Your tour of the Tulum Ruins begins on the outskirts of this incredible archaeological site. As you enter, you’ll learn about the fascinating, complicated history of Mayan society, including why they built things the way they did, and why so much mystery surrounds their hieroglyphics.

The first major structure you’ll see will be the House of the Cenote, where the city’s ancient residents got their water. From there, you’ll have a good view of the walls and watchtower which once guarded this place from outsiders.

Up next is the Temple of the Wind, once a shrine built to honor the wind god. From there, you’ll get a crash course in Mayan religion and the significance of all these temples.

After that comes the Palace of the Great Lord, a truly impressive structure which was once occupied by the rulers of this city. Then it’s on to the Temple of the Descending God. Not only is this one of the tallest buildings on the site, it’s also one of the most detailed, with all sorts of etchings and designs to decipher.

Next, you’ll find the Castle, which is pretty hard to miss. This imposing building is larger than any other in the Tulum Ruins, and looms over all of them from atop a bluff. It even has a platform out front dedicated for use by ancient dancers!

The House of Columns comes next, thought by scholars to be a sort of administrative building. As you pass this, you’ll learn the details of the infamous Mayan Calendar, including the fact that it’s actually two calendars!

Then you’ll reach the Temple of Frescoes, bedecked in so much ancient artwork you’ll be glad you have a tour guide to unpack it all for you! After that are the House of Chultun and the Temple of the Initial Series. These two structures are some of the best examples you can find of ancient Mayan architecture.

As you continue toward the conclusion, you’ll learn about the high stakes ball games played by the Mayans, and get filled in on where the Mayans are today. The truth might surprise you!