Ruinas Uxmal Transportation

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Most people who are staying in Merida take the bus to Uxmal which is a very reliable and affordable way to visit if your just planning on a day trip. However for those who are a bit more adventurous and want to get the true Mayan experience its best to rent a car. Renting a car will allow you to experience not only Uxmal but the many different smaller ruins that are in the region and have their own unique charm. Getting to Uxmal from Merida or even from Palenque or Cancun is easy. From Merida or close to there take Route 261 and it runs right past Uxmal and through Mayan country. From Merida its about 78 kilometers. If your coming from Palenque its about a five hour drive, the vast majority of it on route 261. The drive to Uxmal is visually stunning as it will take you deep into the heart of the Yucatan and its wild, untamed jungle. As you can see from the pictures it will not only offer wonderful jungle views but a glimpse into the small villages of the Yucatan as well.

Your options for getting to Uxmal (from Merida) are rather limited. A few second class buses leave from Merida each day; there is also a tour bus company that leaves the second class bus terminal at 8am and takes you to Uxmal and several smaller sites. This "tour" costs around 100 pesos, but covers transportation only; no tour is provided. The last option is to book an actual tour, which can often be done at your hotel in Merida. These are more expensive (260 to 320 pesos), but provide actual guides, and pick you up at the hotel door. We took the last option and didn't regret it.

Uxmal is about an hour's bus ride from Merida.

From Merida you can see Sayil, Xlapak, Labna, Kabah and then finally Uxmal. Uxmal is the largest of the these and is one of the largest in Mexico. The Mayans here in the Puuc region built marvelously detailed structures. Their style is very unique to this region.
From the Merida's Terminal de Segunda Clase, you can buy your round trip ticket that goes through all the above sites. Buy a day in advance. The bus will first go to Uxmal and drop off those going there directly. Stay on and go to the smaller sites. It will come back to Uxmal and pick you up again a few hours later.

If you go on a Sunday you only have to pay the cost of the bus as all museums are free.

There is a Tourist Red bus that takes tourist from Merida to the many Ruta Puuc sights, including Uxmal, Sayil, and Kabah. You can catch this bus at the small town of Sta. Elena as well.

Otherwise, the local transportation to Uxmal is sporadic, so unless you plan on hitch-hiking like I did, take a tourist bus or a car.