Tikal & the Peten Jungle: Maya Ruins & Wildlife

About the Trip

Trip Highlights

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• The towering temples of Tikal, rising above the jungle canopy, are a spectacular highlight of this journey. Tikal, deep in the Peten jungle, is one of the greatest of all Maya cities, its steep grey temple-pyramids soaring above an endless green canopy in one of the most atmospheric ancient sites on earth. You walk jungle paths between the towering temples of the Great Plaza, climb to lofty viewpoints such as Temple IV where the crowns of distant pyramids break through the treetops, and take in the vast plazas, palaces, ball courts and carved stelae of this once-mighty city of perhaps a hundred thousand people.
• The abundant wildlife of the Peten rainforest is a magical highlight of this journey. The jungle around Tikal is one of the best places in Central America to see wildlife amid ancient ruins. As you explore, the forest teems with life, troops of howler monkeys roaring in the canopy, acrobatic spider monkeys swinging overhead, coatis snuffling across the plazas, grey foxes and agoutis in the undergrowth, and, above, keel-billed toucans, ocellated turkeys, parrots, motmots and hundreds of other birds; lucky visitors glimpse a tapir or hear a distant jaguar. Early morning and dusk are especially alive. The wildlife and wild setting are captivating.
• Experiencing Tikal at dawn and dusk, as the forest wakes and sleeps, is an atmospheric highlight. Tikal is at its most magical in the soft light and cool air of early morning and late afternoon, when the crowds thin and the jungle comes alive. You experience the ruins as the forest wakes, mist rising from the canopy, howler monkeys roaring and birds calling, the great temples emerging from the trees; and again as it sleeps, the low sun gilding the grey stone and the jungle falling into a chorus of dusk. From a high temple you watch the canopy stretch unbroken to the horizon.
• The charming island town of Flores, floating on Lake Peten Itza, is a beautiful highlight of this journey. Flores, your base for exploring Tikal, is one of the prettiest towns in Guatemala, a little island of red-roofed, pastel houses and cobbled lanes crowded onto an islet in the turquoise Lake Peten Itza, linked to the mainland by a causeway. You wander its narrow streets and waterfront, visit its little hilltop church and plaza, take a boat trip on the lake at sunset, and dine at waterside restaurants as the sky turns pink over the water. The charm and setting are captivating.
• Colonial Antigua, ringed by volcanoes, beautifully bookends this jungle journey. Antigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the loveliest colonial cities in the Americas, sits in a green valley beneath three great volcanoes, and its cool highland beauty makes a lovely contrast with the steamy Peten jungle. You wander its grid of cobbled streets, lined with low pastel houses, flower-filled courtyards and grand baroque churches, many left as romantic ruins, take in its grand plaza and famous colonial arch, and enjoy its superb restaurants and relaxed charm. The beauty and atmosphere are captivating.
• Above all, this journey immerses you in the ancient Maya heartland and jungles of Guatemala, atmospheric and deeply rewarding. Northern Guatemala is a vast rainforest studded with the temples of ancient Maya cities, and this journey immerses you in it. Over six days you explore the towering temples of Tikal rising above the canopy, encounter the abundant wildlife of the Peten jungle, experience the ruins at dawn and dusk, relax in the charming island town of Flores, and bookend it all with colonial Antigua, guided by expert local and naturalist guides. The combination of vast ancient ruins, tropical wildlife.

Day by Day

A detailed day-by-day plan for this 6-day journey.

Where You Will Travel

Frequently Asked Questions