Tikal, Guatemala: Everything You Need To Know To Visit

While there are many Mayan ruins to choose from, the ancient site of Tikal in northern Guatemala has to be one of the best Mayan ruins to visit.

It not only has a whole bunch of incredible temples and pyramids but these are also found inside a really awesome, atmospheric jungle that feels incredibly off the beaten track. Tikal is one of the most famous Mayan ruins throughout Central America and the largest. It was, during Mayan times known as the capital of the Mayan world and is an essential stop for anyone visiting Central America or even just Guatemala.

Heading to Guatemala? Have a read of our ‘A Backpackers Guide to Travelling Guatemala‘ for the ultimate Guatemala travel tips and route!

The History and Facts about Tikal, Guatemala

To fully appreciate how impressive the Tikal Mayan ruins are it is useful to have a little background on the Mayan site, Tikal. While today it is an extensive archaeological site in northern Guatemala, which tourists, locals and travellers visit day in and day out. But, in its time Tikal was a major city of the Mayans and was actually its capital.

The history of settlement at Tikal Mayan ruins in Guatemala stretches back as far as 1000 BC, but the earliest parts of the site you’ll likely see date back to the 4th century B.C. The city of Tikal was at its most developed from 200 to 900 AD before it was entirely abandoned shortly after that. Our tour guide explained to us that this might be because of a change to the trade route, however, the exact cause isn’t known, yet.

Over time Tikal, Guatemala became lost to the immense Guatemalan jungle. Although locals remained aware of its existence, it wasn’t until the mid-19th century that Tikal was fully discovered. And now, Tikal has become one of the best archaeologically understood sites in the whole of Central America.

Tikal vs Chichen Itza

Tikal Mayan ruins and Chichen Itza are both incredible ancient Mayan Ruins, which if you have the opportunity should both be visited. However if you only have time to visit one and you are weighing up Tikal vs Chichen Itza then we vote Tikal everytime.

We have both had the opportunity to visit both spots more than once (Chris has visited Chichen Itza twice and Tikal once and Reanna has visited Tikal twice and Chichen Itza once). Both sites have pros and cons. Both are critical areas of the Mayan civilization and are both very important places, which you will find out when you visit. Chichen Itza is by far the more popular set of pyramids and is also the best preserved. It is also more expensive and will be far busier to visit.

When you visit Tikal it truly feels as if you are being immersed in the Mayan world. You walk through the jungle to see the ruins and you are even aloud to climb on some for views over the jungle. The question Tikal vs Chichen Itza is completely down to your personal opinion and if you are visiting Mexico or Guatemala.

Is Tikal worth visiting?

In short; yes! Tikal is an incredible site filled with ancient Mayan Ruins, wildlife and beautiful nature. We’ve both been to many ruins in the past and would honestly say that Tikal is some of the best. We have also visited Chichén-Itzá and would recommend Tikal over Chichén-Itzá every time. So, when asking the question is Tikal worth visiting, the answer is YES!

Is Tikal safe?

Yes, Tikal Mayan ruins are safe to visit. During our visits, there wasn’t a time where either of us felt unsafe. Despite us travelling as a couple, Reanna has also visited prior to this trip as a solo traveller and felt completely safe.

When visiting Tikal, we advise visiting with a guide (for multiple reasons) but also to keep you on the main track so that you don’t get lost in the jungle. There have unfortunately been some time where tourists went missing in Tikal. However, this is very rare and we can’t stress enough that Tikal is a safe place to visit.

Can you climb the Mayan ruins of Tikal?

Yes, you are allowed to climb some of the ancient ruins in Tikal. This was one of our favourite parts about visiting the Mayan site and certainly made Tikal come up tops in the questions Tikal vs Chichén-Itzá. There are only a few that you are allowed to climb, which your guide will tell you. Otherwise, just make sure that you pay attention to the signs in front of each temple. These indicate whether you’re allowed to climb it or not. They are there both for your safety and to preserve the ruins from any further damage.

The fact that you can climb the pyramids was one of the main things that we loved about Tikal and that set it apart from visiting Chichen Itza. The viewing platforms give the most amazing views over Tikal and out over the stunning jungle. Plus, it’s an epic experience to be able to climb on such an amazing piece of history.

In the past (and when Reanna first visited), you climbed up the original narrow limestone steps on the side of the pyramids. Now wooden staircases have been built on the side of them, this makes it not only easier to climb as the steps are much wider but also safer to climb the temples. Some of the temples have a lot of steps to reach the top, so be sure to bring practical shoes and prepare yourself for the climb.

The temples that you can climb in Tikal are Temple II (which gives the best views over the jungle), Temple IV and the Lost World Pyramid (Mundo Perdido).

What are the opening hours of Tikal?

Tikal National Park is open from 6am until 5pm every day of the year. The museums are open from 8 am to 6 pm and closed for any national holidays.

If you visit with a tour or purchase a standard entry ticket then you will be able to explore during the above hours.

There is also the option to purchase tickets for additional hours. This includes being able to visit during either sunset or sunrise, which varies in time depending on the season. 

How to get to Tikal

Despite Tikal being so popular it’s actually located in a fairly remote area in northern Guatemala. Despite this getting there is fairly straightforward. It is close to the border with Belize and Mexico which makes it easy if you are travelling to Tikal from either of these countries.

Your first stop if Flores, the gateway to the Mayan city of Tikal. Flores is located 65 km (40 mi) from the ancient Mayan ruin.

If travelling from the South from Guatemala then the easiest way to travel to Tikal is via a shuttle bus from Guatemala City or Antigua this takes 9-12 hours. Flores Guatemala also has its own airport, Mundo Maya International Airport, which receives several flights per day from Guatemala City. The flight takes just one hour so if you are short on time, then this is a great option.

If travelling from Belize (as we did) then you can get a shuttle bus from Belize City which takes approximately 4 hours. You can pre-book this here for convenience. If you are travelling Central America from North to South then we recommend this option.

From Flores, you can get to Tikal by taking a shuttle bus, joining a tour (see our recommendations further down) or you can drive there yourself. If you’ll be staying at one of the hotels in Tikal National Park, then they can arrange the transport for you. You can also book a tour in the town of Tikal if you prefer to not pre-book it.

Where to stay when visiting Tikal, Guatemala

To visit these famous Mayan ruins you can, of course, stay right near Tikal, however, the most popular spot and one that we would totally recommend is spending a couple of nights in the nearby town of Flores.

You can find all of the best hotels in Flores here.

Flores Guatemala

Flores is a small town on an island (island of Flores), reached only by the connecting bridge. It is very small in size, you can walk around the whole island in 20 minutes, which only adds to its charm. Flores is surrounded by the third biggest lake in Guatemala, Lake Peten Itza, this being its main attraction.

The lake is a beautiful large lake fit for swimming, taking a boat journey across to the other side kayaking or paddleboarding. Or, with a very reasonably priced cocktail from one of the many bars whilst you watch the sunset over the lake. Despite not having the best weather we spent a magical evening here watching the sky turn an incredible burnt orange. This paired with our frozen margaritas this made for the perfect evening.

Flores is a lovely little island to visit, but, the island’s main draw is its close proximity to Tikal and the locals know this. It is, therefore, full of tour companies selling tours to Tikal and a few other nearby attractions as well as ongoing bus trips to the next stops which generally seem to be Lanquin or Antigua.

As backpackers, we really should advise you to shop around to get the best price for your tour, however, as lazy backpackers, we opted for the first tour company opposite our hostel and took him up on his first offer. Not something we recommend, but it seemed a good price and the guy selling the tour was very friendly.

Our tour to Tikal cost us 130 Quetzales (£13) plus, the entry for Tikal 150 Quetzales (£15).

Where to stay in Flores Guatemala

During our time in Flores, we stayed at Hotel & Peten Express. It’s a lovely hotel with a swimming pool, huge dorm beds and a hotel-quality breakfast. The hotel has either hotel rooms or dorm beds available. It’s also about a 3-minute walk from where the bus drops and picks you up. (Although most hotels/ hostels are).

We really recommend staying at Hotel & Peten Express during your time in Flores.

If you’re travelling through Central America also read: A Guide To Crossing Mexico To Belize Border.

Do you need a guide for Tikal?

It’s completely up to you whether or not you want to visit Tikal with a guide or wander around the park on your own. We visited with a guide and would fully recommend it. The guides are very knowledgeable and teach you all you need to know about Tikal. If you visit without a guide then you will get to spend more time in the areas that you want however, it will be hard to learn anything about the incredible structures and the Mayan sites history.

Tours to Tikal, Guatemala

There are multiple options of times to visit Tikal depending on what you want to see and what suits you best. Starting from 4:30 am for sunrise (this costs an additional 100 Quetzales as you are entering the site before it’s officially open). 6 am, 8 am or 12 pm for sunset this also costs an extra 100 Quetzales. Through advice from the tour company, we opted for the 8 am tour.

At 8am we ventured to the ‘bus stop,’ here there were plenty of other buses and fellow backpackers going to different parts of Guatemala and even Belize. We showed our ticket to a guide and were escorted onto our bus where the bus was filled with other people that had booked their tickets from various tour companies.

The bus was scheduled to leave at 8 am but, in true Central American fashion, it left at 8:30 meaning we arrived at Tikal at 10 am. So, do not be worried if the bus doesn’t leave on time, this is normal.

The bus was adequate, somewhere in between a minibus and a full-sized bus with some reclining seats and some not.Fine for a short journey.

Arriving at Tikal

Once we reached Tikal the tour began with a stop off at the local cafe where we grabbed a quick coffee for 10 Quetzales (£1) and waited for another bus company to arrive. We were then split up into a Spanish speaking and an English-speaking tour. Each group had around 10-15 people in it.

The Tikal, Guatemala tour

The tour around Tikal lasts approximately 3.5 hours. During this time we explored the site, walking around the jungle, climbing on the ruins and learning about the Mayan culture and the history of Tikal.

For us, what really set Tikal apart is that unlike some of the other Mayan sites, you’re allowed to climb some of the Pyramids. They have been restored and the stairs are ”safe’. Therefore, there’s moderate climbing involved and a fair amount of walking.

We ended on 15000 steps for the day as a rough guide. We recommend wearing comfortable trainers for this tour.

What does the Tikal, Guatemala tour involve?

The tour starts with you climbing the smaller pyramids and end with the largest. From the largest you’ll have an incredible view of the jungle. Our guide was a Mayan descendent and naturally extremely passionate about the site. Through a combination of his passed-down knowledge and archaeologist reports, we left feeling fully informed of why the city was built, why it was deserted and how the Mayans lived. This is why we recommend visiting Tikal as part of a tour.

During the tour we saw Howler monkeys and Spider monkeys up in the trees. The noise howlers make can only be described as pre-historic. They sound just as you would imagine dinosaurs to sound, which only adds to the feeling that you’re in a time long passed.

We left Tikal just after 3 pm and arrived back in Flores at 4:30 pm. The site is beautiful and well worth a visit if you are in Guatemala. We also 100% recommend booking a tour, which I think is how the majority of backpackers visit Tikal, Guatemala anyway. This supports the locals and provides you with a wealth of knowledge on the site which you wouldn’t otherwise get.

The Pyramids and Ruins of Tikal:

Tikal Guatemala has so many impressive pyramids and structures to see during your time here. Your guide will take you to these spots. But, if you do choose to visit without one then make sure that you don’t miss these spots:

Gran Plaza – This is the main square and the core of Tikal. It’s a wonderful place to visit and a definite must see in Tikal. The Gran Plaza is surrounded by Temple I, Temple II, North Acropolis and Central Acropolis.

• Temple I – Sitting at 47m, Temple I is the most famous temple in Tikal and was a tomb for King Jasaw Chan K’awiil I. Another name for it is the Temple of the ‘Great Jaguar’.
• Temple II – Standing at 38m tall this temple is also known as the Temple of the Masks. If you can then visit the viewing platform on top of it for the best views over Gran Plaza and Temple I.
• North & Central Acropolis – The north Acropolis is filled with a large number of stone monuments. The Central Acropolis housed Tikal royal families. Both are really interesting spots and a must see on any trip to Tikal.

Temple IV – Temple IV is the highest building at Tikal and the tallest in the entire Maya region! At 64 m (212 feet) high, it towers over the jungle providing an epic view over it. If you can then climbing up to the viewpoint on the top of it is a must.

Temple V – The second-highest temple in Tikal with a height of 57m. Temple V has steep moss-covered steps going up to the top.

Mundo Perdido – In Spanish translates to ‘Lost World’. It is the largest ceremonial complex dating from the Preclassic period. The Lost World Pyramid is the oldest in Tikal and if you head to the top it offers panoramic views over the jungle. The complex is also known as the Great Pyramid Plaza and has several structures and twin pyramids within it.

A trip to Tikal is certainly worth visiting!

We really enjoyed our visit to Tikal! Despite the park becoming more popular over the years, there are still not many tourists. Especially when you compare it to Chichén-Itzá, leaving you with the feeling to have the park all to yourself. We also loved seeing and hearing (Howler monkeys we’re looking at you), all of the animals in the park including parrots and even a toucan. If you’re lucky then you might also spot a Jaguar or Pumas. These are quite hard to spot but, you never know, you might get lucky!

Visiting the Tikal ruins is an unforgettable experience and one that you should include on any trip to Guatemala! It’s a wonderful place to learn about the ancient Mayan history and immerse yourself in the wonderful tropical nature of Guatemala. We hope that this guide has helped you to plan your trip to Tikal!