We went to quite a few ruins in Mexico so heading to another, out of our way wasn’t really on our radar. Snow & Curt convinced us with their video about Tikal, we couldn’t miss it. Thanks guys!

Tikal is a little far from other sites to see in Guatemala, so we weren’t sure if we wanted to head there. There are plenty of beautiful things in and around Tikal to make a perfect trip.

The cost of visiting Tikal is 150Q or around $19USD each.

Tikal is a place right out of a movie. The huge families of animals combined with these ancient structures make Tikal one of our favorite ruins.

One of our reasons to visit to Tikal was to climb the ruins. We weren’t able to at most of the sites we checked out in Mexico so we were spoiled checking out the views from the tops of these structures. Tikal has platforms next to the ruins so people walking up and down won’t harm the ancient buildings.

Wandering Tikal make sure to bring sunscreen and a snack. Most of the hikes are covered under jungle but climbing the ruins is in direct sunlight. They did sell snack and water but they’re quite expensive.

These little guys are called Coati’s and they are incredibly friendly! They ran by us with those cute smiles.

We listened to the howler monkeys in disbelief they could be so loud. They could be up to 2km away. When we first heard them at our campsite we thought dinosaurs were coming to attack.

The animals alone in Tikal are worth the ticket price. Seeing monkeys, coatis, toucans, and other colorful birds is a top highlight. So much better than a zoo, treading quietly to find them then watching as they carry on their day is an incredible experience.

The only problem we faced was the strict no pet policy. Most overlanders will camp right out front of Tikal and head in early but we would not be able to go that long without letting our puppy run.

Instead we found a beautiful free spot next to the lake to stay before and after our adventures, about 45 minutes away. Both the pets loved wandering around our campsite.

We also made a YouTube video about our trip to Tikal!