One of the great things about booking a package with Caves Branch Jungle Lodge was getting to peruse their huge catalog of excursions to fill out our stay. Even aside from their many caving and nature expeditions, the first thing we pegged that we wanted to do was visit Tikal in Guatemala.
The night before the lodge had scheduled us to leave for the trip, they let us know the excursion hadn’t met its minimum number of participants – noooo! Happily, Carlos, the excursions manager, hooked us up with another tour company happy to assist. So, we turned in early, ready to be up with the sun to make the pilgrimage to one of the largest and most comprehensive known Mayan sites in the world.
A very brief history of Tikal in Guatemala
Even simply looking at pictures, it’s clear why Tikal in Guatemala made it into the running as one of the modern 7 wonders of the world. Sadly, since famous tourist sites like Chichén Itzá have more notoriety and the contest was popularity-based, Tikal missed out. But you know what? That’s a GREAT thing. It means that this city, with structures that date from the 4th century BC up through the 900s CE, has been immaculately preserved without the destruction caused by a constant stream of visitors.
Boyfriend Perspective: This is probably a good thing, more popular sites, like Machu Picchu, are starting to restrict tourism with permits to help reduce further wear and tear on the structures.
Structures found here include residences for upper class citizens, palaces for nobles, temples to a vast number of deities, and steles upon steles relating the tales and history of the generations of Maya who called this area home.
As to why this storied city ended up abandoned and destroyed by the end of the 10th century, our guide and a few locals we spoke to espoused the theory that droughts and agricultural decline (due to fatigue of the land, among other things) led to unrest among the swelling population. In neighboring cities, rulers built walls around their palaces to keep the lower classes and their dissatisfaction away. Since measures like that never work, the Mayan empire eventually collapsed.
Tikal is a relatively modern Maya name, applied before inscriptions at the site had been studied. But the ancient Mayans originally knew the city as Mutul or Yax Mutul. Interestingly, this city-slash-national-park is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage sites with the designation of both natural AND cultural, not just one or the other.
Tikal tour pickup and drive to Tikal in Guatemala
A driver for the tour company Caves Branch was working with picked us up at 6am the morning of our tour, and we started the multi-hour journey to Tikal. Our driver dropped us off at the Belize/Guatemala border so we could cross on foot, and we were then picked up by a registered Guatemala tourism van to continue on our way. At a village just across from Lago Petén Itzá, we picked up Elmer, our guide, and our tour was finally in full swing.
At one final stop before we hit the park, Elmer took us to a tienda that featured
- free Guatemalan coffee (woo!)
- an incredible traditional woodworking station, where you can also buy the traditional masks hanging from the rafters and walls
- a huge display of beautiful, local jade jewelry
- an educational corner about the history of chewing gum in Guatemala
- and a gigantic, scale map of Tikal
After Elmer taught us about the layout of Tikal and why it was built the way it was – using that really cool map – it was time to hop back in the van and finally get to experience the park, itself. But not before we ordered our lunch, since we’d be stopping at this tienda again after our hike.
Boyfriend Perspective: Even on a scale map of Tikal, I don’t think we were able to get a real sense of how large the city was. We (spoiler!) walked around for 4 hours and I’m certain that we only saw a small portion of its entirety.
Arriving at Tikal in Guatemala
Once we arrived at the front gates (pictures are hard to come by when you’re stuck in a van with tinted windows!), Elmer hopped out of the van to register us with the park officials. At the same time, our driver was getting a slip from other officials, with a time on us. We discovered, after Elmer returned to the van, that driving through the reserve has a time minimum to protect wildlife – that is, they don’t want drivers flying down the roads of this national park + nature reserve and potentially destroying some of the very unique wildlife that calls the park home.
After what felt like forever on the narrow, two-lane road – the drive punctuated only by the appearance of some wild turkeys – we arrived at the parking area and quickly piled out of the van to stretch and get our cameras ready. And what’s the first thing we see? A koatamundi strolling through the nearby green area, followed by a couple of toucans! Excited to finally see some wildlife, we were more than ready to get walking.
Hiking tour through Tikal National Park
As we started walking along a well-maintained path that sloped gently upward, Elmer educated us about different trees and plants as we passed. Most notably, he showed us the national tree of Guatemala, the ceiba pentandra, known for its characteristic root structure, its branches covered in air plants (GUYS, THEY LOOK FUZZY) and its fibrous fruit filling that served as mattress stuffing for the Maya. It was also one of the tallest types of trees in the area, so the Maya believed its branches ran the closest to heaven, making this a sacred tree, as well.
After a little more walking, our first building sprang out of the jungle right in front of us.
Elmer explained that only a small fraction of the structures at Tikal have been fully or mostly excavated. Firstly, to preserve the site’s current condition for future generations – after all, archaeological techniques are sharpening and evolving all the time, and we may yet find better and less destructive ways to beat the jungle back off of these buildings. And secondly, removing the jungle from temples is extremely costly and time-consuming today, and even more costly to maintain in the long run. We saw squads of men with trowels and machetes removing vines and growth from different building clusters as we explored, illustrating just how quickly the jungle can start to take back what it had previously claimed – Elmer even told us that, within 10 years, any structure left unattended and unmaintained in the jungle would be completely reclaimed.
Boyfriend Perspective: The humidity and warm climate allow the jungle to grow so quickly that it has to be harvested 4 times a year to keep it at bay.
One thing we noticed was how many places there are to rest throughout the park, many with beverages and snacks on offer. We likely came across 5-6 thatched-roof structures with benches, prime for resting your feet or waiting out a passing rainstorm. As far as snacks go, $2 US got us two large bottles of water and a pack of cookies (don’t judge – we needed a pick me up in all that humidity!), so budget accordingly.
Boyfriend Perspective: Considering that we didn’t eat breakfast or know to bring snacks, this was the oasis in the desert and might have turned into a Lake Louise hiking situation if not for these rest spots.
Getting to know some of the temples and residences of Tikal in Guatemala
Of the structures we got to explore, the first (above) was built in 700 CE. Now, it’s called the Temple of the Great Jaguar. We approached it from the back, but its front is the most famous sight in Tikal. It and the Temple of the Masks (below) face one another.
While the Temple of the Great Jaguar can’t be climbed at this time, a walkway up the back of the Temple of the Masks allows you to hoof it up the temple to an observation deck to get that iconic view. The buildings between and beside them make up the Northern Acropolis.
The second cluster of buildings above is the Central Acropolis. This was a residential area inhabited by nobles, proven out by the fact that one of bed chambers Elmer showed us was complete with a ledge next to the bed, intended to show off pottery and other fine items.
Boyfriend Perspective: In case you missed it, Elmer is standing on the bed. Talk about roughing it. Was “masseur” the profession to be in this society? (Ha ha!)
This building (which, if you can tell, is covered with Moses in Bulrushes plants) is the highest palace in this complex.
This huge temple sticking up over the trees is Temple V, the second-tallest temple in the main complex. You never get used to looking around and seeing facades poking out of the canopy like GIANT stone trees!
In additional temple-climbing news, this 360 observation deck is housed atop the Grand Pyramid of the Mundo Perdido complex. While it’s not the tallest structure around, it does offer some of the best, unobstructed views. Be aware, though: the wooden stairs to get up here are brutally steep and, in some cases, feel closer to a ladder than a staircase.
The final temple we tackled was Temple IV, the tallest temple at Tikal and, potentially, in the known pre-Columbian world (likely beating out sites at structures at Teotihuacan and El Mirador). As a bonus for the modern pop culture nerds out there, this pyramid also overlooks the area where the Millennium Falcon landed at the Rebel camp in Star Wars A New Hope. Yes, that’s right, Tikal was the Rebel camp. And these two nerds didn’t even realize it until we were sitting on top of a giant pyramid going, “…….why does this look familiar?”
Boyfriend Perspective: REBEL ALLIANCE FOREVER!!!
Wildlife on the Tikal tour
Fortunately, we got to see several koatamundi, two different species of toucans, a troupe of howler monkeys, a troupe of spider monkeys, a gray kite, and plenty of other birds and reptiles:
Final thoughts on travel from Belize to Tikal in Guatemala
Guys, this was one of the most rewarding trips we’ve taken in awhile. Like visiting France’s amazing cathedrals, it’s hard not to simply walk around with your jaw on the ground (not recommended though, since bugs are PLENTIFUL) at the magnificence and craftsmanship of these amazing structures. It’s a long, long day and a long, long trip, but we’d 100% do it again.
Boyfriend Perspective: Places like this always make me wonder how they did it. The people are small-statured, how did they move such an enormous amount of rock to create these temples?
Things to know about touring Tikal in Guatemala (including, can I visit Tikal from Belize?)
Border crossing to Guatemala from Belize.
Once we arrived at the border, we got in line at border patrol with our passports and $40 BZE (or $20 US), as there’s a border exit fee specific to which country you’re heading to. The first booth took our fee and provided a receipt.
At the second booth, border agents asked us about where we were staying in Belize, and when and if we planned to return, and then stamped/returned our passports and allowed us on our way. So, just make sure you have solid, honest answers, your fee, and your passport, and border crossing shouldn’t be tough.
Be aware, though, that high season months can see border-crossing lines stretching out the doors and around the building. Many Belizeans prefer to do their shopping in less-expensive Guatemala, and many schools and businesses send their people across the border – add that to tons of tourists, and you’ll be standing for awhile. Also note that the bathrooms cost $1BZ to use, so don’t just waltz in like we did and get told off by the attendant!
Boyfriend Perspective: Both Belize and Guatemala accept the US Dollar, but if you happen to have Belizean or Guatemalan currency, there are people on the Belize side happy to exchange them from one to the other for you.
You probably need a guide.
Tikal tour guides hang out near the very entrance to the national park, and can be hired on site. While we could very well have wandered our way around the park, having a knowledgeable guide educate us about different structures and the cultural significance of this incredible place made the trip. They also know the ins and outs of the park – the timing of the drive from gate to parking, etc. – and will be a huge asset.
Boyfriend Perspective: I would not have wanted to try this on our own. We would have been guessing too much. Plus, English is not taught in Guatemala until college, so we couldn’t have asked. So, we wouldn’t have enjoyed the visit nearly as much without a guide.
You can charter a Tikal tour from within Guatemala, or you can visit Tikal from Belize.
We stayed at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge, near Belmopan and Armenia, and chartered a tour that started there. The drive to the Belize/Guatemala border took about two hours, and then we had another hour and a half drive to Tikal. We picked up a Guatemalan guide, who educated us about his country as well as this amazing site, but we could very easily have hired a guide within Guatemala, as well.
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