Tikal SUNRISE, Archeological focus and Wildlife Spotting Tour (North and West)
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Premium tour visiting the best spots to photograph the monuments.
Guaranteed departure, we operate only with 1 guest with no extre charge.
Extensive tour, Sunrise and Archaeological (two in one) with enough time and flexibility, excellent for photographers.
Hassle free entry fees, those are not included because price varies according to nationality and age, but available in advance, we pay those for you, then you reimburse our guide during the service.
Excellent English-Spanish bilingual guide with deep knowledge of local history, flora and fauna and with service attitude to give a meaning to each monument visited.
We will walk approximately 6 to 8 kilometers during this tour, but not consecutively. The longest walk between two stops is approximately 20 minutes.
Bring your camera! We love taking photos, we will show you the best spots.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Seat belts available
If you are the only adult in your group and you pick a small group option and at least one more adult reserves for that same schedule, we’ll include the cost of the entry fees for you, which reduces the price for USD34.
Bring the best walking shoes
Bring a raincoat just in case
Bring the best clothes for hot weather
Bring a flashlight (or you can use your phone's flashlight)
Bring a canteen or bottle to refill water
If you have a Guatemalan local ID (DPI) send us a picture of it, in this event your entry fees will be only USD7
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Tikal National Park
The activity begins when we pick you up at your hotel, when booking, please choose the time according to the location of your hotel. In case you don't know the location of your hotel yet, just book the cheapest tour option, later you let us know your hotel location and if there is a price difference, you can pay it to our guide. The walking tour begins at Gate 2 of Tikal National Park at: From March 22 to September 21: at 4:00 am From September 22 to March 21: at 4:30 am DURATION OF EACH WAY OF TRANSFER BY LOCATION WHERE WE PICK YOU UP a. Tikal: 00h: 05m b. El Remate: 01h: 00m c. San Jose, Peten: 01h:20m d. San Benito, Santa Elena Flores or Flores Island: 01h: 30m e. San Andres: 02h: 00m Tikal has two titles of UNESCO, it's cultural and natural heritage of humanity, that's why we'll spend more than six hours exploring different archeological monuments and to go from monument to monument, we'll use nature trails with a high chance of spotting some species of wildlife.
Temple IV
First thing, we will climb this temple with you to wait for sunrise from the top, enjoying the most wonderful view and the sounds of the waking up wildlife, then we will have breakfast up there. We developed the sunrise tour because our guests deserve to see Tikal first thing in the morning to appreciate wildlife when it is more active as well as at the end of the day. The main attraction of this tour is the awakening of the jungle with the noise of birds and howler monkeys, the sunrise is seen only 20% of the time, as it is usually cloudy or foggy. The official name of this temple is Temple of the Double Headed Serpent, as when the temple was discovered, it had a wooden carved lintel with the sacred double headed serpent carved on it, now this wooden carving is in a famous museum. The nickname of this temple is Temple of Star Wars as back in 1977 the movie director George Lucas came to Tikal to film part of the original Star Wars Movie, Episode IV "A New Hope"
What‘s Included
Mosquito Repellent Application
Tikal Map
Air-conditioned vehicle
Breakfast to go: an apple, a banana, a guatemalan champurrada (thin round cookie), a tayuyo (corn tortilla with refried beans inside), coffee and water refill
Lunch at Jaguar Inn Restaurant, 5 options (gluten-free and vegan options)
Water refill in the vehicle
Professional Excellent English-Spanish Speaking tour guide
Foreigners, Sunrise and Park Entry fees to Tikal only payable for guests 10 year old and on.
Guatemalans with local ID, Sunrise and Park Entry fees to Tikal, only payable for guests 10 year old and on.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
From Tikal hotels, Small Group
Maximum 9 guests: From hotels in Tikal (Jungle Lodge, Jaguar Inn, Tikal Inn and Tikal Campsite)
Pickup included
From Tikal hotels, Private
Private guide: From hotels in Tikal (Jungle Lodge, Jaguar Inn, Tikal Inn and Tikal Campsite)
Pickup included
From El Remate, Private
Exclusive guide for your party: From hotels and Airbnbs in El Remate (Casa de Don David, Gringo Perdido, Mon Ami, Posada del Cerro, Alice Guest House, etc.)
Pickup included
From San Andres Peten, Private
The guide will be just for you: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Andres Peten (Bolontiku, Nitun, G Boutique Hotel, etc.)
Pickup included
F/San Jose Peten, Small Group
Maximum 9 passengers per guide: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Jose Peten (La Lancha Village, Camino Real Tikal, etc.)
Pickup included
From San Jose Peten, Private
Private guide for your party: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Jose Peten (La Lancha Village, Camino Real Tikal, etc.)
Pickup included
From El Remate, Small Group
Less than 9 guests per guide: From hotels and Airbnbs in El Remate (Casa de Don David, Gringo Perdido, Mon Ami, Posada del Cerro, Alice Guest House, etc.)
Pickup included
F/ Flores surrounding, S Group
No more than 9 guests: From Flores, Santa Elena and San Benito hotels and Airbnbs. Guests at San Miguel must come to Raices Restaurant in Flores.
Pickup included
F/ Flores surrounding, Private
Private guide for you: From Flores, Santa Elena and San Benito hotels and Airbnbs. Guests at San Miguel must come to Raices Restaurant in Flores.
Pickup included
F/San Andres Peten Small Group
Maximum 9 participants: From Hotels and Airbnbs in San Andres Peten (Bolontiku, Nitun, G Boutique Hotel, etc.)
Pickup included
Reviews
341 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Fantastic tour!
Angela G,Mar 29, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was an excellent tour! Jose was the perfect guide! He was extremely knowledgeable, had a good sense of humor, and took time to answer all our questions. He also made sure that we had a good spot for the sunrise. The depth of his knowledge was impressive. He shared a lot of interesting lesser known facts. This was a small group tour, and I appreciated the size, especially as we passed other groups with 20 or 30 people. We were also treated to breakfast cookies and coffee, a delicious traditional, hot breakfast in the park, and lunch after the tour. We weren’t able to see the actual sunrise due to the cloudy morning, but it was still a very cool experience to hear the jungle wake up. I highly recommend this tour!
Great tour but bad reaction to food in restaurant
M9744MMjoshm,Mar 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The tour itself was fantastic and the host was great. However I'm here to write a review for other travellers that may require gluten free food to state that it is NOT safe to have food at the Jaguar restaurant. Me and my partner, both celiac, communicated diligently and clearly with the restaurant staff about our needs, we were reassured that the meal we chose was 100% gluten free and they would make an effort to clean and prepare in a separate area. We both proceeded to have a servere reaction to the food and are still stick 4 days later, so in my opinion its not fair for the tour to advertise gluten free options.
Amazing experience
K9738ILbrittanyg,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I stayed at the Jungle Lodge and booked this tour and I'm so glad that I did! Jose Moreno was an amazing guide. There were a lot of people there for the sunrise tour and we slipped around the bigger tours. I learned so much more about the Mayan temples, their culture, and the local birds than I would have on a larger tour. I also got recommendations for what else to explore on the park. Can't recommend enough!
Intimate, personalized and worth it even if the sunrise is a bust
Andrew G,Mar 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I absolutely LOVED this tour. I’d recommend staying at the Jungle lodge hotel as it’s quite literally 100m from the national park entrance. Tours that come from Flores usually leave there at 2am for this tour. Our tour guide was absolutely fabulous, he spent time between Philly and Guatemala and knew all the tips, tricks and history behind the park. On top of that the tour is restricted to 6 people purposefully to keep the group small. For me, I was a solo traveler and was with a a family of Norwegians which made the tours super intimate. While other groups were pushed along from temple to temple, we could really go at our own pace which made the experience feel a lot more personalized. While it may cost a little more than than other shared tours, I think the premium for a smaller group was worth it. One thing to keep in mind is that the sunrise is always a toss up. For instance, while the forecast had sun and the day was super temperate and nice, the mist obscured the sunrise.
Best Tikal Tour!!!!
Anika R,Mar 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00One of the best walking tours I’ve ever been on! My friend and I highly recommend. The pace of it was great and we learned a lot during our time. There was great detail about the history of how Mayans lived in Tikal as well as some short stories explaining how the temples came to be. The shuttle in the morning was very comfortable and our guide was immediately friendly and peppy (despite it being so early in the morning). The sunrise was covered by clouds/fog but the foggy view of Tikal was still breath taking! A couple other highlights: Our guide Jose was awesome, super knowledgeable and funny. We got to stay at the sunrise view point for a while after all the other visitors left, so it felt like a private viewing deck while we snacked, learned from Jose, and watched the beautiful colourful birds. Starting really early allowed us to “beat the heat.” The lunch was really yummy!
Experienced and...
Jakob S,Mar 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Experienced and knowledgeable guide. Kept the small group on its own. Very nice. Lots of interesting information.
Tikal without issues
ajkrell62,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Tikal is such a unique destination that transportation and expert guiding services are a must. Our driver and José, our guide did not disappoint. We saw wildlife and learned so much about the breathtaking structures and fascinating history of this location, that we will come back. The entire experience went smoothly and left all of us chatting and wanting to learn more.
Jose is the best!
Alex C,Feb 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Jose is an incredibly knowledgeable host with a ton of personality. Takes his time and makes the experience personal. Highly recommend.
Alberto was a great...
Colleen B,Feb 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Alberto was a great guide. Knowledgeable and kind. He even went out of his way to get allspice tea for one of us who had a stomach ache. This tour was easily one of the best things we did in Guatemala. Book it!
Once in a lifetime
eastendgirll,Feb 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00José was hilarious, knowledgeable, down to earth and passionate. It was refreshing to see someone who truly cares of about the history and future of Guatemala and you can feel that throughout the tour. The sunrise tour was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Could not recommend it more!!
From US$98.00
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Operated by Gem Trips