Updated November 2026
A rental car turns Chichen Itza from a long day trip into the highlight of a road trip through colonial towns, Maya cities and cenotes. This loop starts and ends at Cancun Airport and keeps the daily drives short.
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Day 1: Cancun to Valladolid (about 2 hours)
Pick up your car at the airport and take the 180D toll road west to Valladolid. Check in, swim in Cenote Zací in the town centre and have dinner on the main square.
Day 2: Chichen Itza at opening time
Leave at 7.15 am to be at the gates at 8 am — 45 minutes from Valladolid. You will have El Castillo almost to yourself for an hour. Book a certified guide at the site, then cool off at Ik Kil or Yokdzonot and return to Valladolid. Read our Valladolid guide.
Day 3: Ek Balam and Río Lagartos
Drive 30 minutes north to the Maya city of Ek Balam, with its remarkable stucco carvings, then continue to Río Lagartos for a boat trip to see the flamingos. The pink salt lakes of Las Coloradas are nearby. Sleep in Río Lagartos or drive back to Valladolid.
Day 4: Izamal, the yellow town, to Mérida
Izamal, painted almost entirely in yellow, has a huge Franciscan convent and the remains of a Maya pyramid in the middle of town. Continue to Mérida, the capital of Yucatán, for two nights.
Day 5: Mérida
Walk the Paseo de Montejo and the Plaza Grande, visit the market and try cochinita pibil, the region’s slow-cooked pork. In the evening there is often free music or dancing in the squares.
Day 6: Uxmal and the Puuc Route
About an hour south of Mérida, Uxmal is many visitors’ favourite Maya site after Chichen Itza, with the oval Pyramid of the Magician and finely carved palaces. Add Kabah on the Puuc Route if you have time.
Day 7: Back to Cancun (about 4 hours)
The 180D takes you from Mérida back to Cancun Airport in around four hours. Alternatively, drop the car in Mérida and fly home from there if the rental company allows a one-way rental.
Good to know
- Tolls on the 180D are paid in cash; carry pesos.
- Avoid driving after dark and slow down for “topes” (speed bumps) in every village.
- Read our tips on driving in the Yucatán and car rental at Cancun Airport.
