{"id":295283,"date":"2025-06-15T16:36:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T16:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/complete-guide-to-palenque-ruins-mexico\/"},"modified":"2025-06-15T16:36:03","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T16:36:03","slug":"complete-guide-to-palenque-ruins-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=295283","title":{"rendered":"Complete Guide to Palenque Ruins Mexico\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Surrounded by jungle in the northern region of Chiapas, Palenque ruins are arguable the most magical Mayan pyramids in Mexico. Located off the popular backpacker trail, this destination is the perfect stopover to break up the long distance between San Crist\u00f3bal de las Casas and the Yucat\u00e1n Peninsula.<\/p>\n

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How to get to Palenque Ruins Mexico<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Palenque ruins are located in the jungle on the outskirts of the town of Palenque, Mexico. Palenque is located about a 5-hour drive north of the colonial city of San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico\u2019s southernmost state, Chiapas or about 6-hours south of the Yucat\u00e1n Peninsula depending on where you start from (Merida and Campeche have direct services).<\/p>\n

Bus to Palenque<\/span><\/h3>\n

ADO public transport is efficient and reliable, this makes backpacking Mexico very easy. If you\u2019re travelling from the north you can get to Palenque via a direct bus from either Merida or Campeche \u2013 both are pretty colonial cities with Mayan ruins nearby. There is a 11-hour bus that travels from San Cristobal de las Casas to Palenque, it is longer because it makes a detour via Tuxtla and Villahermosa with no stops along the way. We decided to go on a tour to shorten the travel time, and break up the day with waterfall stops.<\/p>\n

San Cristobal to Palenque Ruins Tour<\/span><\/h3>\n

We started our journey in San Cristobal de las Casas. The tour made stops at Agua Azul waterfalls, Misol-Ha waterfall and Palenque ruins. You will see this tour advertised all around San Cristobal. Do not be frightened by old threads saying the route is dangerous, the robbery incidents happened years ago. There were plenty of other tourists doing the exact same tour on the day we left. You can purchase the tour through your hostel or at a local tour operator \u2013 just remember to haggle. Prices will vary depending on whether you need an English guide, and whether you\u2019d like an AC van. We ended up paying 500 MX per person.<\/p>\n

Stop 1: Agua Azul<\/span><\/h3>\n

The tour starts at 4AM in the morning. The first stop is at 10AM at Cascadas de Agua Azul. You have an hour to relax and swim before hitting the road again. Unfortunately, it had recently rained so the waterfalls were not their usual iconic blue colour when we visited.<\/p>\n

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Cascadas de Agua Azul<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I slept the entire way from San Cristobal to Agua Azul so I didn\u2019t mind the long drive. A lot of people complain about the journey because it\u2019s in a van. I recommend setting your expectations low and trying to sleep and the time will wizz by.<\/p>\n

Stop 2: Misol-Ha<\/span><\/h3>\n

We drove another 1.5 hours to our second stop, Cascadas de Misol-Ha where we spent another house relaxing and eating lunch. There are food stalls at both stops.<\/p>\n

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Cascadas de Misol-Ha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stop 3: Palenque<\/span><\/h3>\n

The final stop is Zona Arqueologica de Palenque, a 40-min drive from Cascadas de Misol-Ha. We had 2-hours to either explore the site by ourselves or take a guided tour.<\/p>\n

Our day finished at 4:30PM when the site closed, it was another 20 min drive back into town. It was a short walk from the centre of town to our accommodation (Hotel Maya Rue). We spent the night in Palenque before catching the bus up to Campeche the next day from the ADO bus station to begin our Yucat\u00e1n Peninsula travels.<\/p>\n

How to get to Palenque from Palenque Town<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re not on a tour, Palenque Ruins is only 5 kilometers away from the city centre so it\u2019s very easy to get there yourself.<\/p>\n

Public Transport<\/strong> | Getting to the Palenque Ruins is very straightforward. Frequent minivans with a sign Ruinas or Palenque Ruins stop in front of ADO bus terminal near the town centre roundabout, you only have to wait a few minutes for a van to pull over. One ride cost Mx 40 ($1.85) and takes around 20 minutes.<\/p>\n

Top tip: Palenque Ruins Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re already in Palenque Town (e.g. you caught the bus there from Campeche or Merida) do not bother taking a tour to the ruins from the town. If you want a guide, you can hire one inside the site. Only take a tour if you want to visit other points of interests near Palenque, waterfalls Misol-Ha and Agua Azul.<\/p>\n

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Things to see and do at Palenque ruins<\/span><\/h2>\n

Your entrance ticket will include both access to the archeological site as well as the museum. We ran out of time to see the museum, but it\u2019s on the way to the archeological site, so remember to ask your the driver to drop you off there otherwise you will have to retrace your steps a bit.<\/p>\n

We arrived at around 2:30PM, luckily you don\u2019t have to get there early to beat the crowds. The site is huge so everyone is spread out and it\u2019s no where near as busy as Chichen Itza. When you walk into the site you immediately see two large temples appear from behind the jungle. It\u2019s a goosebumps moment. They have left some of the ruins partially exposed, still covered in roots \u2013 so you can really imagine how encapsulated this site was when it was re-discovered.<\/p>\n

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Palenque Ruins Map<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Palenque Mayan Pyramids<\/span><\/h3>\n

The main pyramid, the Temple of the Skulls, is named after an animal skull sculpture found at the base of one pillar. You can get some great shots of this pyramid if you climb up to the neighbouring, Temple of Inscriptions. The Temple of Inscriptions got its name because of the second longest carved inscription in Mexico.<\/p>\n

If you continue on, you\u2019ll find yourself in The Palace. This was one of the most famous structures in Palenque and is where the king ruled. There are many details carved into Palace\u2019s walls. You We then crossed the creek dividing the grounds into two halves and headed to another astonishing part of the Palenque Ruins. The final group of structures is called Grupo de las Cruces alias Group of Crosses, and it consists of several pyramids \u2013 you can climb most of them. If there is one site you should climb, it\u2019s the Temple of the Cross from where you\u201d\u2019 get incredible views over the whole archeological site (pictured below).<\/p>\n

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Entrance fee to Palenque ruins<\/span><\/h2>\n

Admission fee to Palenque Ruins is 75 MX, plus you need to pay the entrance fee to the National Park of Palenque cost 36 MX. In total that comes to 111 MX each.<\/p>\n

The ticket includes the entrance to the archeological site and the museum outside. If you\u2019re buying a tour in San Cristobal make sure to clarify if the ticket is included in the price.<\/p>\n

Palenque Ruins hours<\/p>\n

Tips for Visiting Palenque Ruins<\/span><\/h2>\n