Booking choice: The Coba and Punta Laguna day, from $184 per person. Check dates Tour details
For most of the 2020s the answer to "can you climb the pyramid at Coba?" was no. Nohoch Mul, 42 metres of stone in the middle of the jungle, sat behind a rope while guides told the story from the bottom. That changed in December 2025, when INAH opened a wooden staircase laid over the old stone steps.
Plenty of travel guides have not caught up. Two popular ones we checked, both updated in spring 2026, still say climbing has been banned since 2020. This post sets out what happened, what the new stairs are made of, the rules visitors report in 2026, and which tours give you enough time to go up.
The quick answer
Yes, you can climb Nohoch Mul again. INAH inaugurated a new wooden staircase on 7 December 2025, after the climb had been suspended since 2019. It was built by woodworkers from the Noh Bec ejido for about 5 million pesos. Visitors report climbing from 8:00 to 15:30 only, about 15 people on the stairs at a time, closed shoes, and no climbing in rain or strong wind.
When did the Nohoch Mul climb reopen?
In December 2025, after six years closed. The Culture Secretary inaugurated the new staircase on Sunday 7 December 2025, and visitors have been climbing since.
INAH's own bulletin 657 gives the date: Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Mexico's Secretary of Culture, opened the staircase on Sunday 7 December 2025, with INAH director Joel Omar Vázquez Herrera and the leader of the Coba ejido, Atilano Huicab Nájera. Most news sites carried the story the next day, which is why you will also see 8 December, as in Mexico News Daily.
The bulletin calls Nohoch Mul "la más elevada en el norte del área maya", the highest building in the northern Maya area. A new visitor services building opened at the entrance on the same day.
Why was climbing banned at Coba?
Wear. INAH suspended the climb in 2019 because the original steps were eroding under heavy foot traffic, and the pandemic closures that followed kept it shut.
For decades Nohoch Mul was the climb in the Riviera Maya, the one pyramid where you could still haul yourself up a rope to the top. INAH says the ascent was suspended in 2019 "debido al desgaste natural" of the original steps, made worse by the intense flow of tourists. COVID closed the site soon after, and many reports date the ban from 2020 for that reason.
The old photos still circulate: people sitting on bare grey stone, a thick rope down the middle. That climb does not exist any more. If a listing or a blog shows it, the information is out of date.
| When | What happened | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | INAH suspends the climb (worn steps) | Old "no climbing" advice starts here |
| 2020 | COVID closes Mexico's archaeological sites | Many blogs date the ban from 2020 |
| 7 December 2025 | New wooden staircase inaugurated | You can climb again |
| 1 January 2026 | INAH entry for foreigners rises to 209 MXN | The climb costs nothing extra |
| 31 May 2026 | The Cancun Sun reports the climbing rules | Time limits and shoe rules apply |
Who built the new staircase at Nohoch Mul?
Ejidatarios from Noh Bec, a forestry community in Quintana Roo, using regional hardwoods: tzalam, mahogany, parota and chicozapote.
Noh Bec's woodworkers have long experience building docks, stairs and cabins from regional timber, which is why the job went to them. The structure was approved by INAH's Archaeology Council and fixed to the pyramid in line with international restoration rules, according to the Quintana Roo press and INAH's bulletin.
Before a single plank went in, the team surveyed every step from base to summit, built a precise model of every hollow and bump, consolidated loose stones and drilled small test holes for the anchors. Archaeologist Julieta Ramos Pacheco, who led the fieldwork, describes a staircase two metres across with two one-metre lanes to keep people moving. The cost was close to 5 million pesos, about US$277,000 at the exchange rate Mexico News Daily used at the time.
The point is protection. Your shoes now touch wood, not the original limestone.
What is PROMEZA, and what does the Tren Maya have to do with it?
PROMEZA is INAH's programme to upgrade archaeological sites along the Tren Maya route. It covers 11 sites in Quintana Roo, and paid for the staircase and the new services building at Coba.
The Programa de Mejoramiento de Zonas Arqueológicas (PROMEZA) grew out of the Tren Maya project: research, conservation, new visitor buildings and better access at the ruins the train was meant to bring people to. At Coba it also produced research. INAH says epigraphers working under the programme have pinned the city's founding date to 12 May 569 AD.
One thing it did not bring is a station. There is no Tren Maya stop at Coba; the nearest is Tulum, about 45 minutes away by road. Our guide on how to get to Coba covers the bus, the car and the tours.
Coba first, by bike, with a historian guide and two hours on site. Fees included.
Check dates for the Coba and Punta Laguna dayWhat are the rules for climbing Nohoch Mul in 2026?
Visitors report: climbing from 8:00 to 15:30 only, about 15 people on the stairs at once, around 15 minutes at the top, closed shoes with grip, and no climbing in rain or strong wind.
The clearest summary comes from The Cancun Sun (May 2026). Staff enforce the rules on site, and some visitors report a cap of 14 rather than 15, so treat the numbers as a guide.
The practical upshot: the cap creates a queue when a few coaches arrive together, and a shower closes the stairs until they dry. Sandals are the most common reason people get turned back. Wear trainers.
| Rule (as reported in 2026) | Detail |
|---|---|
| Climbing hours | 8:00 to 15:30 (the site stays open to 17:00) |
| People on the stairs | About 15 at a time |
| Time at the top | About 15 minutes |
| Shoes | Closed, with grip. No sandals, flip-flops or heels |
| Weather | Stairs close in rain or strong wind |
| Extra fee | None: the climb is part of the normal entry |
Which Coba tours give you time to climb?
Any tour with two hours or more at Coba. With 90 minutes it is tight, and with one hour most people skip the climb.
Nohoch Mul is about 2 km from the gate. Add the ride or walk there and back, a queue, the climb and the 15 minutes on top, and an hour disappears fast. The tours that go to Coba first also beat the midday coaches, which matters more now that the stairs have a cap. Bikes and tricycle taxis are compared in our bike or tricycle guide.
| Tour | Time at Coba | Climb verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Coba and Punta Laguna | 2 h, bike included | Easy, Coba is the first stop |
| Small-group Coba and Tulum | 2 h 30 | Comfortable |
| Tulum and Coba from Cancun | 2 h 30 | Fine, but you arrive after Tulum |
| Private Coba and cenotes | 2 h | Comfortable, your own pace |
| Private Coba and Tulum | 2 h | Fine; bike not included |
| Coba by bike, Tulum by boat | 1 h 30, by bike | Doable early on a bike |
| The 4-in-1 from Cancun | 1 h 30 | Tight |
| Tulum and Coba from Playa | 1 h 30 | Tight |
| Chichen Itza and Coba | 1 h | Too short for most |
Two hours at Coba by bike with a historian guide, then canoes and spider monkeys at Punta Laguna and lunch with a Maya family.
Explore the Coba and Punta Laguna day Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Can you climb the Coba pyramid in 2026?
Yes. Nohoch Mul reopened to climbers in December 2025 on a new wooden staircase. Visitors report climbing hours of 8:00 to 15:30 and a limit of about 15 people on the stairs at once.
Does it cost extra to climb Nohoch Mul?
No. The climb is part of the normal visit. Foreign visitors pay the INAH ticket of 209 MXN plus the ejido fee of about 120 MXN at the entrance.
How many steps does Nohoch Mul have?
About 120 steps up a 42-metre pyramid. The new wooden staircase follows the original stone stairway, with a railing on both sides.
Is the Nohoch Mul climb safe?
Safer than before. The wooden steps are even and have railings, staff limit the number of climbers, and the stairs close in rain or strong wind. It is still steep: skip it with vertigo or bad knees.
Ready to book
Choose your day
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Coba, Punta Laguna & Cenote Small-Group Day
- Coba entry and the Punta Laguna reserve
- Bike ride at Coba with a historian guide
- Lunch with a Maya family, snacks and water
Coba, Tulum & Multun-Ha Small-Group Day
- Coba and Multun-Ha cenote entry
- Art historian guide, 15 guests at most
- Buffet lunch and bottled water
Private Coba & Two Cenotes
Your own guide, two cenotes and every entry fee paid
