12 Best Things to Do In Valladolid, Mexico

The city of Valladolid, Mexico (not to be confused with the one in Spain) is one of our favourite places in the country.

It’s packed full of special treasures and incredible cenotes, and it also happens to be the closest and most convenient place to base yourself to see one of the 7 Modern Wonders of the World: Chichén Itzá!

We spent 5 unforgettable days in and around the city, which allowed us to put together a list of the 12 Best Things to Do in Valladolid, Mexico:

1. Chichén Itzá

While it’s not technically in Valladolid, it counts amongst this list due to the city’s proximity to the equally famous and ancient ancient archaeological site.

Chichén Itzá is only about 45 minutes away when driving from Valladolid, making it the perfect place to base yourself and take a day trip to see the epic ruins.

You can stay closer to Chichén Itzá if you wish, but options are slim and lack the vibe and extra activities that Valladolid offers.

Below we’ve outlined the best ways to reach Chichén Itzá from Valladolid at a high level. If you’re after full details, we’d recommend reading our Ultimate Chichén Itzá Guide!

Joining a Tour: The Best Way to Visit Chichén Itzá

Joining a tour is the definitely the easiest way to see Chichén Itzá, but not the cheapest. Tours typically include full air-conditioned transport, a knowledgeable guide, lunch and additional stop-offs throughout the day – the popular addition is at 1 or more cenotes. More on those later!

This is one of the highest rated tours we could find that leaves from Valladolid, which looks absolutely fantastic:

Visiting Chichén Itzá Without a Tour

Since Valladolid is fairly close to Chichén Itzá you can get yourself there with ease!

• 🚗 By Car: Simply drive yourself and buy tickets at the gate. Super simple. Get there early for fewer crowds!
• 🚌 By Bus: ADO buses from Valladolid are the best option if you’re looking for public transport! Check the Valladolid bus schedule here, tickets from £6 (US $8).
• 🚐 By Colectivo: Cheap and frequent shared small buses from Valladolid. Limited information online – best to ask your hotel where to get it from!
• 🚂 By Train: The brand new Mayan Train (Tren Maya) connects various cities and Mayan sites in the Yucatán, including Valladolid and Chichén Itzá.
  • Be aware that the Mayan Train it’s known to have multiple problems: the official ticket website only seems to work when it wants to, delays in schedules, Chichén Itzá station is far away from the site requiring a paid shuttle to reach, etc.

Once you arrive you can certainly explore the site yourself without a guide and learn about the site via the various signs and plaques scattered around.

However, we would strongly suggest hiring a guide for your visit. Guides tend to add so much more colour and story-telling to your experience. Not to mention they can answer all of your burning questions right then and there! You can pick up an official guide from inside the site itself. Expect to pay around US $20 per person.

💰 Cost: Entry to Chichén Itzá and the archeology site is MX $648 per person (£25 / US $35)
⏱️ Opening hours: Chichén Itzá is open 7 days a week from 8am – 5pm. The last entry is at 4pm daily.

The Ultimate Chichén Itzá Guide 2026

Chichén Itzá is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and undoubtedly Mexico’s most famous archaeological site. The ancient Mayan city is best known for its towering pyramid, El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán) but there’s plenty more to see at the site. Whether you’re visiting from Valladolid, Merida, or staying right next door […]

Read more

2. Chichén Itzá Night Show (Noches de Kukulkán)

Why is this not talked about more!! Under the twinkling of the stars between Weds – Sun, Chichén Itzá holds an awe-inspiring light and sound show called Noches de Kukulkán.

Getting to explore the famous site in the darkness with the structures illuminated under the starry canopy is a memory we won’t soon forget!!

The experiences culminates in a 30 minute light projection directly on the main pyramid, El Castillo, telling the story of Kukulkán – the feathered serpent deity the pyramid is dedicated to. The story is only in Spanish, but it’s easy to follow along even if you don’t speak the language. 

For more info, check out our full Noches de Kukulkán guide which explains how to get tickets. You can also look at the official website here. 

💰 Cost: Entry to the light show is not included in the general ticket. General admission is MX $755 (£30 / US $40).
⏱️ When: Weds-Sun, 7pm (show starts at 8pm).

3. Join a Free Walking Tour 

If you’ve read any of our other Mexico articles, you’ll know that we LOVE a walking tour. They’re especially useful when arriving in a new place – and Valladolid is no exception!

Our hostel recommended the Red Umbrella Walking Tour which meets daily at 10am, 5pm & 7pm by the fountain in the main park (Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado).

The tour was brilliant! We learnt so much about the history of the town as well as the best spots to eat too! On top of that, it gave us a feel for the city and the streets worth checking out first – another benefit of hitting a walking tour early when you arrive somewhere new.

💰 Cost: FREE, but it’s customary to tip afterwards

4. Wander down Calzada De Los Frailes Street

The historic Calzada de los Frailes, is a cobbled, pastel‑coloured street that links the town centre with the Convento de San Bernardino de Siena.

It’s lined with cafés, boutique shops, restaurants and bars. Spend a bit of time checking out the shops and picking up some unique souvenirs.

Our favourite places on this street:

☕️ Coffee: ConKafecito
🐟 Seafood: Restaurante Tostaquería del Mar

💰 Cost: FREE – depending on whether you’re easily convinced to purchase souvenirs 😉

5. Convento de San Bernardino de Siena & Light Show 

San Bernardino de Siena is a 16th‑century Franciscan convent, and one of Valladolid’s most iconic landmarks.

You can tie this together with an evening stroll down Calzada De Los Frailes (above), ending at the convent for the light show projected on its facade.

Known as the “Noches de la Heroica Valladolid”, the visual projection shares details of the history of the convent, Valladolid itself and the Mayan/colonial heritage, with audio in both English and Spanish.

💰 Cost: FREE
⏱️ When: Tuesday – Sunday around 9:15pm. The show plays in English first, followed by Spanish, and lasts around 10-15 minutes.

6. Iglesia de San Servacio & Another Light Show!

Another light show? Absolutely! San Servacio church, founded in 1545, is a beautiful building to see in the daylight, but it’s made even better in the evening when a light show is projected onto it’s facade!

The city’s central square that sits in front of the church, surrounded by local vendors and quaint cafes, is a great place to stop and sit for a while – day or night. Both the church itself and the surrounds are a great place for those who love history & photography!

💰 Cost: FREE
⏱️ When: Tuesday – Sunday around 10:00pm. The show plays in Spanish first, followed by English, and lasts around 15 minutes.

7. Cenote Zací

If you don’t know what cenotes are, they’re essentially sinkholes filled with water throughout the Yucatán peninsula. Historically, cenotes may have had an important cultural significance with Mayans – there are theories that they would throw belongings, offerings, and even sacrifices into their depths! These days they’re not used in such a way, and many of them are even open to the public to swim inside.

Some cenotes are open-air, while others are completely covered and accessed only via connecting tunnels. Some are a few metres wide, others are the size of a football field.

This, for example, is Cenote Zací:

Jumping into cenotes to cool off from the heat of Southern Mexico became one of our favourite activities, particularly in Valladolid!

The most unique thing about Cenote Zací is that its found just a few streets away from the main square, right in the centre of the city! Usually cenotes are found on the outer rims of cities or even further away, requiring a drive – but not this one. It’s an enormous open-air sinkhole that’s great for swimming, cliff-jumping and snorkelling!

💰 Cost: MX $60 per person for entry and a mandatory lifejacket (£2.50 / US $3.50) 
⏱️ Opening hours: Daily from around 9am – 5pm, although times vary. We arrived at 4:10pm and were let in, however our friends arrived just 5 mins later but weren’t. So, we’d recommend getting there before 4pm and on a weekday if possible – it’ll be very busy on weekends.

8. Cenote Samula & Xkeke

Just 10–15 minutes south-west of Valladolid by car are Cenote Samula & Cenote Xkekén, a fantastic pair of swimmable cenotes you shouldn’t miss!

Both Cenote Samula & Cenote Xkekén feature epic roof openings which let the light pour in, and are covered with roots dangling from the jungle above into the cave. The openings are small, making them feel much more like covered cenotes. We preferred those when compared to the open ones as it felt like we were swimming in a cave rather than a lake – much cooler!

When the sunlight shines its rays through the opening at the top, it’s a truly impressive sight.

A guide is not mandatory, but we chose to hire one for our short visit to learn a little more about the history of the cenotes. That said, we don’t think it was that useful to get one, so we wouldn’t recommend it for your visit. If you don’t want to have a guide accompany you, you have to be quite firm.

There are a few ways you can visit these cenotes:

🚗 By car

Cenote Samula & Cenote Xkekén are easiest to visit by car. The free car park (shared for both cenotes) is a 10 minute drive south-west of Valladolid.

The drive is really easy – you essentially drive on the 180 until you see a sign for the cenotes, then follow signs until you’re there!

🚎 By bus

Public buses or colectivos won’t take you directly to the cenotes, however they can drop you on the main road (180) which is a 25 minute walk down to Samula & Xkeken. Take any bus heading towards Chichén Itzá/Piste/Merida as these will take the 180 road out of Valladolid. 

Request the drop off at the road where Cenote Saamal is. You can of course just visit this cenote (more on that below), but we think that Samula & Xkeken are quieter, cooler & all-round better!

🚴🏽 By bike

Our hostel, and many other places in Valladolid ,offer bike rental. The cycle would take roughly 30 minutes. We’d recommend cycling out on the c.54 road via Diznup, as the 180 road is much bigger & busier. 

💰 Cost: MX $226 (£10 / US $15) per person for entry to both cenotes. This includes mandatory lifejacket (+ discretionary MX $100 tip for our guide pp)
⏱️ Opening hours: Daily from 9am – 5pm

9. Cenote Saamal

The last cenote on our list (we promise!) is Cenote Saamal, right around the corner from Cenotes Samula & Xkekén – just a 3-min drive or 20-min walk.

Cenote Saamal is massive & open-air, and is actually located inside of Hacienda Selva Maya Valladolid. It feels like more of a location for tourists but nonetheless it’s still amazing. They have changing rooms here, as well as a restaurant, bar & a small shop. 

One of our favourite things about this cenote is the platform to jump off!

The hacienda also offers other activities like ziplining too – if you’re an adrenaline addict like Connor, why not give it a go?

💰 Cost: MX $200 (roughly £8 / US $11) per person for entry (includes mandatory lifejacket)
⏱️ Opening hours: Daily from 9am – 5pm

10. Terraza Don Diablo (Rooftop Bar)

For the best views in Valladolid – especially during sunset – head to the Terraza Don Diablo rooftop bar.

It’s got incredible views over the main town square and the church looming on the other side, making it a great spot to enjoy an evening drink (or two).

The rooftop only opens at 5:30pm and there is often a queue for available seats, so make sure you get there with time to spare before sunset. 

As Mexico is reasonably near the equator the sunset tends to only move by about 1 hour over the course of the year with the earliest sunset at around 5:45pm in January and 6:50pm in June/July.

💰 Cost: Beers start from MX $85 (£3.40 / US $4.50)

11. Polcanes at El Tigrillo

Polcanes, which are filled deep-fried corn fritters served with salsa and other toppings, are a super popular street food in the Yucatán.

We tried some amazing cochinita pibil (slow roasted pork) polcanes at El Tigrillo street food stand, and we strongly recommend adding it to your list of things to do while you’re in Valladolid!

💰 Cost:

• Polcanes – MX $30 (£1.20 / US $1.60)
• Tacos – MX $15 (£0.6 / US $0.8)
• Tortas – MX $40 (£1.60 / US $2.15)

12. Ek Balam

Our BIGGEST regret when we were in Valladolid was not visiting Ek Balam. We don’t even have a good excuse – just had just visited lots of Mayan ruins back-to-back, such as Palenque, Uxmal, Kabáh & Chichén Itzá in quick succession right before visiting Valladolid, and thought to ourselves “surely we can skip this one”.

Alas, we did some Googling after we had departed to the next stop on our itinerary and were flooded with regret as we saw how amazing the site looked. Everyone we met after that told us that Ek Balam was fantastic and one of the best, especially if you aren’t going to Palenque & Uxmal. IF YOU ARE READING THIS DON’T SKIP EK BALAM LIKE WE DID! 

Ek Balam was really important in Mayan history and its main structure was one of the largest buildings in Mesoamerica!

The easiest way to get to Ek Balam if you don’t have a car is via colectivo (shared taxi). You can pick up a colectivo near the ADO bus station. It’s marked on Google Maps as Colectivo Ek Balam.

💰 Cost: Entry is MX $561 (£22.50 / US $30)

Valladolid 4 Day Itinerary

Where to Stay in Valladolid

Hostel La Candalaria: We stayed at a really great hostel in a private room and cannot fault them at all! The garden and kitchen area was huge with plenty of space to relax. The breakfasts were different each day and SO yummy, we would stay back here in a heartbeat! 

If staying in a hostel isn’t for you, check out the range of accommodation in Valladolid on Booking.com below: