Last Updated on: 28th June 2024, 10:46 pm
Few scenes capture the imagination like Tikal’s towering pyramids looming over a vast and dense jungle. But Tikal’s pristine environment also means that it’s not the easiest place to reach. And with rather confusing transport and ticketing systems in place, planning your trip to Tikal National Park can be somewhat of a headache.
That’s where this guide comes in. In the following Tikal planning guide, you’ll learn everything you know about tours to Tikal, how to visit the site independently, purchasing tickets, navigating the area, accommodation in nearby Flores, and a whole lot more.
Note that this article will not provide an overview of Tikal’s history or the significance of its various structures. We cover all of that in detail in Tikal: The Ultimate Guide.
Tikal National Park Planning Guide
- Tikal National Park: Basic Info
- How to See 100% of The Site
- Going With a Guide vs Going Independently
- How to Navigate the Site Without a Guide
- How to Visit Tikal from Flores or El Remate
- What’s the Best Time of Day to Visit?
- Staying Within The Park
- Purchasing Your Ticket
- Tikal Sunrise / Sunset Tours
- The Tikal On-Site Museums
- Food at Tikal
- What to Bring to Tikal?
- How Many Nights Do You Need in The Region?
- Where to Stay in Flores / El Remate
- Getting to and From Flores
Tikal National Park: Basic Info
The ancient ruins of Tikal are situated within Tikal National Park which covers about 575 square kilometers. The park is in turn part of the wider Maya Biosphere Reserve.
The main archaeological zone, which is home over 3,000 structures, stretches out to around sixteen square kilometers. As you can guess, it takes quite a long time to explore in full.
While ruins are the main focus for most visitors, the park is also home to plenty of flora and fauna. During your visit, seeing howler monkeys and spider monkeys is almost guaranteed. You might also spot some coatimundis or even a gray fox.
The site is open daily from 6:00-18:00. For foreigners, a basic entry ticket costs 150Q, or about $20 USD. The nearest towns to Tikal are Flores and Santa Elena, while San Ignacio in Belize is also a few hours away.
How to See 100% of The Site
Given its size and the way the transportation system is currently operating (more below), most visitors won’t be able to see 100% of the structures at the site. And for the average visitor who just wants to see the highlights, that will be enough.
Whether you go with a guided tour or on your own, you should be able to see around 70% of the site in a single visit.
But what if you’re a hardcore archaeology enthusiast who wants to see it all? For that, you’ll either need to visit Tikal National Park two days in a row or spend a night or two within the park itself.
Unfortunately, entry tickets to Tikal are only valid for a single day, so going twice would also mean you have to pay twice.
To help you decide, be sure to check our comprehensive guide to the ruins which covers every single area of Tikal that’s accessible to the public.
Going With a Guide vs Going Independently
Guided tours can easily be booked online in advance before your arrival. Standard tours like this one go for just $25, and you have a choice between different departure times (4:30, 6:00, 8:00, 10:00). You can get an even cheaper price in person in Flores.
You could even visit Tikal as a day trip from Belize if you don’t have more time to explore Guatemala.
In my case, I’m not normally one to choose the guided tour option. But being the type of traveler who likes to have things confirmed in advance, I decided to book a tour online before my arrival in Guatemala. While it’s possible to book transport only, this option seems to only be possible on the ground in Flores or El Remate.
Intending to see 100% of the site, I booked transportation only for the day after my tour and explored the site independently. Looking back, I wish I’d gone independently on both days, but it’s worth mentioning that before seeing Tikal, I had prior experience visiting dozens of Mayan sites.
There are a lot of pros to going with a guide if you’re new to the Mayan civilization. A guide can give you a summary of the Mayans and the history of the ruins if you didn’t have time to do much research before your trip.
Guides also know a lot about the local flora and fauna. And if you’re just as interested in admiring monkeys and learning about plants as you are in seeing the ruins, you’ll certainly get a lot of value from going with a guide.
The downside of having a guide is that they’re often not great with time management, despite doing this for a living. In my case, I felt that our guide spent way too much time talking about plants.
And we kept stopping for around ten minutes every time we spotted some monkeys (I’d already seen many in Belize by this point). The same trees, plants and wildlife are present throughout the entire region, but there’s only one Tikal.
Our guide also hyped up certain areas, and when members of the group asked if we’d be going there, he said ‘only if we have time.’ In the end, we wouldn’t have time for many of them, largely because of so many random stops.
Another negative point is that the guides don’t always give you the most accurate information. While unrelated to Tikal, our guide went on about how the Aztecs of Mexico invaded the Yucatán Peninsula and built Aztec structures over the existing Mayan ones. This is completely false, and I was baffled by how a professional tour guide could believe this.
Note that some sources online emphasize the need to go with a guide due to them ‘knowing all the shortcuts and secret routes.’ But as we’ll cover below, having the right app on your phone will easily let you navigate these so-called secret routes yourself.
In terms of cost, I paid 100Q, or $13 USD, for the transportation-only option, which was just slightly less than booking a guide in person in Flores.
How to Navigate the Site Without a Guide
Above we discussed some of the pros and cons of going with a guide vs going independently. In the end, the choice is up to you. But one thing you shouldn’t let influence your decision is a fear of getting lost if you go independently.
Sure, the site is massive, and many sections are separated by long, isolated jungle trails with little signage. But thanks to modern technology, you shouldn’t have an issue figuring out which path to take.
Before your visit, I highly recommend downloading the free Maps.me app. Pretty much all of the main structures of Tikal are listed there, and so are all of the nature trails.
And most importantly, the app works offline. This is vital considering how there’s no cellphone signal in Tikal National Park. Just be sure to download the app and also the map for Guatemala in advance.
One useful strategy would be to mark all the landmarks that you’ve seen as you visit them. That way, you won’t accidentally return to the same landmark twice.
And if you’ll be visiting Tikal more than once, you should definitely be sure to mark everything you’ve seen on the first day, and then plan your route accordingly for the next.
How to Visit Tikal from Flores or El Remate
The only way to reach the ruins from the nearby towns of Flores or El Remate is with a tour or tourist shuttle.
In contrast to what some online sources say, everyone I spoke with in Flores told me that no public transport to Tikal exists – at least not according to a schedule that would allow one to get there and back on the same day.
You could try checking at the bus station in Santa Elena (the city on the mainland near Flores) to see if any timetable actually exists. But for what it’s worth, I never saw any public bus going to or from the ruins on either of my visits there.
Both tours and transport-only options run according to the same timetables. Unfortunately, you can’t just take a bus to the ruins and then come back on a bus whenever you’re finished. Your return time is always going to be fixed based on when your departure was.
Therefore, you’re only going to have about five to six hours at the site. And if you want more time, you’d have to pay for two separate shuttles. But good luck finding the return shuttle that you didn’t go with that morning!
At the time of writing, here are the following times from which you can depart Flores. It takes about 1.5 hours to drive from Flores to Tikal.
- 3:00 AM (special Sunrise Tour, more below)
- 4:30 AM
- 6:00 AM
- 8:00 AM
- 10:00 AM
- 12:00 PM departure (special Sunset Tour)
But what time will you leave Tikal? As mentioned, you should have 5-6 hours at the site, but the exact amount of time will depend on the company or mood of the driver.
I departed from Flores at 6:00 on two separate days. On the first day, we had to be back at the bus by 12:30, while on the second day, we had until 13:00.
And for those staying in El Remate? Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any concrete info about departure times from El Remate online, so it would be best to ask yourself at tour agencies there.
What’s the Best Time of Day to Visit?
Assuming you’r not doing a sunrise or sunset tour (more below), what’s the best time of day to visit Tikal?
During both of my visits, I departed at 6:00 am, meaning I arrived at the ruins at around 7:30 or so. This turned out to be perfect, as it was still early enough to beat the crowds at many of the popular areas.
As mentioned above, arriving earlier via shuttle from Flores doesn’t mean that you’ll have more time at the site. Furthermore, if you arrive too early, there’s a good chance that the sky will be a little foggy.
Arriving at 7:30, I was able to enjoy perfectly clear skies, while it also wasn’t yet hot yet. (Of course, visiting in the rainy season might mean that you’ll have gloomy weather throughout the day.)
Staying Within The Park
As mentioned above, a good way to see 100% of the archaeological site in a single day would be to stay within the park. Staying in Tikal is also a great option for those who love being close to nature (but light sleepers will surely get woken up by howler monkeys).
There are several different options within the park, all of which are considerably pricier than staying in Flores or El Remate. They include Hotel Jaguar Inn Tikal, Hotel Tikal Inn, Hotel Jungle Lodge Tikal, and Jungle Lodge Tikal Hostal.
Tikal National Park also contains its own campground, with camping costing just 50Q per person. You can purchase camping tickets through the same website through which you buy the regular entry tickets.
The tricky part will be figuring out how you’re going to get to Tikal and back from Flores, as the regular tourist shuttles (see above) all take you to the park and back on the same day.
It appears that Jungle Lodge Tikal runs their own shuttle to and from the Flores airport. In any case, you should try contacting your hotel to ask them about transportation options.
Purchasing Your Ticket
Whether you visit Tikal National Park independently or go with a guide, everybody needs to purchase their own ticket. While you can purchase tickets at the entrance gate, it’s easiest to purchase them online at this link.
A basic entry ticket costs 150Q, or about $20 USD. However, if you’ll be arriving early to see the sunrise or staying late to see the sunset, you’ll have to buy an additional ticket for 100Q.
In any case, the tourist shuttles from Flores will usually stop at the ticket gate, located about a twenty-minute drive before the site itself. While there weren’t any people in line at the time of my visit, others have reported terribly long waits to purchase a ticket in person.
Numerous sources online state that you should bring your passport. But having already purchased my ticket online,I was never asked to show my passport or any other type of ID. It’s possible that you may only need to present your passport if you’re purchasing tickets in person at the gate.
Also, despite what many other websites say, you do NOT need to print your digital ticket. Simply saving a screenshot of the QR code or downloading the PDF to your phone will be enough. Just remember that there is no cellphone service once you reach Tikal.
Tikal Sunrise / Sunset Tours
A lot of visitors choose to visit the park extra early to see the sunrise from atop Temple IV. This entails departing from Flores at 3:00 in the morning, arriving at the site well before opening hours.
Therefore, in addition to your basic entry ticket (150Q), you’ll also have to buy an additional 100Q permit to access the site outside of official hours.
If you’re staying in Flores, you’ll need to take a tour to see the sunrise. The cheapest option is this tour, which goes for around $48 (entry permits not included), though you could also try asking around in town once you’re there.
Just note that there’s a high chance you won’t actually see the sunrise due to all the fog and mist that’s so common in the mornings. One guide told me that tour groups only get to see the sunrise about 25% of the time.
Alternatively, you could try a Tikal sunset tour like this one, which doesn’t depart Flores until 12:00.
The Tikal On-Site Museums
Tikal National Park is home to two museums: the Sylvannus G. Morley Museum and the Stelae Museum, both situated near the site entrance. Unfortunately, access to these museums is not included in the price of your ticket.
The museums cost an extra 30Q to visit. And inconveniently, you cannot purchase tickets at the door. The process for buying tickets to the museums is the same as getting tickets for the park itself.
Your only options are to either purchase them in advance at this link, or buy them in person at the ticket office, which is a long twenty-minute drive from the main entrance/museums.
For those who want to prioritize seeing as much of the ruins as possible, it’s very hard to determine whether you’ll end up having enough time to see the museums or not. As mentioned earlier, I visited Tikal two days in a row and actually had plenty of time left over to see the museums following my second visit.
But with no signal at the park, and no access to the ticket office, there was no way to enter. It’s almost as if site management doesn’t really want people to see these museums for some reason. Furthermore, photography is said to be banned.
For those who will find themselves in Guatemala City at some point during their travels, be sure to visit the National Visit of Mayan Art. That museum contains numerous stelae and artifacts from Tikal, while entrance is free!
Food at Tikal
Upon arrival at the main site, you’ll encounter a restaurant known as ‘Tikal Comedor.’ Breakfasts are very reasonably priced at around 30Q. Coffee costs 12Q, which is a much better value than at one of the coffee shops near the gift shop which charges 25-30Q for a small cup.
If you’re visiting Tikal with a guide, you’ll likely be stopping at Tikal Comedor for breakfast with your group. But if you’re visiting independently and want to make the most of your time, you might want to start exploring immediately and munch on some snacks as you walk along the trails.
In regards to bringing your own food to Tikal National Park, our guide told us before arrival that food wasn’t allowed. When I asked him about it, he explained that ‘food’ meant things like ‘sandwiches.’ But things like nuts and other light snacks would be fine.
Supposedly, this is to prevent the coatimundis living on the premises from becoming reliant on food dropped by humans. In any case, at the time of writing, staff at the entrance are not checking bags for food.
Oddly, a sign near the entrance says ‘No Plastic Bottles,’ but nobody seemed to care that I had one. In fact, there are certain parts of the site where they even sell drinks in plastic bottles. Obviously, just be sure not to litter.
What to Bring to Tikal?
- Bring whatever cash you think you may need, as there are no ATMs at Tikal
- Plenty of water
- Snacks
- A hat, sunscreen
- Comfortable walking shoes or even hiking boots
- A battery pack for your phone, especially if you’ll be visiting on your own
If you’re a photographer, be sure to bring a zoom lens for shooting wildlife. If you already have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, I recommend this 70-300 mm lenses by Tamron.
How Many Nights Do You Need in The Region?
Before visiting northern Guatemala, you should decide whether you’d like one day or two days to explore Tikal National Park. After that, you should decide what other activities you want to do besides Tikal. But what are the other options?
While there are a lot of archaeological sites throughout northern Guatemala’s Petén region, Tikal and Yaxha are the only ones that you can take group day tours to.
Some people even combine Tikal sunrise tours with Yaxha sunset tours in a single day, though that’s an itinerary only those with extremely limited time should consider.
Other sites in the Petén region include Seibal, Naranjo, Nakum and Uaxactun. Unfortunately private transport is the only option to visit them, with a driver typically costing at least 600Q (about $77 USD) per day trip.
Non-archaeology day trips from Flores include Crater Azul and Mopan Falls. And you might also just want to have a day relaxing and exploring the island. In addition to walking around the island, you can also visit some local museums.
Flores is also the departure point for a five-day trek to the Mayan site known as El Mirador. Located near the Mexican border not far from Calakmul, there are no roads to El Mirador in either direction, so you’ll have to hike two days there and two days back (plus one day at El Mirador itself).
Alternatively, there’s even a six-day version of the trek which takes you to additional Mayan ruins. While I was hoping to do this trek, prices have gone up tremendously in recent years, and it now costs around $400-500.
Where to Stay in Flores / El Remate
Most visitors to Tikal base themselves in Flores, which is the name of the island in the middle of Lago Petén Itzá.
Flores is both an island and a town, and everything within it is reachable on foot. Furthermore, you can also easily walk to the mainland via a causeway, with the journey taking about fifteen minutes on foot.
Right at the other end of the causeway is a shopping mall where you can buy a local SIM card and go grocery shopping. The store there actually has much better prices than the various corner stores around Flores.
The city on the mainland is called Santa Elena, which would also be a good place to stay. But you’ll want to calculate the precise walking distance between your accommodation and Flores before making a choice, as tours to Yaxha and Tikal will depart from the island.
As mentioned, Flores is quite compact, so you’ll be fine regardless of where you stay on the island. But Flores can be pricey by local standards. If you’re a budget traveler that likes privacy, be prepared to make some compromises, such as having a shared bathroom or no AC.
Popular budget options include Hostal Inn 1 and Hotel Sabana. And if you have a bit more money to spend, consider Hotel Casa Amelia or Hotel Isla de Flores.
In Santa Elena, consider Hotel Quinta Maya and Nakum Hotel, both situated near the causeway.
Note that there are also lots of affordable options on the mainland to the north of the island. But in that case, you’d only be able to reach the island by boat or via a long drive. It seems quite inconvenient, especially if you have any morning excursions booked, so I wouldn’t recommend staying in that area.
But what about El Remate?
El Remate is fast becoming a popular alternative to Flores, as it’s about halfway between Flores/Santa Elena and Tikal (not to mention the border with Belize).
Though I only saw El Remate from the bus, it seemed like your standard roadside town in rural Latin America. While it lacks the ambiance and scenery of Flores, it would be a great choice if you’d prefer to cut down on a lot of travel time during your various tours. You should be able to find plenty of tourism offices in El Remate as well.
El Remate is cheaper than Flores, and highly-rated options there include Casa Alemán and Sun Breeze Hotel, among others.
The main reason I didn’t choose El Remate is because I wanted to take a long tourist shuttle to Antigua. And based on my research, these shuttles only seem to depart from Flores. However, you may be able to arrange some kind of shuttle once you’re on the ground in El Remate, though you’ll have to ask.
Getting to and From Flores
Despite being one of the most popular tourist destinations in Guatemala, Flores isn’t all that easy to reach. It’s actually most easily visited from San Ignacio, Belize, which is just a few hours away.
SHUTTLE FROM SAN IGNACIO
You can easily book transport in advance online or at one of the various tour operators around San Ignacio. I booked this tour and had a good experience overall. The only issue is that they don’t pick you up in San Ignacio until around 15:00 PM, presumably because they start the journey all the way in Belize City.
Also note that due to local regulations, travelers can’t take a single shuttle all the way to Flores. You’ll first be dropped off at the border (make sure to have $40 BZ or $20 USD for the exit tax), and when you come out the other side, you’ll board a new bus. The driver in Belize will hand everyone wristbands which will allow the next bus driver to easily identify you.
Note that some reviews online complain of their bus driver telling passengers that there were no ATMs in Flores, encouraging everyone to use a random ATM along the way. This didn’t happen to me, and I can also confirm that there are indeed ATMs in Flores.
TAXI FROM SAN IGNACIO
If you don’t like the idea of getting to Flores so late, you can also take a taxi from San Ignacio to the border. Shared taxis are available, while I was quoted about $15 USD for a private taxi.
Once on the Guatemalan side, you should be able to find a shared minivan. Rather than all the way to the island of Flores, it will likely only take you as far as the mainland city of Santa Elena, from which you’ll then need to take a tuk tuk to reach the island.
FROM ELSEWHERE IN GUATEMALA
Flores isn’t really close to any other destination in Guatemala, so it’s quite a journey to get to or from here by land. I ended up traveling to Antigua from Flores on a tourist shuttle run by Adrenalina Tours which cost me about $60 USD. While it was a grueling 12.5 hours long, everything went smoothly in the end.
I’d end up using Adrenalina Tours a few other times throughout my travels in Guatemala, and they were always very professional and easy to communicate with.
It wasn’t until my long bus journey that I realized the bus makes a stop in the town of Rio Dulce. I’d previously considered visiting Rio Dulce but figured it would be too far out of the way! But it turns out that it actually makes for a great place to break up the journey between Antigua and Flores.
Apparently, you can also take a coach bus between Santa Elena and Guatemala City. It appears that this route only departs at night, however. It may be possible to book these buses at a tourism office in Flores, but if not, you can try at the main bus terminal in Santa Elena. Those heading onward to Antigua may need to transfer to a shuttle upon arrival in the capital.
You can also find plenty of tourist shuttles in between Flores and Semuc Champey.
REACHING FLORES BY PLANE
Considering what a pain Flores can be to reach, it’s not surprising that many simply choose to fly. You’ll find regular flights to and from Guatemala City, and even some international flights from Cancún and Mérida.
While prices are always changing, with all my luggage, flying would’ve cost me over double the price of taking the tourist shuttle.
