Visiting Chichén Itzá and Ik’Kil Cenote without a tour is easier than you think!
Visiting Chichén Itzá and the breathtaking Ik’Kil Cenote without a tour might sound like a challenge, but with a little planning, it can be one of the most rewarding travel experiences in the Yucatán Peninsula! Not only will you have the freedom to explore at your own pace, but you’ll also save money!
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know—from how to get there, the best times to visit, and tips for avoiding the crowds, to what to bring and the costs to expect.
So get ready to dive (literally and figuratively) into one of Mexico’s most iconic cultural and natural treasures!
How To Get To Chichén Itzá From Valladolid
The easiest way to visit the wonder of the world is via a collectivo. The first collectivo leaves at 7am, but make sure you arrive a little early as once the bus is full it will leave, and it only has around 15 seats.
We do recommend going early as there are a lot of tour buses that go t0 Chichén Itzá from Cancun, Valladolid and Merida, so it gets busy quickly.
The 7am collectivo gets you there at around 7:50am, and you will already see buses pulling up for the 8am opening times.
Buying tickets for the Colectivo
You can purchase tickets for the colectivo from a stand at the meeting point. You can buy a return ticket OR as we did, a three way ticket that will bring you to Ik’kil Cenote and then back to Valladolid – we highly recommend getting this.
The ticket for all three stops cost around 120 pesos (cash only). A return ticket to CI is 80 pesos.
Buying your Chichén Itzá ticket
When you arrive, get into the ticket queue straight away. There were a few tours who had arrived at the same time as us but they didn’t need to buy tickets so we were the first in queue !
Entrance int0 Chichén Itzá costs:
- Adults $648 MXN or $31 USD
- Children $100 MXN or $5 USD
If you plan on bringing a gopro or something similar, you will also have to buy a permit for that, which is purchased at the desk beside the ticket check for a further $60MXN.
Prefer to take a Tour to Chichén Itzá ? Check out these organised tours
** A word of warning, we went up to security without the permit and were acting, admittedly, quite touristy and the ticket checker brought up that we also needed to go back and pay federal tax on top of our ticket. This meant going back to the window to pay, and going to the back of the queue. We were the only people we saw that had to do this, so I would recommend having all your ducks in a row before going through security and ticket check to avoid this happening to you.
Taking a tour at Chichén Itzá
You can get a guided tour around Chichén Itzá and they are quite easy to find. Tour guides wait around the ticket desks asking if people want a tour of the ruins, and will try to get a group together on the spot. It is $1200MX per group, so if this is something you want to do, we would recommend asking other visitors yourself while you wait so you can make it as affordable as possible.
Another cheaper and much more flexible option that we found is using online tours. You can find audio tours of Chichén Itzá on Youtube. This will allow you to move through the ruins as quickly as you like and focus on the parts that are most interesting to you.
Getting to Ik'Kil Cenote from Chichén Itzá
Another great day trip you can do from Valladollid is a tour of some of the Cenotes in the area. Yucutan is full of Cenotes, so this won’t be your only option to see them, but the area around Valladolid has some of the best.
Ik’Kil Cenote is a great option that can be done on your way home from Chichén Itzá. There are tours available of the cenotes, but we recommend just getting a colectivo and going to the cenotes you are interested in seeing.
We bought tickets to the Cenote at Chichén Itzá before we left for 200 pesos (they were about 180pesos at the cenote itself if you prefer to wait).
When you walk out the main exit you will see a big tree which you wait under. There is a man there who will approach you and you can either buy the ticket from him, or if you have one let him know. He will call the colectivo driver to let them know people are waiting. Don’t expect this to happen very fast. Once the vans fill up you might have to wait up to 30 minutes for the next one! But it’s all very easy to arrange and defintly the most cost effective way.
Planning a trip to Mexico? Check out some of our other posts here to help you plan your trip!
Getting from Ik'KIl Cenote to Valladolid
After exploring the cenote (we spent about an hour there as theres not much to do apart from the main swimming pool) you can head back to Valladolid.
This was probably the worst part of the journey. There is no exact Colectivo stop so you just wait outside the entrance to the Cenote and kind of hope a colectivo is going to pull up and have seats.
We waited about 50 minutes for a Colectivo but you could get lucky and only have to wait a few minutes.
The Colectivo drops you off the the original departure spot.
FAQ
Chichén Itzá Opening Hours
Chichen Itza is open from Monday to Sunday
from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
How to get to Ik’Kil Cenote from Chichén Itzá
You can either get the colective from outside the exit or hop in a taxi – the drive should only take 10/15 minutes.
What is the best time to visit Chichén Itzá? Arrive early in the morning, ideally when the site opens at 8:00 AM, to avoid crowds and the midday heat. Weekdays are generally less busy compared to weekends and holidays.
How far is Ik’Kil Cenote from Chichén Itzá? Ik’Kil Cenote is only about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from Chichén Itzá, a short 10 minute drive. You can easily visit both locations in one day.
Can I swim at Ik’Kil Cenote? Yes! Ik’Kil Cenote is one of the most popular cenotes for swimming. Don’t forget your swimsuit, towel, and water shoes for added comfort. Life jackets are available for rent if needed.
Is it safe to visit Chichén Itzá and Ik’Kil on my own? Yes, visiting these sites independently is safe for most travelers. Just exercise standard precautions, such as keeping your belongings secure and staying hydrated. If driving, be mindful of traffic laws and road conditions.
Can I bring food and drinks? While you can bring water, food is generally not allowed inside Chichén Itzá to help preserve the site.
How long should I plan to spend at each location? Plan to spend 2-3 hours exploring Chichén Itzá and about 1-2 hours enjoying Ik’Kil Cenote.
