Hey, everyone! I am back to share a little bit more with you all about my recent adventures. While traveling to Belize a little over a month ago we decided to make the day trip in Guatemala to Tikal National Park. The whole trip was amazing, but visiting Tikal was most certainly the most amazing part of the trip.
Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located in the northern region of the Guatemalan rain forest. Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites of the Mayan civilization. Having traveled to several ancient Mayan cities, Tikal is by far my favorite. It was amazingly beautiful to see these ancient ruins through the rain forest and my most favorite part, which I still cannot believe they allow, was we were able to climb the ruins! It was amazing and definitely worth the trip.
+Getting to Tikal– There are several different ways to get to Tikal depending on where you will be traveling from. Coming from Belize City, we stayed in San Ignacio, Belize for a few days to be able to explore and travel to Belize. If you have a rental car, you can drive across the border. However, there are several things you will have to do first. You will have to apply for a special permit at least a week in advance and it will have to be signed and approved by a lawyer. You will also have to buy insurance in order to drive your car across the border. If you are planning on driving across the border, be sure to book your rental car in advance and take care of the permit and insurance before, or else you will not be able to drive across the border.
We opted for a second option and booked a tour guide for the day. For about $80 US dollars our private tour guide picked us up at our Airbnb, drove us to the Belize/Guatemalan border, took care of everything needed, tickets, lunch, and all border crossing details. The trip to Tikal from the Belize border was about 2 hours. It was an amazing drive through the country of Guatemala, beautiful rain forest and several lakes along the way were a great addition to the trip.
+Exploring Tikal National Park– The park itself is massive and you have to walk/hike to each of the temples spread out across the park. I highly recommend having a tour guide as they can easily walk you through the park to the temples. A guide can also help you navigate the park through lesser-used trails to skip the crowds and move from site to site easily. You can most certainly find the temples on your own but it was take much longer and you might miss areas along the way. The temples themselves are unbelievable and beyond beautiful.
+What to wear/take with you-Regardless of the season it is best to take water with you when visiting Tikal. The park is large and if you are visiting during the hottest months, you will definitely need water throughout your day. Also, as I mentioned before, you are allowed to climb the temples, which are many, many steps high, so you will be happy you have a little water with you. Normally, there are really two seasons in Guatemala, Summer and Spring, so it will likely be warm or blazing hot. Light attire, you are able to walk and climb in is most appropriate. Also, you might happen to get caught in the rain, which we did, so a rain poncho or umbrella might come in handy.
I hope this travel guide helps you all plan a visit to Tikal National Park. If you love Mayan culture and exploring you will not be disappointed and most certainly will be left in awe, just like I was.
Until my next adventure guys! See you all soon!
