Getting To Chichen Itza From Tulum (All The Options)
Planning A Trip To Tulum, Mexico But Need More Details On Getting To The Nearby Historical Site Of Chichen Itza?
History has always been my favorite subject, so sites like Chichen Itza are always in my travel plans, and even though I’d already visited it once, the last time I was in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, specifically in Tulum, I went back again and had an amazing tour/guide that I would definitely recommend, but below are all the ways you can get to Chichen Itza from the Tulum area.
🚗 All Options For Getting To Chichen Itza From Tulum
⭐️ Overall, the safest and most stress-free way for getting to Chichen Itza from Tulum, Mexico is with a guided tour. It might be a little less convenient than going on your own, but I think the hassle-free experience is worth it.
See below for more details on some of those guided tours and all the other ways to get to this historical site from Tulum.
Car Rental
When visiting and staying in Tulum, Mexico, a lot of people recommend renting a car since this area is pretty far from Cancun, and on my last trip here my family took that advice and rented a car, but after going through the experience, I would not recommend it.
I agree it is more convenient to rent a car here so you can go where you want when you want and somewhat easily get to Chichen Itza on your own, but because of road conditions, car qualities, police targeting, rental car company overcharges, gas station scams, and general directions, I don’t think it’s at all worth it.
➡️ Need help deciding what to take with you to Tulum? To be prepared for the weather, activities, and rugged terrain, here are some suggestions on what to pack for Tulum
Private Transportation
Especially when talking about getting from the airport in Cancun to Tulum with all your belongings, the safest and best option is definitely private transportation.
But you can also get to Chichen Itza from Tulum with private transportation, which has all the convenience of driving yourself without the hassle of driving, but it’s not necessarily the cheapest option.
Guided Tours
I know they can sometimes be cheesy and touristy, but guided tours are just the best, easiest, and most stress-free way to get there, especially because Tulum is located a little closer to Chichen Itza so many tours from Cancun to Chichen Itza will also offer pickup in Tulum.
They also usually include multiple stops, are pretty reasonably priced, and keep you from having to deal with directions, driving with these road conditions, or parking.
Some of the highest rated options include:
- 🛕 VIP Private Chichen Itza Tour with pickup options in Tulum and a 5.0 star rating
- 🛕 Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid Small Group Tour from Tulum with a 4.9 star rating
- 🛕 Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid Tour with pickup options in Tulum and a 4.7 star rating, but be aware some of these cheaper tours have options that do not include admission costs to the archeological site or cenotes so those would be an additional charge on top of the tour price
Public Transportation
Although I’ve used it a couple of times in Mexico (from Playa del Carmen to Akumal and Mexico City to Puebla/Cholula in particular) and it is the cheapest option, I really don’t recommend using public transportation here because it’s not always very safe, it’s usually very crowded, and it typically takes a lot longer.
Taxi/Uber
Ubers are generally the safer option all over Mexico when they’re available, but Uber and taxi drivers have had serious issues in this part of Mexico, so even Uber is not always super safe in Cancun.
Although Uber technically “exists” in Tulum (at least on their website), there really aren’t Uber drivers in Tulum so you likely won’t find a ride to/from Chichen Itza.
Taxis aren’t usually very safe in Mexico, but sometimes they’re necessary. If you have to use one, make sure to get an official certified one, but I wouldn’t recommend it for this longer journey because it’d be expensive and not anywhere as nice as private transportation.
*️⃣ Renting bicycles is a popular way to get around Tulum, but beware that no matter what time of year you visit, it’s hot and humid, and rain is pretty common so riding bikes might not be super enjoyable
🛕 Is It Worth Visiting Chichen Itza From Tulum, Mexico?
Even though they’ve made it very touristy and there are vendors all over this historical site making it feel fairly cheesy, if you love history and archeology, Chichen Itza is still 100% worth visiting.
Tulum is located even closer to Chichen Itza compared to Cancun, so this is a great place to be to take a day trip over to this interesting site, especially since many tours that start in Cancun will pickup in Tulum on the way so you won’t have to get up quite as early or be on the road quite as long.
🔁 Sum Up: Getting To Chichen Itza From Tulum
Chichen Itza is not located very close to the major vacation towns of the Riviera Maya (2+ hours away), but Tulum is actually one of the closer towns so it’s one of the easiest places to stay to get to this famous historical site. Since taxis, Ubers, and driving yourself aren’t great options, I recommend getting a private guided tour to Chichen Itza or private transportation for the best experience.
