Tikal National Park lies in the rainforest of northern Guatemala, and almost every first visit is based in Flores, a small island town on Lake Petén Itzá about an hour or more from the ruins. Tikal has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, and it is the headline sight, but the area also offers Yaxhá, remote Uaxactún, the Ixpanpajul hanging bridges and quiet lake villages such as El Remate. This guide explains how to fit them together.
Check current travel advisories
Conditions anywhere can change, so check the latest travel advice from your own government before you book and again before you fly, and follow local guidance on arrival. Take normal city precautions in Santa Elena, and use licensed guides and operators for park visits.
What to book ahead
Reserve your Tikal visit first. The small-group day tour is the straightforward choice, the private day tour suits families and photographers, and the sunrise and sunset tours need an early or late entry add-on and an authorised guide, so they are best arranged through an operator. Book a day or two ahead from November to April, when the dry weather brings more visitors. Yaxhá sunset is the best second site, and it can be arranged at short notice.
How to get around
Flores has an airport, Mundo Maya, about ten minutes from the island, and flights from Guatemala City take about an hour. Overnight buses from the capital take eight to ten hours. On the island you walk, and tuk-tuks cover the rest, but agree fares first. Tikal is roughly one to one and a half hours by road, and the park entrance is a few kilometres before the ruins. Most visitors use tours or private transfers, since public transport is limited.
How many days
Two nights is the minimum for Tikal and the lake, three or four lets you add Yaxhá and Ixpanpajul. A good rhythm is a Tikal sunrise or day tour on day one, a lake swim and sunset in Flores in the evening, a Yaxhá sunset on day two and a morning at the hanging bridges on day three. If you are short of time, the combined Tikal and Yaxhá day covers both, but it is very long.
Where the sights fit
Flores island is the base for most visitors, with hotels, restaurants and boats to San Miguel and Tayasal. Tikal and Yaxhá are the full-day or half-day excursions. Ixpanpajul is about 15 minutes from the island, which makes it easy to add on a spare morning. El Remate and the Cerro Cahuí reserve are on the road to Tikal and suit birdwatchers and travellers who want quiet. Uaxactún is further afield and best saved for a second visit or a longer stay.
What to pack and when to go
The dry season runs from November to April and is the most comfortable, while the wet season brings afternoon showers and fewer visitors. Bring closed shoes with grip, insect repellent, a hat, a light rain layer, a torch for sunrise and plenty of water. Carry some cash, since not every small business takes cards.
Money and food
Cards work at larger hotels and some restaurants, but small businesses, village shops and tuk-tuks usually want cash in quetzales, so carry enough for a day out of town. Many tours include a simple lunch, so check before you pack your own, and bring snacks and a refillable bottle for the longer excursions.
Where to stay
Choose between the island, the mainland side of the causeway, the El Remate lakeshore and a forest lodge on the lagoon. The accompanying guide on where to stay compares the five hotels here, from a rainforest bungalow retreat to a budget courtyard hotel. Book early for the dry season.
