{"id":4036,"date":"2022-04-22T12:21:16","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T12:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayanpeninsula.com\/en\/?p=4036"},"modified":"2022-09-21T12:44:43","modified_gmt":"2022-09-21T12:44:43","slug":"chichen-itza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayanpeninsula.com\/en\/chichen-itza\/","title":{"rendered":"Chichen Itza"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\"Xichen<\/a>\n\n\n\n

Chichen Itza is the most visited Archeological Site in the Mayan Culture and represents the most complete and spectacular example of the combination of Mayan and Toltec cultures that flourished and reached a remarkable extension under the influence of \u201ccolonizers\u201d from Tula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The archaeological sources and the historical tradition, offer interesting indications for the study of the architectural and stylistic aspects of this Yucat\u00e1n City, characterized by the evident mixture of two different cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Chichen Itza, numerous decorative elements, especially in the form of sculptures and stone bas-reliefs, testify to the strong presence of the cult of Quetzalcoatl, known as Kukulkan to the Mayas. The worship of the Sacred Cenote remained alive until the time of the conquest, a well to whose murky and deep waters victims were thrown to please the god of Rain Chac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facts about Chichen Itza are one of the most interesting and basic things to learn when visiting this Mayan Archeological Site. Learn 10 Facts about Chichen Itza from the Pyramid in Chichen Itza<\/a>, the Sacred Cenote<\/a>, and speaking about the Pyramid and the Cenote, did you know there\u2019s a hidden Cenote right under the Great Pyramid of Chichen Itza?
Learn more about this fact and many more in this list I\u2019ve written for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chichen Itza 360\u00b0 Virtual Tour<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Chichen Itza open hours?<\/h3>\n
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Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1 is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. (Closing time may vary between 4 pm and 5 pm depending on the season)<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When visiting most of the Mayan archeological sites you need to pay 2 fees, one for the Yucat\u00e1n Tax Administration Agency, and a second one for the National Institute of Arts and History.<\/p>\n\n\n

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How much is Chichen Itza’s entrance fee in 2022?<\/h3>\n
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General Admission
<\/strong>State fee: $453 MXN
Federal fee: $80 MXN
Total: $533 MXN
(Children between 3 and 12: $85 MXN)<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mexican Citizens<\/strong><\/td>Yucat\u00e1n State Residents<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
State fee: $157 MXN
Federal fee: $80 MXN
Total: $237 MXN<\/td>		State fee: $0 MXN
Federal fee: $80 MXN
Total: $80 MXN<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Free admission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • Free admission for Mexican Citizens on Sundays with a valid ID.<\/li>
  • Free admission every day for Mexican Citizens with the following valid IDs: Older than 60 years, retired, pensioned, teachers, students, children under 13, and handicapped.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n
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    When is the best time to visit Chichen Itza?<\/h3>\n
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    Chichen Itza is the second most visited archeological site in M\u00e9xico with more than 2.5 million visitors a year, with the busiest months being November \u2013 to April.
    The months with fewer crowds are May \u2013 June, and September \u2013 October.
    The perfect month to visit this archeological site because of the good weather and fewer tourists in May.
    The best time during the day is between 8 and 11 am, and if you\u2019re not an early bird, you can get there between 2 and 3 pm.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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    What’s the estimated time spent in Chichen Itza?<\/h3>\n
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    Relax: You can walk around the Pyramid of Kukulkan to see the buildings without going into the Sacb\u00e9s or roads in just under one hour.
    Tourist: If you want to see everything stopping only to take pictures, it may take between 3 and 4 hours.
    Archeologist: If you already read about Chichen Itza\u00b4s history and its buildings, you might want to really explore the architecture and engravings around the monuments. This may easily take between 4 to 6 hours.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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    General recommendations when visiting Chichen Itza?<\/h3>\n
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    1. Keep yourself hydrated<\/strong>
    2. Wear comfortable shoes<\/strong>
    3. Plan your route<\/strong>
    4. Be patient<\/strong>
    5. Protect yourself from harmful UV rays<\/strong>
    6. Avoid large crowds<\/strong>
    7. No drones or tripods allowed<\/strong>
    8. Get a bus tour<\/strong>
    9. Hire a guide (or not)<\/strong>
    10. Something about salespeople<\/strong>
    11. Bring cash<\/strong>
    12. Bring mosquito repellent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Some of the Chichen Itza recommendations you find here may be common sense like drinking lots of water and protecting yourself from UV rays, but I recommend you read all of them to learn a couple of things you may not have thought about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Keep yourself hydrated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first of our Chichen Itza recommendations is to take a few liters of water in your backpack because you\u2019re going to sweat, plus the weather is very hot and humid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Wear comfortable shoes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You may wear sandals, but it\u2019s best to take your hiking or tennis shoes. The pathways are a bit uneven and unpaved, also you\u2019ll have to keep an eye out for errant rocks and sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Plan your route<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re just looking to take a couple of amazing pictures in front of the main pyramid, and other nearby constructions, there\u2019s no need to plan the route; but if you want to see everything, it\u2019s best to plan ahead so you know what you want to see, and where it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Be patient<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lots of people visit Chichen Itza, and most of them get there between 11 am and 1 pm, so if you\u2019re expecting to take a picture by yourself in front of the Kukulkan Pyramid, that may be a bit difficult. So, you can wait, or just take the picture and then edit your photo later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Protect yourself from harmful UV rays<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is one of the most important Chichen Itza recommendations because you may find some shades under the trees, but most of the time, you will be under direct sunlight, so make sure to use sunscreen, a hat, and it may also be a good idea to take an umbrella with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6. Avoid large crowds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chichen Itza can get very crowded depending on the season, schedule, and day of the week. There\u2019s not much we can do about the season because we usually plan our trip depending on other factors, but try to avoid Sundays because any citizen with a valid Mexican ID gets in for free.
    Another thing to look out for if you want to avoid large crowds in Chichen Itza is that most of the tour buses get there at around 11 am, so if it\u2019s in your hands, try to get there at 8 am, or after 2 pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. No drones or tripods allowed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is one of the Chichen Itza recommendations that\u2019s more of a warning, than a recommendation because you may freely take pictures and video with your handheld camera or smartphone, but you have to pay a small fee for shooting video with a pro camera. Also, keep in mind you can\u2019t use drones.
    If you really need to use a tripod, there\u2019s special permission to use one, but it might take some valuable time out of your visit to get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    8. Get a bus tour<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While driving yourself may give you the freedom to stay the time you need and stop to eat wherever you want, it might be tiring for the driver. So, it might be a good idea to get a bus tour to Chichen Itza because most of them include the access ticket, a tour guide, food, and drinks, so you don\u2019t have to worry about anything else other than enjoying your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    9. Hire a guide (or not)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is one of the Chichen Itza recommendations that is totally up to you and what you want to get out of your trip to this Mayan Archeological Site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other than taking amazing pictures, a must when you visit Chichen Itza is to know what you\u2019re looking at and a little bit of history. So, you have 2 options, read before you go, or hire a tour guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    10. Something about salespeople<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are souvenir stands everywhere, selling figurines, t-shirts, wood carvings, and the list goes on. It\u2019s important to buy from them and not big chain stores because some of the articles you can find there are works of art that were built with their own hands, plus you help their economy, but in my opinion, I don\u2019t think there should be so many of them, this amazing Archeological Site ends up looking like a market.
    Also, a few of them lie to get your attention, they may say something like 5 T-shirts for $5 dollars, and when you ask, they say 5 T-shirts for $25 dollars, making it seem like you may have heard wrong. Or they have a big figurine and offer it to you at $1 dollar, and when you approach them to buy it, they have a small one \u201chidden\u201d in the other hand; then they tell you that\u2019s the one that costs $1 dollar, and the big one costs $30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    11. Bring cash<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While traveling in M\u00e9xico, it\u2019s always best to carry cash because you never know when you can pay with a credit or debit card. Even when they accept them, they may not work properly, try to carry cash with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    12. Bring mosquito repellent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It depends on the season, but most of the year there are lots of mosquitos, one of the most important Chichen Itza recommendations is to take with you some mosquito repellent in the form of liquid, bracelet, sticker, or whatever works for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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