r/chichenitza

hi there! (hablo español también) i know this is a recurring question but i want to know as of may 2026 what is the best Chichen Itza tour from Playa del Carmen? I will be staying at Paradisus Playa Del Carmen - Riviera Maya later this month. I want to do more research than Trip Advisor and Viator but not sure where to go.

Preferences:
- air conditioned bus
- english speaking guide
- hotel pickup/dropoff
- being in a group is fine, just prefer not super huge
- ample time to both hear from a guide but also explore the ruins

please let me know if you have any recommendations! would love personal experiences versus just advertisements.

Hola, tengo un par de preguntas sobre Chichén Itza. Voy a ir pronto por primera vez, pero sé que ha habido algunos cambios en las últimas semanas. Les agradecería mucho su ayuda con dos cosas.

I. Bolsos y mochilas: ¿Están realmente prohibidas las mochilas? He leído en otros sitios que no están prohibidas, sino restringidas. Reservé un tour clásico que incluye una visita a un cenote y a Valladolid. Pensaba llevar mi mochila mediana (43 cm x 25 cm x 22 cm) para llevar una toalla, chanclas y un vestido. Pero ahora, con la prohibición, me pregunto qué tipo de bolsos están permitidos para llevar esas cosas.

II. Sello del pasaporte: He estado coleccionando sellos de pasaporte de recuerdo con un pasaporte de Build-A-Bear. ¿Todavía sellan el de Chichén Itza gratis? Si es así, ¿dónde puedo conseguirlo?

¡Gracias por la ayuda!

...

Hi, I've a couple of questions regarding Chichén Itza. I'm going soon for the first time but I'm aware that there have been some recent changes in the last few weeks. I would be grateful if you could help me with two things.

I. Bags and Backpacks - Are bag backs really banned? I've read elsewhere that they weren't banned but restricted. I booked a classic tour that includes a visit to a  cenote and Valladolid. I was aiming to take my medium bag pack (43 cm x 25 cm x 22 cm) to carry a towel, flip flops and a dress. But now with the prohibition, I'm wondering which type of bags are allowed to carry such things. 



II. Passport Stamp - I've been collecting souvenir passports stamps using a Build A Bear passport. Are they still stamping the Chichén Itza stamp for free? If yes, where can I get it?

Thanks for the help!