Visiting Chichén Itzá : My True Experience

The ancient city ruled by Mayans located in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

Did you know that in 2007, Chichén Itzá was officially voted as a Wonder of The World? This fanscinating site gives the world insight on what used to be and a snipped of what the Mayan civilization experienced in the height of 600 A.D.

Out of all of the Wonders of The World, I feel as if Chichén Itzá is one of the most popular for those in the U.S. due to the accessibility of it's

location.

I've already visited one Wonder of The World in 2020, Machu Picchu in Peru. Since I was in hours reach of another one, I couldn't help but to check it out and cross it off my list!

I stayed in Playa Del Carmen during this portion of my trip, which is roughly 112 miles from Chichén.

I scheduled a tour with Camarada Tours that conducts tours in Tulum, Playa Del Carmen, Cozmuel and more! It seemed like the easiest way to get there with the least amount of hassle and planning. I like to search hastags on Instagram before visting my destination(s). Such as #ChichenItzaTours #ChichenItza

With this, you can find owner-operating companies that host tours in their area. Booking directly with the local company opposed to going through third-party websites allows you to communicate more efficently with the tour group. You'd be surprised how convenient it is to have their direct information when/if a problem occurs before, during and after a tour.

The Chichén Itzá tour that I booked inlcuded the following:

• Free Local Pick-Up From Resort/Hotel and Drop-Off.

• Lunch at an local Mayan Restaurant (Buffet style. Drinks & Tips excluded.)

• Tour Guide that provided details on the history of the site.

• Entry Access to Cenote Saamal (45 mintues outside of Chichén Itzá).

All for $50 USD! Seems like a deal right?!

There is another way that you can access Chichén without being on a tour or renting a car. There are locally ran buses that are marked with the color RED in Mexico. They are “dollar” buses and are fairly cheap.

There’s one called ADO that will take you from Playa Del Carmen to Chichén Itza for $33 USD roundtrip. It only goes once per day so timing is crucial! The bus will take off the ADO station on 5th Avenue at 8:10am.

This route takes 3 and 1/2 hours to reach the Wonder of The World. They depart Chichén at 4pm, so do not miss your bus!

Usually, going the local route is something that I would do, but this time I did not due to the lack of planning that I wanted to do for this trip. I simply wanted this day to take care of itself, which is why I chose the route that I did. I also wanted to visit a cenote while we were out that way.

Hindsight 20/20, the ADO bus or a private tour would have been the way to go for me.

Keep reading to understand why...

The day started off by meeting our tour bus at the front of our resort in Riviera Maya at 7am. Since the tour was booked via IG and WhatsApp, it was not prepaid. We had to provide our dinero upon arrival to get on the charter bus.

Our resort was the first stop of the day, the entire bus only had 6 people on there which seemed like a dream! I was like a kid in a candy store, believing that we would have the A/Ced bus to ourselves.

After driving to the downtown area of Playa Del Carmen, I quickly realized that would not be the case. lol The more stops we made, I understood that it would be a packed bus! Thank God for the A/C, because it would have been even more uncomfortable.

I'm not the type to complain while on vacation. Everything is an experience within itself. This surely was an experience I will NEVER forget!

Once the bus was full, we finally started making our way to Chichén. It was supposed to take two hours and 30 minutes max to reach our next destination, The Mayan Community to have lunch.

For a foodie like me, this was something I was looking forward to. A quick lunch before standing in the Mexican heat. Bring it on! 😎🙌🏾

As we're unloading off the bus to eat, our guide notifies us that we're actually going to partake in an ancient Mayan "ritual" that would be performed by an Shaman who only speaks Maya. 🫢

To each their own, but I know this is something I would not be around due to my own spirtual beliefs. Again, I wanted to be a good sport and “get the show on the road”.. food then CHICHÉN!🙏🏾

We gathered by the edge of this forestry area. Fortunately, we applied bug spray right before or we’d be “eaten alive”. 🫣

The guide starts to explain how a set of “ancient Mayan rocks” could show people their “auras” during the ceremony. As I’m standing in the far back, I can’t see much but I threw my gimbal in the air to try to catch the action.

(*visit my Chichén highlights on my IG for this portion)

At one point of this ceremony, the shaman begins to speak over a bundle of leaves 🌿 and douses them with a liquid before tossing it onto everyone in the crowd.

I cannot speak on the rest of the experience for anyone else. Once this mystery fluid touched my skin, I immediately felt something “coming over my body”. Within 2 to 7 minutes, I began to feel:

• Dizzy

• Nauseous

• Mild to extreme headache

• Weak / Fatigued

• Zero Appetite

For one who doesn’t mind traveling solo, I am extremely thankful that I was not alone on this trip. It was a blessing!

I told my partner in the group what was happening to me and how I was feeling. I don’t believe they truly understood at that time.

Mind you, we haven’t even ate yet and we surely haven’t visited Chichén (the main reason for this tour)!

15 minutes later, it was time to eat at the buffet. The food was abundant and it looked so delicious!!! 🥺 They also had live entertainment, which was beautiful.

Unfortunately, I only ate one bite of salad and gulped down two bottles of water. The sickness that was attacking me was intense.

I excused myself to the bathroom, thinking I would throw up or faint before the group was ready to get back on the bus.

I waited it out as long as I could and God helped me make it until we finally gathered on the bus again.

We drove roughly 15 to 20 more minutes before reaching outside of Chichén Itzá! The main event has arrived!!!

Although I was not feeling well, I had enough strength to pull it together to enjoy what I truly came for.

The ticket for Chichén was $23.44 USD (according to the ticket).

Things to bring with you into Chichén Itzá:

• Water Bottles

• Hat/Umbrella

• Camera/Phone

• Backpack

• Sunscreen

• Bug Spray

Things to avoid bringing into Chichén Itzá:

• Tripods

• GoPros

• Gimbals

• Any professional equipment for your camera or phone(s)

The authorities outside of Chichén consider the items listed above as professional equipment and will require you to have a permit to enter with them. I could not get an actual answer on how much the permits are nor where I could get one in advance.

I left my tripod at the resort, but I did attempt to bring my gimbal into the site and was forced to return it to the charter bus. 💔

I noticed a few people with their GoPros after we reached the main area. I was curious on how, but it wasn’t my business. 😊

The main area of Chichén has been excavated and it is extremely exposed to the sun. As a Texas woman myself, I highly recommend that you bring a hat or umbrella to use when you’re not snagging content.

Water. Water. Water! Another must! I believe they had vendors selling water but there’s nothing like bringing your own to stay ahead of the game and to save money. $$$

Our guide was transparent enough to let us know that 98% of the artifacts sold inside were fake and bought off of Amazon. I would recommend to hold off buying items inside and save your money for something authentic elsewhere.

Tips For My Solo Travelers:

If you’re visiting Chichén alone, don’t be scared to ask someone to take videos or photos of you! Everyone was beyond friendly and willing to do so (even for me!) The common courtesy is to offer to do the same for them once they’re done. 🙌🏾

You can also use your backpack to prop your phone or camera to snag a shot from below or afar. Use this app called “Lens Buddy” to set up timed shots and/or videos!

It’s a lifesaver!!!

All in all, I did enjoy my time to Chichén once we got there. I would not do a big tour like this again. It isn’t my thing. I like to go directly to where I’m going without the extra fluff to get there.

I could see those with children and large families doing this together for convenience.

There are other ways to get here for cheaper or directly without the extensive lunch and Mayan ritual. 🥴

Private tours can be expensive, but for those who value their time.. $230 USD per person might be worth it for you.

This tour allowed us an hour and 45 minutes

before having to return to the bus. It was enough time to explore the main area. I did not get to visit the courtyards where they used to play Mayan games. That is one of my favorite things about the Mayan Culture. I find it very fascinating!!

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading!!! Check out my Instagram Feed and Story Highlights for more visuals on this experience! 🧡