Chichén Itzá Tour, Cenote, and Valladolid Day Trip
The world is full of wondrous places. Each country has something unique and special to offer. The 7 designated world wonders are universally accepted as the world’s best and most spectacular natural features and human-built structures.
In my opinion, it’s hard to narrow down such a list to just 7 wonders across the world. Nonetheless, in ancient Greek times, the number 7 represented perfection and plenty. In the new millennium, the new 7 wonders of the world were selected.
- Great Wall of China
- Petra
- Colosseum
- Chichén Itzá
- Machu Picchu
- Taj Mahal
- Christ the Redeemer
The Giza Pyramids have a honorary status from the original 7 wonders of the ancient world.
In January 2023, I visited my first world wonder- Chichén Itzá. This world wonder is located in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The area is a Mayan city with cultural influences embedded throughout the region.
The Yucatán is rich with not only Mayan culture but also natural wonders that are hidden within the jungle of the peninsula. Additionally, there are hundreds of cenotes to explore offering a refreshing escape from the hotness and humidity of the jungle.
As a world wonder, Chichén Itzá provides a glimpse into the historical legacy of the Mayan civilization. They were advanced beyond what we can imagine when they used the natural resources of their time.
The Mayans were highly sophisticated. They developed a writing and a numeric system. They were astronomical intellects, developed a calendar, and built advanced architecture. For example, during the seasonal changes of spring and fall, the sunset casts shadows on the Temple of Kukulcán that give the appearance of a snake, and at the base is a stone snake head.
Chichén Itzá Overview and History
Visiting Chichén Itzá provides an experience to wander and envision the period of a mighty civilization and mysterious indigenous community.
A knowledgeable guide can explain the history and culture of the Mayans to help you understand the significance of this world wonder. Context is key and without it, you’ll miss the wonder and be left wondering what makes this place so special.
For me, the wonder is in the knowledge I learned of this mysterious yet magnificent civilization that left me in awe of what they built and accomplished.
The discovery of the ancient Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in the mid-1800s then led other explorers to the area. On the grounds of Chichén Itzá are a few notable areas: the Temple of Kukulcán, the Great Ball Court, and the Temple of the Warriors.
The Temple of Kukulcán
The notable photo of Chichén Itza is the Temple of Kukulcán or El Castillo (“the castle” as identified by the Spaniards). Chichén Itzá is more than just this one structure. However, this one is most memorable since it’s the largest among the ruins.
The Mayans knew astronomy well, and this temple structure represents key astrological features such as 365 steps for 365 days in a year. The four sides represent seasons that guided the Mayans during their crop growing.
An architectural feature of this temple is the echo at the base of it. If you clap your hands at the base of the stairs, you’ll hear an echo. It’s still unknown how the Mayans were able to design and build this structure to produce this echo.
The Great Ball Court
The Mayans participated in a ceremonial ritual that took place in the Great Ball Court. This section of Chichén Itzá is the largest, preserved ballgame courts of ancient Mesoamerica.
A tour guide explains the game that occurred in the ball court with pictorial representations of the game along the walls of the structure. The purpose of the game involves a human sacrifice to their gods which was part of their ritual practices. This ultimately had significant outcomes to their lives and was an important ritual in their community.
Temple of the Warriors
The Temple of the Warriors is a smaller pyramid structure surrounded by columns representing warriors. While the structure is not quite a perfect pyramid design, it’s still an impressive site. The top includes a Chac Mool statue which is considered a messenger of the gods and was used to hold religious offerings.
To the side of the Temple of Warriors are hundreds of columns. The columns have images of Toltex warriors.
The grounds of Chichén Itzá are massive. There are many areas to see with various smaller structures. Take the time to explore and learn about the Mayan civilization that brought us this great world wonder.
A Full-Day Tour to Chichén Itzá
The easiest way and best way to visit Chichén Itzá is through a guided tour/excursion. It takes the worry out of transportation and buying tickets, and it allows you to learn from a certified guide the history of this area and potentially see more of the Yucatán along your way.
Many popular areas along the coast of Mexico (Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum) offer tours to Chichén Itzá that pick you up and take you on a bus ride to the Yucatán. A typical itinerary for a full-day tour will include a cenote visit, a tour of Chichén Itzá, and a stop in Valladolid. Below are a few Chichén Itzá day trip tours that offer various options to see this world wonder.
- Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid All-Inclusive Tour
- Chichen Itza, Buffet Lunch, Cenote, Tequila Tasting and Valladolid
- Chichen Itza, Cenot and Valladolid Tour
- Visit to Chichen Itza, Ik Kil Cenote and Valladolid with Lunch from Cancun
On a visit to Cancun in January 2023, I booked a full-day excursion to visit this world wonder which cost me USD 63. The full-day, 12-hour tour included a bilingual tour guide, hotel pick-up, round-trip transportation, a cenote visit, a buffet lunch, Chichén Itzá guided tour, and a stop in Valladolid. Everything was included in the tour except the entrance fee to Chichén Itzá.
Cenotes
Cenotes are natural sinkholes or underground caves with a natural water supply. In the Yucatán Peninsula, Mayans used these cenotes for their water supply, spiritual practices, and human sacrifices. There are thousands of cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula each uniquely different.
The tour I booked included a stop at the beautiful cenote Hubiku for a refreshing swim and lunch buffet. Cenote waters are cold! It took a few minutes for me to take the plunge and it was refreshing! After a swim, we walked around the area, enjoyed a Mayan cleansing ritual, tasted some local honey and herbal treats, and enjoyed flavored tequila before eating our delicious buffet lunch.
There are hundreds of cenotes in the Yucatan, and depending on your tour, you may stop at a different cenote than the one I visited. Some popular cenotes in the area are Ik Kil cenote and cenote Saamal.
Chichén Itzá
Thousands of people visit Chichén Itzá each day. The admissions cost varies for locals and foreigners. If you book a tour, then they will tell you the cost. During my visit, it cost USD 31. It was better to pay in USD instead of pesos because the tour company had a different exchange rate. I did not know this so I paid more in pesos than I would have if I paid in USD. Lesson learned for me. Confirm the cash exchange if you’ll be paying the admission fee to your tour guide who then takes care of getting the tickets upon arrival.
Chichén Itzá is in the Yucatán which is one of the warmest regions in Mexico. This is the jungle so it’s typically hot and humid year-round. Fortunately for my visit, it was a cloudy and slightly cooler day. Due to the heat and humidity, wear a hat, apply lots of sunscreen, and use an umbrella to shade you from the sun.
Our guide, Angél, was phenomenal. He spent about 45 minutes taking us around the ruins of Chichén Itzá and teaching us about the Mayan civilization and this sacred place. It’s great to have a professional guide so that you can learn about the rich history of the ancient ruins and Mayan civilization. We had about another hour on our own to walk the entirety of Chichén Itzá ruins.
Valladolid
After Chichén Itzá, we made a brief stop in Valladolid. It was a short stop (about 35 minutes) so we didn’t get a chance to explore this area fully.
From what I did see, Valladolid is a city to immerse yourself in authentic Mexican culture with Mayan influences. The buildings have a colonial architecture with pastel colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. The square (Parque Francisco Canton Rosado) was beautiful and people walked around and enjoyed live music. Vendors were selling delicious Mexican treats like corn on the cob, Mexican candy, ice cream, and other treats.
Valladolid seems like an awesome city to experience, and I feel we missed out on an opportunity to learn and explore this Yucatán city. The brief stop on the tour wasn’t enough time to fully experience this city, but it seems like a great place to visit.
Afterward the Valladolid stop, we made our way back to Cancun. This experience made it a long day but it was well worth it! Our guide mentioned there are plans to build more roads and highways to make it easier to travel which will cut down on driving time. Mexico also has plans to add a train that will get people to the Yucatán Peninsula within 40 minutes of Cancun.
This future advancement in transportation will make the area more accessible to visit and experience not only the world wonder of Chichén Itzá but also the unique and amazing culture of the Yucatán Peninsula.
The Yucatan peninsula is full of rich history and culture. I highly recommend visiting on a day tour if you have less time for a visit or spend a few days immersing yourself in this region to experience more of the local cuisine’s most popular attractions.