From Mérida to Uxmal and the Puuc Route in one day
The itinerary to do Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak and Labná from Mérida in a single day: the order, opening times, how long at each site and where to eat on the way.
Chichén Itzá gets the fame, but the Puuc Route, south of Mérida, is quieter, more beautiful in its carved-stone architecture, and can be done in full in a day. Here’s the plan.
The Puuc Route is five Maya archaeological sites of the Puuc period (7th–10th centuries), famous for their geometric decoration in carved stone: Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Xlapak and Labná. Uxmal is the big one; the other four are small and take 20–40 minutes each.
The recommended itinerary
7:00 — Leave Mérida on highway 261 towards Muna. It’s 80 km, a little over an hour.
8:00 — Uxmal. Arrive at opening to have it almost empty and without the midday heat. Give it 2.5 to 3 hours: the Pyramid of the Magician, the Nunnery Quadrangle, the Governor’s Palace. It’s one of the most complete sites in Yucatán.
11:30 — Have a light bite at the restaurant by the entrance, or move on.
12:00 — Kabah, 23 km away. The Codz Poop (“palace of the masks”), with hundreds of masks of Chaac. 40 minutes. Cross the road to see the Maya arch on the other side.
13:00 — Sayil. The three-level Great Palace. 30 minutes.
13:45 — Xlapak. The smallest; a single very well-preserved palace. 20 minutes.
14:15 — Labná. The Labná arch, the most photographed on the route, and El Mirador. 40 minutes.
15:00 — Optional: the Loltún Caves, 15 km away, with rock paintings and a guided tour (last entry is early, check the schedule).
16:30 — Head back to Mérida. Home by 18:00.
Practical notes
- Admission: Uxmal has a double charge (federal + state); the other four are cheap and there’s a combined ticket for the small sites.
- Free on Sundays for Mexicans and residents (but it fills up).
- Bring water, a hat, sunscreen and closed shoes. There’s almost no shade.
- No useful public transport between the sites: you need a car or a tour. The ATS bus runs one trip a day along the route, but leaves little time at each spot.
- Combine it with a night at a hacienda in the area — haciendas in Yucatán— if you don’t want to cram it all into one day.
If you prefer the other classic, see how to get to Chichén Itzá, and for more getaway ideas, a week in Yucatán.
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