Visiting Tikal without a guide is a decision that I wish I’d give more thought to. Tikal is home to the most impressive set of Mayan temples I have ever seen (and I’ve seen many!) Think awe-inspiring pyramids, ornate hieroglyphic inscriptions, elaborate burial sites. This is a MUST for anyone planning a trip to Guatemala.

And yet, my visit to Tikal is one of my big travel regrets.

Not the decision to go there – of course not. It’s one of the best Mayan ruins you will ever anywhere. I’m referring to the way I chose to experience Central America’s most significant Mayan archaeological site.

Let me explain…

Planning a trip to Tikal National Park in Guatemala

Going to Tikal requires a fair amount of planning. It sits deep in the Peten forest in northern Guatemala – there’s no fast train to deposit you at the doorsteps of this World Heritage Site.

I thought I’d covered all the angles – transportation and hotel logistics were planned beautifully. 

In hindsight, what should have been my top consideration when planning the trip to Tikal was:

“Should I visit Tikal without a guide or with one? How do I want to experience the ancient pyramids?”

Do you want to experience it on your own? There’s certainly the magic of solo exploration. Visiting Tikal without a guide is a bold move – it’s one of the most significant Mayan ruins in the world.

Or, should you get a tour guide at Tikal? An expert who will lead you into the vast jungle, through historical corridors where Mayan warriors once marched, and where a huge community of Mayas once thrived.

About Tikal

Tikal is an ancient Mayan city located deep in the jungle of northern Guatemala. It is one of the largest archaeological sites of the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization.

Tikal was to the Mayans what Texas is to the USA – everything came bigger. Or at least that’s how I imagine Mayans from smaller cities like Caracol in Belize or Dos Pilas in Guatemala perceived it.

And for visitors to the Mayan ruins in Guatemala, this is music to our ears. After all, big elaborate pyramids are why we are so drawn to historical sites like this, right? Everyone goes to gawk at a huge temple before taking the classic shot.

But something more happens here in the Peten jungle…you’re blown away by the full picture. Those pyramids sit within an entire complex that legitimately feels like a small city. 

And amazingly enough, the vast expanse of structures at Tikal National Park aren’t remotely close to being all of it. A lot of the ancient Mayan world still lies under the dense cover of the Guatemalan jungle, according to archaeologists.

What does the name Tikal mean?

“Tikal” is derived from the Mayan word ti ak’al which means  “at the water hole”.

When touring Guatemala, keep in mind that the Maya are the majority in the country’s population and therefore, the names of many places are in the Mayan language.

For example, another top attraction in Guatemala is Semuc Champey. This is a name from the indigenous Mayan Q’eqchi and it translates to “where the river hides”. 

Also Read: Semuc Champey: Go Forest Bathing in Guatemala’s Remote Jungle Paradise

Should you stay at a hotel in Tikal National Park?

Yes, I recommend staying at a hotel in Tikal National Park if your budget will allow for the higher cost of staying here vs. the cheaper options Flores. I opted to stay at the Jungle Lodge Hotel inside Tikal.

The main benefit of staying at a hotel in Tikal National Park is the early bird advantage.

You have a nice headstart on the crowds – buses of tourists start arriving after 6am when the park gates open.  Arriving on a tourist shuttle from Flores, or on a public bus from Santa Elena, means you’ll first have to endure a couple hours of travel at the crack of dawn (we literally rolled out of bed and onto the main attraction).

The other plus to staying at Tikal is waking up to the sounds of the jungle. It is an incredibly unique experience.

What makes the music symphony so unforgettable are the howler monkeys. Once you hear their massive chords, it will be imprinted in your memory forever. A jungle experience you will only get in Central or South America.

Visiting Tikal without a guide: Tikal sunrise tour, my 1st big mistake

It was the most anticipated day on our Guatemala trip itinerary: Tikal Mayan ruins. Our adventure in the Peten jungle started just after 5am. Nice and early.

Technically though, we didn’t have that first advantage I mentioned before. Over three hours ago, a group of fellow tourists had crept quietly past our door and made their way into the pitch black of the jungle.

This was the Tikal sunrise tour (4am to 8am) – the main reason why most pay a premium to stay on-site.

But when the alert came in the dead of night to wake up and make our way into the Peten forest with the Tikal tour guide (mandatory for the sunrise expedition), the plan changed. We swiftly decided a few more hours of sleep sounded better. 

It was a dim-witted move on our part. 

Visiting Tikal without a guide – why it was a mistake

As we started out walk into the jungle around 9am, we bumped into the Tikal sunrise tour group who were just returning. Leading the charge was a guy called Cesar. We’d met him the evening before at dinner. He spoke excellent English and was very personable, sharing little anecdotes that kept us captivated.

Is it worth getting a guide at Tikal in Guatemala?

Yes, you should absolutely hire a guide when visiting Tikal.

Not hiring Cesar to be our tour guide at Tikal was the biggest mistake we made on our trip to Guatemala. Here’s why…

In the upcoming hours we would walk amongst some of the most intriguing Mayan ruins known to man. Seeing them alone would be mind-boggling. But could the experience have been even better?

Sure it could.

In a place like that, you need a good storyteller at your side to further stimulate your mind and bring those monuments alive. You will absolutely stand in front of those ancient temples and wonder: what happened here?

Cesar was a natural at storytelling. Without a doubt, he could tell the tales (colourful ones, of course) of what transpired here on his native soil.

Visiting Tikal without a guide: Great Plaza, Temple of the Masks, and more

Visiting Tikal without a guide meant charting our own course. Thankfully, we encountered good walking paths and lots of sign-posts between the temples.

The first highlight of the walk came when we arrived at Tikal’s Great Plaza.

As I stepped onto the grassy area, my imagination started to go wild. This was clearly the epicenter of a carefully-designed former Mayan city.

“How many Mayan kings and warriors marched in and stood in this plaza triumphantly after a fierce battle with a neighbouring tribe?”

Fun fact: Scholars of Mayan glyphs have assigned names for the rulers at Tikal including: Jaguar Paw, Shield Skull, Lord Chocolate, Double Bird, Curl Snout. Quite the startling visual each name evokes, doesn’t it?

Temple of the Great Jaguar (Tikal “Temple I”)

Temple of the Great Jaguar is the centrepiece of the Great Plaza, figuratively-speaking. My eyes were immediately drawn to the massive pyramid from the moment I stepped into the former Mayan city main square.

And how could you not? It stands dominant at 47 meters or over 150 feet tall – approximately the same height of the Statue of Liberty in New York!

It is also very steep and as a result is not deemed safe to climb, unfortunately.

Also read: Best Things to Do in Izamal, Mexico’s “Yellow City” (where there is a large ancient Mayan temple that you can climb!)

The grand Temple I at Tikal is a funerary temple where the Mayan ruler, Ah Cacao, or Lord Chocolate, is buried.

It faces the setting sun.

Temple of the Masks (Tikal “Temple II”)

Temple of the Masks stands opposite to the Temple of the Great Jaguar in Tikal’s Great Plaza.

Its name is attributable to the faded stone artwork which presides over the temple’s stairwell (these masks weren’t distinguishable to me).

Temple II reaches a height of 38 meters, or 122 feet.

Temple of the Masks is also a funerary temple, dedicated to the wife of Lord Chocolate, Lady Twelve Macaw Tails.

It faces the rising sun.

North Acropolis at Tikal

The North Acropolis at Tikal is a royal burial ground where many Mayan rulers were laid to rest.

Hopefully the fierce warriors are now resting in peace, but the big headline for me wasn’t them. It was the assortment of crucial artifacts standing there in plain sight.

Lying in front of the North Acropolis at Tikal are Mayan stelae.

Stelae are tall stone pillars with ancient inscriptions carved on them.

I can’t emphasize enough how special these stelae are. A lot of our current knowledge on Mayan life at Tikal, and events that impacted their community in major ways, can be attributed to the discovery of these stelae. Fascinating hieroglyphic texts and depictions of royal leaders are sculpted into these monuments.

But how can we possibly know what it all means?

Secrets of Mayan stelae can only be illuminated by a brilliant epigrapher, of course.

If archaeologist David Stuart had a LinkedIn account, “deciphering Mayan hieroglyphs” would be the headline on his profile. Just another day at work…

Also read about the Tarahumara, an indigenous people in northwestern Mexico.

Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent (Tikal “Temple IV”)

Tikal’s Temple IV is a big deal. In a certain respect, the biggest: it is 25 meters, or 213 feet tall. This makes Temple IV the highest structure of all in Tikal National Park.

Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent in Guatemala is also the tallest Mayan temple ever built that we know of.

Tikal guides bring their tour groups here to watch the sun rise over the thick jungle.

I will go as far as to say that sitting on the peak of Temple IV is one of the best viewpoints I have ever enjoyed. There was an unmistakable air of wonder about it…

On a clear day you can spot the top of the temples in the Great Plaza as we did!

But not so fast. First, visitors to Tikal need to climb many steps to reach the top. Thankfully, a wooden stairway has been erected. No need to go all Spiderman in the jungle as you attempt to ascend an ancient Mayan temple.

Temple IV at Tikal was hands down my favourite part of visiting these ancient Mayan ruins in Guatemala. I imagine that everyone who goes to the peak enjoys a magical moment here.

Lost World Complex at Tikal National Park

The Lost World – also referred to as “Mundo Perdido” in Spanish – is a ceremonial complex.

When we explored the Lost World complex at Tikal, the area did not appear to be popular with fellow tourists. Which meant we had the place all to ourselves.

From humans, that is…

Racoon-like animals with white noses and long tails (called “coatis” I later learnt) darted above us among the trees. And the roaring sound of howler monkeys seemed to follow us everywhere! It was nice to enjoy the solitutude and absorb the sights and sound of the jungle in the Lost World.

Final thoughts on going to Tikal without a guide

The one big benefit I found to exploring Tikal without a guide was: we could wander where we wanted, at the pace we wanted. (I can hardly see any Tikal guide being impressed with me stalling group progress in order to listen to the soundtrack of the Peten jungle.)

That said, while there are audio and written guides which you can use to augment your visit to Tikal, ultimately they don’t replace the person.

My recommendation to all of you out there contemplating Guatemala trip itineraries: be sure to head north and visit Tikal. It is undeniably one of the most stellar experiences you’ll have in the country. And while you’re doing your trip research, check out reviews on tour guides at Tikal. Don’t repeat my mistake!