Chichen Itza Tours: Cruise Excursion

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Amazon
• Pinterest

If you book at Mexico or Western Caribbean, there is a decent chance you will also be able to book one of the Chichen Itza tours as a shore excursion. But if you’re like me, sometimes the number of shore excursions can be overwhelming. I’m never sure which to pick or if I even want to book an excursion. When we went to Progreso, Mexico, however, I knew I wanted to take the opportunity to visit Chichen Itza. We had been to a few different popular Mayan ruins sites in the past, but Chichen Itza was one place we still hadn’t visited.

Chichen Itza is the most famous, and therefore most popular, ruins site to visit in Mexico. In fact, in 2007 Chichen Itza was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. And when you’re there, it’s easy to see why.

The Negatives About Chichen Itza Tours

One of the reasons we hadn’t visited Chichen Itza before was because of many complaints I would read about the crowds and the heat. Chichen Itza tours also involve a long day of travel, which is something the kids would complain about.

I will say all of those things are true–it is a full day of travel, it’s very hot (and very little shade) at the ruins, and there are a ton of other tour groups that are guaranteed to be visiting at the same time. But none of these things left me wishing we hadn’t visited. We didn’t spend a ton of time at the ruins, but it was the perfect amount of time to deal with the heat and then get back on our air-conditioned tour bus.

Chichen Itza Tips

We visited these Mayan ruins when we were on a Disney cruise to the Western Caribbean. There were quite a few different Chichen Itza tours to choose, some that stopped at a cenote and some that didn’t.

If you are visiting Chichen Itza with children, I highly recommend choosing one of the excursions that also stops at a cenote in the area. We visited Cenote Ik Kil, and it was stunning. There’s even a wall you can jump from, for those looking for a bit of a thrill. This was probably the highlight of the kids’ day, and they would’ve stayed all day if they had been able to.

Besides being a lot of fun, the cenote was also a great way to cool off. We stopped at the cenote before heading to the pyramids, so the kids were able to stay in their wet swimsuits in an effort to stay cool at the pyramids.

What to Expect on Your Tour

A Chichen Itza tour is going to be a full day, no matter which cruise port you’re traveling from. We were off the ship around 8:30 in the morning and then traveled for a little over an hour and a half to get to the first stop, which was the cenote.

Once we were at the cenote, we only had about 30 minutes to swim. This was a bit disappointing to the kids since they had just been on the bus for so long, but we only had about an hour at this stop, and it was also where we were to eat the provided buffet lunch.

After the cenote and lunch, we made the short drive (about 15 minutes) the rest of the way to the ruins. Our tour guide got us checked in quickly and we were given a different guide to show us around the ruins. We were only at the ruins for about an hour, but it was enough time to snap some great pictures and hear about some of the history. It was actually a great amount of time for the kids too, without too much standing around.

After that, we were thankful to be back in the air-conditioned bus. It should have been a two-hour drive back to the ship, but due to some traffic, it ended up being a little bit longer. Luckily, our driver was in constant communication with the ship to let them know our ETA. This is one perk of booking excursions directly through the cruise company, and is one of the 5 Disney extras I highly recommend.

How to Visit Chichen Itza

Cruise excursions are not the only way to visit Chichen Itza. In fact, there are a ton of different tour options you can book, whether you’re staying in the area or just looking to save a little bit of money by not booking through the cruise line.

If you’re staying in Cancun, there are several tours you can pick from that will provide transportation and entrance to Chichen Itza. Or you can choose a private tour for just you and your group. If you’re staying in Playa Del Carmen, you can check out this ruins and cenote tour. Tulum is another popular spot to stay if interested in visiting Mayan ruins.

Check out my other posts when planning your next Mexico family vacation. I’ve made lists of the best family resorts in Cabo San Lucas as well as the top Puerto Vallarta family resorts.

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we’ll receive a commission if you purchase through our links at no extra cost to you.