Guide to Chichen Itza

Today we make our way from Valladolid to Chichén Itzá, one of the seven manmade wonders of the world. The ruins of this ancient Mayan city is the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico, and is at the top of most "MUST DO" lists when visiting Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula.

With all the the hype, thousands of youtube videos and even more blog posts about it, we were very excited to see what Chichén Itzá was all about. UNFORTUNATELY, we were immediately greeted with one of the biggest TOURIST TRAPS that we have ever been to.

Firstly, the ticket prices were astronomical when compared to the rest of Mexico - it costs MXN 570/USD 30 per person. That doesn't seem like much, but when compared to Teotihuacan (MXN 80/USD 4) or Monte Alban (MXN 70/USD 3.50), both of which were comparable in size and grandeur, you can see why it was quite a shock for us.

Second, (but probably an error on our part) we ended up visiting Chichen Itza on a Sunday, which turns out to be free museum day for all Mexicans. There were a CRAZY amount of tourists, sometimes so many that you could barely see the giant pyramid. Funnily enough, this was the first time we had heard so many different languages being spoken in Mexico. As you probably know from our previous videos, we much prefer attractions that are off the beaten path. Again, it was probably our own fault for deciding to visit the most popular attraction in all of Mexico; one that is within day-trip distance of Cancun. And we can't really complain because we are also visiting as tourists...

Third, why is everyone clapping? I really don't get why it is a thing to do at all the ruins. I apologize for also clapping in the video... sarcastically. The ruins themselves were quite nice. The central pyramid and the Observatory were definitely highlights of the archaeological site. Don't miss the smaller ruins further away from the main path such as the House of the Deer, Nunnery Complex and the Great Ball Court.

In this video, we present to you the fastest tour of Chichen Itza so you don't have to bear with the crowds! You can also refer to the video as a guide for the must-see spots!