Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza is about 468 road miles (753 km): roughly 9 h 51 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
| Distance | 468 mi (753 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 9 h 51 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-173 → TAB 1 → MEX-195 → MEX-180 → MEX-180D → MEX-202 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-180D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
The Tapijulapa–Chichen Itza drive in a few lines
MEX-180 (337 mi) and MEX-180D (54 mi) carry about 84% of the 468 miles. It runs through 3 states: Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-180D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tabasco |
| MEX-173 | 1–12 | 11 | Tabasco |
| TAB 1 | 12–38 | 26 | Tabasco |
| MEX-195 | 38–48 | 10 | Tabasco |
| connecting roads | 48–51 | 3 | Tabasco |
| MEX-180 | 51–258 | 207 | Tabasco, Campeche |
| MEX-180D | 258–283 | 25 | Campeche |
| MEX-202 | 283–293 | 10 | Campeche |
| MEX-180 | 293–385 | 92 | Campeche, Yucatán |
| local roads | 385–394 | 9 | Yucatán |
| MEX-180 | 394–432 | 38 | Yucatán |
| MEX-180D | 432–461 | 29 | Yucatán |
| local roads | 461–468 | 7 | Yucatán |
- Mile 112 of this route: Tabasco → Campeche (state line)
- Mile 345 of this route: Campeche → Yucatán (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Chichen Itza
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Historia Natural José Narciso Rovirosa (mile 49), Casa Museo Carlos Pellicer Cámara (mile 50), Xiol (mile 399)
- Nature and outdoors: Museo de Historia Natural José Narciso Rovirosa (mile 49)
- Museums and history: Museo de Historia Natural José Narciso Rovirosa (mile 49), Casa Museo Carlos Pellicer Cámara (mile 50), Museo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el Alto (mile 288), Uxmal (mile 343), Oxkintok (mile 353), Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán (mile 391), Xiol (mile 399), Cuca (mile 406)
Museo de Historia Natural José Narciso Rovirosa
Opened in Villahermosa in 1988, this natural history museum honors José Narciso Rovirosa, the Tabasco naturalist, botanist and mapmaker who explored Tabasco and Chiapas documenting plants, climate and wildlife.
Casa Museo Carlos Pellicer Cámara
Poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara, a major voice of 20th-century Mexican poetry, was born in this house in Villahermosa's historic center, now a museum since 1985.
Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
Founded by the Spanish on the Gulf of Mexico, Campeche's walled center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sections of the hexagonal wall built from 1686 to 1704 against pirate raids survive with bastions and gates, framing a grid of colonial streets.
Museo de Barcos y Armas Fuerte de San José el Alto
Inside Fuerte de San José el Alto in Campeche city, the museum displays more than 900 objects recovered from underwater archaeological sites in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mexican Caribbean and the cenotes, lakes and rivers of the Yucatán Peninsula.
Uxmal
Founded around A.D. 700, the Maya city of Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where Puuc-style buildings such as the Pyramid of the Soothsayer, the Governor's Palace and the Nunnery Quadrangle carry carvings of the rain god Chaac.
Oxkintok
Oxkintok is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the Puuc region of Yucatán state, in southeastern Mexico.
Museo Conmemorativo de la Inmigración Coreana a Yucatán
In Mérida's historic center, this memorial museum tells the story of the first Korean immigrants to Yucatán and their work in the henequen industry, with more than 200 photos, documents, newspapers and pieces of traditional clothing.
Xiol
Xiol is a Maya archaeological site in Kanasín, about 10 kilometers from Mérida, found by accident in 2018 during construction of an industrial complex. Its Maya name means "the spirit of man."
Cuca
Near the town of Tixpéhual in Yucatán, Cuca is a pre-Columbian Maya site of about 10 hectares, where dozens of structures and their remains lie scattered inside a low wall.
In Chichen Itza itself
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, is a former Maya city between Mérida and Valladolid where you can walk past El Castillo (Temple of Kukulkan), the Temple of the Warriors, the Great Ball Court and the round El Caracol observatory.
Ik Kil
Outside Pisté near Chichen Itza, Ik Kil is a cenote within the Ik Kil Archeological Park in Yucatán's Tinúm Municipality.
Akab Dzib
Akab Dzib is a pre-Columbian structure at the Maya site of Chichen Itza, catalogued by archaeologists as Structure 4D1 and also spelled Akab Tzib or Akabdzib.
More drives to Chichen Itza
From Tapijulapa to other places in Mexico
- Tapijulapa to Omitlán
- Tapijulapa to Huasca de Ocampo
- Tapijulapa to Boca del Cielo
- Tapijulapa to San José del Pacífico
- Tapijulapa to Mazunte
- Tapijulapa to Sisal
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza?
About 9 h 51 min of driving without stops, over 468 miles.
How far is Chichen Itza from Tapijulapa by car?
About 468 miles (753 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza?
The U.S. State Department rates Tabasco Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Campeche Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions; Yucatán Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza use?
In order: MEX-173, TAB 1, MEX-195, MEX-180, MEX-180D and MEX-202. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Tapijulapa to Chichen Itza?
Closest to the road: Museo de Historia Natural José Narciso Rovirosa (museum, mile 49, 0.2 mi from the route); Casa Museo Carlos Pellicer Cámara (museum, mile 50, 0.4 mi from the route); Xiol (archaeological site, mile 399, 0.7 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.