Chichen-Itza Tours
 

We're going to stay at Cancun Palace in 2 weeks and would like to know the best tour to Chichen-Itza. Do you suggest the hotel tour or another one? Also, any comments on Cancun Palace would be appreciated.

The package tours are all reasonable, but they leave at nine in the morning and arrive at noon when the place is blazing hot and also crowded. By the time it cools off- time to go. Try this, on the day before you want to go, take a trip into town and go to the bus station. Figure out when the earliest bus will be. Go to bed early. Next day, get up at the crack of dawn and catch that bus. You will get to the ruins by nine when it is cool. When it gets hot, you can: (a)sit at the snack bar near the cenote and snooze until it cools off, or,(b)take a taxi into the nearby village of Piste and grab the first bus home. One downside- both legs will be on second class buses, which adds about an hour to each leg. The first class buses to Chichen dont leave Cancun until after 10am. This is so the regular primeros dont compete w/ the tour buses. Coming home, buses are "de paso", which means the next bus can be first or second class. Sounds complicated, but I have been to Chichen six times in twelve years thanks to new travel companions who always want to go there. This way is better. On two occasions, we had lunch in Piste, then wound up hanging around and then sleeping at a posada. Kinda rough but fun anyway. Went home next morning. Six or eight hours on a bus to see ruins that take maybe three hours to see is a little much.

Which ever you choose..go. Chichen is a must do. Don't let the time it takes to get there change your mind. The culture and history are mind blowing. To beable to touch and walk where the noble Maya lived is something I wish we had not waited to do, it took our 6th trip down to get it togehter. Just remember to dress light, you will be in the jungle.

If you don't mind a bit more expense, take the short flight over to Chichen Itza. You will arrive right at opening time well ahead of the tour busses. You can then take a guided tour and have time to tour on your own before returning to either Cancun or Playa del Carmen. I think the cost was something like $125 per person but you will have the afternoon to spend on the beach, not a bus.

I am with Don. We took the earliest second class bus. It was a long trip, but it got us there at a decent time, and the trip through all the small villages and towns was fascinating. The first class buses stick to the fast but relatively boring new highway. In addition, if you want good photos of the place, you do not want to do it all during the middle of the day, when the sun is harsh.

My wife and I rented a jeep for the two days and stayed one night at the Maya Land Hotel. They have there own entrance to Chichen-itza. The hotel was excellent. We stayed in a private bungalo for about 150 a night it was the best part of the trip. We saw the night light show the night before and got up early to see the ruins. It got so hot by noon when the buses started comming I felt kind of sorry for the people getting off. Remember one thing get in line early to see the jade puma. it is in the center of the big pyramid. Also Escaret is a must a all day trip.