A night in Tikal, Guatemala

During our trip to Belize, we decided to take a small detour into Guatemala to visit Tikal, one of the most famous Maya archaeological sites in the world.

At the time, it sounded simple enough: drive across the border, visit the ruins, spend a night near the park, and head back.

Of course, as travel often reminds us, the plans that look simple on paper sometimes turn into something a little more complicated.

And in this case… that’s exactly what happened.

Looking back, the whole trip felt like a small adventure within our bigger adventure. It involved border crossings, unexpected logistics, a jungle hotel with limited electricity, tropical rainstorms, curious wildlife, and of course, the incredible ruins of an ancient Maya city slowly emerging from the rainforest.

It was not the most perfectly organized part of our travels.

But it was definitely one of the most memorable.

Planning the Trip 

This part of our trip wasn’t very well planned.

Actually, if I’m being honest, it was almost entirely planned the night before.

We had been staying in San Ignacio, Belize, which sits fairly close to the Guatemalan border. Someone mentioned that Tikal was only a few hours away, and suddenly the idea felt irresistible.

How often do you find yourself this close to one of the most important Maya cities ever built?

So we booked a hotel near the park and figured we would simply drive there.

Simple enough… or so we thought.

The Border Crossing

The first small surprise came when we picked up our rental car. We learned that most rental companies in Belize do not allow you to cross into Guatemala with the vehicle. If something happens across the border, the insurance becomes invalid.

Unfortunately, our rental company was one of those.

So we had to quickly rethink the plan.

Instead of driving across, we left the car in a secure parking lot right near the border crossing. The cost was about $10 per day, which was reasonable considering the circumstances.

From there, we walked across the border.

Then we learned that we needed to walk to another office to have our passports stamped.

Another line.

Another wait.

Border crossings always take longer than expected, and this one was no exception. We stood in line for quite a while to get our visas. The cost was $40 per adult, while kids under twelve were free.

Travel lesson number one: border crossings rarely go as quickly as you imagine.

The Drive Into the Jungle

From the border, it is about two hours to Tikal, and the landscape slowly changes as you drive deeper into northern Guatemala.

The towns become smaller, the roads quieter, and the forest begins to close in around you.

This region is part of the Petén rainforest, one of the largest remaining tropical forests in Central America. It stretches across Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Mexico, and it once supported many of the great Maya cities.

As we continued driving, the jungle grew thicker and thicker. It was easy to imagine how remote this place must have felt centuries ago.

Eventually, we reached the entrance to Tikal National Park, which is still about 30 minutes from the ruins themselves.

That’s when we realized we had forgotten something important.

We had not exchanged any Guatemalan money.

The entrance fee was 150 quetzales per adult (kids are free), and they would not accept US dollars.

For a moment, we thought we might actually be stuck there.

Luckily, there was an ATM nearby, which saved us from having to turn around and completely rethink the plan. What were we thinking? I honestly don’t know why we were so unprepared for this part of our trip!

Sometimes travel teaches you the same lesson more than once: always have a little local currency.

Arriving at the Hotel

Once we finally got to the hotel, I must admit it was a bit of a shock.

The atmosphere felt completely different from the place we had stayed at in Belize. The hotel itself was simple, which we didn’t mind at all, but the people working there were not nearly as friendly.

At one point, the concierge tried to give us two different prices for a tour we had asked about. That didn’t leave a great impression, and we decided not to book anything through the hotel.

Who knows what other prices might have suddenly changed just because we were tourists?

We also learned something else about staying in this part of the jungle.

Electricity only runs from 6 pm to 9:30 pm and again in the morning from 6:30 to 8:30 am. Outside of those hours, there is simply no power.

No lights.
No outlets.
Nothing.

Not that we had many evening plans anyway… but it definitely changes the rhythm of your day.

The sky was getting cloudy just as we headed out to see the ruins. Of course, as soon as we reached the entrance, a huge tropical storm started! Luckily, those storms don’t last too long, so after waiting it out, we grabbed some huge leaves to cover ourselves and started off on our exploration…

About Tikal

As I said before, the ruins were definitely worth the trip! The park is huge and sits deep in the tropical rainforest of northern Guatemala.

The vegetation is incredible. You can find tropical cedar, big-leaf mahogany, and giant kapok trees, some of which rise high above the jungle canopy. These kapok trees were considered sacred by the Maya and were believed to connect the underworld, the earth, and the heavens.

There are also many animals living throughout the park, such as howler monkeys, spider monkeys, falcons, parrots, gray foxes, and the white-nosed coatis that wander around the ruins.

Tikal was once a powerful city and ceremonial center of the ancient Maya civilization. It flourished between 300 and 850 CE, although the earliest settlements in the area began even earlier. People started clearing parts of the jungle and building monumental architecture as early as 100 CE.

The city’s prosperity was based on the exploitation of natural resources such as cedar wood, dye from brazilwood, copal resin, and flint, as well as cultivating maize in cleared rainforest areas and fertile swamp lands nearby.

In 378 CE, Tikal was invaded by forces connected to the powerful city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico. After that moment, strong influences from Teotihuacan began appearing in Tikal’s art, clothing, and architecture.

From the late 4th century onward, Tikal became a dominant force in the Maya world. It conquered rivals like Uaxactúnand Rio Azul and formed alliances across the region. At its height, the population of Tikal, including the surrounding settlements, was estimated to be over 50,000 people, making it one of the largest Maya cities ever built.

Tikal National Park was established in the 1950s and later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

The site’s major structures include five pyramidal temples and three large complexes, known as acropolises. These likely served as temples, palaces, and residences for the ruling elite.

Temple I, also called the Temple of the Jaguar, rises to 148 feet (45 meters).

Across the plaza stands Temple II, about 138 feet (42 meters) high, supporting the Temple of the Masks.

Temple III rises to 180 feet (55 meters).

Near the Plaza of the Seven Temples stands Temple V, reaching about 187 feet (57 meters).

The tallest structure in Tikal is Temple IV, which rises 213 feet (65 meters) above the jungle. From the top, you can see the tops of other temples emerging from the forest canopy, an incredible sight and one of the most famous views in the entire Maya world.

Interestingly, the view from Temple IV was also used in the original Star Wars film to represent the Rebel base on the forest moon of Yavin.

Thoughts about Tikal

The Grand Plaza is pretty breathtaking.

Once the tourists start leaving, you feel a peacefulness and a powerful energy that is hard to ignore. There is something about standing between those massive temples, surrounded by jungle sounds, that makes you pause for a moment.

We stayed there for quite a while.

At one point a bunch of coatimundis (from the raccoon family) came running across the grounds. Tourists were running after them trying to snap a picture, but be aware, they look cute but they do bite!

Of course Luca was trying to catch them too. I was right behind him, since a couple of times it looked like they were going to attack him!

At the entrance it says that the park closes at 6 pm, but I’m not sure how they can actually check if everyone is out. It is the jungle, and it is such a large park.

We decided to head back mainly because it was getting dark and there were no lights. Honestly I was getting a little scared that we might have some unwanted encounter.

At one point a worker was driving down the road (road access is only for authorized personnel). He offered us a ride back, and suddenly I stopped being worried and was only 100% grateful!

Tikal on Our Own or With an Organized Tour?

In the end, I don’t think we actually saved any money doing it on our own, but we definitely had much more freedom.

We weren’t on a tour schedule, which gave us the chance to stay in the spots we liked the most as long as we wanted and move quickly through the ones that were less interesting to us.

Our kids could explore and enjoy the place without worrying about slowing down other people.

So for our family of five, it was definitely better to visit Tikal on our own.

What Was the Worst Part of the Trip?

Getting back to Belize!

We waited in line two hours under the sun. Once it was finally our turn they realized they had put the wrong exit date in Mass’s passport.

Mass had to walk all the way back to the office to have them fix it. By the time we were finally back in Belize we had no more patience left.

If you go with a tour they usually have someone keeping the spot in line so you don’t have to wait all that time standing under the sun or the rain. Someone does it for you!

Still, the wait wasn’t completely wasted. While we were in line we had the chance to chat with a very friendly Belizean guide who shared many great travel tips with us. And sometimes those little unexpected conversations become part of the story, too.

Looking back, despite the border lines, the rainstorm, and our very questionable planning skills, visiting Tikal was absolutely worth it.

There is something very special about walking through an ancient city surrounded by jungle, hearing the sounds of monkeys echoing through the trees while massive temples rise above the forest canopy.

It’s the kind of place that reminds you how much history and mystery still exist in the world.

And sometimes, the trips that are the least organized end up being the ones you remember the most.

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Click here to see more of our posts from our travels in Belize!!!

Check out the hotel we stayed at Hotel Tikal Inn!!!