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This is one of the 7 wonders of the world and it was an amazing sight to see. The pyramid was cool, and our tour guide explained its history and the archaeological and geometrical significance of its structure. There are also a lot of street vendors selling souvenirs and more ancient sites that you can see. Overall, this place is a must see if you are in the Yucatán peninsula area.
I mean. What can you say? This place is absolutely remarkable. It's an ancient city that has been kept in absolutely incredible shape. For all of these reasons, it gets five stars and it simply cannot have any rating less than that. Just a couple of items of note before you begin your trek to Chichen Itza... - It is a very long day. If you're coming from the resort cities or Cancun, Playa del Carmen, etc., it is about a 3-hour drive (one way). I would break this drive up by doing an excursion that visits a cenote or something else. - There isn't a lot of shade once you're out in the flats looking at the pyramid. Wear sunscreen. They rent out umbrellas at the entrance, should you be so inclined. On a windy day, the umbrella is a little pointless. - Expect it to be busy. Evidently we got very lucky. We went the day after the solstice, so the crowds were low from being inflated the day before. That aside, you'll have a fun day.
This is one of the seven wonders of the world! I the privilege of visiting! So many wonderful things and stories to see and hear. Wear a hat and comfy shoes there is so much to see and I would hate for someone to miss it for no real reason. Lots of different stories and cool stories. Our guide was Mayan and a tad long winded but overall I recommend seeing this place
Shame on me for saying this.... but Chichen Itza is all hype!!!!!!!! And does not live up to its name!!!!!!!!!!! I understand the immense historical importance HOWEVER Dealing with merchants every other step shoving things in your face for 5 hours when all you want to do is soak in the beautiful history absolutely changes the ambiance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regardless of if these vendors are locals or Mayans - this needs to stop and all of the vendors inside Chichen Itza should be taken away!!!!!!! I spent 5+ hours here on 17 July 2024 with my two year old son I will never come back The ruins are just that--- stone ruins -The stucco on the ground is gone -The painted murals are gone -The stone carvings adorning much of the sites are missing I cannot believe this is one of the Seven Wonders of the World El Castillo was not even impressive!!!! I was WOWED by Nohoch Mul at nearby Coba Ruins-- walking around with my jaw on the floor The most impressive part is the Caracol observatory area within the (mistakenly named) Iglesia area as those friezes are outstandingly preserved Not being able to actually experience the ruins was the breaking point for me The entire time, you are just staring at sites from behind a rope ((rightfully so, as 2+ Million people visit here each year)) You cannot explore the sites // walk around to truly soak it all in There is a trail, and you have to stick to the trail Many of the tour guides mention carvings of dates, carvings of gods, pictures of war scenes... but you never see them once, as they are so high out of view to the common eye It would be completely different if you could climb at least some of the ruins! Or walk through the columnade...... It would be completely different without the local people yelling at you to buy things every other step -- " good price for you, miss! $5!" From the moment you pull into the driveway, you will see what I mean It is relentless and unfair I have NO CLUE why people rate Chichen Itza 4.9 stars I do have a clue why this is a wonder of the world, but modern day practices RUIN THE MAGIC!!!!!!! I will tell everyone I know how AWFUL Chichen Itza really is!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cruise Excursion warning: This place is amazing. What more can be said. I write this review to say that doing this as a cruise excursion will be a let down if you think you will have time to see everything. Go knowing you will have maybe an hour and a half and to see everything you would not be able to enjoy anything. We loved the little bit we saw. We will definitely be back
What can I say about this wondrous place that hasn't been said? We planned our whole Mexico trip to come to Chichén Itzá. My husband has decided to visit all 7 of the World Wonders, and this one was the closest to us and an amazing place to start. I won't talk about the monument itself because it's beyond wonderful, but I will talk about the experience as whole. Firstly, getting there was a little challenging. Mexico is building new and improving highways and so gps gets confused sometimes. Or rather, it tell you what "it used to be" the way. Once we got there, starting a few miles away, there are very predatory third party tickets resellers that try to pass as official. They even stand in front of your car so you have to stop. My husband asked why they stopped up, and we were told they stop rental cars. Which is crappy to have distinguishable vehicles that can be potential targets. They don't insist once you say no, but it's annoying nonetheless. We didn't fall for any of them. Get to the official parking, and buy your tickets at the window. It's cheaper, and fast. There wasn't hours long lines as they indicated. Or just tell them you got them online. Although they are a lot pricier online at the office site. At least $30 more if I remember correctly. There are also a ton of vendors inside, but they aren't aggressive. This was the only downside of the whole experience. Oh and the heat!! But that is inevitable depending the time of year. I am so happy I got to see these amazing ruins and lean more about the Mayan culture.
Breath taking! Best advice don't do a tour, get there early. It opens at 8am, we were there at 7:30 and we were the first people in. The tour buses start showing up at 9am and then there are hundreds of people wandering around making it hard to get good pictures. Give yourself at least two hours, it's a large site. There are places for food and drink there, even a Starbucks (unbelievable). Get there early and beat the crowds! Absolutely loved our time here
When most people visit islands or parts of the Caribbean, they normally go for the beautiful beaches, exceptional food and tasty cocktails. While these three things are on my top five list of reasons to travel, the history and the culture are number one on that list! When I travel outside of the states, I live learning the history of where I am traveling to. During my recent trip to Mexico, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the newest seven wonders of the world, the Chichen Itza! During my trip to Cancun, I took a bus tour to Yucatan to visit the Mayan ruins known as Chichen Itza. The site is absolutely beautiful and filled with so much history. While I won't give too much information on what I learned on the tour, the stories of human sacrifices, in contents inside of the famous pyramid and learning of the way the Mayan calendar works satisfied my desire for knowledge! I highly suggest everyone who is able to visit Chichen Itza. Buy some really cool souvenirs from the locals, eat some tasty treats and take some amazing pictures! I promise you, the experience is overwhelming and one you will never forget!
Chichen Itza is one of the seven wonders of the world for a reason, it is an outstanding display of architecture from a culture and period that today we consider undeveloped! We opted to drive there from Cancún. It was a long but simple journey. The problem arose as we got close to the site. People flashing badges pulled me over, only for me to realize they were resellers trying to sell me tickets or guiding services. After the second one, I ignored all others. It seems they can tell which ones are the rental cars. The second trap is when you are arriving. There is a private parking place pulling a similar trick. They try to flash ids and transit flags to get you into their parking spot. We avoided this as well and went with the government owned free public parking. They were right by the entrance and a bit more organized. While these locals are trying to make a living, I don't appreciate that the stop you and waste your time just because they know you are driving a rental and are therefore must likely a foreigner. I give them credit for being too pushy. Once I told them no, they were friendly and pulled back. Tickets at Chichén Itza were cheaper then what I found online. They scare you with the long lines, but we didn't experience any issues. We were i. And out of the line in 10 minutes (we arrived early, at around 9 AM on a Monday). We had a great time at the Site and highly recommend it if you are into history or architecture.
After visiting Cancun a half a dozen times since I was 18, I finally took the time to get away from the beach and tequila to go learn about some of the amazing history. We purchased a luxury bus tour from our hotel which was amazing. Highly recommend it considering it had plenty of room to relax for the long drive. They provide breakfast, and lunch. Also between stops they have corona and sodas. This specific tour group also stopped at a cenote for us to go swimming in. Was first class all the way. The tour guide was hilarious and very knowledgeable. He made the trip better in every way. If you're like me, and in Mexico for the beaches and booze then I highly recommend setting aside some time to capture this historical wonder. The pyramids are in pristine condition. If you are into shopping there are hundreds of stands with hand made items that are beautiful. If you're not there to shop then it can be an annoyance to get hassled while walking around. This wound up being the highlight of our trip. Mexico has so much history. Can't wait to go learn more in future trips.
1 month ago
1 year ago
I didn't realize Chichen Itza was one of the new seven wonders of the world! I don't remember it being on the list, but I also didn't know the list can change based on popularity poll...SMH. I believe Chichen Itza is a one of the new seven wonders of the world because it's among the best-preserved and largest archaeological sites in the world. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I'm still glad I got the opportunity to visit Chichen Itza. So much history! The culture of the Mayans; their way of life, the ingenuity and the science are fascinating and amazing. Be prepared to experience some tropical heat. I recommend going as early as you can to avoid crowds and the heat. It gets hot under the glaring Sun. There is no shade around the main Pyramid. A good guide or a tour company also is very helpful. I found the history provided by our tour company to be very insightful, interesting and useful. "As one of the most important city-states in pre-Hispanic America, Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico today. Chichen Itza, one of the New 7 Wonders of The World according to UNESCO, since July 7th, 2007" - https://www.chichenitza.com/ Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza "This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centres of the Yucatán peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city. The Maya and Toltec vision of the world and the universe is revealed in their stone monuments and artistic works. The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico make Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán. Several buildings have survived, such as the Warriors' Temple, El Castillo and the circular observatory known as El Caracol." - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/483/ I had no expectations when I came here, since I hardly knew anything about Chichen Itza. I didn't expect to thoroughly enjoy and love this trip as much as I did. I highly recommend a visit to Chichen-Itza if you get the opportunity. read more
2 years ago
Such a beautiful and historic moment! I'm so happy I had the opportunity to visit and be amongst all this beautiful surroundings. Charge to access the land mark is $500 pesos/person. They take credit cards or cash. I recommend the guided tour! Totally worth it! read more
I was really looking forward to visiting Chichen Itza, and I was not disappointed! The pictures can speak for themselves, but it was amazing to see these ruins in real life. There is a lot to see here... give yourself at least an hour to wander. The peddlers on site take Apple Pay lol. read more
This is one of the 7 wonders of the world and it was an amazing sight to see. The pyramid was cool, and our tour guide explained its history and the archaeological and geometrical significance of its structure. There are also a lot of street vendors selling souvenirs and more ancient sites that you can see. Overall, this place is a must see if you are in the Yucatán peninsula area. read more
I mean. What can you say? This place is absolutely remarkable. It's an ancient city that has been kept in absolutely incredible shape. For all of these reasons, it gets five stars and it simply cannot have any rating less than that. Just a couple of items of note before you begin your trek to Chichen Itza... - It is a very long day. If you're coming from the resort cities or Cancun, Playa del Carmen, etc., it is about a 3-hour drive (one way). I would break this drive up by doing an excursion that visits a cenote or something else. - There isn't a lot of shade once you're out in the flats looking at the pyramid. Wear sunscreen. They rent out umbrellas at the entrance, should you be so inclined. On a windy day, the umbrella is a little pointless. - Expect it to be busy. Evidently we got very lucky. We went the day after the solstice, so the crowds were low from being inflated the day before. That aside, you'll have a fun day. read more
This is one of the seven wonders of the world! I the privilege of visiting! So many wonderful things and stories to see and hear. Wear a hat and comfy shoes there is so much to see and I would hate for someone to miss it for no real reason. Lots of different stories and cool stories. Our guide was Mayan and a tad long winded but overall I recommend seeing this place read more
2 years ago
Shame on me for saying this.... but Chichen Itza is all hype!!!!!!!! And does not live up to its name!!!!!!!!!!! I understand the immense historical importance HOWEVER Dealing with merchants every other step shoving things in your face for 5 hours when all you want to do is soak in the beautiful history absolutely changes the ambiance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Regardless of if these vendors are locals or Mayans - this needs to stop and all of the vendors inside Chichen Itza should be taken away!!!!!!! I spent 5+ hours here on 17 July 2024 with my two year old son I will never come back The ruins are just that--- stone ruins -The stucco on the ground is gone -The painted murals are gone -The stone carvings adorning much of the sites are missing I cannot believe this is one of the Seven Wonders of the World El Castillo was not even impressive!!!! I was WOWED by Nohoch Mul at nearby Coba Ruins-- walking around with my jaw on the floor The most impressive part is the Caracol observatory area within the (mistakenly named) Iglesia area as those friezes are outstandingly preserved Not being able to actually experience the ruins was the breaking point for me The entire time, you are just staring at sites from behind a rope ((rightfully so, as 2+ Million people visit here each year)) You cannot explore the sites // walk around to truly soak it all in There is a trail, and you have to stick to the trail Many of the tour guides mention carvings of dates, carvings of gods, pictures of war scenes... but you never see them once, as they are so high out of view to the common eye It would be completely different if you could climb at least some of the ruins! Or walk through the columnade...... It would be completely different without the local people yelling at you to buy things every other step -- " good price for you, miss! $5!" From the moment you pull into the driveway, you will see what I mean It is relentless and unfair I have NO CLUE why people rate Chichen Itza 4.9 stars I do have a clue why this is a wonder of the world, but modern day practices RUIN THE MAGIC!!!!!!! I will tell everyone I know how AWFUL Chichen Itza really is!!!!!!!!!!!! read more
Cruise Excursion warning: This place is amazing. What more can be said. I write this review to say that doing this as a cruise excursion will be a let down if you think you will have time to see everything. Go knowing you will have maybe an hour and a half and to see everything you would not be able to enjoy anything. We loved the little bit we saw. We will definitely be back read more
What can I say about this wondrous place that hasn't been said? We planned our whole Mexico trip to come to Chichén Itzá. My husband has decided to visit all 7 of the World Wonders, and this one was the closest to us and an amazing place to start. I won't talk about the monument itself because it's beyond wonderful, but I will talk about the experience as whole. Firstly, getting there was a little challenging. Mexico is building new and improving highways and so gps gets confused sometimes. Or rather, it tell you what "it used to be" the way. Once we got there, starting a few miles away, there are very predatory third party tickets resellers that try to pass as official. They even stand in front of your car so you have to stop. My husband asked why they stopped up, and we were told they stop rental cars. Which is crappy to have distinguishable vehicles that can be potential targets. They don't insist once you say no, but it's annoying nonetheless. We didn't fall for any of them. Get to the official parking, and buy your tickets at the window. It's cheaper, and fast. There wasn't hours long lines as they indicated. Or just tell them you got them online. Although they are a lot pricier online at the office site. At least $30 more if I remember correctly. There are also a ton of vendors inside, but they aren't aggressive. This was the only downside of the whole experience. Oh and the heat!! But that is inevitable depending the time of year. I am so happy I got to see these amazing ruins and lean more about the Mayan culture. read more
Breath taking! Best advice don't do a tour, get there early. It opens at 8am, we were there at 7:30 and we were the first people in. The tour buses start showing up at 9am and then there are hundreds of people wandering around making it hard to get good pictures. Give yourself at least two hours, it's a large site. There are places for food and drink there, even a Starbucks (unbelievable). Get there early and beat the crowds! Absolutely loved our time here read more
When most people visit islands or parts of the Caribbean, they normally go for the beautiful beaches, exceptional food and tasty cocktails. While these three things are on my top five list of reasons to travel, the history and the culture are number one on that list! When I travel outside of the states, I live learning the history of where I am traveling to. During my recent trip to Mexico, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the newest seven wonders of the world, the Chichen Itza! During my trip to Cancun, I took a bus tour to Yucatan to visit the Mayan ruins known as Chichen Itza. The site is absolutely beautiful and filled with so much history. While I won't give too much information on what I learned on the tour, the stories of human sacrifices, in contents inside of the famous pyramid and learning of the way the Mayan calendar works satisfied my desire for knowledge! I highly suggest everyone who is able to visit Chichen Itza. Buy some really cool souvenirs from the locals, eat some tasty treats and take some amazing pictures! I promise you, the experience is overwhelming and one you will never forget! read more
Chichen Itza is one of the seven wonders of the world for a reason, it is an outstanding display of architecture from a culture and period that today we consider undeveloped! We opted to drive there from Cancún. It was a long but simple journey. The problem arose as we got close to the site. People flashing badges pulled me over, only for me to realize they were resellers trying to sell me tickets or guiding services. After the second one, I ignored all others. It seems they can tell which ones are the rental cars. The second trap is when you are arriving. There is a private parking place pulling a similar trick. They try to flash ids and transit flags to get you into their parking spot. We avoided this as well and went with the government owned free public parking. They were right by the entrance and a bit more organized. While these locals are trying to make a living, I don't appreciate that the stop you and waste your time just because they know you are driving a rental and are therefore must likely a foreigner. I give them credit for being too pushy. Once I told them no, they were friendly and pulled back. Tickets at Chichén Itza were cheaper then what I found online. They scare you with the long lines, but we didn't experience any issues. We were i. And out of the line in 10 minutes (we arrived early, at around 9 AM on a Monday). We had a great time at the Site and highly recommend it if you are into history or architecture. read more
After visiting Cancun a half a dozen times since I was 18, I finally took the time to get away from the beach and tequila to go learn about some of the amazing history. We purchased a luxury bus tour from our hotel which was amazing. Highly recommend it considering it had plenty of room to relax for the long drive. They provide breakfast, and lunch. Also between stops they have corona and sodas. This specific tour group also stopped at a cenote for us to go swimming in. Was first class all the way. The tour guide was hilarious and very knowledgeable. He made the trip better in every way. If you're like me, and in Mexico for the beaches and booze then I highly recommend setting aside some time to capture this historical wonder. The pyramids are in pristine condition. If you are into shopping there are hundreds of stands with hand made items that are beautiful. If you're not there to shop then it can be an annoyance to get hassled while walking around. This wound up being the highlight of our trip. Mexico has so much history. Can't wait to go learn more in future trips. read more
Must visit part of history that is very interesting and intriguing .The resound of the birds when you clap is chilling and makes you wonder if we are the futuristic society or our ancestors were way more advanced. Must visit!! read more
We drove 2.5 hours from Cancun in our rental car to see this Unesco world heritage site. Once we got close there was a lot of slow traffic getting into the complex. We parked just outside for 80 pesos which was cheaper than inside and looked safe enough. Luckily we bought our tickets online beforehand and skipped the long line. The archeological site is pretty expansive and took us almost 2 hours to see everything. I was amazed at the massive Castillo and the other monuments. I can't imagine the human effort that was required centuries ago to erect everything without mechanized equipment. We were here in Spring late March and we definitely endured the challenges of the Yucatan jungle and were pushing dehydration and heat stroke lol! Luckily there was a concession spot that sold refrigerated water and electrolyte drinks. Definitely come prepared with water, hats, sunscreen, etc. Afterwards we very much appreciated the nice restaurant at the entrance that offered the comforts of civilization where we could eat lunch, rehydrate, and rest before making our way back to Cancun. Must go!! read more
What an amazing place! I have always wanted to visit this place to see it for myself after watching and reading about the Mayan civilization. It did not disappoint. We visited the Pyramid with a company who took care of all arrangements, we did not have to make any lines or even deal with the long drive. We had a tour guide who made it fun and explained the history, myths and legend about the place. We were also able to visit some of the other sites nearby. When you visit and see this place you realize that on this side of the hemisphere Civilizations we're thriving and doing as well if not better than the "Old World". read more
It is hard to believe that I had a chance to visit one of the great Maya cities - places where they lived, played ball games and sacrificed people. Amazing pyramids with the specific echo when you clap, Cenote, plaza of 1000 columns - it is all unbelievable. 1000 years ago people lived this life. There are lockers for your stuff, restrooms, ATM, also, you can buy soft drinks and huge selection of souvenirs. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to get inside the pyramid. Also, u you oh cannot bring your own food, only water. read more
4 years ago
Hot, touristy, and LOTS of vendors. Bring lots of hydration, sunscreen. Besides this- actual site, and not hoopla- pretty amazing. read more
4 years ago
Wow! What an amazing experience. To think you are walking around ruins that have been standing in the same place for over 3000 years is more than amazing. This place it's so magical you can feel it. Sure it's full of tourists from all over the world but then again is not like you can witness one of the 7 wonders of the world every place you travel to. It's location deep in the jungle of Yucatan gives you a mental image of how innovative the Mayans were WAAAYYY before any European settlers came to the Americas. Sure we can also admire the ones in Egypt but these monument made of carved stoned blocks that in some way may last way longer than its relatives across the Atlantic is something to feel so lucky to witness in your lifetime. If you do not know much about it's history and would like to know more and in detail I recommend to hire a guide, these are locals who speak the appropriate language of choice for better understanding. Knowledgeable folks who study the visual ruins for a better explaining to us the visitors to the Mayan pyramids. Yet if you just feel adventurous and prefer to admire the monuments on your own sure it gives you the time to walk slowly and take it all in. And the trinkets that are sold by the actual Mayan descendants of the area which can be seen making the Death masks, or carving masks and other items by hand from scratch from the trees that surround the pyramids. Just a little hint if you do happen to speak a bit of Mayan they will give you a discount, not that it's OK to do so since they live out of their artisan artwork and asking for discounts it's rude in many cultures. Come along breath in the fresh air that provides the big and leafy ancient trees that feed the lungs of the Mayans Million of years ago. Their structures with truly amaze you. read more
Just WOW! If this place isn't on your bucket list, it definitely should be. This is the second time I've visited but we were sure to stay longer this time. The first time I came was by bus during a cruise ship stop but this time we drove and made a day of it. The cost was about $27 (US) each but so worth it. This time we paid for a guided tour who spoke Spanish, English, and Mayan. (I'm one who usually likes to explore on my own but this trip we paid for guides at several places and it was great.) The first thing you see is the impressive pyramid. Definitely something you want to see in your lifetime. After thar the guide took us to some of she smaller pyramids and buildings like the Temple of the Warriors and the observatory. (AMAZING) I particularly liked the wall of stone carved skulls.. We also saw the cenote which was apparently full of sacrifice victims. (Must have been an interesting time to live.) There were a lot more souvenir vendors inside the park than I remember, but they were primarily on the paths between sites and did have some interesting things for sale. What a great place!! This is definitely one of the coolest places i have been.I'm shocked and dismayed that mine is only the 5th review. Come on yelpers, book a flight. read more
5 years ago
Fantastic view of Chichen Itza! Highly recommend experiencing this ancient representation of the advanced Mayan calendar. So phenomenal to experience this through Amigo Tours (via Viator)! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
3 years ago
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Chichen Itza, Yucatan
Chichén Itzá, Yucatán
Mexico
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998 500 2133
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https://www.chichenitza.com
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3 years ago
