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    The terraced Acropolis of Toniná rising above the grassy main plaza, Chiapas

    Photo by Dge, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Toniná

    Archaeological site Ocosingo, Chiapas Municipality of Ocosingo Lacandon Jungle

    A warrior Maya city near Ocosingo whose terraced Acropolis climbs more than 70 meters up a hillside; it reopened in March 2026.

    From San Cristóbal de las Casas: 1 h 45 min by car (107 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Plan your visit to Toniná

    Where to stay near Toniná

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Toniná.

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    Tours to Toniná

    A guide brings Toniná to life: look for tours from Palenque that include the site and the ride there.

    Tours from Palenque Yaxchilan & Bonampak: Hidden Maya Ruins from Palenque ★ 4.4 (41) · From US$133
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Toniná

    • From San Cristóbal de las Casas: about 1 h 45 min by road (~107 km)
    • Nearest airport: Villahermosa (VSA), 1 h 47 min by car to Palenque
    Rent a car at VSA Flights to VSA

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Palenque, near Toniná

    Yaxchilan & Bonampak: Hidden Maya Ruins from Palenque ★ 4.4 (41) 14 h From US$133
    Yaxchilan and Bonampak Archaeological Zone ★ 4.4 (33) 14 h From US$129
    Waterfalls Agua Azul and Misol-ha ★ 4.0 (32) 7 h From US$47
    Palenque Mayan Ruins, Misol-Ha and Agua Azul Waterfalls Full Day Tour from Palenque ★ 3.5 (22) 9 h From US$95
    Palenque Site, swim Agua Azul & Misol-Ha waterfalls from Palenque ★ 3.9 (16) 6–14 h From US$102

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Toniná

    Toniná lies in the green Ocosingo valley, 10 to 13 km east of the town of Ocosingo, at 800 to 900 meters of altitude, on the edge between the Maya highlands and the lowland forest. Its name means house of stone in Tzeltal; the ancient city seems to have been called Po. Unlike most Maya cities, which spread out over a plain, Toniná was built up a hillside: seven terraces climb about 71 meters from the main plaza to the top of the Acropolis, forming one of the most massive structures of the Maya world. INAH notes that it rises higher than the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan.

    In the Late Classic period Toniná was a military power. It fought Palenque on and off for decades; the ruler Baaknal Chaak dedicated the sunken ball court in 699 to celebrate victories over Palenque, and in 711 a later king captured K'an Joy Chitam II, the ruler of Palenque himself. Toniná's sculptors favored statues carved in the round and images of bound prisoners, and more than 100 carved monuments have been found. One of them, Monument 101, carries the date 909 AD, the last known Long Count date on any Maya monument, so Toniná was one of the last Classic Maya cities still raising monuments.

    A visit starts at the site museum, about 300 meters before the zone, which displays sculptures of rulers and captives. In the site you cross the plaza and the sunken ball court, then climb the terraces past the Palace of the Underworld, entered through stepped vaulted arches, and the stucco Frieze of the Four Eras (also called the Dream Lords), found in 1992 on the fifth terrace. The stairs are steep and have no railings, but the view from the top over the valley is wide. Toniná was closed to the public for a long period because of a land dispute with a private owner; after cleaning and conservation work INAH reopened it on 21 March 2026.

    How to get to Toniná

    Drive from San Cristóbal de las Casas: 1 h 45 min, 107 km

    Toniná is about 10 km east of Ocosingo by a paved road. Colectivos leave from the market area in Ocosingo, a few blocks east of the main plaza, roughly every 15 minutes, or you can take a taxi. Ocosingo itself is on Federal Highway 199, about 91 km from San Cristóbal de las Casas and 118 km from Palenque, and about 180 km from Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

    Directions to Toniná on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Toniná Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Toniná. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Toniná

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Toniná: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Daily 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. INAH's page for the site museum lists Tuesday to Sunday, so the museum may be closed on Monday. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    155 pesos for foreign visitors and 85 for Mexicans (INAH category II); the site museum is included. Free for residents of Ocosingo municipality with ID, for under-13s, and on Sundays for Mexicans and residents. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    Reopened on 21 March 2026 after a long closure caused by a dispute with a private landowner. INAH (bulletin 117, 2026) · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Good shoes for steep stone stairs without railings, and water; only a few food stalls and restaurants are near the entrance. Wikivoyage · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No food or pets inside. Professional cameras pay a fee, and flash is not allowed in the museum. INAH · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Toniná: what to see and do

    Start at the site museum, with sculptures of Toniná's rulers and bound captives.
    Walk through the sunken ball court built in 699 to celebrate victories over Palenque.
    Climb the seven terraces of the Acropolis for the view over the Ocosingo valley.
    See the stucco Frieze of the Four Eras on the fifth terrace.
    Duck through the vaulted passages of the Palace of the Underworld.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Toniná

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Toniná.

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    Tours & activities

    A guide brings Toniná to life: look for tours from Palenque that include the site and the ride there.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at VSA (Villahermosa): about 1 h 47 min by road to Palenque, then 68 km more to Toniná, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Villahermosa (VSA), about 1 h 47 min by road from Palenque, the base for Toniná.

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    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Palenque: download a map of the way to Toniná before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Toniná warm

    Toniná shares the climate of Palenque, 68 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Palenque

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Palenque

    Temple of the Inscriptions at the Palenque archaeological site, Chiapas warm
    Chiapas Palenque

    Palenque is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Toniná, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to Toniná

    Near Toniná

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Toniná

    Ruins in Chiapas · 7

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.