
There is more walking with a visit to Chichen Itza. It is a minimum of 1.5 hours from the parking lot, buying tickets and walking around to the main parts.

Pros of Visiting Tulum Ruins

You will see the iconic view from the ruins overlooking the Caribbean.
These ruins are closer to the Riviera Maya. So, there will be less travel time and more time to do some other activities after the ruins.
If you are not as interested in maya ruins, Tulum is smaller and if visited by a tour, less of the emphasis of the tour.

Cons of Visiting Tulum Ruins

There are not that much that can be considered a con. It is a little less famous and smaller ruin, so if you want more history and more ruins to see, these are on the smaller side.

Which tours do we recommend to either Chichen Itza or Tulum ruins?

There are lots of tour options from the Riviera Maya to the different Mayan ruins. That does not mean however that all tours are good options. Here is some general advice on selecting tours.

Tours that are priced under $100 USD often are very basic and might not include things like the entrance to the ruins. This is especially true of tours to Chichen Itza since the entrance alone is about $35 USD.
One of the main points to choose a tour is for the destinations. Besides the ruins, what does the tour offer? Many like a cenote to visit and some tours offer more cultural stops.
Prices are related to quality of the tour. There are no “discounts” or sales for tours that are real. These are only words cheap tours use to make people think they are getting a deal. Higher priced tours will usually have better guides, better transportation, better meals, and better second stops to see something.

Recommended tours to Chichen Itza

Here are two bus tours that you can take and one private tour option.

Xichen Deluxe tour

This has been one of best tours to Chichen Itza in recent memory. The guides are very well informed, bilingual, and organized. Often there are two guides that help everyone get around during the day.

What makes this tour deluxe is the nice bus, very good reginal buffet at their own restaurant, drinks included during the day including beer, large sun umbrellas to use and some more extras. This tour is worth the price since going to Chichen Itza is a highlight of many people’s vacations. You do visit a cenote but do not have an opportunity to swim in it. If you want a cenote swim the next bus tour has that.

You can book and get more information in this link: Tour Xichen Deluxe with Transportation

For more about the Xichen Deluxe tour see our article here.

Xichen Clasico Tour

This tour is by the same company above and is a little less expensive. People like this Chichen Itza tour because you get to stop at a cenote and swim. Lunch is at the cenote as well but not the company’s restaurant, so it is more basic.

The guides are very good for this tour, and you will be in good hands for your day of exploration.

You can book and get all the information here in this link: Tour Xichen Clasico with Transportation

For more about the Xichen Clasico tour see our article here.

Private tours to Chichen Itza

Private tours to Chichen Itza fall into two categories. First there are private tours with a guide and driver that have everything included. These tours are more expensive, but much of the planning is already done and they take you to quality places. the second is more private transportation and you can plan on what you want to see.

If you have a group of people and want to have a private tour of Chichen Itza, here is a good local company that will provide and bilingual driver, airconditioned vans, and 10 hours to do whatever you want to see. This tour is for up to 8 people. Overall, this tour is similar priced to other tours, but the fact you can make decision on where to go and how long to spend at each destination makes it much more valuable.

Make sure you read about what is included and what is not. Also, if you do a little research on what you want to see, you can make this an enjoyable tour.

Recommended tours to visit Tulum ruins

Here are several tour options and a brief description of each one.

Bus tours to Tulum ruins

Tulum ruins and Xel Ha all-inclusive tour. This tour will pick you up from your hotel and take you first to Tulum ruins. Your professional guide will take you around the ruins in a 45-minute tour and then you will have about one hour to take photos and walk around. After visiting the ruins, you will take the short drive to Xel-Ha Park where you can snorkel and have fun all afternoon exploring this amazing park. See our video below. If you like this tour, you can book direct here and if you book in advance you can save up to 15% off.

Tulum ruins and swimming with the turtles in Akumal. This is a popular option because many people want to swim with the turtles. This tour also takes you to a cenote, so you can see three things in once tour. See details here to book this tour. Be sure to note that there is a $20 USD Marine reserve fee to pay.
Rio Secreto and Tulum ruins tour. This tour takes you to the ruins and to one of the spectacular underground cave systems in the Riviera Maya. This tour provided transportation, lunch and smaller groups. To see more about this tour, see our link here.

Private tour to visit Tulum ruins

If you want to be more flexible and select from some options, this private tour company will be a very good option. We even went on a tour recently and in the video is one of the options you could combine with the Tulum ruins tour. You can read more about our experience with this private tour company here.

How easy is it to self-drive to both Chichen Itza and Tulum ruins?

If you are a little more comfortable renting a car and driving to the ruins, what is the difference between the two? A couple of things to note if you are thinking about self-driving to either ruin. You can save money by driving yourself to either ruin. However, there are some expenses that you need to know about.

Both Chichen Itza and Tulum ruins charge for parking. It is about $5-9 USD.
There are no tolls when going to Tulum. Taking the toll road to Chichen Itza you will pay 4 tolls round trip. This is about $40 USD round trip.
Car rentals are not the cheapest in the Riviera Maya. Most will cost about $45-60 USD a day. Gas will cost between 250-650 pesos ($13-40 USD) depending on how much you drive.
Entrances to the ruins are near $35 USD for Chichen Itza and $9 USD for Tulum ruins.
Guides to hire at the ruins is optional. The size of your group, what language you speak, and how busy it is all affect the price of the guides. In general, they are about $40-60 USD for an hour. There is no set price
Entrances to a cenote for a second stop ranges from 150-250 pesos per person ($8-15 USD)

So, as you can see, there are expenses that go along with visiting either Chichen Itza ruins or Tulum ruins. This should be taken into account when thinking about taking a tour, public transportation or self-driving.

Driving to Chichen Itza

Let’s first start with a map of the trip with some highlighted sections. Below you can see the fairly direct route from Playa Del Carmen to Chichen Itza ruins. Along the way you see points of interest markers. Click on these to see what is there and get more details.

The drive will take you about 2 hours and 20 minutes to get there and, if you follow our itinerary, you will come back via Valladolid. Overall, the driving part of the day is close to 5 hours, but it is broken up so you can enjoy your adventure.

Here are the really important things to know first. We will expound on some of these below and talk about other aspects of your trip.

The Car Rental

Since you will out of your home country, here are a few tips about renting a car in Mexico. The first one is where to look. There is a lot of cheap rentals online that look like they are just a few dollars a day. Is this possible? Not really. Insurance and fees are added to these low prices. A good average price for a rental is about $45-$60 USD a day and will depend on how many days you are renting.

Liability insurance in Mexico is necessary. Do not just count on your credit card to cover it. It is usually best to buy local coverage for your rental.

One really good car rental company that our readers like is this one. You can get fully insured cars and extra good service from here.

Know Your Route to Chichen Itza

Two of the biggest mistakes that people make are:

Thinking the local 180 is about the same as the toll 180. This is a big no! The local road is much slower with many speed bumps. This day already has enough driving, and you don’t want to be in the car longer than you need to be. Note: If you follow our route, you will take part of the local non toll 180 from Chichen Itza to Valladolid. This is the only section we recommend.
Not having money for tolls. We often drive these roads and see cars stopped on the side because they don’t have enough pesos or even pesos to pay the toll. There are no ATM machines. They do have credit cards machines but often do not work so do not count on this. You must pay cash and in pesos. There are two toll segments each way.

Another thing to mention about driving in Mexico is the amount of speed bumps you will find everywhere. They are on major roads at the entrances and exits of towns, by schools, and crosswalks. Be sure to read our guide about driving so you can know about some of the things to look out for.

Below are some more tips about visiting Chichen Itza.

Driving to Tulum Ruins

Tulum ruins is very easy to get to from the Riviera Maya. It is straight shot down the 307 Highway. Once you get to Tulum, look for the large TULUM letters on the east side of the road. This is the entrance to the parking area for Tulum ruins.

Taking public transportation to either one of these ruins

If you do not want to rent a car and wish to visit either Chichen Itza or Tulum ruins, public transportation is available.

Taking a bus to Chichen Itza

If you are more of an independent person, you might consider taking the public bus (ADO) to Chichen Itza. You might take the bus to Chichen Itza and then onward to another destination. If you are doing this there is a bag check at Chichen Itza in the visitor’s center. This service is free and fairly secure.

Here are some sample prices and times for the bus to Chichen Itza. Note: Times and prices change often, so please check before booking.

If you do want to take the ADO but round trip from the Riviera Maya, you should consider the schedule of the return bus. There are not many daily busses doing the direct route. You might be stuck at the ruins for hours.

ADO Bus From Playa Del Carmen to Chichen Itza

There is one direct bus a day at 8:17am that cost about 292 pesos. This bus takes about 4 hours. This bus leaves from the ADO station on Juarez Avenue and 5th Avenue.

ADO Bus From Cancun to Chichen Itza

There is currently one bus daily direct to Chichen Itza. It leaves at 8:45 am from the ADO Cancun Bus Station in the downtown. The ride is about 3 hours and costs around 414 pesos one way.

ADO Bus From Merida to Chichen Itza

There are three morning buses that leave from Merida to Chichen Itza. The cost is around 130-150 pesos. This route takes 1:45-1:55 hours.

Taking the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza

The new Tren Maya has a stop at Chichen Itza with connecting bus to the ruins. This might seem like a good option because it is a new service and trains in general are more comfortable than buses. However, as we explained in our article on how to take the Tren Maya to Chichen Itza, it basically does not work. You will need one train to drop you off and another train to pick you up after you are done visiting. The problem is that there are only three trains a day currently and the schedules do not line up to give people sufficient time to see the ruins and take the train. So, it is possible, but you will not have a lot of time, or you can take the Tren Maya one way and bus another, but this is a little more complicated. We do give you details on how to do this if you want to in our article mentioned above.

You can also see more details below in our video explanation of how to visit Chichen Itza by train.

Taking the Bus or Colectivo to Tulum Ruins

There are two options to take public transportation to Tulum ruins. Colectivos and small vans that run along the highway and make stops where people want to get on and off. These are faster and cheaper but not as comfortable or as safe. To take these vans you have to get them on the south end of Playa Del Carmen. If you are staying at a hotel between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum, colectivos are your only option for public transportation because the ADO buses do not make stops in between.

Note: Taxis from all-inclusive resorts in the Riviera Maya are expensive. Distances are large and prices for a one-way taxi can be anywhere from $25 USD to $60 USD one way.

The ADO bus is the better option for most people. Make sure you buy tickets to Tulum zona arqueológica because there are different stops in Tulum. There are about 5 buses a day and this costs about 116 pesos one way. Depending on what you want to do after visiting the ruins, you will need to plan to take a bus back. It is good to buy in advance (the same day in the morning or day before) because this is a popular route. If you go into Tulum downtown area, you can also get ADO buses from the main station back to Playa Del Carmen.

Give yourself a minimum of 1.5 hours to visit the ruins of Tulum. This will include walking to the site and walking around. We mention this to plan return transportation.

Taking the Tren Maya to Tulum Ruins

Currently this is not available. The train is being built from Playa Del Carmen south and is not expected to open util late 2024.

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Mr.Yucatan

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Which is better to visit? Chichen Itza or Tulum Ruins?