Flores To Tikal: EVERYTHING You Need To Know In 2023
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Looking for the best ways to get from Flores to Tikal? You’re in the right place! When backpacking Guatemala, our day trip to Tikal was one of our most memorable activities.
But there’s a lot of confusion about visiting Tikal from Flores. For instance, I didn’t realise it takes 2 hours to get there! I also didn’t realise that it’s a much better idea to take a tour to Tikal than to visit by yourself (and as someone who enjoys going at their own pace, this did annoy me at first).
However, guide or no guide, Tikal is so worth visiting from Flores. Known for being Central America’s most famous Mayan citadel ruins, Tikal has to be planned into your itinerary!
So, let’s get down to the details of how to travel to and from Flores and Tikal.
Other Guatemala posts:
- Is Tikal Worth Visiting? COMPLETE Tikal Guide
- How To Get From Flores To Semuc Champey
- Semuc Champey From Antigua: Step-By-Step
- Is Semuc Champey Worth It? A COMPLETE Guide
- Flores to Belize City: Complete Step-By-Step Guide
Flores to Tikal: A Summary
In summary, there is only one main way to get from Flores to Tikal (or in reverse, Tikal to Flores) and that is by using a tour and a guide. However, you can use shared shuttles, private taxis or public buses, but it’s going to be a lot more complicated (and I really don’t recommend it).
Your options are:
- A guided tour (with a shuttle)
- Shared shuttle (drop off and pick up)
- Private taxi or transfer
- Public bus and tuk tuk
When you are travelling from Flores to Tikal, I highly recommend booking a tour. We arrived in Flores not knowing a) just how far Tikal is from Flores, and b) just how big Tikal is (it’s over 57,000 hectares!) assuming we could explore the site by ourselves. We were so wrong!
It is highly recommended (not just by myself, but by locals too) that you do not visit Tikal alone. It is exceptionally easy to get lost, and you’ll spend more of your time wandering where to go than actually enjoying it. There aren’t many signposts, and Tikal is quite literally in the middle of the jungle.
Getting lost can be pretty serious – in fact, an American sadly wandered off the beaten track just last year and the result turned out to be fatal.
I’ll be honest, we are not tour people. If we can explore by ourselves, we do. Especially as I’m not a big ruins fan, I wanted to turn up for 30 minutes, have a look around the site and leave.
This is not possible in Tikal. It isn’t the same as Chichen Itza, where you have one path that leads you to the main temple with lots of markets, people and facilities around.
Tikal is spread across a vast amount of land. It is hard to navigate if you do not know your way around!
⮕ View all online pre-booked Flores to Tikal tours here.
1) Flores to Tikal with a guide (best option)
We reluctantly booked a sunset tour in Flores to explore Tikal. It wasn’t cheap (around £45/$55/430Q per person), and we were annoyed that we couldn’t just explore by ourselves (there were no shuttles running that day). But wow, I am so glad we booked that tour!
It actually turned out to be one of our favourite days in Guatemala, and our tour guide was brilliant. He had a great sense of humour, was passionate about the site and led us to all of the major temples and ruins. He even added in a nighttime jungle walk, where we spotted tarantulas, scorpions, snakes, foxes and monkeys in the dark.
When we had been walking around Tikal for a while, I realised just how lucky we were that we didn’t visit alone. It’s a big, big place, and getting lost would not have been fun! Plus, it’s quiet. Because of how big it is, our group was usually exploring without another person around.
Take my advice – book a tour to explore Tikal. It might not be the cheapest option, but it really is your best option.
There are either sunrise or sunset tours (more explained in the section ‘tours to Tikal’), and they’re worth every penny. It doesn’t matter whether you book online, or book through a travel agent shop in Flores – just book a tour to explore Tikal. You’ll thank me later!
⮕ View all online pre-booked Flores to Tikal tours here.
Flores to Tikal tour information:
- Price: £45 per person ($55/430Q)
- Tour type: Half-day tour, leaving either for sunrise or sunset
- Duration: Approx 8-9 hour tour (including transfers)
- Journey time from Flores to Tikal: 2 hours + depending on traffic
🤩 Visiting Tikal for the first time? Check out my complete Tikal guide here!
More Guatemala posts:
- Antigua To Lake Atitlan Guatemala: COMPLETE Guide
- BEST Hostels In Flores Guatemala For Backpackers
- Is Flores Guatemala Safe? Solo Female Travellers Advice
2) Flores to Tikal shared shuttle
There is *sometimes* a shared shuttle that will run to Tikal. Whatever you’ve read online, the shuttle to Tikal from Flores does not run every day. In fact, it runs quite rarely. Throughout our time in Flores, the shuttle to Tikal did not run once.
However, it does sometimes. It’s by far the most budget option, but it does mean you have to explore Tikal by yourself.
If you do manage to board the shuttle from Flores to Tikal, it shouldn’t cost more than £30 ($35) per person for a return. This can either be booked online here or via one of Flores’ travel agents.
⮕ View all shuttle options from Flores to Tikal here.
3) Flores to Tikal by tuktuk and public bus
If you’re on an even tighter budget, you can get the public bus from Flores to Tikal. If you are staying on Flores Island, you will need to get a tuk-tuk (or walk) over to the mainland to catch the bus. Buses to Tikal should leave every hour, but of course, this may not always happen.
If you’re travelling by public bus, you will need to ensure you’ve finished your day in Tikal relatively early (by 4 pm maximum). The return bus is unreliable and sometimes does not run past sunset.
If you are unsure about getting a local bus, talk to some of the locals, your hostel, talk to the driver and be sure to know exactly where the bus is going. Oh, and you’re going to need some Spanish for this!
Guatemala is known for its ‘chicken buses’, which are old school buses donated from the USA. Guatemalans have painted and turned these school buses into public party buses. Yes, they do play loud 80’s music as you travel!
Public buses are by far the cheapest way to travel around Guatemala, but they can take much longer than the shuttles and are a lot bumpier. It’s also a bit riskier with your bags and luggage, but not impossible. If you’re the more adventurous type, travelling via chicken bus in Guatemala should be on your bucket list.
4) Flores to Tikal by private taxi
Of course, if you have a higher budget or are travelling with at least 4 of you, you can take a private taxi. This will be the most expensive option.
If you are getting a private taxi from Flores to Tikal, it will cost approximately £50-60 ($60-72 or 570 Q).
⮕ Want to pre-book a private transfer? Check out your options here.
🤩 Visiting Tikal for the first time? Check out my complete Tikal guide here!
Sunset or Sunrise tour to Tikal?
There are two main tours from Flores to Tikal; the sunrise and sunset tours.
- Sunrise tour: leave Flores at either 3am or 4am, return around 1pm
- Sunset tour: leave Flores for Tikal at 12pm, return around 9pm
Most backpackers jump at the idea of sunrise (I don’t know what it is, but backpackers seem to love sunrises?!) However, even as experienced backpackers, we are not sunrise people!
Sunset will always suit us better, and we absolutely loved the sunset Tikal tour!
The only difference between the two tours is the time you visit. Both times are quiet and not too chaotic. You will climb to the top of a temple to watch the sunrise/sunset on both tours.
As part of the sunset tour, we also finished with a nighttime jungle walk, which was actually one of my favourite parts of the day. However, this isn’t guaranteed, and was just because our tour guide was so fantastic!
⮕ View all Flores to Tikal tours here.
Where to stay in Flores
If you’re visiting Flores for the first time, I recommend you stay on the island rather than the mainland to get the full experience.
Flores Island in Guatemala is exceptionally small. That means all of the accommodations, hostels and hotels are within walking distance of each other.
Again, my biggest piece of advice is to book hostels in advance. We missed out on so many of the best hostels in Central America as they fill up so quickly – get booking!
- Los Amigos Hostel: This is by far the most popular hostel in Flores, but also the most expensive! A dorm will cost over £20 a night, and a private room up to £120. When we were staying in Flores, there was no availability even 4 weeks in advance, so make sure you book early! ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL NOW!
- Hotel Peten Express Tikal: Another popular hostel in Flores with a good location on the water. It has a calmer atmosphere than Los Amigos. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL NOW!
⮕ View all other Hostelworld hostels in Flores here.
Accommodation in Tikal
As Tikal is so vast, some people decide to split their visit across two days. Most tourists will book a tour from Flores, then instead of getting the shuttle back, will stay in the park for their jungle accommodation. This is a great option if you have the luxury of time on your side!
NOTE: most accommodations in Tikal have limited electricity and wifi.
The best and highest-rated hotels in Tikal are:
- Hotel Jaguar Inn: eco-friendly hotel with bungalows, located on the site of Tikal itself, with budget-friendly rooms. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOTEL NOW!
- Hotel Jungle Lodge Tikal: has an outdoor pool and a restaurant, bar, and garden and is right next to the Tikal entrance. Rooms are a little more expensive than Jaguar Inn, but it is more of a luxury hotel and experience. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOTEL NOW!
⮕ View all other hotels in Tikal here.
🤩 Visiting Tikal for the first time? Check out my complete Tikal guide here!
How do you get to Tikal from Flores?
The easiest and most popular way to get to Tikal from Flores is by a guided tour. The journey from Flores to Tikal is approximately 2 hours. Tours can either be taken at sunrise or sunset. You can also get a shared shuttle, private taxi or public bus to Tikal from Flores.
⮕ View all Flores to Tikal tours here.
How much is a taxi from Flores to Tikal?
If you are getting a private taxi from Flores to Tikal, it will cost approximately £50-60 ($60-72 or 570 Q).
Is Tikal worth the trip?
Yes, Tikal is worth the trip! In fact, it was one of our favourite days whilst backpacking in Guatemala. Even if you aren’t a huge history fan, wandering around the jungle and spotting wild animals, learning about the Mayan way of life and watching the sunset/sunrise from the top of a temple that dates back to the 6th Century BC is pretty impressive!
⮕ View all Flores to Tikal tours here.
🤩 Visiting Tikal for the first time? Check out my complete Tikal guide here!
Is Flores Guatemala worth visiting?
Flores Island in Guatemala is worth visiting for 1-2 nights, especially if you want to visit Tikal, the ancient Mayan ruins. If you are not interested in visiting Tikal, there isn’t much to do or see in Flores, so it may not be worth visiting.
How many days should I spend in Flores, Guatemala?
The biggest activity to do in Flores is Tikal (Mayan ancient ruins), which requires at least one full day. In my opinion, 2 nights is enough in Flores, Guatemala. The other day you can explore the island, head over to the rope swing, enjoy a cocktail at Sky Bar and relax.
There isn’t too much to do in Flores apart from Tikal, so you don’t need much time there.
Best backpacker travel insurance for Central America
If you’re visiting Central America as a backpacker, or even for a short vacation, it is so important to have travel insurance. And if you ended up on a post that’s called ‘epic party tips’, you know (just as well as I do) that you definitely need travel insurance.
Personally, I recommend SafetyWing. As a digital nomad and world traveller myself, I can confirm it is the best travel insurance out there. And one of the cheapest – they have deals that start at just $42 USD per month.
I know, I know, you’re thinking ‘but I can’t afford that!’. I was the same! It’s tough to fork out $42 a month on something ‘you might not need’. But what if something DOES happen? That extra Mezcal shot results in you falling down the stairs, or you eat something dodgy from a street food van.
If you need medical help at any point whilst in Central America, you need travel insurance.
With SafetyWing, you’re covered on travel emergencies, basic medical costs and medical expenses throughout your trip, so you can travel without worry (at a backpacker’s price!)
Don’t even think twice about getting travel insurance for Central America. Trust me, I have heard enough horror stories about backpackers who haven’t had insurance and have ended up in a lot of debt. Don’t be that person!
If you’ve been putting the job off because it takes a lot of time and effort to research the best travel insurance companies, I understand. That’s why I’ve done the hard work for you. Sign up for SafetyWing, and the job is done!
Flores to Tikal: In a Nutshell
So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about how to get from Flores to Tikal whilst backpacking Guatemala.
When you’re planning a trip to Guatemala, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below!
If you haven’t seen my blog before, I write posts aimed at first-time backpackers on a budget. I’m backpacking Central America with my boyfriend (read more here!), creating guides and itineraries for you to follow in our footsteps!
Keep an eye out for more Guatemala content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!
As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!
Happy travelling 🙂
Jennie x
Other Guatemala posts:
- Is Tikal Worth Visiting? COMPLETE Tikal Guide (2023)
- Flores to Belize City: Complete Step-By-Step Guide
- How To Get From San Ignacio To Flores: Backpacker Guide
- Semuc Champey From Antigua: Step-By-Step Guide 2023
- Is Semuc Champey Worth It? A COMPLETE Guide For 2023
MEET THE AUTHOR!
Hi! I'm Jennie! As a part-time travel blogger based in London, I'm using my 10+ years of travel expertise to encourage & inspire you to step out of your comfort zone through sustainable, mindful and purposeful travel.
If I'm not writing, I'm either reading, drinking coffee or taking a wild swim (all at the same time if I'm feeling impressive).
