Tikal Mayan Ruins tour from Belize: Guided day trip to Guatemala

A thousand years of Mayan history in one day: temples, plazas and the jungle that reclaimed them

A guided day tour from Belize to Tikal Mayan Ruins in Guatemala covers the two-hour drive across the border, three and a half hours inside the national park, and the return crossing, with a professional guide handling all border formalities. You walk among temples and palaces built from the 6th century B.C. through the 10th century A.D., then abandoned for over a thousand years while the jungle grew back around them. Lunch and bottled water are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Tikal Mayan Ruins

• Drive 2 hours from Belize border
• Cross border with guide assistance
• Tour Tikal archaeological site
• Visit temples, palaces, and plazas
• Learn history from tour guide
• Shop for memorabilia after tour
• Return to Belize with guide
• Cross border back to Belize

The experience

How do you get to one of the largest Mayan cities ever built if you don't have a car? The tour handles the border crossing both ways: your guide manages the stamping and fees so you don't have to figure out the paperwork yourself. The drive from Belize's western border takes two hours, and you spend the next three and a half hours inside Tikal National Park with your guide explaining the history as you move through the site. The ceremonial center contains superb temples and palaces connected by ramps, with remains of dwellings scattered through the surrounding countryside. Everything is covered in thick jungle. The site was discovered in the 1900s after being abandoned over a thousand years earlier.

Your guide stays with you the whole way: before the park, during your time inside, and on the return crossing back into Belize. The tour includes lunch and bottled water. After you leave the park, there's a chance to pick up memorabilia before heading back. A moderate level of physical fitness helps, since you'll be walking and climbing around the ruins.

What’s included

• Your professional guide accompanies you throughout the day.
• national park entry fees.
• lunch and bottled water.
• assistance through border formalities both ways.
• and pickup from your location in Belize.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (18 to 65 years) · Senior (66 to 95 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 14

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 20 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by Get to Know Belize Adventures

Is this one for you?Pickup from Belize means you don't need a rental car or your own transport to reach Guatemala. Your guide handles the border crossing both ways, so the whole day works whether you're staying in a hotel without a vehicle or just arriving in the country.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is Tikal and why is it considered such an important Mayan site?

Tikal was one of the largest and most powerful cities of the Classic Period, inhabited from the 6th century B.C. to the 10th century A.D. The ceremonial center contains superb temples and palaces, public squares accessed by ramps, and scattered dwellings throughout the countryside. It was suddenly abandoned over a thousand years ago and the jungle grew back over the massive structures, which is why it was only discovered in the 1900s.

How much time do I actually spend walking around the ruins?

You have three and a half hours inside Tikal National Park to explore the temples, palaces and plazas with your guide.

What happens at the border between Belize and Guatemala?

Your guide assists you through all the stamping and fees at the border on the way in and handles the return crossing the same way, so you don't have to manage the paperwork yourself.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes the professional guide, national park fees, lunch, bottled water, and GST. Pickup from your location in Belize is also included. Airport or departure taxes are not included.