Tikal is an expansive ancient Maya citadel with hundreds of excavated Maya buildings and hundreds more lying under the jungle. Tikal was probably the largest Maya city which flourished between 300 and 850 CE. Visitors can easily spend a couple of days exploring the ruins and the rainforest which is filled with spider monkeys, coatis, and tropical birds like toucans and macaws. Visit Tikal as part of your trip to Guatemala, or extend your trip to nearby Belize. Contact one of Adventure Life's Guatemala specialists for help planning the perfect trip to Tikal.
900 CE: The city was abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle.
Purpose: Tikal served as one of the major Mayan metropolises, serving as a center of politics, science, religion, and society.
Why was Tikal abandoned? The Maya empire was a powerful kingdom for over a thousand years, and while Tikal was a prominent city for much of that, other cities also vied to be the seat of power for the empire. Although Tikal was able to recover from several valleys when political power was taken to another city by competing Maya royals, ultimately, it was abandoned in the late 9th century.
Getting to Tikal
To get to Tikal, you will likely catch a flight into the rainforest, from which point you will use land transportation for several hours before arriving in this impressive complex.
Where to stay around Tikal La Lancha - This 10-room lodge on Lago Peten Itza is a sanctuary for those exploring Tikal. Each room is air conditioned and the lodge itself features a pool, an open-air restaurant, and exclusive access to the Lake and the jungle.
The Jungle Lodge - Located in the heart of the Tikal National Park, this lodge features 36 bungalows, each with a private bathroom and comfortable amenitites. There are also two luxurious Junior Suites that have hot tubs and 12 rooms that have shared bathrooms. The hotel also hosts a restaurant/ bar and swimming pool.
If you are doing Tikal as an extension tour or as a one-day destination, you might not stay in one of these hotels and simply take a bus to Tikal from neighboring Belize or other destinations in Guatemala.
Activities to do around Tikal
Exploring the ruins: The expansive complex of ruins at Tikal is the main attraction and in fact is enough to fill several days of exploration without even scratching the surface. The towering pyramids where kings were entombed are the centerpiece of the ancient city, but the surrounding buildings are also well preserved considering the environment and offer a rare glimpse into the early architecture and development of Mayan building. Much of the complex was actually reclaimed by the jungle and is still hidden, creating a more mysterious atmosphere.
Wildlife spotting: Since Tikal is located deep within the jungles of Guatemala, you are likely to come across all manner of tropical rainforest species, including spider & howler monkeys, white lipped peccary, brocket deer, coati-mundis, toucans, scarlet macaws, parrots, ocelots and even jaguars.
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.