Tikal Sunset Tour From Flores or San Ignacio, Belize
★★★★★ 5.0 (193 traveller reviews)
4.5 h in the parkFrom San Ignacio or FloresPark + sunset fee extraMax 9Lunch included
You spend the afternoon on the south and east side of Tikal, then stay in the park after it closes to everyone else at 18:00. This tour collects you across Flores, and also in San Ignacio, Belize, or at the Melchor de Mencos border. Lunch is included and nine people at most share your guide. The park ticket is not in the fare: as a foreign visitor you pay Q150 for entry plus Q100 for the sunset ticket.
Hours, prices and access verified by the Tikal National Park Tours team — last checked 2026-09-10
Hotel pickup runs from Flores and El Remate to the border at Melchor de Mencos and to San Ignacio in Belize, and the price shown is the lowest pickup option.
Until after sunset
You spend about four and a half hours in the park and stay on after the regular 18:00 closing.
The south and east of the city
The route runs from the Palace of the Grooves and the Central Acropolis to Temple V, the Plaza of the Seven Temples and the Lost World.
Lunch and nine per group
Lunch, water refills and a bilingual guide are in the fare, and the group never passes nine.
Park ticket and sunset fee extra
A foreign visitor adds Q150 for the entrance and Q100 for the sunset ticket, payable from age 10.
Afternoon in the south and east of the city
The sunrise tour covers the north and west of Tikal. This one takes the other
half. You start at the Palace of the Grooves, then walk to the Central Acropolis, the
palace complex that grew out of the royal house of Chak Tok Ich'aak I. From there you
come out onto the Great Plaza. Temple I rises on one side, Temple II on the other, and
the North Acropolis stands behind.
Then the route turns south. Temple V is the second tallest structure at Tikal, about
57 metres high. The Plaza of the Seven Temples has a row of near-identical temples and
an unusual triple ball court. The Lost World (Mundo Perdido) is the oldest complex in
the city, a place of public ritual and sky-watching, and visitors currently climb its
Great Pyramid.
The heat is the trade for a later start. Highs at Flores average 33 to 36 °C from
March to September, so walk slowly, drink often and use the shade of the forest. In the
wet season, May to October, the rain comes mostly in the afternoon, so pack a light rain
jacket. Would you rather see Tikal at first light? Compare the Tikal sunrise tours before
you choose.
Your afternoon at Tikal, stop by stop
Hotel pickup at your chosen location
Palace of the Grooves
Central Acropolis and Temple I
Great Plaza and North Acropolis
Temple II and Temple V
Plaza of the Seven Temples
Lost World complex
Sunset in the park, then the drive back
From a Flores-area pickup the tour runs about six hours, with some four and a half
in the park. San Ignacio is about 114 km from the park by road, against about 64 km
from Flores, so from Belize your day starts earlier and ends later. The operator
confirms your pickup time after you book.
Staying past closing time
Tikal is open to everyone from 06:00 to 18:00. After that, you may stay only with a
sunset ticket and a guide authorised by INGUAT, from about 18:00 to 20:00. This tour
brings the guide. You bring the park ticket and the sunset ticket.
Check the season before you picture the sun touching the trees. From about October
to February the sun sets before 18:00: around 17:38 in mid-October and 17:46 in
mid-January. On those dates your extra time in the park is dusk. In mid-April the sun
sets around 18:16 and in mid-July around 18:37, so you watch it go down inside the
sunset window.
Either way, you walk back to the van in the dark. Bring a torch or use your phone
light, and wear shoes you trust on roots and stone. Visiting in winter and want every
stop in daylight? The full-day tour from Belize walks
the same ground earlier in the day.
Pickups from Flores to San Ignacio
You choose your pickup point when you book: Flores, Santa Elena, San Benito, San
Andrés, San José, El Remate, one of the park hotels, Melchor de Mencos on
the border, or San Ignacio in Belize. The fare varies with the pickup point you choose,
and the From price is the lowest option. Not sure of your hotel yet? Book the cheapest
option, tell the operator your hotel later, and pay any difference to your guide.
Coming from Belize, you cross the land border at Melchor de Mencos, about 100 km from
the park. Bring your passport, and carry cash: Belize charges an exit fee at the land
border. Bantrab, the bank that sells Tikal tickets for cash, has a branch in Melchor de
Mencos. The easier route is to buy both tickets online before you travel.
Tikal from Belize sets out the border step by
step.
What the sunset fare covers, and the park fees you add
In the fare
Pickup at your chosen point and the drive back
An English- and Spanish-speaking guide
Lunch
A Tikal map and mosquito repellent
Water refills in the air-conditioned vehicle
Not in the fare
Park entry: Q150 for foreign visitors, Q25 for Guatemalans with DPI
The sunset ticket: Q100 foreign, Q20 national
Belize's exit fee, paid in cash at the land border
Children under 10 enter free; from their 10th birthday they pay in full
Who it suits, and who should book something else
Book this if
Travellers staying in Belize or around Flores who cannot face a 3:00am start, and anyone who wants the ruins in the late light.
You want to stay in the park after the 18:00 close.
You want lunch in the fare and a group of nine at most.
Book something else if
You want the sun on the horizon between October and February, when it sets before 18:00 — the full-day tour from Belize walks the same ground in daylight, for less.
You only have a day in Guatemala City — the day trip by air flies you in and out.
Know before you go on a sunset tour
Pack your passport. You need it at the border from Belize, and at the park gate to collect your wristband.
Carry cash for the border. Belize charges an exit fee at the land border; check the amount before you travel.
Buy the tickets before the day. Online at boletos.culturaguate.gob.gt up to 30 days ahead, or in cash at Bantrab; the gate window takes cash only.
Bring a torch. The walk out after sunset is in the dark, and a phone light will do.
Carry a refillable bottle. Single-use plastics are banned in the archaeological zone, and the van refills your bottle.
Dress for heat and rain. Wear light clothes and good shoes, and pack a rain jacket from May to October.
How the afternoons and sunsets went
★★★★★
I climbed several of the pyramids while my wife and daughter mostly waited below, and the tour handled both choices well. Watching the sun set over Tikal from the top of a pyramid, with the jungle sounding all round, was the best part, and we saw toucans, bat falcons and golden orioles. Two small criticisms: almost two hours for lunch on arrival was too long, and a few torches for the return walk would have been welcome, because night fell fast on uneven ground.
Philip S. · Family · March 2025
★★★★★
Jose Morelo went deep into Maya history, recalling archaeologists' names and fine detail while keeping it all easy to follow. When we found we had left our binoculars behind, he lent us his own. At the top of Temple IV he offered to photograph my family, and he was punctual, bilingual and clear with instructions all day.
Jaime L. · Family · January 2026
★★★★★
On the company's advice I had bought my Tikal park entrance and sunset passes online in advance, while others on my shuttle had to buy theirs in person, a detour of a good half hour. My airport shuttle to the Jungle Lodge ran late, and Marlon and Jose waited for me and stowed my luggage before we set off. Lunch at the Jaguar Inn is part of the price, and Jose had good suggestions on Guatemalan dishes.
Gabriel I. · May 2025
★★★★★
Marlon knew the history of Tikal inside out, showed us all the major temples and explained how the archaeology is done. With his help we spotted crocodiles, coatis, both kinds of monkey, parrots, toucans and a long list of other birds. The sunset made a fitting end to the day.
Denise C. · April 2025
★★★★★
Marlon kept us on the shadier forest paths for most of the afternoon and always seemed to find sites with nobody else there. We reached some of the temples in golden-hour light, which made for good photos. He pointed out toucans, spider monkeys, a coati, a baby crocodile and plenty of parrots.
Jemma M. · June 2024
★★★★★
Our sunset tour with Jose went beyond what we had hoped for. He was patient, plainly loves his work, and kept a mixed group of adults and children interested from start to finish.
Katie A. · Group with children · August 2026
★★★★★
Alberto knew the history of the site well, and we valued his insight. The sunset over Tikal lived up to its promise, and next time we plan to try the sunrise.
No. As a foreign visitor you pay Q150 for park entry and Q100 for the sunset ticket; Guatemalans with DPI pay Q25 and Q20. Children under 10 enter free.
Can I join from San Ignacio or the Belize border?
Yes. Choose San Ignacio or Melchor de Mencos as your pickup point when you book, and check the price for that point: the From price is the lowest option. Bring your passport and cash for Belize's exit fee.
Will I see the sun set?
In mid-April and mid-July the sun sets after 18:00, inside the sunset window. From about October to February it sets before 18:00, so your extra time is dusk. Clouds decide the colour on any evening.
Do I need a torch?
Yes. You leave the ruins after dark, so bring a flashlight or use your phone's light.
Can I see sunrise instead?
Not on this tour, which runs through the afternoon. The sunrise wildlife tour climbs Temple IV before dawn and covers the north and west of the city instead.
What is the cancellation policy?
The tour fare refunds in full up to 24 hours before your start time. Park tickets are never refunded, though an unused one stays valid for 30 days.
