Tikal

Tikal was a Maya city of great power and size, the largest of Maya cities during the Classic Era over 1000 years ago. Many beautiful buildings have been uncovered and many more wait to be discovered. The sight of the temples poking through the canopy is quite awesome. Though you're not allowed to climb the stone steps of the larger pyramids, several have wooden staircases up the back so you can climb to the top for panoramic views above the trees.

It's sunny, hot and humid during the northern hemisphere winter, so dress lightly and bring water since you will be sweating climbing the many steep steps spread out across the site. In the rainy season (northern hemisphere summer), it may rain all afternoon or even all day, but temperatures remain hot. Trails can be muddy but there is plenty of shade under the canopy. Winter nights can be cool. Dehydration and heat stroke are the biggest dangers - bring lots of water or sports drinks.

Tikal is located about 1.5-2 hours' drive from Flores, which hosts the nearest airport. The airstrip at Tikal is no longer in use, even for private planes, as it's now overgrown with trees. Buses and minibuses come from all surrounding areas on a fully-paved road, and you can also drive there with your own vehicle. Many visitors do single-day tours from Flores, but there are accommodation options at the park for those who want to stay longer or arrive earlier.

Ticket prices apply to foreign citizens (select 'extranjeros' when buying online). Local Guatemalans enter at a reduced price. Your tickets are checked and traded for a bracelet at the garita de control at the entrance to the ruins (el sitio). For visitors with day tickets, the main entrance opens at 06:00 and closes by 17:00, with expected exit by 17:30. Staff roam the park around 17:00 looking for people without an evening bracelet.

Once inside the ruins, walking is the only way to get around - only staff and vendor vehicles are allowed. Walking from the entrance to Temple IV viewdeck takes about 40 minutes. The Gran Plaza with the most famous pyramids is about halfway in. Some routes are small forest hiking paths, but more are car-sized hard-packed dirt/gravel roads corresponding to original limestone causeways. To see everything, you would need all day from morning to evening.

The Tikal sunrise tour requires a guide to enter at sunrise; the ticket is Q100 in addition to Q150 park entry and doesn't include guide fees. The Sylvanus G. Morley Museum costs Q30 for non-locals. The Jungle canopy tour (tikalcanopy.com) offers thrill rides on cables slung between tall trees, with the longest cable ride about 150 m. The Sendero Caoba Felipe hiking trail outside the ticketed area is closed as of June 2024.

The Visitors' Center restaurant offers food until 16:00 but is expensive. Several comedores (food stalls) along the road before and across from the visitor center are the cheapest option, though still not cheap by Guatemalan standards. The Hotel Jaguar restaurant is open until 20:30, accepts cards, and offers free WiFi. Within the ruins, vendors at three designated rest areas sell chips, cookies, and bottled drinks.

Staying in the park lets you wake up with the jungle sounds, and is one way to experience sunrise. Park options start at around Q500 as of June 2024, and demand often exceeds supply. Many visitors instead stay in Flores island's cute historical center, an hour or two away, with many affordable hostels, and take an early shuttle bus. There are also cheap lodges lakeside in El Remate, between Flores and Tikal, where hotels can arrange shuttle pickup.

There is no cell signal in Tikal, except sometimes at certain points within the ruins, mainly at the viewdeck atop Temple IV, and usually at the ticket booth 12 km before the ruins. Hotels just outside the ruins likely have free WiFi. Day trippers and campers can access internet at the visitor center restaurant (Q10/hour, Q30/day) or Hotel Jaguar restaurant (free for paying customers). Neither wifi signal reaches the campground.

As of June 2024, robberies do not seem to be an issue. The main danger is dehydration or heatstroke from extreme heat and humidity. A hiker died from heatstroke in 2022, a birdwatcher disappeared in 2023, and a family got lost for two days in 2023. The park recommends taking a guide but doesn't require it. Trails are well-signed - you won't get dangerously lost staying on obvious trails. Don't jump into shallow, muddy ponds as there are usually crocodiles. Bring insect repellent for mosquitoes that carry dengue fever.

Yaxha is about 1.5-2 hours' drive from Tikal, costs around Q600 extra plus Q80 entry, and you'll be more alone among another former Maya town with beautiful sunset spots. For Belize, hire a cab from Tikal to the border, then to San Ignacio. Most bus departures from Flores are in the morning and early afternoon, so plan to return and stay the night before moving east.