The island of Flores, in Northern Guatemala, is the usual base for those wanting to see the ancient wonder of Tikal. But don’t assume that’s all there is to do – there’s plenty more to see & do, both in and around the cute island town in the Lake of Petén Itzá.
We’d recommend staying in Flores for at least 3 days to get the most out of it. Let’s take a look at the absolute BEST things to do when you visit Flores, Guatemala.
How to Get to Flores Island
Flores is found about 164km east of the border to Mexico and 92km west of the border to Belize. It’s a long drive from Guatemala City if you’re already in the country – about 409km – but it really is a must-visit in our opinion.
Don’t mistake Flores Island for the town it sits within – also named Flores. The island is where you’ll want to base yourself. It’s got cobbled streets, quaint shops and heaps of restaurants/bars with lake views.
From Flores Bus Station
The bus stop Transportes Fuente Del Norte (Santa Elena terminal) is a 10 min drive or a 30 minute walk from Flores Island.
You can opt to walk this distance, however we wouldn’t recommend it, especially in the dark. Instead, grab a quick tuktuk or taxi and negotiate the price. It is only a short journey after all.
A tuktuk or a taxi should cost around Q30-50 (£3-5 / US $4-6).
From Guatemala City
The options are simple: take a bus 🚌, drive yourself 🚗 or catch a flight ✈️.
If driving yourself, it’s a straightforward albeit long journey, taking upwards of 8 hours. Simply follow highways CA-9 then CA-13, and that’s pretty much it. Just make sure you’ve planned ahead for parking before you arrive – it’s a rather small island!
Bus
As we mentioned above, the journey from Guatemala City to Flores is long, often 8 hours or more in total. That means that most bus journeys are taken overnight. They’re very common and reasonably safe, with plenty of departures each day.
We’d recommend a reputable company like Fuente del Norte. Their buses have reclining seats and are pretty comfortable for an overnight bus – just make sure you bring warm clothing as the air conditioning runs COLD! 🥶
Tickets can be booked directly on the Fuente del Norte website, or you can go through your accommodation, a local travel agency in Guatemala City, or head to the bus station in-person. We booked through the popular Flores hostel Los Amigos, who have their own travel desk inside to help with these sorts of arrangements.
Tip: Remember to avoid the more dangerous areas of Guatemala City. At the time of writing (2025) it is best to avoid 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12 & 18 due to high crime rates.
The cost of the overnight bus can vary depending on where you buy your tickets and what type of seat you pick. However, to give you an idea of price, Fuente del Norte’s prices online start from Q262.50 (£26 / US $34) for semi-reclining seats.
Going through a travel agency or accommodation will typically be more expensive, but it’ll come with added benefits such as a taxi to/from the bus terminals. Would it equal the same
Flight
Flights from Guatemala City to Flores on the other hand are much quicker. It only takes 1 hour to fly between the two. Flights are around US $90 (£67 / Q690) – including checked luggage. Flights are cheaper (around US $50) if you travel only with a small personal bag.
Money saving tip: If you’re just planning on visiting for a few days to see Tikal and a few of the other top Flores sights then return to Guatemala City, you can often leave your luggage with your accommodation for a few days in Guatemala City. This way, you can benefit from the ~$50 flight to Flores without the extra checked luggage fee!
This maximises on your time and the cost might actually be similar to the overnight bus. Although for those on a budget, the overnight bus also counts as accommodation!
From Antigua
Simply put, you’ll need to get a shuttle from Antigua to Guatemala City and then you can follow the instructions above.
There are lots of transport offices around Antigua providing shuttles to Guatemala City. Make sure you check with a few different places to ensure you have the best price. You might even be able to get a ticket which includes the shuttle and the overnight bus to Flores.
If you’re on a shoestring budget, you can get a local ‘chicken bus’ from Antigua to Guatemala City instead of a shuttle. It’ll be a lot cheaper, but the roads are windy and the buses are crowded and move particularly quickly… it won’t be an enjoyable ride!
Shuttles: around US $15-$20 between Guatemala City & Antigua
Chicken bus: around US $2
ℹ️ To give you some context, we did the journey in reverse (Flores to Antigua), and paid Q420 (£40 / US $55) per person. The price included a taxi to the bus station in Flores town and the 1.5 hour shuttle to Antigua after reaching Guatemala City.
You can use online booking platforms like GuateGo for buses too, but remember they make their money by charging more than the actual price of the ticket. Where possible, book your tickets directly – either in-person in Guatemala or on the official site of the bus company.
Tip: You can always compare the prices on GuateGo vs. direct for peace of mind, but direct is often a cheaper.
From Mexico
It might seem like a rogue inclusion in this list, but a popular border crossing from Mexico to Guatemala is actually from Palenque to Flores.
We did this journey ourselves, so if that’s you as well then check out our complete article on how to navigate the land border crossing from Palenque into Flores!
You can also fly from Mexico, however it is likely that your flight will arrive in Guatemala City, which from there you can choose to take an overnight bus (approx 8-10 hours) or a 2nd flight up to Flores (1hour flight time).
Where to Stay in Flores?
Definitely stay on the island! The surrounding town isn’t as catered for tourists or have as many things to do, so for that reason we’d strongly suggest staying on the island itself.
Hostels/guesthouses:
- $ Los Amigos: the most popular hostel in Flores with a great tour desk to book your tours and transport. Dorms and privates available.
- $ Hostel Macarena: beautifully designed hostel with a lovely garden and free breakfast every morning. Dorms and privates available.
- $ Ahau Tikal: Spacious garden with relaxing/yoga vibes. Has a shared kitchen and free brekkie. Dorms and privates available.
Hotels
- $$ Hotel Casa Amelia: beautifully designed rooms with views over the lake in an iconic colourful building.
- $$ Hotel Casona de La Isla: Gorgeous hotel with a pool and amazing views over the lake. Offering rooms and apartments.
- $$$ Villa Maya: 4-star comfort rooms with garden and lake views. It also has a stunning pool and outside area
How to Get Around Flores Island
Easy – it’s pretty much all walkable. If you’re looking at the activities off Flores Island, you can get boats across the lake or buses/organised shuttles to where you need to go!
When getting the boat, it’s worth asking a local (such as your hostel/hotel reception) the expected price. Expect to haggle a little with the boat driver too if their first price is far out of the expected range.
Best Things To Do in Flores
Tikal Day Tour
ℹ️ How to visit: Tours are recommended, but you can also visit on your own.
💰 Cost: Depends on the chosen tour, but the entry ticket alone is Q150 (roughly £15 / US $20).
Arguably the main reason anyone chooses to visit Flores is to see the amazing Tikal ruins, once one of the most powerful city-states of the ancient Maya civilisation. It thrived between the 4th century BCE and the 10th century CE, and at its peak was home to tens of thousands of people, featuring massive temples, palaces, and ceremonial plazas.
The towering temples rise above the rainforest canopy, and as you wander through the ruins, you’ll come across plazas, palaces, and pyramids surrounded by wildlife like howler monkeys and toucans. It’s one of our favourite ruins in the Yucatán for sure!
You can visit as part of a day tour, a sunrise tour, a sunset tour, or not even part of a tour. If you’re a really big history fan, you can even choose to stay within Tikal National Park itself, rather than in Flores – perfect for exploration over multiple days. These are the best options we’d recommend (and wish we’d stayed at!):
Day tours typically include transportation (it’s about 1.5 hour drive from Flores) and a guided tour of the vast site (it’s massive) before ending at the iconic Temple of the Jaguar to finish.
As mentioned, you don’t need a tour guide since the site is accessible without one, and can be reached with public transport, driving yourself, or taking a taxi. That being said, we’d still strongly recommend joining a tour – the guides are full of so much knowledge that really brings the history to life!
Make sure you check out our 2 specific Tikal articles to help you plan your trip:
- Tikal Guatemala: Complete Travel Guide to the Ancient Mayan Ruins:
- All the information on the different tours you can pick and how much they cost, from sunrise, early morning, during the day & sunset.
- Options on where to stay in Tikal, yes actually in Tikal – if that’s something which sounds like a bit of you!
- What to bring, what to wear & some of our favourite photos to whet your appetite
- Tikal Sunrise Tour: How to Book, Costs & What to Expect in Guatemala
- Our full sunrise experience from how to book the tour and what to expect
- Full costs
- Comparisons between sunrise & sunset tours
- Whether we would recommend it to our friends
Tikal Sunrise or Sunset
💰Cost: depends on your tour, but the entry ticket alone is Q150 (£15 / US $20) + an additional Q100 (£10 / US $13) for early or late access to the park.
Another one for Tikal? Yep – it’s that good! And getting to see the sunrise or sunset at Tikal is unbelievably special, so we strongly recommend it as one of the best things to do in Guatemala.
We opted for the sunrise tour and were lucky enough to eventually see the sun rise over the jungle canopy – for a long while we thought there might be too much cloud cover!
Tip: It’s cold in the mornings, especially at the top of the temple where you sit and wait for the sun to do its thing, with little shelter from the elements. Make sure to bring layers, but also a bag to carry them round later when it warms up!
Sunrise and sunset tours are more expensive than the day tours as you have to buy an additional ticket for extended access of the park outside normal hours. However, it’s absolutely worth it in our opinion to see the magic of the jungle canopy come alive/go to sleep.
The sunrise tour & sunset tour is likely to include only a 3-4 hour tour of the site afterwards but the site is massive and requires more time if you want to see it all. If you’re really into your history, consider a full day tour or even a multi-day tour to see much more of the amazing jungle ruin site.
You might also like:
Yaxhá Archaeological Site
💰Cost: Entry ticket is Q80 (£8 / US $10). Tours will cost more.
The Yaxhá ruins are east of Flores towards the border of Belize. The ruins are beautiful but if you have to pick between these and Tikal, definitely go for Tikal.
Surrounded by lagoons and jungle there are stunning views from the highest temple, plazas, twin pyramids, ball courts, observatories and more! It is definitely less busy than Tikal making it a perfect visit if you have time.
Los Amigos (as mentioned before) have a tour desk and offer transport & tours to Yaxhá.
Tip: Make sure you see the sunset here on Temple 216!
Wander the Colourful Streets of Flores Island
💰Cost: Free!
As soon as you set foot on the island you will fall in love! We arrived in the rain yet it was still so colourful and inviting, and even better when the sun came out! Each street is worth wandering down, enjoying the colourful facades, cute cafes & shops along the way.
You can walk around the whole island in about 15/20 minutes (that’s how small it is), but make sure to explore all those little streets too!
In the centre is a small park with a basketball court which is fun to hang around and there is also a food stall called Tacos Los Peces for super cheap eats of tacos, tostadas, tortas, burritos, quesadillas etc which we recommend if you’re on a budget. There are a few souvenir shops dotted around too which are fun to explore.
Watch the Sunset over the Lake
💰Cost: Free! Or the cost of a couple of drinks. Lots of places offer a happy hour deal so look out for those!
The sunsets in Flores are amazing! It might be because of the lake, or the cute vibes of the town, or maybe even the idea of seeing an incredible archaeological site of Tikal under the golden sun as it sets? All we know is that Flores sunsets are fantastic.
On the island, there are many ‘hidden’ rooftop bars that offer the perfect perch from which to watch the sunset. Find yourself one of those, or just take a seat anywhere on the west side of the island to watch the sun go down. Even better if you grab a couple of beers from a corner shop before you get there!
Our favourite rooftop bars to watch the sunset were:
Jorge’s Rope Swing
💰Cost: Entry ticket is Q25 (£2.50 / US $3.20)
Jorge’s rope swing is a super popular stop for a few hours of swinging, jumping, swimming or simply relaxing. It’s a bit of a must-do if you’re in Flores, especially if the sun is out – you’ll want an excuse to cool off! You can also buy drinks and snacks here (quite basic but it’s good enough).
You can get to Jorge’s rope swing by boat or kayak. If you’re renting kayaks for the day, it’s a good place to stop off for a few hours of fun! If getting across by boat, make sure to negotiate a fair fee with the driver. The cost of the round trip boat should be around Q150 (for 2 or 3 people). Make sure to tell the boat when you want to return!
Museo Santa Bárbara
💰Cost: Entry ticket is Q30 (£3.00 / US $4)
You might spot the Museo sign off in the distance from the waters edge of a rooftop bar on the island, and wonder ‘what is that’? Well, it’s a Mayan history museum on an even smaller island in the middle of the lake!
The Museo Santa Bábara is a small family run museum with many Mayan artefacts, colonial items and a mix of local history too. When you contact the museum directly, they’ll let you know that the entry cost also includes transport across – so make sure you do this. The best way to organise a trip is via Whatsapp at +502 5417 9647.
Rent Kayaks for the Day
💰Cost: Depends who you go with, but around Q75-100 for 1 person for 2-3 hours (£7.50-£10 / US $13)
Renting kayaks for the day is a great way to explore around the island and the Lago Petén Itzá.
Popular kayak rental companies:
Where to visit with your kayak:
- 🏘️ If you’ve got the energy, do a loop of the island to see it from a different perspective
- 🏖️ Playa Chechenal Peten: Lovely beach to relax on with a bar with a Q10 entry (£1 / US $1.30)
- 🏛️ Museo Santa Bárbara: See above, but make sure to message before arriving to make sure they are open. Q30 entry (£3.00 / US $4)
- 🪢 Jorge’s Rope Swing See above, Q25 (£2.50 / US $3.20)
Sitio Arqueológico Tayasal
💰Cost: Free admission!
In the town of San Miguel, just across the lake from Flores Island is the archeological site of Tayasal. To reach Tayal take a boat across to the town of San Miguel and walk up. Cars are not allowed.
Its a large site but much of it is still under excavation, which actually is pretty cool… you’re getting to see it before it becomes a major tourist attraction! There isn’t much signage because of the aforementioned excavation but still interesting to walk around and think back to when this amazing site would’ve been bustling with activity in its prime.
Sitio Arqueológico Tayasal is FREE to enter, but make sure you are respectful to the workers and give them space. Where appropriate you might be able to ask them questions.
From Tayasal you also have views of a nearby cenote, although it’s not the most amazingly clean nor impressive one. That said, it’s fully exposed and something to note as you walk past!
How Many Days Do I Need in Flores?
If you’re pushed for time, 2 days will be fine: 1 day to see Tikal & 1 day to explore the town of Flores. If you’re more flexible, we think 3-4 days is the perfect amount of time to explore & relax.
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