Tikal Guatemala Day Trip: The Best or Worst Idea?

Last Updated on March 13, 2024 by Nicole

My family of five (3 teenagers aged 14, 15 and 17 years old) recently visited Tikal Guatemala to explore the ancient Maya ruins. Before booking our flights from Guatemala City to Flores, and our one day tour, I wasn’t sure what to do. Should we make this a Tikal Guatemala day trip? In other words, fly from Guatemala City early in the morning, visit Tikal, and then fly back to Guatemala City that night?  Or should we spend a couple of days visiting Tikal and the surrounding areas? Online, I found lots of information about same day trips from Guatemala City to Tikal. It looked manageable, but would this be a mistake? Once there, would it feel rushed or contrived? What about the surrounding areas? Surely Flores, other small towns nearby and the jungle would be interesting to explore?

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What we decided

In the end, I decided against a Tikal Guatemala day trip. Instead, we spent 3 days exploring the area which not only included Tikal, but also Lake Peten and Flores. In addition, we hiked in Cerro Cahui, toured ARCAS (an animal sanctuary), and took a one day boating and snorkelling trip at Crater Azul.

Would I do this again? Yes. I liked exploring the region. It was so different from our time in Antigua and Lake Atitlan. However, a day trip to Tikal Guatemala would have been a totally reasonable choice. We would not have felt rushed, overwhelmed or disappointed by only allotting ourself a day in Tikal.

One caveat – if you are passionate about Archaeology or Mayan history, then one day in Tikal would not be enough. You could spend days exploring Tikal and other former Mayan cities in the area. However, if your passion in Archaeology is “normal” – similar to your passion for food, culture, history, the arts, shopping, or outdoor sports – then one day should be sufficient.

(I have written extensively about our time in Antigua, Lake Atitlan and Chichicastenango Guatemala. If you are interested, I have provided a list of those articles at the end of this blog.)

Tikal Guatemala

Tikal Guatemala is an ancient Maya city in the jungle of northern Guatemala. It is located in the “department” (similar to a province or state) of Peten, an area that makes up 1/3 of the total geographical area of Guatemala. Flores is the capital of Peten. It is a four hour drive to the Mexican border and 1 hour and 40 minute drive to the Belizean border.

Tikal is considered one of the largest Maya ruins in the world. It is located within Tikal National park which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. The Park is approximately 576 km2 (or 142,333 acres). Between 200 to 900 AD, Tikal dominated politically, economically and militarily in much of Central America. It was eventually abandoned at the end of the 10th century. It is believed that at its height, Tikal had a population of approximately 100,000 which would have made it one of the largest cities in the world.

Archaeological Wonder

InTikal, the buildings are made from limestone and include the remains of royal palaces, houses, administrative buildings and stone monuments. Several temples and pyramids are found throughout, including one of the tallest temples – Temple IV.  We climbed up 21 m or 71 ft, and had unparalleled views of Tikal National Park and the tops of other pyramids peeking through the rainforest.

It took 13 years for the University of Pennsylvania to uncover 2.5 km2 (640 acres) of Tikal. It is mind boggling to think about how much of Tikal is still left to discover (574 km2 or 119,000 acres!!!).

One of the things that I loved most about Tikal was that we were free to explore most of the ruins as we wished. Occasionally a fence or two was in place, or separate stairs were built beside a pyramid to allow for easier and safer access to the top. However, apart from that, we moved without limitation. In some respects, being in Tikal felt like being on a giant playground versus an important archaeological site. At least for my children, being able to freely explore the ruins made them more engaged in our tour – learning about the Maya people and their way of life.

Details For Tikal Guatemala In A day

There are a number of reasons why a Tikal Guatemala day trip would be a reasonable choice.

Flights

Air travel between Guatemala City and Flores, a one hour drive to Tikal National Park is easy, fast and relatively inexpensive.

Everyday, there are a number of direct flights from Guatemala City to Flores. Flights leave Guatemala City as early as 6:25 am. From Flores to Guatemala City, they leave as late as 7:30 pm. The flight is approximately $100 USD each way with a one hour flight time.

La Aurora International Guatemala Airport (GUA) is six km outside of Guatemala City. It was very nice, comfortable and relatively modern airport. We found it easy to navigate and pleasant at check in, security and the luggage carousels. Maya Mundo International Airport is a few minutes from Flores. It was small yet also modern and effortless to navigate.

Travel Between Flores and Tikal National Park

As mentioned above, it was only a one hour drive between Flores and Tikal National park.

We drove along the Flores to Tikal road a few times during our 3 day stay in Peten as we explored the region. I can tell you that the road was in excellent condition. It was a relatively straight drive along a flat road, with very little traffic.

In addition, we felt safe driving on this road at night. We took one of the last flights out of Guatemala City to Flores and arrived in the evening. It was pitched black when we headed to the Jungle Lodge Hotel and Hostel, our accommodation in Tikal National Park. However, the condition of the road with reflectors along the middle line allowed our driver to drive quickly and safely to our hotel. It was a completely stress free transfer from the airport to Tikal National Park.

 Our Tour

Notwithstanding we decided to spend three days in Peten exploring the region, we only allotted one day to touring Tikal. For sure, there were lots and lots of Tikal that we did not see. However, we spent five hours with our guide learning about Maya history and Tikal. We explored, climbed and scrambled up countless buildings, temples and pyramids, and saw some spectacular views. For us, it was enough.

At the end of our tour, we had a very good lunch at Meso restaurant in Tikal National Park. Afterwards, we were transferred to our next hotel at the beautiful Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel, a 10 minute drive away from Flores and the airport. We arrived at this hotel at 4:30 pm, our tour finished.

Can You Do A Tikal Guatemala Day Trip?

Accordingly, even though we did not return to the airport or fly back to Guatemala City that same day, we experienced many things that a Tikal Guatemala day trip would encompass. I expressly remember thinking to myself once we arrived at Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel that we could have done a day trip to Tikal without feeling rushed or disappointed that we didn’t allot ourselves enough time to explore Tikal. To summarize:

• the flight was easy;
• the airports were comfortable, modern and straightforward to navigate;
• the drive to and from Tikal was fast and stress free; and
• we felt that we had more than enough time seeing Tikal and learning about Maya history during our tour.

I didn’t remotely feel tired. In fact, my son and I went on a two hour hike on the trails around the hotel (where a jaguar crossed our path…. really!) after we unpacked some things in our hotel room. So if you can only set aside one day to fly to and from Flores and visit Tikal, you can do so without worrying that it would be too much. It would be a long day, for sure, but it would be very manageable and a remarkable day of exploring an amazing Archaeological site.

Accommodation at Tikal or Lake Peten

We stayed in two wonderful hotels while in Tikal and the Lake Peten area – the Jungle Lodge Hotel and Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel. I discuss our stays in more detail in my next blog, Lake Peten Guatemala: An Easy Going Three Day Itinerary. However, I would recommend both for their luxury/comfort and proximity to Tikal or Flores. To book your stay there or to explore other accommodation in and around those areas, I’d take a look at booking.com and the interactive map below.

Booking.com

 

Should You Spend More Time Exploring The Peten Region Or Is A Day Trip to Tikal Enough?

Having said that, should you allot more time and explore other areas of Peten Department?

My advice – Yes, if you have time to spare. What do I mean by this? We enjoyed our days exploring the region, but except for Tikal, I didn’t think it was as interesting or beautiful as Antigua, Pacaya Volcano, Chichicastenango or Lake Atitlan. So, if you are struggling to figure out how to divide up your time in Guatemala and you can’t do everything, then I would do a Tikal Guatemala day trip and not give up time in those other areas. However, if you do have the time, I would definitely explore the Peten region. Geographically, it is very different from Antigua and Lake Atitlan. It is flat, with lots of jungle, and wildlife roaming free. In addition, there are a lot more Maya ruins left to explore other than Tikal.

On what basis do I make that recommendation?  I outline below what we did in the Peten department over the next couple of days. In a future blog called Lake Peten Guatemala: An Easy Going Three Day Itinerary, I discuss our activities in more detail. However, for now, here is a brief outline of what we did in and around Lake Peten.

What We Did Instead Of A Tikal Guatemala Day Trip.

After touring Tikal, we spent two more days touring the Lake Peten area. One day, we

• hiked in Cerro Cahui,
• toured Flores,
• explored ARCAS, a wildlife rescue centre near Flores, and
• and toured Lake Peten by boat.

On another day, we snorkelled at Crater Azul, located1 1/2 hours drive from Flores and another 1 1/2 hours by boat. Crater Azul is a natural wild life refuge where intense blue clear virgin lagoon water and underwater plant life exist.

Day One

In Cerro Cahui, we hiked around Lake Peten in a wildlife refuge biotope in a beautiful rainforest. This was lovely but unfortunately, we didn’t see any animals. Regardless, I would recommend this jungle walk for the sheer beauty of the trees and vegetation. We only hiked for about an hour, but I could have walked for hours more.

After, we spent time in Flores and had some terrific meals. Our favourite restaurant was La Casa De Enrico, an Italian Mexican restaurant with “to die for” nachos, beef carpaccio and cocktails.

ARCAS

We appreciated seeing ARCAS, a NGO that is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries as having met the highest standard in humane animal care. We toured the facility and saw many animals very close up, including jaguars, that because of human interference or negligence, now sadly found themselves permanent residents at ARCAS.

Lake Peten Itza

Finally, we explored Lake Peten around Flores. I liked seeing the different homes scattered on the shores across from Flores. We also boated around an island in the middle of the lake that for whatever reason, was home to dozens of iguanas tucked into the tress.

Day Two

Crater Azul is the only exception to recommending a Tikal Guatemala day trip. I would have regretted missing our time in Crater Azul had we only spent one day exploring Tikal and then returned back to Guatemala City. If you have an extra day to spare, I would try and fit in a visit to Crater Azul while it remains largely untouched by tourism.

We drove 1 1/2 hours from Flores. After, we boated another 1 1/2 hours on the dark and murky waters of La Pasion river, and along the stunning Pucte and San Teodoro streams. Along the river, we saw crocodiles, iguanas and snakes. Right alongside the wildlife, we watched locals washing their clothes and kids swimming, both of which were quite startling when crocodiles were so visibly present! Then, we abruptly found ourselves on crystal clear blue waters on Pucte and San Teodoro where we could see and touch pristine aquatic plant and sea life with ease. We snorkelled and boated in this beautiful untouched and unique part of Guatemala and loved it.

Conclusion

Should you take a Tikal Guatemala day trip? If you only have one day to spare, then taking a day trip to Tikal is a perfectly reasonable decision. The flight to and from Flores was easy and fast. The transfer from Flores to Tikal was safe and efficient. Further, the half day tour of Tikal provided a wonderful introduction to this magnificent Maya archaeological sight. It would have been a long day, but it would have been pleasant, stress free and fascinating.

If you wonder whether you should allot more time to explore the Peten region, that’s a little harder to comment on. Compared to our experiences in Antigua, Pacaya Volcano, Chichicasatenango and Lake Atitlan, the region is not as interesting or filled with as much natural beauty as southern Guatemala. Having said that, we enjoyed our time in the Peten region. I liked spending time exploring the jungle, seeing Lake Peten and boating on the rivers and streams around Crater Azul. Accordingly, if you have a couple extra days, then I’d spend a little bit more time in Peten. If you don’t, then a Tikal Guatemala day trip is a good solution.

If you are interested in reading more about our time in Guatemala, please refer to the articles below:

• Antigua Guatemala With Teens: 8 Reasons Why They Will Love It!;
• Pacaya Volcano Guide: An Incredible Journey Worth Every Step;
• Lake Atitlan Guatemala: A Guide To How To Plan Your Stay;
• Lake Atitlan Activities: 10 Fantastic Things To Do;
• Chichicastenango Market: Was It Worth?
• Lake Peten Guatemala: An Easy Going Three Day Itinerary.
• 10 Day Guatemala Itinerary: A Spectacular Trip With Teens

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