1.
Easily the most famous landmark in Chichen Itza. El Castillo, also known as the Pyramid of Kukulkan, was built to honor the snake deity Kukulkan. Its impressive and imposing architecture also reveals a lot about Mayan civilization, which you'll learn as you admire the striking structure.
Note: This 1.5+ mile long tour covers all the essentials of Chichen Itza in 1-2 hours.
10 minutes
2. Chichen Itza
This sacred site was one of the greatest Mayan centers of the Yucatán peninsula. Throughout its nearly 1,000-year history, different peoples have left their mark on the city. The Maya and Toltec vision of the world and the universe is revealed in their stone monuments and artistic works. The fusion of Mayan construction techniques with new elements from central Mexico makes Chichen-Itza one of the most important examples of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in Yucatán. Several buildings have survived, such as the Warriors’ Temple, El Castillo, and the circular observatory known as El Caracol.
1 hour
3.
Tzompantli literally means skull rack, and it was once exactly what it sounds like. This represents a place where the heads of sacrificial victims were placed following their sacrifice. The platform depicts warriors carrying human heads, skulls, snakes and eagles on all of the walls.
5 minutes
4. Temple of the Warriors
Much like an expensive wedding cake, the Temple of Warriors has three thick tiers at the bottom with a small temple on top. It also features about 200 columns, each of which sports carvings of Toltec warriors in varying scenes.
10 minutes
5. The Ossuary
This pyramid gets its name from the numerous human remains uncovered here by archaeologists. Within a cavern beneath the pyramid, seven tombs were uncovered, believed to belong to members of Mayan high society.
5 minutes
6. El Caracol
El Caracol is one of the more interesting buildings of Chichen Itza. On top of this structure sit the remains of what was once an observatory. From here, the Mayans would watch the stars and try to infer things about the future based on the movement of the planets.
5 minutes
7. Las Monjas
The Nunnery, or Las Monjas, is one of the largest buildings in Chichen Itza. It's also one of the most archaeologically significant, owing to the huge number of texts inscribed into the walls, many of which mention a ruler named Kakupakal.
5 minutes