Heading to Merida, Mexico soon? Don’t forget to include visiting Uxmal Ruins as an activity on your itinerary! This popular day trip from Merida is one of the best preserved Maya archaeological sites in the Maya world.
However, compared to other tourist attractions, it might be hard to find information on how to visit the Uxmal Ruins from Merida.
That’s why I’m here to share with you all the research I’ve done to visit this incredible Mayan Ruins. This is the complete guide you need to visit Uxmal Ruins!
Visiting the Uxmal Mayan Ruins will definitely become an unforgettable experience and the highlight of your trip to Mexico.
Did I mention it’s also climbable?
Table of Contents
Uxmal Ruins Entrance Fee & Attraction Details
Entrance fee: $541 MXN
There are two parts to the Uxmal entrance fee. A federal fee of $80 + general admission $461 ($225 for Mexicans).
Parking fee: $80 MXN
Opening hours: 8am-5pm daily. Last entry at 4pm.
Duration: You can easily spend 2 hours touring the Uxmal ruins.
Guided tour: $900 for an English guide
Google maps: Zona Arqueológica de Uxmal


Is Uxmal Worth Visiting
Yes, Uxmal is well worth the trip! The archaeological site is one of the most impressive in the Yucatan, and a visit to Merida would not be complete without it.
The Uxmal Ruins offer a rare glimpse at the ancient Mayan civilization. They provide insight into their rich culture and history.
A Brief History on Uxmal
Uxmal is located in the jungles of southwest Yucatan, Mexico. Just an hour south of Merida. And because of this agricultural-rich environment, Mayans thrived for centuries in the ancient Maya city of Uxmal.
Many buildings we see today, such as the Governor’s Palace, were constructed during the city’s golden age under the rule of Lord Chac (Chan Chak K’ak’nal Ajaw).
Uxmal didn’t have access to any natural bodies of water, so they primarily relied on rainfall to bring water to the site. Many historians agree that the most likely cause of Uxmal’s abandonment in 900 AD is due to prolonged drought.
What is Uxmal Famous For
Uxmal is famous for being an important part of Maya civilization. The ancient city of Uxmal is also renowned for their beautiful Puuc style architecture. Because of these two points, Uxmal is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fortunately, because of the remoteness of the region, Uxmal is one of the most well-preserved Mayan ruins you’ll find in the Yucatan Peninsula today.
So when you’re there, don’t forget to look closely at all the intricate stone carvings on the buildings. They are a sight to behold.
The most famous building at the Uxmal archaeological site is The Pyramid of the Magicians.

Can You Climb Uxmal Ruins
Yes! This is one of the best parts about visiting the Uxmal ruins. It is possible to climb certain structures for incredible views over the Uxmal Ruins.
The Great Pyramid used to be climbable. However, they have fenced off the area because of Covid.
Don’t be too upset, because the steps leading to the viewpoint behind the Governor’s Palace are still accessible. It’ll give you a stunning view of the Pyramid of Magicians.
When to Visit the Uxmal Ruins
The best time to visit the Uxmal Ruins is early in the morning. There’s little to no shade around the archaeological site, so the heat from the sun gets pretty intense after walking around for a while.
What to Pack for Visiting Uxmal Ruins
- Water. Lots of water. Staying hydrated under the sun is important.
- Hat or umbrella for shade. The archaeological site is enormous and there’s barely any shade.
- Sunscreen. Your skin will thank you when you come back without a sunburn.
Where to Stay for Uxmal
Best Hotels Near Uxmal

Located right next to the Uxmal Ruins in the archaeological zone, you have Hacienda Uxmal Plantation & Museum. You’ll get to stay in the same place as many important guests, such as Queen Elizabeth II. Enjoy swimming in the pool after a day of exploring the ruins and relaxing in your cool AC rooms.
If you prefer to stay in a bungalow-style accommodation, check out The Lodge At Uxmal, which is a close-by sister property of the hacienda.
Slightly further away (30 mins walk) from the Uxmal Ruins is Uxmal Resort Maya. While it’s a little out of the way, it’s a more budget friendly option. You can also book a Temazcal treatment, which is a Mexican spiritual ceremony performed by a shaman.
Book Your Stays
Best Hotels in Merida
Merida is the perfect place to base yourself if you want to explore Uxmal and the rest of Yucatan state. There are plenty of Mayan ruins and popular tourist destinations in the area to keep you busy.
Budget Stays
- Hotel La Nacional By Kavia – Budget stay in the city center
- Hotel Caribe Merida Yucatan – Hotel with a beautiful courtyard
- Kuka y Naranjo – Cozy hotel close to the bus station
- Ontico Urban Design Hotel – Modern hotel 10 mins from historic center
Midrange Stays
- Piedra de Agua Merida – Stay right in the city center
- Mansión Mérida Boutique Hotel – 19th century French-style mansion in city center
Luxury Stays
- Hotel Hacienda Mérida – Stay in a hacienda with colonial-style rooms
- Ya’ax Hotel Boutique – Peaceful retreat at a five-star boutique hotel
How to Get to Uxmal From Merida
Unlike other popular Mayan archaeological sites like Chichen Itza or Tulum Ruins, the Uxmal Ruins is not as developed as a tourist destination. Unless you have a car, figuring out the logistics of getting to the site and back takes some work.
Before going to Uxmal, I’ve researched intensively so that I will not be trapped without a way back. Here are all the methods I’ve found.
Visiting Uxmal By Car
Driving is the easiest way to visit Uxmal ruins from Merida. It takes around an hour to drive to the ruins. Along the way, you can take detours to Hacienda Yaxcopoil, Hacienda Ochil, and El Mirador del Muna to learn about some Maya culture.
Having a car also makes visiting the other 4 Mayan ruins (Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak, and Labna) on the Ruta Puuc route really easy. And compared to the cost of an Uxmal ticket, the entrance fees to these ruins are ridiculously cheap.
Bus from Merida to Uxmal
You can take the SUR bus from Centro Merida at the TAME bus station.
Uxmal is a stop on the Merida to Campeche route. For this trip, there are no round-trip tickets. You’re only able to buy one-way tickets at the ticket booth.
The SUR bus uses the Ahorra card (which is a rechargeable card which you tap to get on the bus). If you have enough money on the card for the ride, you don’t even need to go to the ticket booth.
Money Saving Tip: The more money you charge on to the Ahorra card at once, the more bonus money you receive.
If you plan out all your travel routes beforehand, you can calculate how much money you’ll need for all the bus rides. By recharging the larger sum, you’ll get a bigger bonus than if you had recharged for individual tickets.
The attendant at the ticket office will help you calculate the amount you’ll actually need to pay (considering the bonus added).
The bus to Uxmal will be at the TAME station at 9am. It takes about 1.5 hours to get to Uxmal from Merida.

Unlike the ADO buses, there are no seat reservations for the SUR bus. Meaning, you’re likely to get on an oversold bus because people don’t need to buy a physical ticket (as long as they have a balance on their Ahorra cards).
This happened to me and I ended up standing for the whole 1.5 hours. So line up as soon as you see the bus arrive!
Returning From Uxmal to Merida
Now the return trip to Merida is the tricky part. Because there are no round-trip tickets, you end up having to figure out the logistics yourself.
To go back to Merida, you’ll need to wait at the open area in front of the red Papaya Orange Cafe food truck (at the entrance of Hacienda Uxmal Plantation). From here, you can take taxis, the SUR bus, and colectivos to Merida.

Taxi
You’ll often see taxis stopping by the waiting area to pick up passengers. This is probably the easiest way to get back to Merida.
Some people recommend taking the taxi to Muna (the city closest to Uxmal) and then buying a bus ticket from Muna to Merida. You can share a taxi with some other people that’s also at the waiting area.
One review says their taxi cost 50 pesos per person. Buses from Muna to Merida are every half an hour and cost 35 pesos. So the overall cost with this method is 85 pesos.
SUR Bus
The bus back to Merida does not pass through Uxmal until 3pm. So that means you’ll have 4.5 hours at the Uxmal ruins (if you took the 9am bus from Merida).
Now because the Uxmal stop is in route between Campeche to Merida, there’s no guarantee the bus will arrive exactly at 3pm. It’s often delayed.
On the day I was there, the SUR bus never showed up before I left around ~3:15pm.
Colectivos to Merida (Shared Vans)
This was the method I used to get back to Merida.
A colectivos stopped by to let off passengers. Afterwards he shouted toward our waiting area to see if there’s anyone that wanted to get on.
Everyone who got on went to talk with the driver individually. I don’t know how much they paid, but as a group of 2, I paid 90 pesos per person.
The colectivos will stop at the colectivos area in Centro Merida.
Going to Uxmal By Tour

If just reading the logistics is giving you a headache (I don’t blame you, it’s a bit crazy), then consider taking a day tour to Uxmal Ruins instead.
These day tours from Merida have all the transportation and entrance fees figured out, so you can just sit back, relax and follow along.
- Book a private tour to Uxmal ruins & Chocolate Museum
- Book a 3-in-1 tour to Uxmal ruins & Hacienda Yaxcopoil & Cenote Peba (meals included)
Exploring the Uxmal Ruins
What’s impressive about Uxmal Ruins is that many of the structures are still intact, so you can actually see the different Maya architectures.
There will be areas that are fenced off, so just follow along the arrow signs for where to go next.
Upon entering the Uxmal archaeological site, the first thing you’ll see is the majestic Pyramid of the Magician. It’s also known as the Pyramid of the Soothsayer.
Accessible only by priests and nobles for sacrificial ceremonies, the Pyramid of the Magician is the tallest building in Uxmal.
The Pyramid of the Magician is the postcard child of the Uxmal Ruins. Legend has it they built the pyramid overnight (of course, structural evidence confirms this was not true).
The reason the Pyramid of the Magician is so unique amongst other Mayan buildings is because its outline is elliptical instead of the common rectangular outline.
Walking past the Mayan pyramid, you’ll soon reach the Nunnery Quadrangle.

The Nunnery Quadrangle in Uxmal was built around the 10th century. It comprises four palaces of varying heights surrounding a vast courtyard.
You can walk around the courtyard and wander into the rooms of the four palaces. If you’re lucky, you might even see a residential bat.
When you’re tired, take a short break. Join the others sitting on the steps and people watch for a bit.Exiting the Nunnery Quadrangle, you’ll come up to the Ball Court. This is where the Uxmal Mayans used to play the Mesoamerican ballgame.

Once you’re done imagining a lively ball game match in the ball court, keep walking until you’ve arrived at the Governor’s Palace.
The Governor’s Palace is considered one of the most beautiful Mayan architecture.
A little further than the Governor’s Palace is the Great Pyramid (also known as the Grand Pyramid), a truncated pyramid with nine step sections.
What’s special about the Grand Pyramid is that it used to be one of the few Mayan structures we can climb in the Yucatan Peninsula. From atop the Great Pyramid, we can see the entire Uxmal site.
However, it’s currently fenced off, so you’re not allowed to climb up the Great Pyramid anymore.
Instead, you can walk up the stairs to the Governor’s Palace.

First thing you’ll see on the platform is the Temple of Turtles.
As a substructure of the Governor’s Palace, the Temple of Turtles is one of the simplest structures you’ll see in the Uxmal Mayan city. Its name comes from the turtle carvings at the top of the structure.
Take a few moments to admire the architecture of the Governor’s Palace.
From the Governor’s Palace, you have an excellent viewpoint of the Pyramid of the Magicians. Don’t forget to take some pictures with it.
After all this walking under the sun, you’re probably already burnt out. Take a breather and rest under the shades (rare) near the Governor’s Palace.
Once you’re rested, make your way back to the entrance. Enjoy some cold ice cream or refreshing drinks from the vendors. You deserved it.
Don’t forget to take a bathroom break and browse the souvenir shops for some Maya goodies to take home..
What to Do After Visiting the Ruins?
After you visit Uxmal Ruins, you can spend some time in the Choco-Story (chocolate museum) or visit a cenote.
Mayaland Adventures & Hacienda Uxmal Plantation
Check out their collection of vintage cars. Mayaland Adventures also offers tour options to drive the cars to the plantation.
Check out Coco-story Chocolate Museum

Learn about the history and the process of making chocolate in the Mayan world. You can watch a Mayan ceremony that happens every 20 minutes.
Besides the chocolate museum, they also have a botanical garden and an animal shelter. You’ll see monkeys, deer, and crocodiles.
Entrance fee: $165 MXN
Hours: 9am-7:30pm daily
Here are tours to Uxmal Ruins & Choco-story:
- Book a day trip tour to both locations plus cenote! You can also book on TripAdvisor.
- Here’s a private tour to Uxmal ruins & Chocolate Museum
Swim in a Cenote
This option is for those with a car or taking a taxi.
After a long day of walking in the sun, there are plenty of cenotes to visit on the way back to Merida for a refresh.
Cenote X’batun and Cenote Kankirixche are two popular ones. They are on the opposite sides of the highway.
The drive to the cenote will make you feel you’re secluded in the jungle.
More Mayan Ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula
- Chichen Itza
- Tulum Ruins
- Ek Balam
- Coba Ruins
Day Trips from Merida
- Progreso beach
- Celestun for flamingos
- Rio Lagartos and Las Coloradas (pink salt)
Final Thought
Although prices will change overtime, everything you need on visiting Uxmal from Merida is in this Uxmal travel guide. If this guide helped you, I’d love to know!
Visiting Uxmal is definitely going to be worth your time. Have fun at Uxmal. I know you’ll love it!