Visiting Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is an amazing place and was well worth the long drive to get there. But I wanted to share some information about visiting that I hadn't seen anywhere else and would have liked to know beforehand. 

Kukulkan Pyramid at Chichen Itza

Arrival: There are numerous hat stalls on the road to Chichen Itza but the prices are more than twice than what they are inside so it pays to wait. We were stopped multiple times as we approached by official looking people who asked us to buy a tour. Once we said no they waved us on. We were also told, again by official looking people, that the parking lot was full. The first person to stop us offered us parking for 200 pesos and the second person said we could park on the street for free. But we went right up to the entrance and found empty parking spaces in the official lot for 80 pesos. 

All the reviews we've read advise getting there early because of the crowds. And if you are close or can make the long drive very early that is probably good advice as it was very crowded when we arrived at 11am. But it wasn't busy at all when we left at 2:30 so if I was to go again we would plan to arrive mid afternoon. They stop letting people in at 4 but a 2 or 3pm entry would leave plenty of time to see the sights. 

Buying tickets: We bought our tickets online which did save us a little bit of money. But the "skip the line" advertising was incorrect. After waiting in the entrance line with our electronic tickets we were sent back to a small closet where a woman scanned the electronic ticket, checked our name off a paper checklist, and handed us paper tickets for the adults in our party. Then she took us across the lobby to get a paper child's ticket so we could once again wait in the entry line. It is not an efficient system. 

Vendors: There are vendors EVERYWHERE. Hundreds of booths line the jungle side of every path and are on both sides on some of the longer paths. There are very few places where you can be away from people trying to sell you something. The path to the cenote was particularly bad as the vendors there were very aggressive and would come at you from both sides with lots of pressure. 

Everything you see at a particular booth can be found at another 20 booths. There are no fixed prices for any of it and it is all very negotiable so don't pay the first price asked. Even if you don't like to haggle simply saying that you are just looking or walking away will get them to drop the price. 

A glimpse of the ruins through the stalls

Atmosphere and ruins: The huge number of booths make for a sometimes chaotic and almost faire like atmosphere. To the right of the large pyramid as you walk in there is a path that leads to a quiet grove with only a few vendors and a large shaded area where you can walk and see the ruins in peace. There are very few signs at any of the ruins, most of the history is designed to be conveyed through the many tours that are offered. 

What to bring: There is shade by all the vendor booths but the main pyramid and large temple structure are all in full sun. A hat, sunglasses, or umbrella are recommended. Definitely bring lots of water, especially if you are not used to the climate. While there are hundreds of booths selling souvenirs, there is only one that sells water so do bring your own. 

That is what we learned from our visit to Chichen Itza. It is an amazing site and the ruins are just incredible.