Yaxha Archaeological Tour: Sunset at Red Hands Temple

Walk ancient causeway, climb treetops at sunset, watch monkeys in quiet forest canopy

An afternoon archaeological tour from San Ignacio to Yaxha, a Mayan city spread across two lakes in Guatemala, with a bilingual guide leading you through astronomical observatories, royal palaces, and ball courts before climbing the Red Hands Temple at sunset. The guide arranges entry fees in advance so you reimburse on-site. Lunch and water are included at Portal de Yaxha, and the longest walk between stops is around 20 minutes. Small groups run as scheduled. If you're the only adult in a small group booking and another adult joins the same time slot, entry fees are covered and you get USD 50 back.

Step-by-step itinerary

Yaxha Archaeological Tour and Sunset

• Pick up at hotel or airport
• Transfer to Yaxha Mayan Site
• Lunch at Portal de Yaxha
• Start walking tour at Gate 2
• Visit Minor Astronomical Observatory
• Walk Causway of the Quarry
• Explore North Acropolis
• Walk causeway of the reservoirs
• Visit Malher Group buildings
• Spot spider and howler monkeys
• Visit Major Astronomical Observatory and palace
• Pass causeway of the lake
• Explore residential palace of Yaxha royalty
• Visit ball game court and Square of the Birds
• Walk causway of the residential area
• Walk on rectangular platforms
• Explore twin pyramids complex
• Visit Square of the Columns and stelae
• Visit East Acropolis and climb temple of the Red Hands
• Watch sunset and wildlife
• Return transfer to drop off location

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel or airport (the drive itself varies by location, ranging from an hour from the Belize border to two and a half hours from San Andres Peten), and includes a one-hour lunch stop at Portal de Yaxha on the way. You'll walk roughly 2.5 to 4 miles total, but never in one stretch. The longest single walk between two stops is around 20 minutes. The guide applies mosquito repellent and carries a Yaxha map, and you'll refill water in the air-conditioned vehicle between sites.

The walking tour begins at Gate 2 and moves through the city's major complexes. You'll stand on the Causeway of the Quarry (a Mayan road built beside the stone pit that supplied the city's builders), and visit the Minor Astronomical Observatory, where three reference buildings mark the equinoxes and solstices for agricultural timing. The North Acropolis, the city's center, holds three temples in a triangle pattern representing Mayan creation mythology. Later, you'll walk the Causeway of the Reservoirs, a 100-foot-wide road the Mayans used to channel rainwater into storage systems and as a sacred processional path. Along these routes, you have the chance to spot spider monkeys and howler monkeys moving through the canopy. The Malher Group, discovered by a German explorer in 1904, shows hybrid Mayan-Teotihuacan architecture: evidence of cultural exchange between the Maya and Central Mexico.

The Major Astronomical Observatory is a pyramid you'll climb to stand in the middle of the treetops, looking out over the forest, the lake, and the city's other structures. You'll explore the royal residential palace with its five courtyards, one restored, where archaeologists found pre-Hispanic graffiti. The ball court for Pok Ta Poc, the ancient rubber-ball game, sits surrounded by viewing structures. The Square of the Birds likely served as the market. The Square of the Columns held political monuments and stelae, including one carved with the portrait of a Teotihuacan general who arrived in 378 AD. Because Yaxha was allowed to clear vegetation before becoming a national park, you can see more than 300 yards in any direction (far more open than many Mayan sites), so the city feels less buried and more inhabited.

The tour ends at the East Acropolis, where the Red Hands Temple is the tallest structure at Yaxha. You'll climb it to wait for sunset while the wildlife around you shifts with the changing light. Sunset times vary by season (as early as 5:24 pm in November, as late as 6:38 pm in July), and the guide paces the walk so you never wait more than 30 minutes. A good sunset appears about 80% of the time. The real draw is watching the forest's behavior at dusk. After sunset, you'll be driven back to your pickup location, or to a different one if you arrange it in advance.

What’s included

• Professional bilingual guide fluent in English and Spanish with deep knowledge of local history, flora and fauna.
• air-conditioned vehicle pickup from your hotel or airport.
• lunch at Portal de Yaxha with five menu options including gluten-free and vegan choices.
• water refills throughout the day.
• mosquito repellent application.
• Yaxha site map.
• entry fees arranged in advance and paid on-site in Guatemalan cash.

Options for this experience

8 options

Guide in English or Spanish10:25

Guide in English or Spanish11:30

Guide in English or Spanish11:00

See 5 more options

Guide in English or Spanish10:30

Guide in English or Spanish10:35

Guide in English or Spanish09:55

Guide in English or Spanish10:25

Guide in English or Spanish10:00

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 09:55, the last at 11:30

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Senior (100 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 9 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 9

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 11

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Gem Trips

Is this one for you?Book the small group option if you want a guaranteed departure even as a solo traveler at no extra charge, or choose private if your group wants the sites and timing entirely to itself. The afternoon schedule means you arrive at Yaxha with enough daylight to move through the major complexes at a photographer's pace before climbing the Red Hands Temple for sunset: the timing locks the best light into the day.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (3 to 9 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Minor Astronomical Observatory at Yaxha, and how did the Mayans use it?

The Minor Astronomical Observatory was built to mark the equinoxes and solstices using three reference buildings positioned so the sunrise would appear behind them at the seasonal turning points. The Mayans used these observations to time their agricultural calendar, since farming was the city's main food source.

Can I see wildlife during the Yaxha tour?

Yes, you have the chance to spot spider monkeys and howler monkeys along the causeways and in the canopy. The guide also times the tour to end at sunset on the Red Hands Temple, when the forest's animal behavior shifts noticeably as light fades.

How much walking is involved, and what's the longest stretch between stops?

You'll walk roughly 2.5 to 4 miles total across the afternoon, but the walking is broken into shorter segments. The longest single walk between two stops is around 20 minutes, so the pace is moderate and manageable.

What's included in the lunch at Portal de Yaxha?

Lunch is included as a one-hour stop on the drive to Yaxha, with five menu options available. Gluten-free and vegan options are offered, and water refills are available throughout the day in the vehicle.

How do entry fees work, and when do I pay?

Entry fees are arranged in advance by the operator and vary by nationality and age. You reimburse the guide in Guatemalan cash on the day of the tour. The guide handles the logistics so you don't have to arrange it yourself.

What makes Yaxha different from other Mayan sites in the region?

Yaxha sits between two lakes and was allowed to clear vegetation before becoming a national park, so you can see more than 300 yards in any direction. This openness makes the city feel less buried and more like an inhabited place than many other archaeological sites, and many visitors rank it as their favorite after visiting multiple Mayan ruins.