Chichen Itza Or Tulum Ruins: Which Is Better To Visit?

Planning A Trip To The Yucatan Area In Mexico And Looking For More Info On Chichen Itza vs The Tulum Ruins To Decide Which Is Better To Visit?

History has always been one of my favorite subjects (it was the only thing I wanted to study in college), and traveling has made it even more exciting, getting to visit historical sites and bringing the past to life. Some of the most interesting and beautiful historical places I’ve visited have been in Mexico, like the Ruins of Tulum and Chichen Itza, but here’s a comparison between these two so you can decide if one, the other, both, or neither is worth adding to your next trip.

🛕 Chichen Itza vs The Tulum Ruins

Chichen Itza is definitely still worth it if you love history and archaeology.

⭐️ Overall:

➡️ Chichen Itza is busier, more expensive, and further away, but it is larger, more complete, and one of the coolest historical sites you can visit in the world, so I say definitely check it out

➡️ the Tulum Ruins are a little closer and have a beautiful ocean view, but they are not as large and they are more ruin-like (there are a few structures but nothing like Chichen Itza), so I’d say visit if you’re near by, but make Chichen Itza the priority

Continue reading for more details on both the Tulum Ruins and Chichen Itza so you can decide which is best to add to your next Mexico trip.

Which Did I Like Better?

I’ve visited the Yucatan Peninsula a couple of times and seen both Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins, and although there are a few downsides to each (like the oppressive heat and touristy-ness), I did enjoy seeing both historical sites.

My favorite would definitely be Chichen Itza for its size and completeness, but the views at the Tulum Ruins were pretty cool too, so I would say visit both if you have the time and interest, but spend the most time at Chichen Itza.

🐍 Why Visit Chichen Itza

Here are a few reasons why you should choose to visit Chichen Itza vs the Tulum Ruins.

No matter what part of the Yucatan Peninsula you plan to visit, if it’s your first time, you should definitely consider adding Chichen Itza to your itinerary for a couple of reasons:

✅ Chichen Itza is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, so it’s literally one of the coolest historical sites to see and definitely worth adding to your bucket list

✅ compared to many other ruins in the area, Chichen Itza is one of the most complete Mayan ruin sites you can visit

✅ it’s also one of the largest sites with its most famously photographed pyramid, but you can also most interestingly see the ball court (pictured above) where their sacrificial game used to be played

✅ it’s not located super close to vacation towns like Cancun or Tulum (at least two hours away depending on where you’re coming from), but it’s so popular that there are plenty of ways to get here (from either Cancun or Tulum) so it’s actually pretty easy to reach

✅ also since it’s such a popular place to visit, there are so many tour options you can choose from if you want the most stress-free way to get here; these are a couple of the highest rated options (plus here’s a review of a tour I went on):
- 🛕 Chichen Itza from Cancun with a cenote, Valladolid city, and Mayan cuisine
- 🛕 Chichen Itza from Merida with Izamal, the Ik Kil cenote, and food
- 🛕 VIP Private Chichen Itza tour (a really nice way to visit this historical site)
- 🛕 Small Group Chichen Itza tour with Ek Balam and a cenote

The Downsides Of Chichen Itza

Although it's a fascinating historical site, it's really really touristy.

Chichen Itza is a really great historical site to visit, but a couple of things that might not make it feel entirely worth checking out include:

❌ how busy it always is; that’s one reason why visiting early in the morning is a little better (that and because of the heat)

❌ how incredibly touristy it is with lots of sketchy vendors constantly trying to sell you something that they way overcharge for (if you speak Spanish you’ll get a highly discounted price compared to what they offer English speakers)

❌ how much time it takes to visit; even tours where you don’t have to do the driving can be pretty exhausting because they’re usually full day 10-13 hours

➡️ Still Trying To Decide What Historical Sites To Visit In Mexico? here are a few comparisons between Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan and between Chichen Itza and the Great Pyramid of Cholula to help you out

🏝️ Why Visit The Tulum Ruins

Here are a few reasons why you might want to choose to visit the Tulum Ruins vs Chichen Itza.

If you’re already going to be visiting Tulum, Mexico or you have enough time to do a day trip here from other parts of the Riviera Maya or Cancun areas, here are a few reasons why you might find the Tulum Ruins worth adding to your itinerary in addition to or instead of Chichen Itza:

✅ the number one reason the Tulum Ruins are worth visiting is because of that ocean/archaeological view you can get here
- these ruins are some of the most famous coastal Mayan ruins and the views really are pretty incredible

✅ if you love history and are also planning to visit Chichen Itza no matter what, the Tulum Ruins are a nice addition to a historical trip
- you might also want to check out the Coba Ruins and the Ek Balam site

✅ the Tulum Ruins are also one of the cheaper sites to visit in the Yucatan Peninsula (especially compared to Chichen Itza)
- currently they cost around 100 pesos ($5-ish) for the site itself or a little over 500 pesos ($27-ish) with the whole park and conservation fees

✅ the Tulum Ruins are also the main attraction and reason for visiting Tulum, so it is a must-see if you are already going to be staying here

The Downsides Of The Tulum Ruins

Although there are beautiful views out here, it is really hot.

It might not be a lot of reasons, but here are a few things that might make the Tulum Ruins feel a bit overrated and not worth visiting, especially if you plan to explore other historical sites:

❌ compared to the big historical site of Chichen Itza, the Tulum Ruins might be a bit of a let down in terms of structures and size; there are a few standing structures here, but they are ruins not a reconstructed ruins site

❌ although every site in the Yucatan Peninsula is highly touristy and pretty cheesy, the Tulum Ruins are no different, particularly on the way in; there will be lots of gimmicky vendors and pester-y tour guides trying to get you to buy something, so that definitely takes away from a cool historical experience

❌ if you don’t plan to stay in Tulum, or at least as far south as Playa del Carmen, visiting the Ruins might feel too far away, especially if you’re already visiting other famous sites, and the tour options do become more limited the further away you get

✌️ Chichen Itza vs The Tulum Ruins: Should You Visit Both?

If you have the time, the interest in history, and the budget, I’d say definitely check out both Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins because they are different enough to enjoy seeing both sites.

But if you don’t have enough time or interest, I would say choose Chichen Itza over the Tulum Ruins since it is one of the most famous and coolest historical sites in Mexico.

➡️ Trying To Decide Where To Visit In The Yucatan Peninsula Or In Mexico In General? here is a comparison between Tulum and Cabo San Lucas, between Cancun and Cabo San Lucas, and between Tulum and Cancun to help you decide

🔁 Sum Up: Chichen Itza vs The Tulum Ruins

Although both are ancient Mayan historical sites, Chichen Itza and the Tulum Ruins are different enough to enjoy visiting both if you have the time, the budget, and the interest, but if you only have time for one, I’d suggest visiting Chichen Itza for the largest, most complete, and most interesting historical site or visiting the Tulum Ruins for a cheaper, beautiful oceanside site.