Is Tikal Worth Visiting? My Reasoning for Why it is

If you ask anyone on the streets about where the most pyramids are in the world, they will almost always say Egypt. And for good reason, the Egyptian pyramids are breathtaking. Most people don’t realize this but the Western Hemisphere has more pyramids than the rest of the world combined. I’ve always heard about these pyramids but is Tikal worth visiting? That’s when we decided to leave Semuc Champey and head north to find out for ourselves.

Making the journey to visit Tikal is a lot easier than it used to be. It’s a popular attraction so visiting from the towns of Antigua and Lake Atitlan (though long) is as easy as purchasing a shuttle to the nearest town.

Why You Should Visit Tikal in Guatemala

In this region of the world, and especially in Mexico, there are other pyramids like Chichen Itza, that overshadow Tikal. And albeit, for good reason.

But what you get in experience from visiting these pyramids compared to others I think is unmatched.

there are many pyramids still in great shape
It’s not as crowded as other archeological sites in the region.
Because of the small crowds, we had more time to spend at each site
Hearing the monkies in the forest helped to paint a better picture in our head of what life might have been like hundreds of years ago here

At first, I didn’t want to visit Tikal. It was extremely out of the way and I thought it might not be worth it. But I’m so glad I did.

I couldn’t imagine not putting these pyramids on my Guatemalan itinerary.

Antigua to Tikal: How to Visit the Pyramids

When most people decide to visit the Guatemalan pyramids of Tikal, they stay in Flores. Over the past few years, the roads have been more built up than ever as tourism booms.

Depending on your time and money, there are multiple different ways to get to Flores. Below, I will list some options for getting to Flores and then to Tikal.

Prices have changed quite a lot over the years in Guatemala. Shuttles are the go-to way to travel throughout Guatemala and are a little pricey depending on your budget.

I would suggest splitting up this trip between either Rio Dulce or visiting Semuc Champey first and then heading there.

That is the common route if you are coming from Belize/Mexico. Here are your options:

Shuttle straight to Flores (~Q300)
Shuttle to Semuc Champey (~Q220) then to Flores (~Q200)
Shuttle to Guatemala City (~Q100) then fly to Flores (~75 USD)

Click here to take a closer look at the map and edit your location

Guatemala City to Flores

If you are flying straight into Guatemala City then you have a lot simpler options that you might enjoy better.

You can fly again if you don’t like shuttles, or take a regular shuttle or an overnight bus. The overnight bus will also save you money on accommodation for that night.

We took the overnight bus from Flores to Guatemala City, then a shuttle from Guatemala City to Lake Atitlan for Q400.

There might be better options but we also heard people paying Q550 for that same thing so we felt we found a good deal. Here are your options:

Day Shuttle to Flores (~Q250)
Night Bus to Flores (~Q250)
Fly to Flores (~75 USD)

Things to Know Before Visiting Tikal

It is sometimes hard to find a person person review Tikal and how to visit these pyramids in Guatemala.

I jotted down some questions I had before visiting and answered them below in hopes it will help one of you.

Best Time to Visit Tikal

Tikal is located in the Northeastern part of Guatemala. The peak season (when the weather is the best) for Guatemala is around January through March.

The later months can be good as well because there will be fewer crowds. These summer months do mean more humid weather and it might not be enjoyable for some.

Entrance Fee

The cost all depends on what you want to do. The key factors are if you already have a car or not (transportation cost) if you want a guide, and what time of day you plan on visiting Tikal.

If you go for sunrise or sunset it will cost you an extra Q100. We decided against this because we have heard recent stories of it being too cloudy.

I’m sure if you get a nice day, it is worth the money but I believe seeing something for sunrise shouldn’t cost more. Here is a breakdown of the prices:

Roundtrip shuttle to and from Tikal (Q80)
Roundtrip Shuttle to and from Tikal w/ a Guide (Q120)
Entry to Tikal (Q150)
Entry to Tikal for sunrise (Q150 + Q100 as you need a guide)

Fun Facts About Tikal

Tikal is a very old place and it was only recently discovered/heavily researched. The civilization that built these pyramids and more in the surrounding areas was the Ancient Maya.

Scientists now believe that there are over 3,000 different structures in this region. This region of the world was once home to the most powerful era of the Ancient Maya civilization.
As you walk through the park, you will see boards that have a history timeline of when these structures were built.
Some of these structures were built as early as 700 B.C. and are older than some of the popular pyramids like Chichen Itza in Mexico.
Tikal is one of the oldest National Parks in Guatemala and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
It can take multiple decades to clean off all of the vegetation that has grown all over the pyramids for hundreds of years.
When the Spanish first arrived in this region in the 1500s, these sites were never found because of the extremely dense forest.
With over 3,000 structures known today (and growing) and it was one the largest in the world.

Tips When Going to Visit Tikal

There are many questions that I had and I’m sure you do too. Should you get a guide? Are we allowed to climb the pyramids? What can you do in the national park?

I will go over the answers to these questions below.

Can You Climb the Pyramids in Guatemala?

In short answer, yes you can climb the pyramids when you go to Tikal. There are only a few that allow you to do so though.

These pyramids don’t allow you to take the regular stairs that you might think. There are wooden stairs made for this purpose.

All this is for your safety and the safety of the pyramids in Tikal. This is smart for both reasons and I agree.

The main one you get to climb up is Temple IV and you have a good view of how dense the forest is.

While up here, it gives a good perspective on why it was so hard to find these structures in the first place.

Do You Need a Guide When Visiting Tikal?

Although I didn’t get a guide, I do suggest that you get one. I will normally always suggest getting one because it helps the locals and you learn so much more than you ever would have.

On the other hand, it was nice walking around on your schedule. If you are going to get a guide, I suggest getting with the tour company who is getting you a ride as it will be cheaper with them.

If you want to book a guide then you can do that here. This tour offers lunch and even admission to the park so it is a great deal.

Items to Bring

Depending on what time of the year you go, you might need more items to bring. I would suggest you always bring your water if possible.

The best time to visit Tikal is at the beginning of the year and especially in February and March. We bought bug spray while we were there and either it worked extremely well or there were no bugs. Below is a list of items you might want to think about bringing.

Water
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Sun hat
Pants
Good walking shoes
A good camera

Should You Visit Tikal for Sunrise?

If you don’t mind spending the money and waking up early, then I think you should take the sunrise trip to the pyramids.

I have seen pictures of people who have done it and it looks crazy.

The idea of you seeing the sunrise from the pyramids as they did centuries ago is mind-blowing.

The wake-up time is around 3-4 am and the ride to the national park is around 1 hour and 30 minutes. The benefit of being some of the only people there is an added benefit.

You then get to go home early and do more activities for the day or just nap.

Wildlife We Encountered

While in Guatemala for the past few weeks, I didn’t see much wildlife. I was only in Antigua and Lake Atitlan so you really have to try to go see wildlife.

While we were in places like Montezuma, Costa Rica we saw monkeys daily. The wildlife we saw when we were in the park was a lot of spider monkeys and we heard a ton of howler monkeys.

There was also some interesting vegetation and trees throughout the park that we saw some local guides pointing at. Overall, it was really nice to be back in the jungle.

Best Pyramids to See in Tikal

When we showed up to the park, we thought we would only see a few pyramids. We were very wrong in this aspect.

There are so many pyramids everywhere and it was, at its peak, a huge civilization. Below I will go over some of my favorite pyramids in the park.

Temple V

Temple V was by far our favorite pyramid that we saw when we entered the park. The size of this pyramid blew us away when we first walked up to it.

It’s hard to believe that people centuries and centuries ago could build something this massive without the tools of today. The pictures of this place do not do it justice.

Plaza de los Siete Templos

Another very interesting area to see is the Plaza de Los Siete Templos. This area has some well-preserved buildings in it that are extremely well preserved.

These pyramids were circled a central ball court where sports were held.

The Grand Plaza

The Grand Plaza at Tikal was a sight to behold. You can climb to the top of one of the pyramids to get a nice view of the entire place.

Here you can start envisioning what life used to be like in Tikal. I started to imagine the Mayan people walking around doing their daily life and socializing.

It must have been something else to look down on this area centuries ago.

Temple IV

When you travel to this site, Temple IV is one of the ones you hear about the most. It is the highest pyramid in the entire national park.

This is where we went first as we wanted to envision the entire civilization from above. It is easy to tell how it was so hard to find these pyramids those many years ago.

When you arrive at this pyramid you will walk up a staircase for around 5 minutes until you reach the top.

Should You Visit Tikal in Guatemala: The Final Verdict

I think you should absolutely go to Tikal and view the pyramids. I was also on the fence about going because it is so far away from the rest of the country. If you are coming from either Belize or Mexico then you should 100% stop by this national park. There were so many more preserved pyramids than I ever thought there would be. If you finish walking around there is a restaurant where you can sit and chill until your driver comes back.

Is Tikal Worth Visiting? My Reasoning for Why it is

Why You Should Visit Tikal in Guatemala