Fly to Cancun, where you can catch a bus to the ruins.
Sign up for a tour at your hotel. The tour buses leave at about 8:00 am. Get an early breakfast, you will be on the bus for about 2 hours.
Check out the souvenir shop that the bus stops at. The bus operator gives you time to get out, stretch your legs, use the toilet, grab a bite and buy something.
Take a swim. Some buses stop at one of the huge cenotes, giant limestone circular sinkholes which were used for cisterns, outside of the ruins. You can walk down into the cenotes and, if you are adventurous, you may take a swim. If that's up your alley, make sure to bring a bathing suit and a towel.
Get ready for a busy day. The ruins themselves are about twenty minutes from the cenotes. You will have the option of either wandering off, or staying with your guide. Stay with the guide for the first part of the tour for a good orientation to the ruins. This is where you get to walk to the top of the Pyramid of Kukulcan, the snake-god of the Mayan culture.
Investigate what you especially want to see. You are on your own after the tour with the guide. The unusual thing about Chichen-Itza is that you are allowed to go just about anywhere and do anything. There are not many fenced off areas. You may climb the pyramids and take a walk to the cenote that is only about 500 yards from the ruins. There is a lot to see, and if you want to see it all, be prepared to walk.
Explore the ruins. Besides the pyramids, there is the ball-court and the observatory, so named because of it resemblance to a modern observatory. There are remnants of ancient buildings whose use nobody quite knows. By the end of your exploration, you will be wondering why all of this is here in the middle of nowhere. You will also wonder who were these Mayans and what were they up to?
Check out Tulum, another Mayan ruin that bears inspection. You may reach it from Cancun also. Guides are available either with the bus tour or, if you are driving, at the site itself.
Explore another facet of Mayan life. Tulum, a coastal city, was a trading center during the Mayan era. Trading boats would come onshore and trade with the Mayans. Many artifacts have been found in and around Tulum. Tulum is a little different from Chican-Itza as this area was an integral part of a community and people actually traded and lived here, while Chichan-Itza was more of a religious and ceremonial site.
Bring your camera, as there are a few different things to see. Among them are the City Square that was used for ritual purposes. The square is flanked by the Castillo (castle), which is most often referred to as the Lighthouse.
Explore the building known as the Temple of the Descending Gods. The Mayans painted murals and frescoes here, and the remains of actual pigment may still be seen.
Dream at the beach in Tulum. Here, the snow white sand once welcomed trading ships that tied up to the docks, bringing luxuries and daily goods to the Mayan people.
