How to get to Cenote Ik Kil by ADO bus
Swim under a curtain of hanging roots, 3 km from Chichén Itzá. Take an ADO bus to the Chichén Itzá stop, then a 5-minute taxi. Buses from Mérida from about US$16, with easy connections from Valladolid, Cancún and Tulum.
Cenote Ik Kil at a glance
Bus, taxi and entry on a typical day:
Morning ADO buses from Mérida to Chichén Itzá, about 2 hours
ADO bus to Chichén Itzá
→
Taxi to Ik Kil, about 3 km
Bus fares from about US$16 · Cenote entry about MXN 240–250
Getting to Cenote Ik Kil: the essentials
Cenote Ik Kil is an open, round sinkhole about 60 m across, with dark-blue water some 26 m below the rim and 40–50 m deep. Long roots fall from the jungle above to the water, and a carved stone staircase leads down to a swimming platform. It sits inside the Ik Kil eco-park on Highway 180, about 3 km east of the Chichén Itzá ruins, so most travellers combine the two in one day.
Step 1: take the ADO bus to Chichén Itzá
ADO buses stop at the visitor entrance of the Chichén Itzá archaeological zone. There is no stop at Ik Kil itself.
- Mérida: 3 buses in the morning, at 8:30 AM (Paseo 60 terminal), 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, about 2h–2h 30min, from US$16.
- Valladolid: about 50 minutes to Chichén Itzá. Direct ADO buses run on some days, from about US$7; second-class buses and colectivos also run along Highway 180.
- Cancún, Playa del Carmen or Tulum: the simplest plan is to travel to Valladolid first (6 buses a day from Cancún, about 2h 25min, from US$23; 7 a day from Tulum, about 1h 45min, from US$13.50), then continue to Chichén Itzá. See Cancún to Valladolid.
Step 2: from Chichén Itzá to the cenote
- Taxi: taxis wait at the Chichén Itzá car park. The ride takes about 5 minutes and cost about MXN 100–150 in 2026. Agree the price before you get in.
- Walking: about 3 km along the highway shoulder. Possible, but hot and not recommended.
Step 3: at the cenote
- Entry cost about MXN 240–250 per adult in 2026, or about MXN 530 with the buffet lunch. Bring cash in pesos.
- Open daily, usually 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
- A life jacket, locker, changing rooms and showers are included.
Getting back
Afternoon buses to Mérida, Valladolid and Cancún leave from the ADO stop at the Chichén Itzá entrance. On our sample date a bus left for Valladolid at 11:10 AM (about 50 minutes, from US$9.50). Check the afternoon times at the ADO desk when you arrive, or search your date online before you travel.
Mind the time zone
Yucatán state (Mérida, Valladolid, Chichén Itzá) is one hour behind Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar). Bus times are always local, so a trip between the two states looks one hour longer or shorter on your ticket than it really is.
Bus times, travel times and fares on this page come from the ADO booking flow for Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and can change. Search your travel date for live times. Entry fees, opening hours and taxi fares are set by each site and driver; the figures here are approximate 2026 prices, so confirm them on arrival.
More cenotes by ADO bus
Ik Kil and Chichén Itzá in one day
Ik Kil is at its busiest from about 11:30 AM to 2 PM, when tour buses from Cancún arrive. That is also when sunbeams reach the water. To avoid the crowds, try this plan:
- Visit the Chichén Itzá ruins first. Foreign visitors paid about MXN 676 in 2026 (federal plus state fee).
- Swim at Ik Kil in the early afternoon, after about 2:30 PM, when the groups leave.
- Take an afternoon ADO bus on to Valladolid or back to Mérida.
Ik Kil tickets are separate from Chichén Itzá tickets.
Cenote rules
- Shower before you swim, and keep sunscreen, lotion and repellent out of the water.
- Life jackets are required for everyone.
- Jump only from the platforms on the staircase, never from the rim.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons. Top: GreenMeansGo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Side: Tony Hisgett, CC BY 2.0.
Why travel to Chichén Itzá and Ik Kil with ADO
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ADO buses stop at the entrance of the archaeological zone, a 5-minute taxi ride from Cenote Ik Kil.
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Cenote Ik Kil: frequently asked questions
Buses, entry fees and tips
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