Tikal Sunrise Tour: How to Book, Costs & What to Expect in Guatemala

Seeing the sun rise over temples poking out over the jungle canopy…. just wow! Tikal is one of our favourite ancient city ruins in Central America. So does seeing this at sunrise sound like your kind of thing? Read along to see our experience and how to book your Tikal sunrise tour!

What is Tikal?

If you’re not sure what Tikal is or how you should go about booking, check out our Complete Guide to Tikal before coming back to read about our sunrise experience!

Who we booked with and our experience 

We booked our Sunrise Tour with Los Amigos. Los Amigos is a hostel in the heart of Flores island and one of the most popular hostels. We actually didn’t stay here as the prices for private doubles in December were more than some of the other hostels/guesthouses in the area so we opted for something a little cheaper.

We would also recommend Ahau Tikal. It’s got a spacious garden with relaxing/yoga vibes. With a shared kitchen and free brekkie you will feel like this is home. We always opt for a private room (like we normally do) but there are good spacious dorms available too.

Even if you are not staying with Los Amigos, their tour counter is the best. They have fixed costs on display compared to the other tour offices in Flores, so you know everyone is paying the same price. 

They also speak really good English to help you decide what tours you want to do. 

The tour office is behind the hostel reception. Just walk in through the main door – you might need to buzz, and then head through the hostel towards the bar. The tour desk is on your right.

Not only did they explain the whole process of the sunrise tour, the guy also looked at the weather forecast before we booked to make sure it looked ok!

We ended up booking our sunrise tour for us and 2 friends, with Los Amigos. We also went back to book our overnight bus down to Guatemala City.

You can contact them before you arrive in Flores on whatsapp (+502 4495 2399) however we found it was much easier to chat with someone in person. 

Our step by step of how we booked

1. We first messaged on whatsapp to arrange the tour, however with a lot of back and forth we decided it was easier to do it in person
2. We arrived in Flores and headed to Los Amigos
3. We sat down with an english speaking guy and talked through the options for a Tikal tour
4. We decided on the sunrise tour and checked the weather
5. Los Amigos bought our day tickets for us in advance and said that our driver would buy our sunrise tickets and we would pay him. We needed to provide pics of our passports at this point to get tickets
6. We also had to make sure we took our passports with us on the day
7. We received a receipt with timings for the trip 
8. There was an option to pre book a breakfast bag which had a panini in it, but it didn’t seem worth the cost to us. We recommend making your own sandwiches/breakfast and bringing it with you.
9. We took out cash to pay for the sunrise ticket, there are no ATMs near Tikal.

The complete costs for the day 

Tikal day pass: Q150 (£15 / US $20) 

Sunrise ticket*: Q100 (£10 / US $15) 

Sunrise tour cost with Los Amigos: Q230 (£23 / US $30) 

Total pp: Q480 (£48 / US $65)

*In addition to the tour cost and the day pass you need an additional ticket which grants you entry for sunrise and/or sunset which costs an additional Q100. If you are planning on doing the sunrise without a tour you might need to visit a Banrural to purchase the sunrise ticket the day before as the ticket office is not open at Tikal before 7am.

If you don’t do sunrise but still book through Los Amigos the prices (as of 2025) are:

🌄 Early bird: Q130 for the tour + Q150 for the day pass (4:30am – 12:30pm)

• Total: Q280 (£28 / US $36) 

☀️ Day tour: Q130 for the tour + Q150 for the day pass (leave at 6am/8am/10am & return at 1pm/3pm/4pm)

• Total: Q280 (£28 / US $36) 

🌅 Sunset: Q165 for the tour + Q150 for the day pass + Q100 for the after hours sunset ticket (12pm – 6:45pm)

• Total: Q415 (£41 / US $54) 

🚎 Transport only: Q100 return (leave at 4:30am/6am/8am/10am & return at 12:30pm/2pm/3pm/4pm)  

• Total: Q100 (£10 / US $15) 
• Add Q150 for the day pass (£15 / US $22.50)

Additional costs for us

• Q25 x 2 for beers
• Q30 for a coffee at the entrance of Tikal
• Q50 for a Tikal baseball cap 

Total additional costs Q105 (£10.50 / US $13.50)

Order of the Day

Days before the sunrise tour

Make sure you book your tour in advance, ideally as soon as you arrive in Flores to get your preferred date & time. Also make sure to confirm what you need to pay for on the day and whether you need to get tickets in advance from the bank (or online) and whether you need to bring your passport.

Keep your receipt for the tour safe as the driver will most likely want to look at it when you get on the bus.

Arrival at Los Amigos

We were told to arrive at Los Amigos at 2:45am. We arrived and were let in by someone on reception. A few more people turned up between 2:45am and 3am and we headed to the shuttle at 3am. 

The shuttle was parked on the outskirts of the town, approx a 5 min walk away. This is very common for tours in and around Flores as the roads around Flores Island are small, cobbled, one way and tricky to navigate. 

Arrival at Tikal

The shuttle was reasonably comfy and the lights were dimmed (as it was so early in the morning). We arrived at the ticket office where the driver secured our sunrise access tickets and we paid the driver for these in cash. 

We then continued our drive until we arrived with a few other vans at the entrance. 

We queued up to get wristbands (one for general entry and one for sunrise) and gathered in our group with our guide on the other side. After getting our wristbands there was a small table selling instant coffee which was greatly appreciated.

Our group was led by our guide with a head torch and we used phone torches to navigate the uneven ground. He pointed out various animals and plants along the way but the walk was brisk to get to Temple IV for sunrise. 

The walk to the temple was completely in the dark (obviously) but manageable with torches. 

Connor & I had never heard howler monkeys before so that was definitely a first – walking through thick jungle, hearing the roaring above in total darkness!! It was a bit scary at first but definitely a highlight and an insight into the sounds of living in this area during the Mayan Civilisation! 

Climb to the view point

We got to Temple IV and had to show our wristbands to the guard at the bottom of the stairs. The walk up the stairs was fine, they felt sturdy and there were places/corners to pause if you needed to take a minute. Once at the top, you walk out onto the platform (still in the dark) and find a seat. We sat a few steps up on the right. There is plenty of space for everyone. You can always pop down to the railings to get a picture as the sun rises. 

Sunrise

We sat waiting for maybe about 1 hour until the sun started to rise. It was very cold so make sure you have layers which are easy to take off later in the day. The sun began to rise but we could see quite a lot of cloud cover, but luckily this soon burned off and we saw the temples light up in the rays of the sun over the canopy of the jungle.

The whole time we could hear the sounds of the forest, and pretty much everyone waiting for sunrise was fairly quiet so we could all enjoy the calmness of the sunrise.

Our guide told us to meet at the bottom of the steps at 6:45am to start the tour.

Rest of the Tour

The rest of the tour was about 3 hours in length. We walked through the jungle in our group learning about the architecture, the civilisations, and the flora & fauna as we went. Our guide was knowledgeable and funny and spoke good English too. 

The highlight of the rest of the tour was definitely the Temple of the Jaguar at the end! Our favourite thing to do was to climb the temple opposite to the viewing platform to get a good look, we also loved exploring the ruins on the right of the Jaguar Temple. Definitely make sure you leave enough time to explore to the left of the Jaguar Temple as there are loads of places to climb up to for good views and excavated artefacts everywhere!

Time we finished 

We finished our tour of the site at around 9:30/10am before walking a short walk to a restaurant area. Around here are lots of stalls selling souvenirs and obviously I had to buy a new cap! We had time for a few beers (yes it was early but we’d also been up since 2am) before heading back to the shuttle at around 10:30am. 

Drive back to Flores

The drive back to Flores usually takes 1.5 hours. Our journey was delayed slightly by a fallen tree which was interesting! This huge tree had fallen down across the whole road just a few cars ahead. Luckily no one was hurt but there was no way around the tree.

After we realised we would be stuck for a little while we got out and walked around. We thought we would be stuck for HOURS but in typical Guatemala fashion, everyone took their machetes (!) out of their car boots and started to work on the fallen tree from either side! A gap was made on one side, large enough for a shuttle bus after 20 minutes and we were soon on our way again!

On the way back we dropped half of our group at a petrol station near to the airport as they were flying out of Flores that morning. We then carried on back to Flores Island and arrived by 12:30pm. 

We headed straight back to our guesthouse for a nap (which we thoroughly recommend!) before meeting up with our friends at a rooftop bar for sunset – happy days!

Group size

Our group size was about 20 people which was fine. It wasn’t too intimate, however we love to ask our guides lots of questions and we normally find with tours that at least half the group holds back a little so we could freely ask questions and stay at the front of the pack.

What to pack

• Water! You can’t buy any more as you walk around so have enough for half a day. You can buy more at the restaurant later. Luckily it doesn’t get too hot until later into your tour so you don’t need too much but it’s important to stay hydrated. 
• Mosquito repellent – you’re in a jungle!
• Sun protection, you’re mostly in the jungle but there are open areas everywhere
• Layers for the sunrise/ dark portion of the day. It is pretty chilly up on that top platform.
• Sturdy shoes. There will be a lot of walking and some uneven terrain
• A camera – you’ll want it to capture the epic shots of the temples and animals!
• Cash – for tickets, food & drink, souvenirs etc
• Passport – so the driver can get your tickets. Check with your tour provider if this is necessary 

What we wore

• Long trousers (leggings/cargo trousers). It did get hotter later into the day so i could have done with a change of clothes into shorts, but long trousers also protect you from pesky mozzies
• A t-shirt/tank top – you will probably just be in this as it warms up
• A fleece – to keep warm at sunrise
• Hiking boots/walking shoes. Closed shoes are recommended. You could do this in trainers too, but i think sandals would be a push.

Was it worth it?

So there is no denying it, it is expensive for backpackers. £48 per person for a half day activity not including any food was above our daily budget however, we have zero regrets. Seeing the sun rise was MAGICAL. The price difference between sunrise vs a day tour is £20 at £28, so maybe if the weather in the lead up to your chosen visit day looks cloudy a day tour is better value for sure. 

We were very lucky to have seen the sun rise and for a while it did look like it would just be very cloudy. That being said, even if it was cloudy the whole time, seeing the temples rise out of the jungle from complete darkness to the light of the day was amazing! Although maybe not worth the price tag.

Essentially weather is never guaranteed, and booking an expensive tour which is only expensive because of the potential sunrise experience is a risk. 

Would we recommend it to our friends? Yes if they had the budget for it but with the caveat that sunrise is not guaranteed. If our friends had a lower budget? We’d say to do the day tour. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Sitting at the top of Temple IV watching the jungle wake up is indescribable, seeing the temples that poke out emerge & disappear… wow
• You get to explore once the sun has risen before the day guests arrive
• You achieve so much by 10am 😂
• You get to hear the sounds of the jungle in the dark! Especially the howler monkeys – a bit scary but amazing!
• When we did sunrise there were at most 60 people on the viewing platform. Probably even less for sunset!

Cons

• You have to pay an extra Q100 (£10 / US $15) for just a few hours
• It can be a little cold in the dark
• You have to climb up 200 steps to reach the viewing platform (its not too difficult)
• You have to leave Flores at 2:30am
• Sunrise is not guaranteed. Due to cloud cover you might not get a good show

% chance of seeing a good sunrise or sunset

Take this with a pinch of salt but our guide said you have a 30% chance of seeing a good sunrise and a 70% chance of seeing a good sunet.

Other tours

Where should I stay when visiting? 

You have 2 main choices of where to stay if you want to visit Tikal.

In Flores

The first is the beautiful town of Flores which is only 1.5 hours away from Tikal. The town is set up for many people wanting to visit Tikal, so everywhere you look there will be tour operators and offices offering trips to Tikal which include transport & a guide. 

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. With 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

In Tikal

The second option is actually staying in Tikal! Yes in Tikal! This is the perfect spot if you want to visit the site over multiple days or want to be within walking distance of this epic spot!

You don’t have too many options but we think these ones look great and only 10-15min walk to the temples!

• $-$$ Hotel Jaguar Inn Tikal: Eco-friendly hotel run 100% on solar panels
• $-$$ Jungle Lodge Tikal: Offering rooms, suites & bungalows but the coolest part is that there are original rooms here of the archaeologists who studied the area in the 50s!
• $$ Hotel Jungle Lodge Tikal: a slightly more expensive option offering suits to bungalows and a stunning pool in the middle of the jungle

Why not take a look and see what you think!