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Tikal Day Trip with Local Lunch from San Ignacio

San Ignacio, Belize

From $145.00

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

9 hours 30 minutes
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Visit the incredible ancient city of Tikal on this day trip from San Ignacio. Once a powerful city center during the Mayan period, today Tikal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that draws scores of visitors each year. Your professional guide takes you across the border into Tikal National Park in Guatemala, and leads you on a fascinating tour of the archaeological complex. Round-trip transport from your San Ignacio hotel and all park fees are included.

Day trip to Tikal from San Ignacio
Visit Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tour the ruins of Tikal with a professional and informative guide
Learn about the Mayans who built one of the largest archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian world
Round-trip hotel transport by comfortable coach included

What's Included

Local guide
Hotel pickup and drop-off within San Ignacio town limits
Lunch

Gratuities
Departure tax fee (US$ 19 per person, due on day of travel)
Hotel pick-up and drop-off outside San Ignacio town limits

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

6 Far W St, San Ignacio, Belize
Ground floor of Elviras Building by Ervas Restaurant

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

07:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

We provide complimentary pick up from hotels within San Ignacio town limits, for hotels outside of town, a small surcharge applies.

What To Expect

Visit one of the largest and most important Mayan sites in all of Central America. Your professional guide will pick you up at your San Ignacio hotel for the drive to Tikal National Park. You will be assisted in all border crossing procedures to enter Guatemala safely. Be sure to bring your passport.

Once inside the park, let your imagination run free as you explore highlights among more than 3,000 structures that archaeologists have excavated so far. Learn about daily life and religious practices of the ancient Mayans while wandering through the maze of the Central Acropolis, and envision the excitement of an elite sporting match in the ball courts.

Tikal boasts an array of magnificent ceremonial temples. Climb the steep staircase of the 144-foot (44-meter) Temple of the Grand Jaguar, built to honor a Mayan king. A set of twin pyramids with altars will greet you at complexes Q and R. Marvel at the Temple of the Masks, which was once adorned with intricate ceremonial mask carvings. Perhaps most impressive is the oft-photographed Temple IV, also known as the Double Head Serpent.

After a refreshing lunch break inside the park, satisfy your inner archaeologist during free time when you can explore the ruins independently. Your guide will then take you back to Belize and drop you off at your San Ignacio hotel.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
It is recommended you wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Not wheelchair accessible
Note: departure tax fee is due on day of travel in cash

Please note: a minimum of 2 passengers is required in order for this tour to operate. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
Infants must sit on laps
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Hotel pick up and drop off included in pricing is for hotels within San Ignacio town limits. For hotels outside of San Ignacio a surcharge applies
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

213 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 213 reviews

Adventurous, knowledgeable, and fun

Kaitlin_M, May 2024

Pros: Tikal was incredible, and the drivers and guides were wonderful. Also transfer at the border was easy! Cons: I was not prepared to walk 7+ miles in the Guatemalan jungle and suffered heat exhaustion due to the temperature, and lack of water. Don't be like me and bring a large water bottle, breathable clothing, and tennis/ hiking shoes!

Tikal is awesome!

Lisa_W, Apr 2024

It was incredible to see the vastness of the ruins. We were able to climb 3 ruins and see the entire area.

Great Visit

Elizabeth_I, Apr 2024

Our guide was EXCELLENT but the tour felt rushed. I knew that it was three hours but that seemed too short after experiencing it.

Great tour but a full day commitment!

Jenna_M, Apr 2024

It was a great trip. For context, I am traveling solo and it’s my first time in Belize. Pro - good communication. They said they had to cancel the trip if it was a solo departure. So I texted them on What’s app and they were very quick to respond. - The pick up van arrived at 7:15 which gave me 15 min extra time to get ready. It worked out - lunch and dinner are quite nice. They did offer water but I would still bring plenty. - The hiking wasn’t too much, I dont do any cardio but I was able to make it it’s all under 10min hike - This would be a fabulous tour for bird lovers. The guide was very knowledgeable about birds and the wild life. - ice cold wet towel upon coming back to the van was such a treat! - Border crossing was easy and well communicated. - the drive on the GUATAMALA side was so peaceful and pretty. I unexpectedly enjoyed the 2 hour ride. Con - the Belize company car could be a little cleaner. I’m not saying them to get a new car, but seats were dirty and made me uncomfortable to sit in the front. - GUATAMALA company tour guide, while he was nice, seemed more knowledgeable about the wild life than the Mayan itself, I would’ve personally loved to hear about how Mayans lived more. - I feel as though it could’ve been more well thought out in terms of the picture opportunities. More photo ops of the temple 4 or at the square would have been great. Overall, I recommend this trip! If you are not tooo into Mayan culture though may be doing a smaller Mayan ruins that couples water activity might be more bang for the buck. It is a full day commitment, I left at 7:15 and came back at 6:30 at night!

Amazing day exploring Tikal!

Itza_C, Apr 2024

I’ll start with our tour guide Sergio, he was extremely knowledgeable with all the information provided and very personable. He didn’t push us to go above our limits (there was a lot of walking and stair climbing) and brought on his humor alongside! The tour was an extremely long day filled with knowledge and walking, but it was so worth it. Be sure to take plenty of water, eat a good breakfast (or bring light snacks if you’re a snacker), and wear comfortable shoes because you will walk! It was surreal seeing all the preserved history and being able to walk up some of them! We had an amazing time getting to know the other participants of this tour! If you can spare an entire day, do this tour.

Make Tikal a priority!

Megan_B, Apr 2024

Incredible tour with amazing staff in both Belize & Guatemala! The ruins were not crowded and the lunch at a local Guatemalan restaurant was delicious. So glad we made this a priority while in Belize. We were away from our hotel for a total of 13 hours. Plan for an all day outing.

Definitely worth it!

Kristi_M, Apr 2024

Really enjoyed the tour, our tour guide Amado was very knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and ruins. We were lucky to go on a day that wasn’t too hot. It was nice to have our own private tour.

Iconic must see trip!

Wayne_T, Apr 2024

The Mayan ruins in Tikal rival those in Maachu Picchu and Greece. It's an amazing experience! We highly recommend going. Some folks may worry about safety in Guatemala. Please rest assured it felt extremely safe. Many tourists going, so you're in good company.

Bucket List Day Trip

Nicole_A, Mar 2024

Tikal is an incredible visit. I’ve been to a few Mayan ruins and this was the first time I felt like I was truly in an ancient city. Luis, our guide, was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, witty, and did a thorough job showing us the park. I also enjoyed the lunch stop where I was given more food than I could finish.

A Must See!

Gina_D, Mar 2024

This day trip is worth it! Advised of additional fee to enter Guatemala ahead of time. Guide picked me up from my hotel and drove to boarder where my group went through customs and was greeted by another driver to take us to Tikal. Driver stopped for us to get a bite and it was so worth it- homemade tortillas, beans, eggs, fresh juice and coffee. We then headed to pick up another guide, Luis, who is very knowledgeable about the Mayan culture and he guided us through Tikal. It was an amazing walk learning about the Mayans. After the tour, we headed to get lunch and it was delicious! I really enjoyed this tour and the guides were friendly and helpful! Thank you!

It was hot, but we all still had to climb up each temple.

Mark_P, Mar 2024

This was a very long, exhausting, and exciting day. It is kinda a long drive, but most definitely worth it. We had the most amazing tour guide that explained everything very thoroughly so that we all understood everything. It was so hot, but everyone climbed up the high temples till the very end. They even provided us with lunch. A very tasty lunch in my personal opinion. To sum things up, it was a fun, adventurous 14 hours of our day that we will never forget.

Tikal is totally worth...

Mariko_K, Mar 2024

Tikal is totally worth it. Our guide, however, was didn't include any nature stuff and was very anti-modern medicine and vaccines. You can believe whatever you want but I'm not paying to be lectured about it.

Amazing ruins

Kyle_t, Mar 2024

The best ruins we saw on our trip. This area is huge and the ruins are beautiful. It is very hot there but there are lots of areas with shade which was necessary. Definitely something I would recommend seeing.

Great team work across...

Aidir_P, Mar 2024

Great team work across the border an on site. Tikal Guide Luis Arturo is a living encyclopaedia. Well organised day tour.

Loved Tikal Tour

Katherine_J, Mar 2024

Loved this tour! It is a long day but the tour is worth it. Tikal is amazing in its scope and size and our guide, Luis brought to life the Mayan history. Highlights were seeing the views from the tops of the temples and walking beneath two competing troops of howler monkeys hollering at each other on different trees. The lunch was very tasty too. Border crossings took a lot of time.

Amazing!

Kathleen_B, Feb 2024

The Tikal tour was amazing! Our tour guide was Sergio, who did an excellent job. He gave us a choice of a 3 mile or 5 mile tour, of course we chose the 5 miles. Sergio gave us great information about the Mayan culture and history. The lunch was delicious. I would definitely recommend this tour!

Great trip to Tikal

STEPHEN_M, Feb 2024

Our guide Javier and drivers in both Belize and Guatemala were great. Really came away learning a lot of the Mayan civilizations and the natural aspects of the area.

One of our favorite days

Lindsey_P, Feb 2024

We started our day bright and early with David picking us up from our hotel at 6:15am (for a small extra fee since we were outside San Ignacio). He was very friendly and we enjoyed talking with him on our drive back to town to pick up our fellow day trippers. David then took us all to the border and made sure we made it across and introduced us to our Guatemalan tour guide Sergio. From there, we made the 2 hour drive to Tikal with a nice stop for breakfast as well as a gift shop where there was free coffee. Once at Tikal, Sergio guided us through about 5 miles of incredibly amazing ruins, hearing howler monkeys along the way and getting to see some spider monkeys playing on the ruins. It was a hot day, so be sure to bring plenty of water! A hat and sunscreen or long sleeves would be a good idea too. We all had a great time with Sergio and each other. The day ended with a late lunch on the drive back to the border. David picked us up there and delivered us safely to our hotel that evening. Highly recommend this company, you won't regret this day trip! A long day but well worth it =)

Expensive but worth it

Marcus_C, Feb 2024

Luis was very knowledgeable as a guide on the ruins and the drivers were all friendly and punctual. This experience would’ve been much more difficult to navigate with relying on a formal excursion like this

Excellent trip

Andrew_S, Feb 2024

Trip was excellent. The guide in Guatemala who picked us up at the border (Sergio) was really good - knowledgable and shared history but also let us have our time. He managed the day really well. No water provided as the description says so make sure to bring your own water - it is hot and you need to hydrate. I totally recommend this trip.

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