Tikal, the legendary Maya village should be on everyone’s itinerary. Even though its one of the most popular destinations in Guatemala, we barely saw any other tourists while we were there. Finally, no need to photoshop people out of my photos 😉 I think we didn’t see more than 10 other people walking around. This made our visit that much more special. You’ll enjoy this place even if you’re not a huge geek and fan of mayan ruins like I am. Only about an hours drive from Flores, hidden in the jungle you’ll find Tikal national park. Besides ruins the breathtakingly beautiful nature and hearing the howler monkeys add to the magic of the experience. I’ll tell you everything I know so you can make the most out of your visit to Tikal.

How to get to Tikal from Flores?

We booked return tickets for a shuttle bus at a local travel agency in Flores. This cost Q60 per person/€ 6.80. Buy a return ticket right away to save money.There are multiple shuttle buses going to Tikal every day. The first shuttle bus departs around 03.30 AM which will take you to Tikal just in time for sunrise.

The different tickets 

You need tickets to enter Tikal. There are extra tickets to also experience the sunrise or sunset. You buy your tickets at the Banrural Bank gate before entering the park. Don’t forget to bring your passport when buying them. If you are going on a tour where you will enter the park before sunrise, you will need to buy your tickets the day before. This is possible at the Banrural Bank in Flores.

Day tickets: valid from 6 am to 6 pm – Cost: Q150
Sunrise tickets: valid from 4.30 am to 6.00 am – Cost: Q100
Sunset tickets: valid from 17.00 to 20.00 – Cost: Q100

Sunset or Sunrise?

When you are visiting Tikal, you might as well do it right. It is already pretty magical, but a sunset or sunrise is the cherry on top. I’ve heard the sunrise is the most popular time to go. Unfortunately for the sunrise you have to leave Flores at 02:30 at night. We had spend a night on a night bus and were not up for another short night. We opted for the sunset tour instead. I would highly recommend going for the sunset! It might be the reason why we saw so little other people. I would advice to get a tour guide. Although roaming this place by yourself might be fun too, the knowledge of a mayan tour guide will add a lot of value to your tour of Tikal. Also, Tikal is huge! It’s easy to get lost or miss out on some things without a guide.
Important: If you opt for the sunrise tour, make sure to buy your ticket at the bank the day before or you won’t be able to get in before the sunrise. 

If you don’t feel like buying an extra ticket for the sunset, there is another option. You can bribe the guard with 20 Quetzal, which is around €2,50. Make sure to wait at temple IV around 5 and join the group of tourists that are there for the sunset. (I’m not sure this is still possible, since It’s been a while since my visit). 

The most impressive temples in Tikal

Tikal is huge! It consists of thousands of buildings, which include tempels, palaces and houses. It would take several days to see everything. This is why most people just visit the highlights of the park. The following spots should be on your list:

• The Grand Plaza – This is the heart of the old Maya city. This is where they used to do ceremonies and religious activities.
• Temple – Also knows as the temple of the big Jaguar. With 47 meters, its not the highest temple, but it is the most iconic and impressive temple in the area. This temple was a monument for the most important leaders of the mayas and where archeologist found the most expensive treasures.
• Temple II –  Also known as the temple of Masks. The temple is 38 meter high and one of the most well restored tempels in the complex. It’s opposite temple 1 and when you climb it you’ll have a wonderful view of the Grand Plaza and temple 1.
• Temple IV – This temple is 65 meter high and that makes it the highest in Tikal. You can’t leave without climbing this temple and looking out over the ancient mayan empire. This is one of the best spots for the su during  is dit het hoogste bouwwerk in Tikal. Je mag Tikal niet verlaten voordat je deze tempel beklommen hebt en een blik hebt geworpen over het oeroude Maya rijk. Dit is dan ook de beste plek om de zonsopkomst of zonsondergang te aanschouwen.

Bring food and water!

When you visit Tikal you are going to be there for quite a while. The place is huge and there is so much to learn about all the temples. While you’re in the park there won’t be any opportunities to buy food or water, so make sure you bring enough! It is in the jungle so it is hot and humid. I drank probably drank about 3 liters of water during the day. It might also be nice to bring a beer to enjoy during the sunset.

Stay in Tikal or Flores?

We stayed in Flores like most people do. It is a photogenic little island and it’s worth spending a day there. Staying in Tikal is more expensive and you’re more reliant on the hotel as there is nothing else around. If you do decide to stay inside Tikal make sure you arrange for return transportation to Flores. If you arrange it there it will be a lot more expensive. I was happy to return to Flores after a full day in Tikal. Although Tikal is spectacular, 1 day is enough and I enjoyed having dinner in town when we came back. I would consider staying in Tikal though to do some astrophotography with the ruins. I’ve heard really great things about the jungle lodge so that might be an option for next time!

We stayed in Hotel peten express. I think it was great value for the price even though I usually pick something that feels less like a hotel and has a little more character. It did have the perfect location and a clean room.

If you’d like to get away for days and treat yourself to some luxury. Have a look at Bolontiku Boutique Hotel & Spa. It’s a 15 min boat ride away from the island Flores. You can reach it with the hotels boat. They also have a great restaurant on site.

Cost of visiting Tikal

Transport to and from Flores: 70 quetzal / €9
Guide: 30 quetzal / €4
Entree: 150 quetzal / €19
Extra entrance fee for sunrise or sunset: 100 quetzal / €13
Totaal: 350 quetzal / €45 /$50

Places to eat in Flores

So I’ve seen that cool beans is recommended a lot, but I found that the food there was very mediocre. There’s a lot of places with better food out there. If you’re looking for something cheap head over to the local market on the westside of the island. They start setting up just before sunset. If you want to have a nice sit down dinner there are plenty of places there overlooking the water. We liked San Telmo the best for breakfast/lunch and terrazzo for dinner. Terazzo has a nice rooftop terrace which is perfect for watching the sunset.

How to get to Flores?

You can book a shuttle from most hostels in Guatemala. Since these location are quite remote, getting there with public transport would be very difficult. If you want to book your shuttle online, you can book one through Bookaway. 

Lanquin to Flores: Departure time: 08:00 am, travel time: 8 hours, price: $39/€35.78

Rio Dulce to Flores: Departure time 11:15 am, travel time: 4 hours, price $25/€22.94

Antigua to Flores: Departure time 04:00am, travel time: 12 hours, price $40/€36.70

You can find my guide to Antigua here

And the guide to Lanquin/Semuch Champey here.