During our three months in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico we visited a number of the magnificent ancient Mayan Ruins that cover the Yucatan Peninsula. Hre;s quick guide to which onces we visited as a family with three kids.

Who are the Mayans?

The ancient Mayans, a sophisticated Mesoamerican civilization, flourished in regions that are now part of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador.

Known for their remarkable achievements in architecture, mathematics, astronomy, and hieroglyphic writing, the Mayans developed a highly advanced society. Their cities showcase impressive pyramids and temples that stand as a testament to their architectural ingenuity.

Many of the residents of the Yucatan Peninsula are the descendants of the Mayans actively preserving their language, culture, and traditions

Why visit the archeological ruins?

There is something about ancient ruins that I find so mysterious and captivating. It’s mesmerising to see buildings that have withstood the tests of time for centuries and marvel at engineering techniques of the past. The rest of the family doesn’t mind visiting them either, I guess. Haha. It’s an imersive way to learn about history first hand and at the very least, it’s a good excuse to go for a walk in nature.

Here’s a quick overview of all the ancient ruins we visited:

Chichen Itza

The largest, most visited and best restored ancient Mayan, home of El Castillo or The Temple of Kukulcan as it’s also known, the iconic new wonder of the world.

Located between Merida and Valladolid

Tulum

These smaller but popular ancient ruins are perched high on the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Located a short distance from Tulum’s town centre

Coba

The acheological zone of Coba is the most jungly and vast, with the option of hiring bikes or peddle cabs with drivers to tour the main pyramids

Located around 45 mins west of Tulum’s town centre

Ek Balam

As of May 2025 these were the only ruins that you could still climb to the top of. It a very extensive site but not that well known or visited.

Located around 30 minutes north of Valladolid

Uxmal

A sprawling site with the impressive Pryamid of the Magician rising above the tree line. Lots of intricate cravings and details.

Located around an hour south west of Merida

Chacchoben

A smaller, nearly deserted site near the town of Bacalar in the southern part of the pensinsula. Very jungly with an amazing variety of smaller pyramids.

Located around an hour north of Bacalar

How we visited all the archeological sites.

We hired a car for the majority of the time during our stay so we drove to all the archeological ours. It was easy to do with the help of google maps but we had to allow for parking fees at all the sites. We decided not to hire any guides, although you can easily hire guides at the entrance and I imagine that would be very informative and interesting. We just find that with the girls, it’s a lot to expect them to stand still, listen and focus on what the guide is saying. ( We learned this from all the guided tours we did in Egypt ) For us, it’s a much more enjoyable experience to just wander around together, reading the signage and discussing what we see.

If you were staying at one of the many all inclusive resorts in the Mayan Riveria, you can organise day trips tours in to the major sights like Chichen Itza, Tulum and Coba through the resort. Otherwise there is alway websites like Get Your Guide where your can arrange a guide and a transfer to the from the archeological zones.

Overall we found visiting the ruins on our own with out a guide an easy and cost effective way to explore.

What to Bring

Cash - from memory Chichen Itza had EFTPOS facilities for the admission tickets but generally, cash is used a lot in Mexico. A lot of markets, smaller shops and less touristy sights are equipped only for cash.
Sun protection - It’s hot and humid! We did lots of walking in the heat so sunprotetcion like hats, sunglasses, suncream is essenetial.
Hydration - bring water too! You can buy refreshments at the entrances to the archeological zones.
Comfortable Shoes - due to the heat, we were many wearing crocs or birkenstock sandals but expect to do a lot of walking so wear whatever is comfortable for your feet.
We were able to buy tickets on the day at all the sites (we didn’t book online in advance, it didn’t seem necessary ) and we didn’t have to show any ID.

Admission Prices

The prices vary for each of the archeological zones and, to be honest, it seems like the prices increase quite regularly, so trying to find out online in advance was a little difficult. When we visited in March & April 2025 the prices were:

Chichen Itza: Adults $671.00 MXN pesos / Children were only $100 MXN pesos

Ek Balam: Adults $581.00 MXN pesos / Children were only $100 MXN pesos

Tulum: Adults $415 MXN pesos / plus $100 MXN pesos for the Jaguar National Park Children were free, I think…

Uxmal: Adults $581 MXN pesos / Children were only $100 MXN pesos

I don’t recall the prices of Coba or Chacchoben, I took a photo of the signage with pricing at all the other ruins, but they would have been around the same cost as Tulum and Ek Balam.

The prices listed above are what we paid as tourists. Mexican citizens and Mexican residents (with a valid ID) do get a considerably discounted admission price.

Children classified as 3 years olds to 12 years old (it may be advisable to bring ID for kids who are younger 10, 11 and 12 years old)

Don’t forget to budget for parking at each site - around 50 -100 pesos.