Destinations Comparison
Six Mexican archaeological sites compared: entry fees, opening hours and UK travel advice
Monte Albán, Chichén Itzá, Tulum, El Tajín, Cholula and Paquimé side by side, on INAH's published fees and hours and the UK travel advice for each state.
By Durango Reviews Team ·
How we assessed this. Research-based: we assessed this from published information and did not test it hands-on. Published information only; no site was visited for this comparison. We compared six archaeological zones run by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in six states, using each zone's INAH page for opening days, hours, last entry, fees and access (pages last updated between January 6 and October 6, 2026, and read on October 28 and again on October 29, 2026), and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's Mexico travel advice, last updated October 20, 2026, and still current on October 29, for any area warning or regional advice that covers the site's state. Fees are in Mexican pesos, as INAH lists them.
Good to know
- Four of the six charge INAH's standard fee: 210 pesos, or 105 pesos for Mexican nationals and foreign residents of Mexico.
- At Chichén Itzá, Yucatán adds a state charge of 592 pesos for foreign visitors to INAH's 105 pesos, or 697 pesos in all, by our arithmetic.
- Tulum's unified fee is 265 pesos for foreigners and 80 for nationals, and its last entry, at 3:30 p.m., is the earliest of the six.
- Chihuahua, home of Paquimé, is the only one of the six states where the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel; neither Paquimé nor Casas Grandes is named among its exceptions.
Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) publishes visitor information for each of the archaeological zones it runs: opening days, hours, fees and directions. Read alongside government travel advice, those pages answer most practical questions about a visit. This comparison sets six well-known sites, in six states, side by side, with the UK government's travel advice for each state.
Four of the six use INAH's standard two-tier price. Two do not. At Chichén Itzá, the government of Yucatán adds its own charge, collected at the site's ticket office. At Tulum, INAH lists a unified fee that includes charges by CONANP, Mexico's protected-areas agency, and/or Grupo Mundo Maya.
At a glance
| Site | State and UK (FCDO) advice | Open | Last entry | Fee in pesos (general / Mexicans and residents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monte Albán | Oaxaca; no FCDO area warning | Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 210 / 105 |
| Chichén Itzá | Yucatán; no FCDO area warning | Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 4 p.m. | INAH 105, plus state charge of 592 (foreign visitors) or 205 (nationals) |
| Tulum | Quintana Roo; no FCDO area warning | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 265 (foreign visitors) / 80 (nationals), unified |
| El Tajín | Veracruz; no FCDO area warning | Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 5 p.m. | 210 / 105 |
| Cholula | Puebla; no FCDO area warning | Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 5 p.m. | 210 / 105 |
| Paquimé | Chihuahua; FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the state, and its exceptions do not name Paquimé | Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 4 p.m. | 210 / 105 |
The six sites
01
Monte Albán, Oaxaca
Best for: A half-day trip from Oaxaca City
The simplest of the six to plan on paper: 8 km west of Oaxaca City, open every day, in a state with no FCDO area warning.
Pros
- Open daily
- Oaxaca is not among the areas where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel
- INAH says UNESCO declared it World Heritage, with Oaxaca's historic center, on December 11, 1987
Cons
- Last entry is at 4 p.m., an hour before closing
- The FCDO reports "ongoing protests blocking vehicle access to Oaxaca airport"
- State
- Oaxaca; no FCDO area warning
- Location
- 8 km west of Oaxaca de Juárez
- Hours
- Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last entry 4 p.m.
- Fee
- 210 pesos; 105 pesos for Mexican nationals and foreign residents
02
Chichén Itzá, Yucatán
Best for: A day trip from Mérida
No FCDO area warning covers Yucatán, but it is the most expensive of the six for foreign visitors once Yucatán's own charge is added.
Pros
- Yucatán is not among the areas where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel
- Open daily, and reachable by public transport, INAH says
- An evening light show, Noches de Kukulcán, is run by the Yucatán state government
Cons
- Two charges: INAH's 105 pesos plus Yucatán's 592 pesos for foreign visitors or 205 pesos for nationals
- 115 km from Mérida by road
- State
- Yucatán; no FCDO area warning
- Location
- 115 km from Mérida on Highway 180, 2 km from the town of Pisté
- Hours
- Daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last entry 4 p.m.
- Fee
- INAH 105 pesos, plus a Yucatán state charge of 592 pesos (foreign visitors) or 205 pesos (nationals)
03
Tulum, Quintana Roo
Best for: Combining a site visit with the Caribbean coast
One ticket covers INAH and third-party charges, which keeps planning simple, but it stops admitting visitors earliest of the six.
Pros
- A single unified fee that includes CONANP and/or Grupo Mundo Maya charges
- The lowest fee for Mexican nationals of the six, at 80 pesos
- On federal Highway 307, 128 km south of Cancún
Cons
- Last entry at 3:30 p.m.
- The FCDO says visitors must pay an entry tax to visit the state of Quintana Roo
- The FCDO advises: "Be very cautious after dark in downtown areas of Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen."
- State
- Quintana Roo; no FCDO area warning
- Location
- Main entrance at km 230 of the Chetumal-Cancún federal highway
- Hours
- 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last entry 3:30 p.m.
- Fee
- 265 pesos for foreign visitors; 80 pesos for nationals
04
El Tajín, Veracruz
Best for: Travelers in northern Veracruz with a full day
Stays open latest of the six, until 6 p.m., in a state where the FCDO reports an increase in security incidents.
Pros
- Open daily until 6 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m.
- Veracruz is not among the areas where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel
- Reachable by public transport, INAH says
Cons
- The FCDO says: "There has been an increase in security incidents in the states of Tabasco and Veracruz, including the city of Veracruz. Illegal roadblocks are reported frequently. Be extremely cautious."
- State
- Veracruz; no FCDO area warning
- What it is
- The most important pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican city on the northern coast of Veracruz, INAH says
- Hours
- Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; last entry 5 p.m.
- Fee
- 210 pesos; 105 pesos for Mexican nationals and foreign residents
05
Cholula, Puebla
Best for: A short trip from Puebla city
Close to Puebla city and home, by INAH's account, to the pyramid with the largest surface area in Mesoamerica, but open only five days a week.
Pros
- INAH says the Great Pyramid of Cholula, dedicated to Tláloc, has the largest surface area in Mesoamerica
- Puebla is not among the areas where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel
- Reachable by public transport, INAH says
Cons
- Open Wednesday to Sunday only
- The FCDO's regional-risks page has no specific advice for Puebla
- State
- Puebla; no FCDO area warning
- Location
- West of Puebla city, by the Recta a Cholula and Ruta Quetzalcóatl
- Hours
- Wednesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Fee
- 210 pesos; 105 pesos for Mexican nationals and foreign residents
06
Paquimé, Chihuahua
Best for: Travelers already in northwest Chihuahua
The one northern site here, and the only one of the six in a state where the FCDO advises against all but essential travel.
Pros
- About 1 km on foot or by car from the historic center along calle Allende, INAH says
Cons
- The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the state of Chihuahua, and neither Paquimé nor Casas Grandes is named among its exceptions
- Open Tuesday to Sunday only
- State
- Chihuahua; FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the state, with named exceptions
- Location
- One INAH route from Ciudad Juárez covers 280 km; Nuevo Casas Grandes is 8 km from Casas Grandes
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last entry 4 p.m.
- Fee
- 210 pesos; 105 pesos for Mexican nationals and foreign residents
How to use this comparison
INAH's pages are the authority on hours and prices, and they change. Four of the six pages were last updated on January 6, 2026, Tulum's on August 10 and Chichén Itzá's on October 6, so check the page again shortly before you go. Chichén Itzá's page also notes that its fees do not include extra charges by third parties, such as state governments, CONANP or community groups.
The advice column describes the state, not the site. The FCDO's Mexico advice, last updated October 20, 2026, and still current on October 29, says: "No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide." In Chihuahua, it advises against all but essential travel to the state, except "the city of Chihuahua," "the border crossing in Ciudad Juárez (accessed by federal toll road 45)," "federal toll road 45D connecting the cities of Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez," "the Copper Canyon rail route to and from Chihuahua and towns immediately on this route including Creel," "the road from Creel via San Juanito to San Pedro" and "state highway 16 from San Pedro to Chihuahua." The U.S. State Department's advisory, issued May 29, 2026, and still current on October 29, 2026, according to its data feed, says: "Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory."
Closer to our home region, INAH also runs La Ferrería in the city of Durango, covered in our Durango city guide.
Sources
- Zona Arqueológica de Monte Albán Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), January 6, 2026
- Zona Arqueológica de Chichén Itzá Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), October 6, 2026
- Zona Arqueológica de Tulum Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), August 10, 2026
- Zona Arqueológica El Tajín y museo de sitio Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), January 6, 2026
- Zona Arqueológica Cholula Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), January 6, 2026
- Zona Arqueológica Paquimé Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), January 6, 2026
- Mexico travel advice: warnings and insurance Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK), October 20, 2026
- Mexico travel advice: regional risks Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK), October 20, 2026
- Mexico travel advice: safety and security Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK), October 20, 2026
- Mexico travel advice: entry requirements Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (GOV.UK), October 20, 2026
- Mexico Travel Advisory U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, May 29, 2026
- Travel advisories data feed U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, October 29, 2026
Researched and drafted with AI assistance, then checked against the 12 sources above in a separate fact-check on October 29, 2026. Spotted an error? Tell us.