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Chichen itza

sicamhanya

By sicamhanya,
in Celebrity Cruises

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GottaKnowWhen

GottaKnowWhen

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Has anyone gone to chichen itza ? If so , can you describe what we can expect

 

Not sure what aspect of the visit you are asking about.

 

RE: the trip itself - I have no personal experience with visiting Chichen Itza as a shore excursion. But looking at the map and reading the information here and in the ports-of-call section, it seems that the trip involves tender to bus to ferry to bus for a very long ride. Returning you go through the same process in reverse. There is basically nothing to see on the way to/from, so it probably would feel even longer than it is.

 

But is it worth it? Probably.

 

As a teen-ager in the early 1960s a buddy and I hitchhiked through that region and spent several days within Chichen Itza. A truly magical place! I was back there with my wife a few years ago, we did a week in Cancun, rented a car and drove over to Chichen for a day. The ruins are well reconstructed and preserved, the grounds are well kept, the pathways are broad and level. Easy to get around, easy to see the major monuments. Unfortunately you won't be able to climb some of the ones I climbed 55 years ago, but then Stonehenge has been fenced off as well. Just too many people...

 

I personally probably would not do this as a shore excursion - too much sitting on the bus. But if it is your only opportunity, you'll never have another chance, then do it. Consider renting a car and driving on your own?

 

Another alternative is Coba. If there is an excursion offered there, I would do that. The ruins/monuments have not been as thoroughly reconstructed, the site was never as large as Chichen Itza, and so there is less to see. But there is much more a raw feeling of the passage of time as you see these ancient ruins rising from the rain forest, less of a park-like feeling that you might get in Chichen Itza.

 

Hope this helps...

 

Stan

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keesar Great Review Rare

keesar

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Chichen Itza has been classified by some as a Wonder of the World. It is a long day but I think it is worth it. I recall it being really warm and humid there. The tour was fascinating and well worth it. There are a number of structures at the site with quite a history to speak of.

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abbydancer2003 "Live from...." Rare

abbydancer2003

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We did this when staying in Cancun. As others have said, it is a long bus trip with nothing to see either way. From Csncun it was probably 2 and a half hours each way which may not leave a lot of time at the site.

 

We just did this at Thanksgiving from Cancun. Totally worth doing. You'll see Mayan structures, and learn about some of the unique properties of the site. There will also be lots of vendors selling Mexican chotchkies.

 

In our case, we had a private guide because we had a family group. We stopped at a restaurant just outside the site and had some wonderful dishes that we don't even see here in California.

 

Because of the distance, I'd seriously consider a ships tour.

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binzer2604

binzer2604

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We went there last year, had a fabulous time and a great gude. Well worth the effort. One of the natural wonders on world. 90 minutes to 2 hours on site is enough to see most areas. Its very hot and a lot of walking and big crowds go early is possible. You would not regret going.

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CRZR58

CRZR58

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Chichen Itza is wonderful, although I do miss being able to climb the pyramids like we used to be able to do. Yes, it's a long bus ride each way, but well worth it for us. Take as much bottled water as you can. It can get very hot.

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WonderMan3

WonderMan3

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If you think you may never visit this part of Mexico again then you should go. The structures are amazing. It was one of the best days I've ever had on a cruise. As others have said though it is a VERY long day. I did this as a shore excursion from Cozumel on my first cruise back in 2003. We had about a 45 minute ferry ride each way between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. Then you get on a bus for about 2.5 hours each way. We only got to spend about 90 minutes touring the site and then had an hour for lunch near the site. The ride to and from was mainly through jungle and forest with nothing really to see. So 6.5 hours of traveling for a 90 minute visit. You'll need to judge if you can endure it.

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Ozzmund

Ozzmund

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We have been to Chichen Itza twice during land based vacations in Cancun.

It you are considering the Celebrity excursion from Cozumel, remember it starts and ends with a 45 minute ferry boat ride to/from Playa del Carmen. The two plus hour bus ride to and from Chichen Itza adds up to almost six hours of travel.

 

With that said, it is a wonderful place to visit. If this would be your only chance to visit the site, then by all means go.

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cruisegoal100

cruisegoal100

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So glad we did it from Cancun many years ago when you could climb the pyramids! Getting down was far more challenging than going up...

It is a wonderful trip although the 2.5 hour bus ride is through jungle and the birds in the trees are probably vultures!

Do it...you won't regret it.

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DirtyDawg

DirtyDawg

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If you are docking in Cozumel you can also fly to Chichen Itza. It's only about a 45 minute flight each way. We did this in December. Well worth the extra cost to get to the site before the crowds and the heat of the day. We also got a private 2+ hour tour of the site along with lunch and a visit and swim in a cenote. We were back in Cozumel by 3pm.

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  • 1 year later...
OCruisers

OCruisers

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Chichen Itza has been classified by some as a Wonder of the World. It is a long day but I think it is worth it. I recall it being really warm and humid there. The tour was fascinating and well worth it. There are a number of structures at the site with quite a history to speak of.

 

Totally agree! Chichen Itza is the most famous and the one to see.

LONG day! Very glad we have seen it ... but no desire to return. ;)

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CeleryCruiser

CeleryCruiser

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We went there 2011. On Silhouette there were two options - regular coach and VIP- minbus. Normal coach driving speed on the motorway is max 90 km/ h - The VIP is for 15 pax minibus and driving speed 120 km/ h - which shortens the driving time to Chichen Itza. The price difference were approx 30USD pp compared to the regular coach.

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pkix

pkix

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Thanks for the replies! I probably should have started a new thread rather than bumping this one, because I still haven't found an answer to my question. ;) Are the buses to Chichen Itza regular tour buses, with AC and a toilet?

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mek

mek

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Has anyone gone to chichen itza ? If so , can you describe what we can expect

 

When are you going? I went one year in March and it was the hottest day I have ever experienced in Mexico - be sure to take a bottle of water and wear a hat. I have long hair but my scalp got so sunburned that it peeled for several days. It looked so gross.

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dcyonce

dcyonce

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Chichen Itza is a very interesting place to visit and well worth the trip. We have visited and would definitely go back again.

 

 

If you are planning to visit when your cruise ship is in port, here are some things to remember ...

 

 

Its a long way from the port. About 4 hours from Cozumel (including the ferry ride). And about 3 hours or more from Cancun.

If your ship is only in port for 10 hours, you don't get much time at Chichen Itza. We took the long ferry & bus ride from Cozumel once to Chichen Itza. Because of the long commute each way, we only had about 1 and 1/2 hours at the site. But still a great excursion I would do again.

 

 

Flying is much, much quicker. But, small flights are notoriously delayed in Mexico. Will you be able tp make it back to the ship in time?

 

 

My recommendation ... visit when vacationing in Cancun or Cozumel, not from a cruise ship. And when you do visit, fly to Chichen Itza.

That said ... it's still a great place to visit and if your only opportunity is a cruise ship excursion while in port at Cancun or Cozumel. By all means DO IT ! Even if your time at the site is limited.

 

 

-- Don

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