Visiting Tikal is magical, and visiting with kids if not going to be a bore for them. Here’s our complete guide on visiting Tikal, and all the practical information you need to make it a success.
Getting to Tikal
Tikal is around 60-90 minutes from Flores and day trips can be booked and taken from there. However, we strongly recommend spending 2 nights in Tikal itself, especially if travelling with the kids, to enjoy the whole park at a leisurely pace. We chose to hire a car which can be done from Flores airport, and we managed this time in a normal car rather than a 4×4 truck. It cost $100 for 2 days hire whereas the shuttle each way was $15-$20 per person so if there are more than 3 of you then car hire is more economical.
The drive to Tikal from Flores is straight forward and part of the notorious Guatemala speed bumps (tumulos) the roads are in good condition. You will pass 2-3 small towns, and make sure you pick up cash before entering Tikal itself as there are no cash machines inside. It’s a lot simpler to drive this section than the rest of our Guatemala roadtrip.
Getting tickets to Tikal
On arriving at the park entrance, the staff will check your entrance tickets (available to book online here). There will also be guides available to purchase sunrise or sunset tours – you must have a guide to be in the park for sunset or sunrise. You can book a guide here at the entrance or wait until you are in the centre of the park when a group tour can be joined. Ticket prices are (approximately):
- Adult park ticket: $25
- Children (under 10) park ticket: FREE
- Sunrise ticket: $10
- Sunset ticket: $10
You must have a day ticket as well as the sunrise or sunset ticket purchased to be able to get a guide and enter the park. Tickets can be purchased up to 30 days in advance online.
Top tip: If you enter after 3pm, you don’t need to buy a ticket for that day if you have one for the next day. So, buying a ticket for park entrance on a Tuesday would allow you to enter from 3pm on Monday.
This is also where timing needs to be impeccable. The latest you can really start a sunset tour is 3.30/4pm, so if only spending one night in Tikal then enter at 3pm and head straight to find a private guide for that evening. The drive from the entrance is 25 minutes to the main park and with a very strict speed limit in place so don’t be speeding through the jungle road.
Where to stay at Tikal
We stayed at Hotel Tikal Inn which is the budget of the 3 hotels in the park itself. The real benefit of this hotel is the pool which in the heat of Tikal is very much appreciated. The rooms are somewhat dated but clean, there is hot water but no aircon (mosquito nets are provided), and electricity only runs between certain hours of the day. Reception will charge devices for you if required. The food in the hotel is really good, great portion sizes, and reasonably priced. Breakfast was £5 per person, and an evening meal with a beer around £8. The kids enjoyed seeing the wildlife from the pool – the monkeys, birds and racoon type animals were a huge hit with them.
Tikal Sunrise tour
Once you have your sunrise tickets, you need to find a guide. Our hotel charged $25 per person for the guide and there were only 3 of us in the group so it felt very private. You will leave the hotel around 4.15am and it’s a 10 minute walk to have tickets checked and then 45 minutes walk to temple number 4 where everyone heads for sunrise. It is pitch black walking through the forest, so take a torch or flashlight. You’ll also need insect repellent and good shoes – trekking sandals are fine.
You’ll join around 50-100 people on the temple for sunrise and this is where the magic happens. You’ll also be joined by howler monkeys with their morning call as they wake up and many birds and also spider monkeys in the morning mist. Sunrise is around 6am – 20 years ago I got the full golden glow. This time I got a very misty sunrise i.e. no sun! But the experience is still incredible as you begin to see the majestic mayan ruins appear above the rainforest canopy.
The guides are very knowledgeable and will tell you all you want to know about Tikal’s history. After sunrise itself there is another 1-2 hour tour with time at the main plaza and also time to climb temple 5 and see the wildlife in day light – we saw a few toucans flying over the treetops.
Tikal Sunset tour
We arrive at 4pm and so grabbed a guide straight away at $40 for a private tour, and Stef set off with him for the sunset. It’s another 45 minute trek to temple 3 for sunset where again you’ll be joined by a relatively small group of people. The viewing platform is above the canopy as per temple 4, but obviously facing the other direction to enjoy the golden sunset skies. Stef hit the jackpot and got a gorgeous sunset and it is said photos and the wildlife is better at sunset, so if you can only do one then maybe this would be our recommendation. It’s also going to be the most interesting for the kids I imagine!
As with sunrise you will be trekking through the forest in the dark so a flashlight is advised as well, and plenty of insect repellent as they all come out early evening. Stef also got the tour of the main plaza, pre-sunset climb, but it was a bit more rushed because of the time we got there.
Worth noting that the sunset tour from the hotel leaves around 2.30-3pm (but then you would need to purchase a park ticket for this day as well)
Entering Tikal at other times.
A day ticket allows you access to Tikal as many times as you wish during the day – after 6am and you have to leave by 5pm unless the sunrise or sunset ticket and guide are purchased.
The park is enormous and you will be walking a lot, so try to avoid the midday heat between 10am and 3pm (spend this time round the pool). There are around 4 temples that can be climbed to keep the kids entertained, and then exploring the main plaza and climbing the huge steps and rocks can easily fill and hour of time with inquisitive children. There’s some carvings and masks to see here as well.
What to take to Tikal
Inside the park itself there are limited food and drink options so take snacks and plenty of water with you. There are however bathrooms scattered around so you’ll rarely be more than 20 minutes from a toilet if needed for younger kids.
Good shoes are suggested – trekking sandals, trainers or walking shoes/boots would be best as the paths are forest paths, not smooth. Definitely don’t venture into Tikal with a pushchair – you’ll struggle with the steps and tree roots that are along the way. A carrier for small children is very much recommended.
The perfect two days in Tikal park.
Here’s our suggested itinerary for 2 days in the park. If there are 2 adults you could easily split up and so a sunset and a sunrise each when spending 2 days here as well – saves getting the kids up so early and ruining energy levels for the whole day – IFKYK!!
Day 1, 3pm: arrive at the park, show tickets and drive to hotel. You’ll arrive at the hotel around 3.30, checked in by 4pm so you could squeeze in a sunset tour or head into the park to get a general feel whilst it isn’t so hot. Take the kids straight to the main plaza if they aren’t going to do the sunset or sunrise tour with you. They’ll enjoy running around and clambering over the rocks.
Day 2: 4.30am sunrise tour, returning to the hotel around 9am for breakfast. Spend the day by the pool and head back into the park for the sunset tour around 3pm. Or take the kids in around 3pm and stay for a couple of hours exploring before heading back out at 5pm.
Day 3: Another chance for the sunrise tour if needed, or head out of the park and back to Tikal. You won’t need to buy a ticket for this day if you aren’t actually going to enter the park.
If you want to enjoy the pool and hotel for the day, we did that and the hotel were totally ok as long as we checked out by 11am. We had lunch, a lounge and then headed back to Flores, arriving there around 5pm. This is handy if your check in time for the next accommodation or your flight isn’t until later in the day.
