Chichen Itza by Van: Reduced Group, Tour Guide, Fast Trip & Lunch
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Optimize your time in the Yucatan on this full-day tour to Chichen Itza from Playa del Carmen. Pose for pictures in front of the Kukulcan structure, explore the Great Ball Court, and learn about the site’s history from your bilingual guide. Lunch, snacks, hotel pickup, and return transfer via air-conditioned vehicle are included, so there are no hidden extras.
- Dedicate a full day to exploring the iconic Chichen Itza
- Snap memorable pictures in front of the Kukulcan and Great Ball Court
- Benefit from your bilingual guide’s explanations and insights
- Hotel pickup and return transfer ensure a hassle-free trip
What's Included
- Round-trip transportation from most hotels in Cancun and Riviera Maya.
- Professional bilingual guides.
- LunchBox lunch
- Light Snacks.
- Bottled waterWater, soda and beer
- Umbrella.
- Gratuity
- Entrance fee - Entrance fee to the archaeological site$35.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Round-trip transportation in a comfortable air-conditioned van from most hotels in Cancun (available on Tuesday to Saturday only) and Riviera Maya (available the whole week). Before booking, please ensure that your preferred date aligns with the transportation schedule for your accommodation location. IMPORTANT: the Start Time is NOT your Pickup time. It depends on your hotel's location. Please be aware of your pickup details.
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
1
Chichen Itza Yucatan
2 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Minimum age is 6
- Not recommended for guests with limited mobility
- The pickup time depends on your hotel's location
- GoPro devices, tablets, and selfie sticks are subject to fees payable directly at the box office in the Chichen Itza Ruins. Professional photography equipment and drones are strictly prohibited
- We offer two booking options: One with Chichen Itza entrance tickets included, and one without tickets. Please reviwew carefully before booking.
- Please consider that the travel time to Chichen Itza may take up to 2 ½ to 3 hours each way, depending on your hotel’s location
- Please note that a $35 USD fee will be charged directly at the entrance to Chichen Itza
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 18 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 641 reviews
Chloe_R, Apr 2026
Excellent trip, exactly as advertised with no hidden fees. Perfect if you just want to see Chichen Itza without additional stops in Cenotes/Valladolid/Gift shops.
Van was comfortable (14 people) and even as first pick up at 6:20 route felt quick. It was also very clear pick up was 6am not 9am as other reviews say. Stop en route at a public free bathroom was offered there and back. We were not staying in a resort and were able to easily arrange pick up from outside a hotel nearby our Airbnb using the chat function on Viator. We were the last drop off at 3:10pm.
Vegetarian sandwich lunch provided. My partner is vegan and had the crisps, fruit, and drinks provided and brought sandwiches for lunch on journey home.
Tour was informative and given in English. Clear communication from the guide about pick up and meeting points. Getting there early was a positive as it was cooler and quieter. Guided tour was 1 hr 20, and then had 50 minutes free time which felt enough time to see it all and take pictures.
Fionn_G, Apr 2026
Great trip if you just want to see Chichen Itza and not go to Cenotes/Valladolid. Miguel & Omar were both great.
Andrew_M, Apr 2026
Exactly as advertised but with great guide and driver. 14 People, comfortable air conditioned transport directly to Chichen Itza from PDC. Got to the site between 0900 and 1000 with water and umbrellas provided(really needed them). Knowledgeable tour on the ruins and Mayan culture followed by free time for pics. Had a box lunch and drinks provided on return trip. If you just want to seethe cultural site, this is the tour. We were on the road at 0640, back before 1500. Highly recommend
Esther_F, Apr 2026
Never happen the tour driver never showed to pick us up we miss the trip not recommended if you.go on vacations plan all your tours with your hotel is better and will not be miscommunication.
Federico_R, Apr 2026
Can’t recommend this enough. Lalo was an excellent guide, I had read a lot about the Mayans, the Yucatán and Chichén Itza itself and I still got away with so much more information / knowledge and an unforgettable experience. Thanks to Jorge as well for getting us there and back quickly and safely!
Alejandro_C, Mar 2026
Amazing visit to the Chichén Itzá Mayan ruins.
Guide and driver were super helpful and polite.
I would recommend the tour company gets a more comfortable van, for the price we paid, I would expect more room and comfort for a 2 hour drive each way. I felt like a sardine in a can, the guide had o sacrifice sitting on a cooler so we could have more room. Not cool.
Jennifer_G, Mar 2026
This experience was everything that we could have wanted. We had the transportation there (even though we were the 1st stop on pickups and it was early), a very informative guide and time to explore on our own. We would have not gained the knowledge if it had not been for our guide. This made it totally worth it.
Cindy_M, Feb 2026
Very organized. Our tour guide Ricardo was informative, very interesting, fun and really friendly. Ricardo and our driver Ruben were great team. It was a 6am pickup for me, and I was the last to get picked up, for a 9am start time in Chichen Itza. Travel time was 2 hours but it went by quickly. The tour was a perfect size (17 total) I recommend going early because it was hot and we were able to avoid the really hot temps by going so early. Great excursion.
Annalou_H, Feb 2026
Horrible Communication. Our Excursion Tickets stated the excursion was supposed to start 9:00am and we never received a message or call that the excursion actually starts at 6:30am for our pick-up. This is very deceiving as I also did not know they don’t text and use What’s App which is not stated in the instructions anywhere. The only reason I saw their message that morning was because I was using the application to communicate with a sales person and happened to see a message from an unknown number. By the time I checked the message it was 8:30am and we were waiting for pick up at 9:00am and had no idea pick was supposed to be 6:30am and we missed it. We never received any other messages or a call to confirm the earlier pick-up. They should have called as they can see I never received the What’s App message. This was very scam like since they did not make an effort to try and contact me in any other way and the tickets say 9:00am with no other details. I will be contesting this with my credit card as they also don’t know how to refund me per person messaging. Bad experience.
Anasuya_B, Feb 2026
Ivan was a fantastic tour guide so knowledgeable and he explained things to us in a way that didn’t go over our heads. Manuel was a terrific driver and got us there and back safely. I think we were back at the hotel by 3:30. We left early (6:30am) had about an hour and a half with Ivan guiding us then had another hour and a half just exploring on our own. When we got back to the van they had lovely pre boxed and sealed sandwiches chips and iced cold water sodas and beers. It was a perfect trip and we were back in time to enjoy our resort for the rest of the day.
John_P, Feb 2026
As for those who can not or don’t want to spend a full day tour (10-12hr) this, on the surface, makes sense. Brief but sufficient tour of the ruins time wise with fair (no more) amount of info from guide but lacked information others were receiving from what could be heard from proximity to other tour groups.
What did not make any sense whatsoever (and was not info given forthright) was the transportation itself (which is a major reason why the tour is the cost it is compared to other longer, more inclusive tours). Not stated anywhere or given in the info following booking (beyond some of these comments) was the idea of a “meet up” spot where you may change vans - not a huge deal but waited ~15-20min at a gas station waiting for others before we could leave.
The worst of it being the return, again with a similar meet up point/scenario. Where this tour for me gets a 3 star review is the horrible time suck of logistics that had us being picked up first (6:20am) and dropped of last (3:40pm) while enduring ~10-15min wait times (each time, done twice) to cross the active highway then then additional ~10min to the given beach resort then the same amount of time back to the highway. We reached the meet up point on the way back around 1:45pm and again didn’t get back until just after 3:40pm - 2 hrs spent in the fan from essentially the airport to our lodging. It took just about that same amount of time to drive the ruins itself following the first meeting point stop. Also the same amount of time we were alotted at the ruins (8:50am-11:50am; account for 1hr time change entering Yucutan) which is understandingly frustrating and disappointing (dare I say unfair with others pickup around 7:30am and dropped off before 2:30pm), especially given the lack of communication surrounding this.
Diana_H, Feb 2026
This was a good tour and I’d recommend for anyone just wanting to go to Chichen Itza without other stops. There was good communication prior to the tour on pick up and it was really nice they picked up/dropped off directly at our hotel. Our guide, Arun, and our driver, Victor, were wonderful. They were on time and Arun was very knowledgeable and made the experience welcoming and interactive. We had a good balance at the ruins of a guided tour with great information and time to explore on our own. They did a good job polling the group on ideal timing for the day and making brief rest stops on the way there/back as well. The lunch was standard and they supplied snacks and drinks as you want as well. The van was standard as well and I didn’t find it uncomfortable like some other reviewers mentioned. It had enough room and A/C.
The only thing I’d adjust is having a bit of additional time at the ruins to explore around. Our group got back close to an hour before we thought we would, which was nice to have extra time to do other things with the day, but I think another 30-45 minutes at the ruins would’ve been perfect. Overall I’d recommend the tour and appreciated Arun and Victor - thank you!
Katie_R, Feb 2026
Very interesting to see this world heritage site of one of the 7 wonders of the world. Our guide was very informative about history and the Mayan culture. Original construction is still available to view. Be prepared for lots of dust on the walk and lots of vendors. The tour provides water and a sandwich lunch. Guides watched out for everyone.
Brad_R, Feb 2026
Depending on the time of year it can be hot. Fair amount of walking and some uneven terrain. Pack a wide brim hat, sunscreen and water
EvelioJr_G, Feb 2026
Miguel, Michael, and bus driver were AWESOME. The tour said small van, yes, we had a small van but that small group/van led us to a big bus of 37. So, I dont consider that a small bus excursion
Nachappa_G, Feb 2026
Chechen Itza is a big tourist attraction. We went early to beat the crowd. The guide explained the details of the pyramid's architecture, its historical significance, and the Mayan culture.
Mary_W, Feb 2026
This is the perfect tour if you want a shorter day away from the resort or don’t have the energy for an all day tour. We were some of the first people into Chichén Itzá. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and we were home in time for a nap, afternoon on the beach and dinner!
Graham_G, Feb 2026
An interesting place suitably described by the guide both verbally and pictures. Nothing was too much trouble
Jennifer_B, Feb 2026
Poor pickup time guidelines. When they say 9am they really pick up at 7am. They just take your money. We are out $189 per person for 2 people! It’s a compete horrible thing for a vacation. I will never use this company again.
Ann_G, Feb 2026
Wonderful sites, lots of walking, crowds but our small group arrived fairly early so biggest crowds were as we were leaving. The guide is wonderful, sandwich and snacks provided. The guide would benefit from using a microphone connected to earpieces for the guests.
Patrick_F, Jan 2026
We really enjoyed the pace of the tour as it was a shorter time commitment than many of the other options. However, our tour guide had to switch between English and Spanish as he was explaining things and he was speaking very quickly to keep us on schedule, so it was confusing at times to understand the information. We recommend an English-only version of the tour to avoid this in the future. Also, it should be explained in the tour description that total tour time does not include the 3-hour travel time from the Riviera Maya resorts.
Jennifer_S, Jan 2026
Picking up is on time with small van that has 14 seats. 6 of us in the van met and got aquinted, then surprisingly we soon stopped at a place and called into separate vans. Guess that kind of pick up reduced total pick up time. So we were with a new group in a new van, total 14 people. I would say the pick up process is very smooth.
We arrived Chichen itza at 8:40am with 1 hour time change. The guide Ivan explained the site well then we had about 1 hour 30 min free time before meeting whole group at 11:10 am. We have box lunch in the car on the way drive back. Back to hotel around 3pm. If you like an express tour only for Chichen itza, this is the tour you would like to join.
Michael_A, Jan 2026
Chichen Itza was great, and I’m glad I went. The trip there was smooth. The van was packed though. Since I was solo I was able to get the seat by the door. I’m roughly 5’ 11” and will say any other seat would’ve been extremely uncomfortable. What I didn’t like was the initial lack of communication. I got picked up but had no idea what was going on when we got to the gas station which they then said it was the “meeting point”. I had to switch vans and join the folks that were doing the same tour. It seems like everyone on the van all got their tickets somewhere else and were told different things. There was a guy who went in about how he paid for a “private tour”.
The boxed lunch is simple just a ham or maybe turkey sandwich, with mayo and mustard. You get a banana and granola bar at the first stop on the way to Chichen Itza. I will say we did get back by 3:30pm which was great and I appreciate that. The tour guide was informative at some parts of Chichen Itza but completely left at a section on the ruines.
I would still recommend this tour though because it’s one of the only ones on Viator that is simple just “Chichen Itza”.
Deborah_R, Jan 2026
Hotel pick up. Friendly and informative driver and guide. Bathroom stops going and returning. Driver and guide are eager to please. Carlos and Arturo were great! Box lunch, soda, water and bee along with snacks included.
Rose_A, Jan 2026
Super Great group and tour guide! The snacks and lunch was yummy and the tour guide was so informative. Only reason I’m giving it four stars instead of five is because the bus was really cramped, if your 6 foot your gonna be realllly uncomfortable sitting there. But other than that I def recommend this tour!!!
olga_r, Jan 2026
Interesting place, but rushed experience however well organized, safe transportation, good snacks and water and wet cold towels that are welcomed.Mele our guide is very knowledgeable and passionate. Definitely a must see if you are close by.
Reena_I, Jan 2026
Ricardo and Vera made this experience really the best day. Ricardo has a wealth of knowledge and his passion really shows. Would definitely ask specifically for these guys. I know when I return I'll be asking for them!
Jill_W, Jan 2026
Chichen Itze is a must see, but the park is overcrowded and traffic control non existent. Prepared for it to be warm! Our guide was excellent and navigated us efficiently to the most important pieces, then gave us an hour to explore on our own. This is a long drive from coastal resorts (2 hours each way) but lunch and water were included. I preferred Tulum for being less touristy. A lot of merchants at Chichen Itze and time to shop.
Stephanie_B, Jan 2026
Great option to experience Chichén Itzá. Pick up from your hotel, drive out, see the sights, and then get back to your hotel to enjoy the beach all in one day.
Alexey_P, Jan 2026
Cons:
This is not reduced trip experience as advertised but rather full collection of other tourists hotels. It took for us up to 4 hours extra to collect all other guests from their hotels and then bring them back. Pick up time was advertised less than 24 hours before the trip and there was no way to cancel it without hassle. We needed to leave 6 am without even chance to grab some fast breakfast.
Pros:
I am sure all above is organizational issues. Guide was good and nice.
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