Tikal is hot all year, and what changes is the rain and the time the sun comes up. Those two decide when you walk, what you wear and what a sunrise or sunset ticket buys you. Here is each month from the nearest weather station, what it means for a visit, and which of the Tikal sunrise tours suit which season.
Almost everything you do at Tikal happens outdoors. You walk kilometres of forest paths, cross open plazas and climb wooden stairs. The only indoor stops are the two museums at the Visitor Centre.
Three things move with the calendar. The rain changes: it falls more from about May to October, especially in the afternoons, and some surfaces get slippery. The heat changes: Flores averages highs of 29 °C in January and 36 °C in May. The sun changes: it rises almost an hour later in January than in July, and from about October to February it sets before the sunset entry opens.
One thing does not change. The park opens every day of the year from 06:00 to 18:00, holidays included. So the weather decides how you visit, never whether you can.
There is no published weather station at Tikal. These figures are the World Meteorological Organization’s 1991–2020 normals for Flores airport, the nearest station, about 43 km from the ruins. Read them as the pattern of the year, not as a forecast.
The coolest month: highs of 29.0 °C and lows of 18.0 °C. Rain falls on about 8.1 days, 65.6 mm in all. The sun rises at about 06:30, after the sunrise entry closes, so you watch it from the top of Temple IV. It sets at about 17:46, so a sunset ticket buys you dusk, not the sun.
The dry season sets in: highs of 31.1 °C and lows of 18.1 °C, and 34.5 mm of rain on about 4.5 days. Sunrise is still after 06:00, so you are on the temple before it comes up. The sun sets before the 18:00 sunset entry. Book a few days ahead from now to April.
One of the three driest months: 36.1 mm of rain on about 3.8 days. Expect highs of 33.5 °C and lows of 18.7 °C. The male ocellated turkey displays in March and early April, often by the Visitor Centre car park. Walk the plazas early, before the heat builds.
The fewest rain days of the year, about 3.5, and 51.9 mm in all. The heat climbs to highs of 35.9 °C and lows of 20.6 °C. In mid-April the sun rises at about 05:41 and sets at about 18:16, so both the sunrise and the sunset visits see the sun itself. Start early.
The hottest month, with highs of 36.0 °C and lows of 22.0 °C. The rains begin: 105.0 mm on about 7.5 days, mostly in the afternoon. Plan the whole visit for the morning. Carry more water than you think you need, in a reusable bottle.
The wet season arrives in earnest: 212.8 mm of rain on about 15.2 days, with highs of 34.4 °C and lows of 22.6 °C. The Atlantic hurricane season opens on 1 June. Rain comes mostly in the afternoons, so go in the morning and pack a rain layer.
A little less rain than June: 159.1 mm on about 14.9 days, with highs of 33.8 °C and lows of 21.8 °C. In mid-July the sun rises at about 05:32 and sets at about 18:37. A sunset visit sees the sun go down over the canopy. Paths can be slippery after rain.
Wet and warm: 184.4 mm of rain on about 16.2 days, and highs of 33.8 °C and lows of 21.8 °C. Mornings are your best window. Wear shoes with grip for the wooden stairs, and bring insect repellent. The sun still sets after the 18:00 sunset entry.
The wettest month: 225.0 mm on about 17.4 days, with highs of 33.4 °C and lows of 22.1 °C. Some surfaces get slippery in the rain, so walk with care on the temple stairs. The park stays open every day. Plan the museums, which are indoors, for the afternoon.
Still wet: 215.6 mm of rain on about 15.2 days, with highs of 31.9 °C and lows of 21.6 °C. In mid-October the sun sets at about 17:38, before sunset entry opens at 18:00. From now to February a sunset visit is a dusk visit. North American migrant birds arrive.
The rains ease: 132.6 mm on about 11.0 days, and highs of 30.0 °C and lows of 19.8 °C. The ministry counts November as the start of the drier half of the year. The hurricane season ends on 30 November. Sunset is before 18:00, so bring a torch.
Cool, and drier than November: highs of 29.2 °C and lows of 18.7 °C, and 85.9 mm of rain on about 9.4 days. The sun rises around 06:30, so you wait on Temple IV in the dark. The park opens every day, Christmas and New Year included.
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain | Days with rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29.0 °C | 18.0 °C | 65.6 mm | 8.1 |
| February | 31.1 °C | 18.1 °C | 34.5 mm | 4.5 |
| March | 33.5 °C | 18.7 °C | 36.1 mm | 3.8 |
| April | 35.9 °C | 20.6 °C | 51.9 mm | 3.5 |
| May | 36.0 °C | 22.0 °C | 105.0 mm | 7.5 |
| June | 34.4 °C | 22.6 °C | 212.8 mm | 15.2 |
| July | 33.8 °C | 21.8 °C | 159.1 mm | 14.9 |
| August | 33.8 °C | 21.8 °C | 184.4 mm | 16.2 |
| September | 33.4 °C | 22.1 °C | 225.0 mm | 17.4 |
| October | 31.9 °C | 21.6 °C | 215.6 mm | 15.2 |
| November | 30.0 °C | 19.8 °C | 132.6 mm | 11.0 |
| December | 29.2 °C | 18.7 °C | 85.9 mm | 9.4 |
Across the year Flores averages a high of 32.7 °C, a low of 20.5 °C and 1,508.5 mm of rain on about 127 days. A day with rain means at least 1 mm fell.
| Months | Average highs | Rain | What changes for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| December–January | 29.0–29.2 °C | About 8–9 rain days | The coolest air; sunrise about 06:30; a sunset visit is a dusk visit |
| February–April | 31.1–35.9 °C | Under 5 rain days a month | The driest months; book a few days ahead |
| May | 36.0 °C | About 8 rain days | The hottest month; the rains begin |
| June–October | 31.9–34.4 °C | About 15–17 rain days | Afternoon rain, slippery surfaces, the hurricane season |
| November | 30.0 °C | About 11 rain days | The rains ease; the hurricane season ends on the 30th |
If you can choose freely, pick February or March. You get the driest weather without the peak heat of April and May. Choose April if you want the sun itself at both sunrise and sunset. In the wet months you can still visit well, as long as you go in the morning and pack a rain layer.
In every season, the morning is the answer. It is the coolest part of the day, the rain usually comes later, and the birds are most active at first light. Regular entry opens at 06:00, and you can walk the site without a guide until 18:00.
The special windows follow the sun. Sunrise entry runs from about 04:00 to 06:00, so you are already on Temple IV when the sun comes up. In mid-January that is around 06:30. The sunset window opens at 18:00, and from about October to February the sun has set by then.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | What the special tickets buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 January | 06:30 | 17:46 | The sunrise from the temple; dusk after sunset |
| 15 April | 05:41 | 18:16 | The sun on the horizon at both ends of the day |
| 15 July | 05:32 | 18:37 | An early sunrise; the sunset in full |
| 15 October | 05:50 | 17:38 | The sunrise from the temple; dusk after sunset |
Times are for the Great Plaza, and Guatemala keeps no daylight saving. The weather decides how much of the sky you see from the temple, so treat a clear horizon as a bonus.
A sunrise tour brings the guide the park requires and gets you to the gate in time.
In the park from before sunrise, in the coolest hours of the day, with breakfast on Temple IV and lunch included. Nine people at most; the park and sunrise tickets are extra.
From $98 per person · lowest pickup option · park + sunrise fee extra
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A 3:00am pickup in Flores or Santa Elena and about seven hours in the park from before dawn. The park and sunrise tickets are extra, so buy them before the day.
From $48 per person · park ticket extra
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A 12:30pm start from Flores Island, lunch, and the park and sunset tickets in the fare. From October to February the sun sets before you reach the top, so it is a dusk visit.
From $220 per person · sunset ticket included
Check AvailabilityMonthly figures are the WMO 1991–2020 climate normals for Flores, station 78615. The seasons and the temperature range are the ministry’s own.
Tickets and opening hours sit on visiting Tikal, the animals you may see on the nature guide, and every tour on Tikal National Park Tours.