Which Mayan ruin excursion in Cozumel?

[RAD]

We want to visit Mayan ruins while in Cozumel and the DCL web site lists two different ones. One is CZ86 which visits the Chichen Itza ruins, with a very long bus ride. The other is Tulum ruins, CZ06, which has a much shorter bus rides. For the folks that have done these in the past which one would you recommend. We don't mind the long bus ride as long as it's worth it once we get there. Thanks

 

[cvjw]

Been to both, though not as a cruise excursion. There is no comparison between the 2. Chichen itza was one of the most interesting places I have ever been. So full of Mayan history and they used to let you actually climb up the pyramid. I am not sure how much you would get to experience on a cruise excursion though. It is a long bus ride.

Tulum is a much smaller ruin, but it has one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. The last time we were there, it had turned very commercial. Vendors every where, used to be just the ruins.

Both are great. Just depends on how long you want to ride on a bus, and if you want to see a large ruin, or a smaller one.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I have been to both, and thought both were great. Chichen Itza is probably larger and more complete, Tulum is prettier. I personally like Chichen better from an archaeological perspective, but....the difference between the two is probably not worth the long bus ride. You'll miss out on a lot of Chichen because you spend a significant portion of your day just traveling to get there. I've done Tulum from a cruise ship and you did have the time to see, at least, most of the grounds.

 

[MSPeeler]

Good info. I think the travel time to Chichen Itza is what will keep us from taking that excursion.
45 minutes both ways on a ferry boat, then another 2 hours and 15 minutes on a bus. Round trip. That's 6 hours just in travel time alone??
(I also cannot take my 4 year old through Disney according to their website, not that I would want to be on a bus with him that long anyway!)

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I just wanted to share a different experience with the same site. We went to Tulim with DCL. It was a 30 minute Ferry ride and 45 minutes on the bus, but that still left us with over 4 hours at the ruins site. The tour started on the bus with the tour guide telling us about Mayan culture. When we got there, the guided tour lasted about an hour, which was a perfect amount of time for information and seeing the sights, and that left over three hours to explore the ruins on your own, go to the beach (yes, it is a BEAUTIFUL beach), or shop. Personally, I didn't find the site to be nearly as pushy or commercial as some other places we went on the same cruise. The vendors were all a distance from the actual ruins sites and the beach, and they could be completely avoided if you chose, unlike a lot of places. Also, the tour guide had a wireless headset and we all had headphones, so we could hear him clearly without having to fight to stand next to him. This made it a lot easier to see and hear everything. I wish more tour groups did this. One criticism I had was that the included "lunch" was a ham sandwich from a cooler. But they did give each person two bottles of cold water, which were very much appreciated. It was a HOT day.

To the OP, I'd say it depends on your attitude and what you want from the trip. If you are super excited to see the "best" ruins, go to Chichen Itza. It is an even longer bus ride after the Ferry, but surely the biggest ruins site. For us, Tulim was a good middle compromise. I was worried at first that Tulim wouldn't be "big" enough, but for us, it was. It ranged all over and was quite beautiful.

Let us know how it works out for you!

Also, several news stories and Trip Adviser says that Chichen Itza has been closed to climbing since 2006. So you will be able to see it, but not climb it, touch it or go inside. I'm not saying it isn't still worth it. Just trying to set people's expectations correctly.

 

[starvenger]

I think Chichen Itza is the better of the two sites, but as mentioned it’s a LONG day for a cruise excursion. I’ve gone twice when staying in Cancun, and while not really any shorter in terms of travel time, I didn’t have to worry about a ship departure time or the Cozumel ferry.

Tulum is still worthy of a visit though. It’s a lovely site, and while you don’t have the majesty of the pyramid at Chichen Itza, there’s still a lot of ruins and history to absorb.

 

[Kesohio63]

When considering the Tulum excursion, be aware that you may not be allowed down to the beach, depending on the tide. When we were there in February 2016, the tide was right up to the base of the cliff, and the stairs to the beach were closed off. It was fine for us, since we weren’t planning to swim anyway, but several people were clearly counting on some beach time and were disappointed. I also agree that the lunch provided was underwhelming, but there are places in the commercial area where you can get something to eat. We enjoyed the excursion very much, and found it to have the right amount of guided tour and free time.

 

[Capt_BJ]

we did Tulum a few years back

long bus ride on top of the ferry time ....

tour included a box lunch .... ugh, who wants a tuna sandwich when hot from a day at the ruins?????

It is my understanding that climbing ANY of the MX ruins has been discontinued since they accepted the fact it was damaging the sites ....

the beach at Tulum

today you are expected to stay on the paths .... note the ropes

 

[kiford]

We've been to both and liked both. They are very different from each other which is one of the things I liked. You can't really get any sense of a culture or people by just seeing one site (we've also been to one near Costa Maya and I'd like to see more). But Chichen Itza is a very long ride and you get maybe an hour or so there to see everything. Mind you, it was so hot there when we went, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to stay much longer. Neither site has much in the way of shade. Whichever one you do, make sure you bring a hat, sunglasses and lots of sunscreen. With a young one, it sounds as though Tulum might be the better option. IMO, either one is good if you're in the least bit interested in Mayan culture and lifestyle.

 

[RAD]

Thanks for all the responses. Now it's up to the wife to figure out which one she wants to take.

 

[Capt_BJ]

a 'young one' even for Tulum from Coz needs to endure

30 min ferry ride, a decent walk from ferry to bus, 45 min bus ride .. then several hours at the site and a similar timeline back.

That's a bit much for a lil person IMO .....

 

[crossfitmama]

We did the Tulum tour as a private with https://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/cozumel/tulum-mayan-ruins-private-tours/ a great tour and we had the choice of a beach or a cenote stop. We went to Gran Cenote and it was amazing. Its a great option as I have seen some people mentioning seaweed along the coast and the cenote was crystal clear and nice and refreshing after the tour of the ruins!