How Much Does It Cost to Go to a Cenote?
Updated October 27, 2026
Quick answer
Most cenotes near Cancún charge 100 to 300 pesos (MXN) at the gate, about $5 to $16, paid in cash. The best-known Tulum cenotes cost more: Gran Cenote about 500 pesos and Dos Ojos 350 to 500 pesos in 2026 reports. Ik Kil, next to Chichén Itzá, charges 240 pesos with life vest, locker and parking included, on its own site. Cenote tours from Cancún on this site cost from $39 to $119 per person, and some leave site fees to pay on the day.
| Cenote | Area | Fee | What it includes | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ik Kil | Chichén Itzá, Yucatán | 240 pesos; child (1.20 to 1.40 m) 150; under 1.20 m free | Life vest, locker and parking; 530 pesos with buffet and a drink | Official site, read 27 Oct 2026 |
| Gran Cenote | Tulum | About 500 pesos | Entry; life jacket 50, snorkel 80, locker 30 extra | Reports from Jan 2025 and Oct 2026 |
| Dos Ojos | Tulum | 350 to 500 pesos | Life jacket and parking; 700-peso guided package adds snorkel gear, locker and the bat cave | Two Oct 2026 reports that disagree |
| Calavera | Tulum | 150 to 300 pesos | Entry | Reports from Mar and Oct 2026 |
| Casa Cenote | Tulum (Tankah) | About 150 pesos; about US$15 in one Oct 2026 guide | Life jacket | 2024 and undated reports; Oct 2026 guide |
| Zacil-Ha | Tulum | 150 to 200 pesos | Entry | Two Oct 2026 reports |
| Taak Bi Ha | Tulum | 350 pesos; 400 with the local guide | The guide and lamp for the underground river on the 400 option | Jul 2026 report |
| Suytun | Valladolid | 120 to 250 pesos | The 250 figure includes a second cenote and a life jacket | 2025 reports |
| Zací | Valladolid centre | 150 pesos; child 75 | Entry | City rate reported by Diario de Yucatán, Jan 2025 |
| X'Kekén and Samulá | Dzitnup, Valladolid | About 80 pesos per cenote | Entry; life jacket 25 pesos extra (undated report) | Yucatán state tourism listing, undated |
| Yokdzonot | Yaxcabá, Yucatán | 200 pesos foreigners; 100 Mexicans | Entry; zip-line or rappel 100 pesos each | Nov 2025 report |
| Siete Bocas | Ruta de los Cenotes, Puerto Morelos | About 300 pesos | Entry | 2026 report |
| Verde Lucero | Ruta de los Cenotes, Puerto Morelos | About 300 pesos; 150 Mexican residents | Entry | Jul 2026 report |
| Kin Ha | Ruta de los Cenotes, Puerto Morelos | 600 pesos for both cenotes on the park's site; 150 to 200 per cenote in a Mar 2026 report | Kin Ha and Blanca Flor cenotes | Park site, read 27 Oct 2026; Por Esto, Mar 2026 |
| Cenote Azul | Playa del Carmen (Hwy 307 km 266) | 120 to 180 pesos; residents 100; child 4 to 8 80 | Entry; life jacket and snorkel for rent | Reports from Jun 2025 and Jan 2026 |
| Jardín del Edén | Playa del Carmen (next to Cenote Azul) | 200 to 250 pesos; under 12 100 | Life jackets, picnic area, parking | Jan 2026 and undated reports |
| Cristalino | Playa del Carmen | About 150 pesos | Entry; snorkel and lockers for rent | Jan 2026 report |
| El Retoño (cenote club) | About 35 minutes from Cancún | 350-peso day pass | Two cenotes, pool, hammocks, bikes | Club's own site, read 27 Oct 2026 |
| Rio Secreto | Playa del Carmen | From US$89 without transport; US$119 with transport from Cancún | Guided cave river tour with wetsuit, life jacket, helmet and lamp | Official site, read 27 Oct 2026 |
| Chichén Itzá ruins (Sacred Cenote) | Yucatán | 697 pesos foreigners; 310 Mexicans; car parking 124 | Single federal and state ticket since 27 Mar 2026; the Sacred Cenote is viewed from the rim, no swimming | INAH, 2026; parking from 1 May 2026 |
| Tulum ruins | Tulum | 165 pesos foreigners (ruins and national park) plus 100 for Parque del Jaguar: 265 pesos | Optional electric cart 20 pesos | DOF decree, in force 20 Jul 2026 |
Life jacket, locker and camera fees
The gate fee is not always the whole bill. Por Esto (March 2026) says some cenotes charge extra for the life jacket or a locker, and at several Quintana Roo cenotes the life jacket is mandatory. What the sources list:
- Included — Ik Kil (life vest, locker, parking), Dos Ojos basic entry (life jacket, parking), Casa Cenote (life jacket), Jardín del Edén (life jackets).
- Life jacket extra — Gran Cenote 50 pesos (January 2025 report), X'Kekén and Samulá 25 pesos, mandatory (undated report).
- Snorkel gear — Gran Cenote 80 pesos; Dos Ojos 100 to 200 pesos depending on the source (2026 reports).
- Locker — Gran Cenote 30 pesos; Carwash 30 pesos (2023 report).
- Cameras — A 150-peso camera charge was posted at Carwash in 2023, though the visitor says it was not enforced; an undated guide lists a US$15 GoPro fee at Calavera. Rio Secreto bans cameras in the cave.
Cash only, pesos or dollars
Bring pesos in cash. Por Esto (March 2026) says not every cenote has a card terminal or a stable signal; Gran Cenote was cash only in a January 2025 report, and Suytun and Oxman in 2025 reports. Paying in dollars usually costs more: a Dos Ojos guide (October 2026) says the 350-peso entry becomes about US$25 to US$30 in dollars, against about $19 at the day's rate. We found no park or tourism-authority source on which cenotes take dollars or at what rate. Prices on this site's tours are in USD at 1 USD = 18.5913 MXN (27 October 2026), rounded to the dollar; fees you pay on the ground stay in pesos.
Tour price vs doing it yourself
Three worked totals for one adult, using the fees above and fares from press and travel sources. Dollar figures at 1 USD = 18.5913 MXN.
- One cenote near Playa del Carmen — By ADO and colectivo from Cancún to Cenote Azul and back: about 120 pesos of bus, 60 pesos of colectivo and 120 to 180 pesos entry, so about 300 to 360 pesos ($16 to $19). The cenote swim day is from $59 but includes two cenotes, lunch, a guide and transport from meeting points.
- Chichén Itzá and Ik Kil by car — 697 pesos for Chichén Itzá, 124 parking, 240 for Ik Kil and roughly 100 to 200 in tolls: about 1,160 to 1,260 pesos ($62 to $68), plus the car and fuel. The Chichén Itzá day is from $57 plus a site fee the listing gives as US$44, paid on the day unless you book the All-Inclusive option. That US$44 is more than the 697-peso gate price at the day's rate (about $37); the listing does not explain the difference.
- Tulum ruins and a cenote by bus — ADO Cancún to Tulum and back 272 to 730 pesos (Por Esto's 136 to 365 each way), ruins and Jaguar park 265 pesos, Gran Cenote about 500 pesos: about 1,040 to 1,500 pesos ($56 to $80), before local taxis. The Tulum ruins and cenote tour is from $45 plus US$40 in cash for the ruins, Jaguar park and cenote fees: about $85, with hotel pickup, a guide and a stop in Playa del Carmen.
What a combo tour includes and leaves out
From each listing's inclusions and exclusions on 27 October 2026. All six show free cancellation up to 24 hours before and reserve now, pay later.
- Cenote swim day at El Retoño, from $59 — Includes transport from meeting points, two cenotes, life jacket, guided tour, an à la carte meal with a drink, pools and bikes. Leaves out tips, alcohol, desserts and souvenirs.
- ATV, ziplines and cenote, from $39 — Includes hotel transport, park entrance, ATV insurance, conservation fee, three ziplines, the cenote and a snack. Leaves out a US$5 locker plus US$5 refundable deposit, drinks, photos and tips.
- Tulum ruins and Cenote Mariposa, from $45 — Includes hotel pickup, the guided ruins visit, the cenote swim and buffet lunch. Leaves out US$40 per adult in cash for ruins, Jaguar park and cenote fees, drinks, tips and lockers.
- Chichén Itzá, cenote and Valladolid, from $57 — Includes guide, transport, the cenote with restrooms and changing rooms, tequila tasting and a Valladolid stop; buffet on higher options. Leaves out the US$44 site fee, life vest and locker at the cenote, and drinks, unless you book All-Inclusive.
- Tulum, Akumal turtles and cenote, from $88 — Includes hotel pickup, guide, Tulum ruins visit, Cenote Mariposa entry, Akumal snorkel, life jackets, lockers, water and lunch. Leaves out US$40 per adult (US$25 per child) for site, park and government fees, drinks at lunch and tips.
- Rio Secreto underground river, from $119 — Includes hotel transport, wetsuit, life jacket, helmet, wet shoes, lamp, guide, light lunch, towels and showers. Cameras are not allowed.
Going alone or booking
Alone is cheaper for one cenote you can reach by bus or car. A tour closes the gap, or wins, when the day needs a long drive, a guide or several stops. Compare the cenote tours from Cancún with the totals above in view, and see whether you can visit cenotes without a tour for the transport details.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Gran Cenote?
About 500 pesos per adult in reports from January 2025 and October 2026, cash only. A life jacket (50), snorkel (80) and locker (30 pesos) were extra in the January 2025 report.
How much is Ik Kil?
240 pesos per adult on the park's own site, with life vest, locker and parking included; 150 for children 1.20 to 1.40 m tall, and free under 1.20 m. A buffet package is 530 pesos.
What is the cheapest cenote near Cancún?
Among the fees we could source, Cenote Azul near Playa del Carmen is the cheapest close to Cancún at 120 to 180 pesos. Further away, X'Kekén and Samulá near Valladolid are about 80 pesos each, per Yucatán state tourism.
Do Mexicans and children pay less?
Often. Chichén Itzá is 310 pesos for Mexicans against 697 for foreigners; Verde Lucero 150 for residents against about 300; Cenote Azul charges children 4 to 8 80 pesos and Zací 75. Ik Kil lets children under 1.20 m in free.
Do cenote tours include the entrance fee?
Some do. The El Retoño swim day and the ATV tour include cenote access. The two Tulum tours and the Chichén Itzá day leave site fees of US$40 to US$44 per adult to pay on the day.
Can you pay cenote fees by card?
Do not count on it. Por Esto (March 2026) says not every cenote has a card terminal or a stable signal, and several cenotes were cash only in 2025 reports. Bring pesos.
Sources