How to Visit Tikal National Park – A Complete Guide

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The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal is an ancient Mayan city comprising of hundreds of temples, pyramids, complexes and monuments. It is one of the most significant Mayan citadels in the world and showcases many aspects of Mayan society and culture. No trip to Guatemala is really complete without spending at least one day in Tikal. This complete guide covers how to visit Tikal National Park and has all the information you need including how to visit, where to stay, how to buy tickets and what to bring.

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What Is Tikal?

Tikal National Park is one of the most significant archaeological sites of the ancient Mayan civilization and flourished as a major Mayan citadel from 250 AD To 900 AD. However, evidence shows that Tikal had activity dating all the day back to 600 BC. Tikal slowly started to decline after 900 AD and was abandoned during the 10th century by the Mayans until it was later fully discovered by the Government of Guatemala in the 19th century, almost 1000 years later.

A visit to Tikal will show case the architectural wonders of the Mayan civilization along with a glimpse into its socio-economic and political structure. You will see temples, chambers, palaces, offices, ceremonial complexes and even game pits of this ancient Mayan civilization.

Where is Tikal National Park

Tikal National Park is located in Northern Guatemala’s Petén Province. The Park consists of the Tikal Mayan ruins and the surrounding forests and wetlands. The area is about  57,600 hectares (220 sq mi) in size.

Best Time to Visit Tikal National Park

The best time to visit Tikal National Park is from November to April. These months have drier conditions and less humidity. That being said, I visited at the end of December and it was still extremely humid. I can’t imagine how much more humid it could get during the rest of the year.

Expect larger crowds during dry season and around the holiday period.

How to Get to Tikal National Park

From Guatemala

The most popular way to get Tikal is via Flores. You can fly into Flores Mundo Maya International Airport from Guatemala City and then it takes an hour and a half to drive from Flores to Tikal. Lots of people visit Tikal National Park from Flores making Flores their base. More on this in the “How to Visit Tikal National Park” section.

If you are on a longer Guatemala itinerary, I highly recommend spending at least one full day in Flores regardless of whether you make Flores your base for your visit to Tikal National Park or not.

From Belize

The Belizian border is just 2 hours away from Tikal National Park and Belize city is another 2 hours from there. If you are coming from Belize, you can cross the border either via a shared shuttle bus or by using a private transfer service. I used a private transfer service provided by Nelson Maya Adventures when I was going from Guatemala to Belize and can highly recommend them. The crossing was seamless and I wasted no time. They also do a shared shuttle bus for a more cost effective option.

How to Visit Tikal National Park

You can visit Tikal National Park as a day trip from either Flores in Guatemala or from San Ignacio from Belize. I don’t recommend doing it as a day trip from Belize city as the journey itself will take 8 hours (round trip).

However, the best way to visit Tikal National Park in my opinion is to stay one night in Tikal. This way, you can visit Tikal National Park at sunrise or sunset or both without having to rush to get there or rush back to Flores at night. You can also enjoy a night in the jungle if you stay at one of the hotels inside the park in Tikal.

How Long Do You Need in Tikal

How much time you need in Tikal will depend on how much you want to see and how in-depth you want to learn. I think you need at least 5 hours in the park to see most of the important ruins and learn about them but you will need more time if you are planning on visiting most of the ruins.

One Night or Two?

This is up to you. I think one night is plenty even if you want to see both the sunrise and sunset. To do this, you follow one of the options I have given for

How to Buy Tickets

You can buy tickets online from the official park website but the system has glitched in the past for foreign credit cards. If this happens, ask your hotel or tour guide (see below) to buy the tickets for you. You can also buy tickets at the park entrance but it’s cash only. I would honestly buy it ahead of time, so that you don’t waste time in line. If you visiting Tikal National Park for sunrise and/or sunset, you need a separate ticket in addition to the general park admissions ticket. These are strictly enforced via a colored wrist band system.

• Sunrise ticket – This ticket allows you to enter the park from 4 AM – 6 AM and costs Q100

• Daytime ticket – This ticket allows you to enter the park from 6 AM – 6 PM and costs Q150

• Sunset ticket – This ticket allows you to enter the park from 6 PM – 8 PM and costs Q100

What to See at Tikal

The site is vast and there are lots of ruins within the park. Some that are not fully excavated. The below temples and complexes are what you should see at a minimum:

• Gran Plaza: The Grand Plaza is very grand indeed. This was my favorite spot from all the ruins. It’s surrounded by Temples I and II and two complexes on either side. This plaza really paints a good picture on what life would have looked like for the Mayans
• Temple I and Temple II: These two temples were built in honor of Ah Cacao and his wife. The wife’s temple is slightly shorter but you can climb it for the best views of the Grand Plaza.
• Acropolis Centro:  This complex to the east of the Grand Plaza is vast and has various rooms, chambers and courtyards.
• Temple IV: This is Tikal’s highest temple and has commanding views of the surrounding forest. A scene from Star Wars was filmed here! Temple IV is also where most people will see sunrise from.
• Temple V: This was my favorite pyramid. You can’t climb it but this moss covered temple was stunning
• Mundo Perdido: The ‘Lost World’ features two pyramids and some smaller structures. This is where I witnessed the sunset from. The top of the pyramid has great views of temples I to IV
• Plaza de los Siete Templos: Seven small temples that gave me Tomb Raider vibes. Relatively quiet compared to Grand Plaza

Guided Tour vs. On Your Own

You can definitely tour Tikal on your own, the only exception to this is if you want to do a sunrise or sunset tour. These can only be done with an official guide. But, if you want to visit Tikal from 6 AM to 6 PM, then you can do it on your own.

My recommendation is to actually get a guide for your entire visit. The complex is so vast and has so much history that I personally think you would be doing yourself a disservice by not hiring a professional guide. I did the sunset tour below and could not recommend Marlon more! He was so knowledgeable and passionate about Tikal and Mayan history. He was also a wildlife enthusiast and could spot wildlife that you would otherwise not see with your naked eye. Do yourself a favor and book one of these tours! Check out the reviews for any one of these tours if you don’t believe me! He offers pick up and drop off from Flores, so it’s ideal if you want to do a day tour too.

Sunrise vs. Sunset

This is a tough one! Every account that I read said that you have a better chance of seeing the sun during the sunset than sunrise. This is because sometimes the park is surrounded by mist early morning, making it hard to actually see the sun come up.

I did the sunset tour and saw an epic sunset. People even started clapping!

If you have the time and resources, my suggestion would be to do both! Here are two options:

Option #1

Go to the park for sunset and do the sunset tour -> stay overnight in Tikal at one of the hotels below -> Go to the park for sunrise and do the sunrise tour -> tour the rest of the park

Option #2

Tour the park -> stay back and do the sunset tour -> stay overnight in Tikal at one of the hotels below -> Go to the park for sunrise and do the sunrise tour

Option #1 allows you to tour the park with less crowds as the crowds only start pouring in by mid-day while option #2 lets you come back to the hotel and nap for a bit after the sunrise tour prior to check-out.

Option #3

If you don’t want to stay overnight in Tikal but still want to see both the sunrise and the sunset, you can start your day early from Flores, get to Tikal for sunrise, tour the ruins and stay back for sunset (you need separate tickets for sunset and sunrise). This will be a very long and exhausting day but it is still doable if you want to.

Where to Stay at Tikal National Park

Hotels

I highly recommend staying at one of the hotels within the park itself. Why? First off it cuts down travel time, especially if you are thinking about doing a sunrise tour where you will have to wake up early to get to Tikal (from Flores). Secondly, you get to have a nice jungle experience staying within the park. You will hear howler monkeys and all sorts of birds. Below are your options:

• Jaguar Inn – Very close to the entrance of the park. Has a decent restaurant
• Hotel Tikal Inn – Also close to the entrance. they have a bungalow style accommodation with thatched roofs, a restaurant and swimming pool
• Hotel Jungle Lodge Tikal – Located just next to the park entrance. They have a nice pool, an on-site restaurant and a bar. Bungalow style rooms in a jungle like setting
• Jungle Lodge Tikal Hostel – Same location as the hotel of the same name

I stayed at Hotel Jungle Lodge and loved it! The best part is that the hotel is located just next to the entrance to the ruins. Once at the hotel, you don’t need a vehicle or shuttle to take you to the park. You are literally right there!

If you are staying in Flores instead, Hotel Jungle Lodge has a sister hotel called Hotel Isla de Flores. They will arrange a shuttle for you at a small price to get to Tikal from Flores.

Camping

You have the option to camp at Tikal National Park. To do this, you need to buy a camping specific pass in addition to the park entry ticket. It costs Q50 and can be bought HERE. You can rent a hammock for Q500 or a tent for Q1000 extra. There are bathroom facilities, but you would have to bring food and water or buy from one of the restaurants or little shops inside the park.

What to Wear

Given that Tikal is in the middle of a jungle, it gets very hot and humid. I learned this the very hard way. Wear comfortable cotton clothing. Long pants and a long sleeve shirt is not a bad idea to keep the bugs away. The most important thing is to wear comfortable shoes like sneakers or even hiking shoes if you have them. You will walk a lot inside the park and climb a lot of stairs. A sunhat is also not a bad idea.

You will see lots of people in jungle colored clothing (think Khaki, green, beige, brown). This is not a must (I wore a bring yellow outfit ha!). But just wanted to provide this information in case you want to do the same.

Food Inside Tikal National Park

All the hotels mentioned in the “Where to Stay’ section have restaurants but they are just outside (or next to) the main entrance of the ruins. Once inside the main area of the ruins, it will take you some time to back track back to where the restaurants are. There are a few places selling water, drinks and snacks (i.e., chips) inside the ruins area but I suggest you bring everything you need from outside.

What to Bring

• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Sunhat
• Water – bring a lot of water as it gets very hot
• Food/snacks
• Camera or phone
• Headlamp if you are doing the sunset or sunrise tour – (ask your tour guide if they will provide it)
• Rain jacket (if you go during rainy season)
• Cash
• Passport

Tips for Your Visit to Tikal National Park

• Stay at least 1 night at a hotel inside the park
• Buy your ticket in advance and makes sure you buy the correct tickets (local vs. foreign, general AND sunset/sunrise if you are doing it)
• Book a sunrise or sunset tour
• Wear comfortable clothes and good footwear

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