You don’t have to go far from Cancun to stand in a Maya city. Three small archaeological zones sit inside Cancun itself, and the big names – Tulum, Cobá, Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam – are all doable as day trips. This guide covers where each site is, what you’ll see, the 2026 entrance fees, opening hours and practical tips, so you can pick the ruins that fit your trip.
At a glance
- In Cancun: San Miguelito with the Museo Maya de Cancún, El Rey (both in the Hotel Zone) and El Meco (north of downtown).
- Easy day trips: Tulum (128 km), Xel-Há ruins, Muyil and Cobá to the south; Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam (about 2 – 2.5 hours) to the west.
- 2026 fees: from 145 MXN at the small Cancun sites to 697 MXN at Chichén Itzá for foreign visitors.
- Hours: most sites open daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm; the Museo Maya and San Miguelito close on Mondays.
- Tip: arrive at opening time, carry pesos in cash and bring water, a hat and sunscreen.
Entrance fees and rules that apply everywhere
- Two price levels: the archaeological zones are run by INAH (Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History). Foreign visitors pay the general fee; Mexican nationals and foreigners with Mexican residency pay a reduced fee.
- Extra fees: some sites add a second charge on top of the INAH ticket – the Yucatán state fee at Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam, the national-park fee that is included in Tulum’s ticket, and local community or parking charges at Cobá and Ek Balam.
- Free entry: on Sundays INAH sites are free for Mexican nationals and residents with ID, so Sundays are busier. INAH also lists free entry for children under 13 and adults over 60; these exemptions do not cover the Yucatán state fees.
- Payment: bring Mexican pesos in cash. Card payment isn’t guaranteed at every booth, and parking, community fees, bike rentals and small vendors are often cash only.
- Filming: phone and camera photos for personal use are fine; drones, tripods and professional equipment need an INAH permit.
Fees below are the 2026 amounts per person. They can change during the year, so check before you go.
Archaeological sites in Cancun
San Miguelito and the Museo Maya de Cancún
The easiest place to start. The Museo Maya de Cancún, at km 16.5 of Kukulcán Boulevard in the Hotel Zone, displays sculpture, ceramics and other finds from sites across Quintana Roo. A trail from the museum’s lower level leads into the jungle to San Miguelito, a small Postclassic settlement of several groups of structures; its largest building is the Palacio Chaak, a public building with a columned hall.
- Fee 2026: 210 MXN (105 MXN for Mexicans and residents) – one ticket covers the museum and San Miguelito.
- Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm; last entry to the museum halls 5:00 pm and to San Miguelito 4:30 pm. Closed Mondays.
- Tip: the air-conditioned museum is a good plan for a rainy or very hot afternoon. Allow two to three hours for both.
El Rey
El Rey, at km 18 of the Hotel Zone, is one of the most important sites on the island of Cancun. It grew most in the Late Postclassic period (1200–1550 AD), when together with San Miguelito it formed a town living from maritime trade and fishing. You walk along a central causeway lined with low platforms and small temples; the main structure is a pyramidal base with a temple on top. The site reopened in 2025 with a new visitor center, restrooms and parking. Iguanas are everywhere.
- Fee 2026: 145 MXN (80 MXN for Mexicans and residents).
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
- Tip: an hour is enough. Combine it with the Museo Maya a short way up the boulevard.
El Meco
El Meco lies at km 2.7 of the road from Puerto Juárez to Punta Sam, north of downtown Cancun and on the way to Playa Mujeres. It was a coastal Maya port and navigation point; its tallest building, El Castillo, is about 12.5 m high and was the tallest structure on this stretch of coast. After renovation work, the site reopened in December 2024 with new trails, a visitor area and a pedestrian link to the shore.
- Fee 2026: 145 MXN (80 MXN for Mexicans and residents).
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.
- Tip: usually very quiet – a good pick if you are staying at Playa Mujeres or Costa Mujeres, or on your way to the Isla Mujeres ferry.
Day trips south: Riviera Maya and Tulum
Tulum
Tulum is the walled Maya port on a cliff above the Caribbean, 128 km south of Cancun on Highway 307. Its main building, El Castillo, faces the sea; you’ll also see the Temple of the Frescoes and the Temple of the Descending God. It is a compact site and takes one to two hours. The ruins are inside the Parque del Jaguar national park, and the entrance is on the park side.
- Fee 2026: since July 2026, 265 MXN for foreign visitors and 80 MXN for Mexicans; the fee includes the national-park (CONANP) charge. Free on Sundays for Mexicans. An optional electric shuttle inside the park costs 20 MXN per adult and 10 MXN per child.
- Hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, last entry 3:30 pm.
- Tips: go at opening time for cooler weather and fewer people. The buildings cannot be climbed. Combine with Xel-Há ruins, Cobá or a cenote; see the Tulum guide and Tulum tours.
Staying in Tulum? A private transfer from Cancun Airport takes 90 to 120 minutes and costs 165 USD one way or 322 USD round trip per vehicle for up to 8 people. Details: Cancun Airport to Tulum.
Xel-Há archaeological zone
Not to be confused with the Xel-Há water park: the archaeological zone is a separate INAH site on Highway 307, about 115 km south of Cancun and 16 km north of Tulum. The name means “entrance of water”, and the site was a trading port on the caleta (inlet). Its highlights are traces of mural painting, such as in the Building of the Birds and the Jaguar Group. It reopened in July 2026 after improvements to trails, signage and visitor services.
- Fee 2026: 210 MXN (105 MXN for Mexicans and residents).
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
- Tip: a quiet stop of about an hour on the way to or from Tulum.
Muyil
Muyil sits right on Highway 307 about 25 km south of Tulum, at the edge of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. It was occupied for a very long time – from the Late Preclassic to the Late Postclassic – and its El Castillo (about 17 m) shows early Petén-style architecture. Trails lead through the jungle towards the Muyil lagoon. Since reopening in February 2026, more of the site is open to visitors, including the Sacbé and Gran Plataforma groups, plus a new visitor center.
- Fee 2026: 145 MXN (80 MXN for Mexicans and residents).
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
- Tip: boat trips on the lagoon and canals of Sian Ka’an are run by the local ejido cooperative and are paid separately. Bring insect repellent.
Cobá
Cobá is a large city spread through the jungle between lakes, about 45 km inland from Tulum (Highway 109). Its groups of buildings are connected by sacbeob, the white stone causeways of the Maya, so distances inside the site are long. The star is Nohoch Mul, about 42 m tall. After years closed, climbing reopened in December 2025 on a new wooden staircase that protects the original steps.
- Fee 2026: 210 MXN (105 MXN for Mexicans and residents). The local community also charges for parking and access; bring cash.
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, last entry 4:00 pm. Nohoch Mul can be climbed from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm, in groups of up to 15 people and for up to 15 minutes at the top.
- Tips: rent a bicycle or take a pedal-taxi at the entrance to cover the causeways (cash). Arrive early, because the climb stops at 3:30 pm. Tours on our site such as the Tulum and Cobá Tour combine both sites in one day.
Day trips west: Yucatán
Chichén Itzá
Chichén Itzá, about 200 km west of Cancun in the state of Yucatán, is the most famous Maya site in Mexico: a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Highlights are the Temple of Kukulcán (El Castillo), the Great Ball Court, the Temple of the Warriors, the observatory known as El Caracol and the Sacred Cenote. The drive takes about 2 to 2.5 hours on the toll highway.
- Fee 2026: 697 MXN for foreign visitors (105 MXN INAH + 592 MXN Yucatán state fee), 310 MXN for Mexicans and 105 MXN for Yucatán residents.
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, last entry 4:00 pm.
- Tips: the pyramid cannot be climbed. Be there at 8:00 am to beat the heat and the tour buses.
Everything else – getting there, the equinox, the night show, cenotes and Valladolid – is on our Chichén Itzá guide. If you prefer not to drive, see the Chichén Itzá Tour listed on our site.
Ek Balam
Ek Balam lies about 27 km north of Valladolid, roughly 2 to 2.5 hours from Cancun. It is smaller than Chichén Itzá but famous for the Acropolis, whose upper levels hold exceptionally well-preserved stucco sculpture around the tomb of the ruler Ukit Kan Le’k Tok’, including an Earth Monster doorway and winged figures often described as angels. Other highlights are the arched entrance, the Oval Palace and the Twins. It is one of the few large sites where visitors have been allowed up the main pyramid; follow staff instructions, because access can change.
- Fee 2026: INAH fee 210 MXN (105 MXN for Mexicans and residents) plus the Yucatán state fee – in January 2026 about 691 MXN in total for foreigners and 237 MXN for Mexicans; Yucatán residents pay only the INAH fee. Parking (about 100 MXN) is collected separately by the local ejido.
- Hours: daily 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, last entry 4:00 pm.
- Tips: cenote X’Canché is about 1.5 km from the ruins. Our listed Las Coloradas and Ek Balam tour combines it with the pink lagoons of Las Coloradas.
Comparison: Maya sites near Cancun
Drive times are approximate from Cancun by car, depending on traffic and your hotel. Fees are per person in 2026, general (foreign visitor) rate with the reduced rate for Mexicans and residents in brackets.
| Site | Where / drive from Cancun | Entrance fee 2026 | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguelito + Museo Maya de Cancún | Cancun Hotel Zone, km 16.5 | 210 MXN (105 MXN Mexicans/residents), museum and ruins together | A rainy or hot afternoon, first-timers |
| El Rey | Cancun Hotel Zone, km 18 | 145 MXN (80 MXN) | A short visit between beach days |
| El Meco | North of downtown, Puerto Juárez–Punta Sam road | 145 MXN (80 MXN) | Quiet ruins near Playa Mujeres |
| Xel-Há (ruins) | 115 km, about 1 hr 30 min | 210 MXN (105 MXN) | Murals, combining with Tulum |
| Tulum | 128 km, about 1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs | 265 MXN foreigners / 80 MXN Mexicans | Sea views, half-day trip |
| Muyil | About 150 km (25 km south of Tulum), about 2 hrs | 145 MXN (80 MXN) | Jungle, birds, Sian Ka’an |
| Cobá | About 175 km, about 2 – 2.5 hrs | 210 MXN (105 MXN) + local fees | Climbing Nohoch Mul, cycling |
| Ek Balam | About 185 km, about 2 – 2.5 hrs | About 690 MXN foreigners / about 240 MXN Mexicans + 100 MXN parking | Stucco sculpture, fewer crowds |
| Chichén Itzá | About 200 km, about 2 – 2.5 hrs | 697 MXN foreigners / 310 MXN Mexicans | The icon – UNESCO and New 7 Wonders |
How to choose
- Only a few hours: Museo Maya with San Miguelito, then El Rey – all in the Hotel Zone.
- One big day trip: Chichén Itzá for the icon; Tulum and Cobá together for the sea view plus a pyramid you can climb.
- Fewer crowds: Ek Balam, Muyil, Xel-Há ruins or El Meco.
- Staying south: from Playa del Carmen, Akumal or Tulum, Tulum, Xel-Há, Muyil and Cobá are much closer.
Organized trips to these sites are listed on our tours page.
What to bring
- Mexican pesos in cash for tickets, parking, community fees and snacks.
- Water, a hat, sunglasses and biodegradable sunscreen – most sites have little shade.
- Comfortable walking shoes; Cobá and Chichén Itzá involve several kilometers of walking.
- Insect repellent for jungle sites such as Cobá, Muyil and Ek Balam.
- Swimwear and a towel if you plan to add a cenote.
- ID if you qualify for a reduced or free rate.
FAQ
Are there Maya ruins in Cancun itself?
Yes. El Rey (km 18) and San Miguelito with the Museo Maya de Cancún (km 16.5) are in the Hotel Zone, and El Meco is just north of downtown on the road to Punta Sam. Fees in 2026 are 145 MXN at El Rey and El Meco and 210 MXN for the Museo Maya with San Miguelito.
Which Maya ruins near Cancun can you still climb?
Climbing is not allowed at Chichén Itzá or Tulum. At Cobá, Nohoch Mul reopened for climbing in December 2025 on a protective wooden staircase, from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. Ek Balam’s Acropolis has generally been open to climb, but always follow staff instructions.
How much is the entrance to Chichén Itzá in 2026?
697 MXN for foreign visitors (105 MXN INAH plus 592 MXN Yucatán state fee), 310 MXN for Mexican nationals and 105 MXN for Yucatán residents. More on our Chichén Itzá guide.
How much is the entrance to the Tulum ruins?
Since July 2026, 265 MXN for foreign visitors and 80 MXN for Mexicans, including the national-park charge; Mexicans enter free on Sundays. Hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm with last entry at 3:30 pm.
Which ruins are best for a day trip from Cancun?
Chichén Itzá if you want the most famous site; Tulum and Cobá together if you want the Caribbean view and a pyramid to climb; Ek Balam for fewer crowds and outstanding stucco sculpture.
Do I need cash at the archaeological sites?
It’s best to carry Mexican pesos. Card payment isn’t guaranteed at every ticket booth, and parking, community fees, bike rentals and small vendors are often cash only.