Tikal Sunset Tour from Flores
No early wake-up: stay in Tikal after the day tours leave, with golden light on Temple I, howler monkeys at dusk and sunset over the jungle.
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- Noon pickup, no early alarm
- Sunset from the Lost World pyramid
- Temple I and the Great Plaza
- Stay after the day tours leave
- Entrance and sunset tickets included
- Certified bilingual guide
100% secure transactions
100% refund guaranteed when you cancel 48 hours before the tour
TOUR DETAILS
What is the Tikal Sunset Tour from Flores?
The Tikal Sunset Tour from Flores is an afternoon guided visit to Tikal National Park that ends with sunset from the Lost World pyramid, about 31 m above the jungle. You leave at noon, no 3 AM alarm, walk the Great Plaza beneath Temple I and stay after the day tours leave, as monkeys and toucans come out. Tickets included.
What's Included in the Tikal Sunset Tour?
- Noon pickup in Flores (12:00 PM) facing the "Yo Amo Petén" letters where the causeway meets the island, or 12:35 PM at Restaurante Las Gardenias in El Remate
- Van to Tikal and back, a government-licensed tourist transport covering the 64 km each way
- Professional driver: no driving back through the jungle after dark for you
- INGUAT-certified guide in English and Spanish, required by the park for anyone staying for sunset
- 3 to 4 hours of Maya history in the Great Plaza, the Acropolis and the Lost World, with wildlife spotting
- Free time to explore on your own before sunset
- Park entrance (Q150 per adult, about US$20), bought by us and emailed to you one day ahead
- Sunset ticket (Q100, about US$13), the pass that lets the group stay after the park closes for day visitors
What's NOT Included?
- Lunch and drinks (eat before the 12:00 PM pickup)
- Tips for the guide and driver
- Travel insurance (recommended)
What to bring on the Tikal Sunset Tour
- Your passport, plus your park tickets on screen if you booked the US$35 option
- 1.5 L of water per person: the first hours are under the midday sun
- A wide hat and sunscreen, since the Great Plaza is open grass and stone
- A small flashlight for the trail back to the van after dark
- Repellent and long trousers for the mosquitoes that rise at dusk
- A packable rain jacket in the wet months, May to October
- Sneakers or trail shoes with grip for wooden stairs and roots
- Small bills in quetzales for drinks or a tip: no cash machines in the park
Things to know before your Tikal Sunset Tour
- You arrive in the hottest hours. The group reaches Tikal around 1:15 PM, when the Great Plaza has little shade. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen; the walk gets cooler as the afternoon goes on.
- Clouds can hide the sun. Sunset is clear more often than sunrise, but from May to October afternoon showers are common, and September is the wettest month. We never promise a perfect sunset.
- The sunset time changes. The sun sets between about 5:20 PM (December) and 6:35 PM (July), and the van is back in Flores by 8:00 PM.
- You walk out at dusk. After sunset the group walks back to the parking area as the light fades: bring a flashlight or use your phone light.
- Stairs. Temple II and the Lost World pyramid are climbed by wooden staircases. Temple I cannot be climbed.
- Group size varies from 5 to 25; everyone walks at the pace the guide sets.
- Mosquitoes come out at dusk: bring repellent and long pants.
- Bathrooms exist only at the visitor center: use them before the walk.
- Cash and signal: the park has no ATM and almost no mobile coverage, so carry quetzales.
- Park tickets cannot be refunded; each one works for a month from the visit date picked at purchase.
- Payment: the with-tickets option is booked with a 50% deposit and the balance is charged automatically 2 days before the tour; the without-tickets option is paid in full.
About the tour
WhatsApp Us!The Tikal sunset tour needs no early wake-up. At noon a van collects you by the "Yo Amo Petén" letters in Flores, stops in El Remate and reaches Tikal National Park around 1:15 PM. The sun is strong at that hour, so your guide starts in the Great Plaza, where Temple I, the Temple of the Great Jaguar, faces Temple II across the grass, with the North and Central Acropolis on either side.
For the next hours you walk the city with a certified guide: you climb the wooden stairs of Temple II for a view over the plaza, step through the palaces of the Acropolis and learn how Tikal ruled the Maya lowlands for centuries. As the afternoon cools, the day tours head back to their buses, and the jungle gets louder: howler monkeys start calling, spider monkeys move through the canopy and toucans and parrots cross the clearings.
The last stop is the Lost World (Mundo Perdido), one of the oldest complexes in Tikal. You climb its great pyramid, about 31 m high, and watch the sun sink behind the forest while the light turns the stone gold. When the colors fade, the group walks back through the darkening jungle to the van and is back in Flores by 8:00 PM.
Why do travelers choose the Tikal sunset tour?
Travelers choose the Tikal sunset tour to see Tikal without a 3 AM alarm and to stay in the park after the day tours leave. Afternoon skies are clear more often than at sunrise, and the wildlife comes out as the heat fades.
- No early wake-up: a 12:00 PM pickup after a full night of sleep and a slow morning in Flores.
- A better chance of seeing the sun: the morning mist is long gone, so the sunset is visible more often than the sunrise.
- Tikal after the crowds: day visitors leave in the afternoon, and the Lost World feels calm at sunset.
- Wildlife at dusk: howler and spider monkeys, toucans, parrots and coatis are most active in the last hours of light.
- Golden light on the temples: Temple I and the Great Plaza glow in the late afternoon, the best light for photos.
Have your tickets already? Join for US$35
Travelers who bought their own entrance (Q150) and sunset ticket (Q100) pay US$35 per person for the Tikal Sunset Tour, in full at booking. Kids aged 9 and under, who need no park ticket, book the same US$35 option. The van, driver, guide and route do not change.
At checkout, pick "Without tickets or kids 9 and under" next to your date, and keep both tickets on your phone: the sunset ticket is an add-on to the entrance, never a replacement.
RELATED TOURS
Tikal Day ToursTikal Day Tour from Flores
4:30, 6:00, 8:00 or 10:00 AM · Temple IV, Great Plaza and Lost World by day$29.00
Yaxhá ToursYaxhá Sunset Tour from Flores
12:00 PM · Sunset from Temple 216 over Yaxhá lagoon$29.00
Tikal Sunrise ToursTikal Sunrise Tour from Flores
2:40 AM · Sunrise from Temple IV, inside before the park opens$87.00Tikal Sunset Tour Itinerary, Hour by Hour
From Flores to sunset in Tikal, back by 8:00 PM
12:00 PM
Meet the van at the "Yo Amo Petén" letters, Flores Island.
12:35 PM
Second pickup in El Remate, at Restaurante Las Gardenias.
1:15 PM
Arrival at Tikal National Park.
1:30 PM
Guided walk: the Great Plaza with Temple I and Temple II (wooden stairs to a viewpoint), and the North and Central Acropolis.
4:00 PM
Walk to the Lost World (Mundo Perdido) as the day tours leave and the wildlife comes out; free time to explore.
5:20–6:35 PM
Sunset from the top of the Lost World pyramid (the time changes with the season).
After sunset
Walk back to the parking area at dusk.
By 8:00 PM
Drop-off back in Flores, about an hour after leaving the park.
Most groups watch the sunset from the Lost World pyramid; on some days the guide chooses Temple IV. Times after the first stop follow the sunset.
Tikal Sunset Tour FAQ
Is the Tikal sunset tour worth it?
Yes, if you would rather skip the early wake-up: the Tikal sunset tour shows you Temple I, the Great Plaza and the Lost World without a 3 AM alarm, and you stay after the day tours leave. The trade-off is arriving in the midday heat, and clouds can hide the sun in the rainy season.
Tikal sunset or sunrise tour: which is better?
Pick the Tikal sunset tour if you would rather start at noon and want better odds of seeing the sun go down; pick sunrise for howler monkeys in the dark and cool air. The afternoon tour leaves Flores at 12:00 PM, the dawn tour at 2:40 AM, and the budget Tikal Day Tour in the morning. Sunrise tour · Tikal Day Tour
How much is the Tikal sunset tour?
The Tikal Sunset Tour costs US$75 per person in 2026, and that price already covers the Q150 entrance and the Q100 sunset ticket, the van from Flores, the driver and the guide. Without park tickets it costs US$35, the same price kids aged 9 and under pay, since they enter Tikal free.
Are the Tikal sunset tickets included?
Yes: on the US$75 Tikal sunset tour we buy both park tickets, the Q150 entrance and the Q100 sunset pass, and email them to you a day ahead. Each adult needs the two together; the sunset pass alone does not get you through the gate.
How much is the Tikal sunset ticket in 2026?
A Tikal sunset ticket is Q100 per foreign visitor in 2026 (roughly US$13), added to the Q150 park entrance. It is valid for the 6:00–8:00 PM sunset slot, only with an INGUAT-licensed guide, and the official seller is boletos.culturaguate.gob.gt, which adds a 2.3% fee for cards.
What time is sunset in Tikal?
Sunset in Tikal comes earliest around 5:20 PM in early December and latest around 6:35 PM in July. With no daylight saving time in Guatemala, the Tikal sunset tour keeps its 12:00 PM departure all year; you are back in Flores by 8:00 PM.
Where do you watch the sunset in Tikal?
Most Tikal sunset tours from Flores watch the sun go down from the great pyramid of the Lost World (Mundo Perdido), about 31 m (102 ft) high, climbed by a wooden staircase, with an open view west over the canopy. On some days the guide picks Temple IV, the tallest temple, instead.
What is Temple I in Tikal, and can you climb it?
Temple I, the Temple of the Great Jaguar, is the 47 m (154 ft) funerary pyramid of King Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, facing Temple II across the Great Plaza. Climbing it is forbidden; on the Tikal sunset tour you see it up close and from the top of Temple II.
Is it hot on the Tikal sunset tour?
Yes, at first: the Tikal sunset tour arrives around 1:15 PM, the hottest time of day, and the Great Plaza has little shade. Bring 1.5 L of water, a hat and sunscreen; by the time you reach the Lost World the heat has eased.
What if it is cloudy or rainy at sunset in Tikal?
Clouds can hide the sunset in Tikal, mostly in the wet months from May to October, when afternoon storms are frequent. November to April is drier and usually clearer. On a grey evening the pyramids, the light and the howler monkeys still make the climb worthwhile, and you can cancel free up to 48 hours before.
Will I see wildlife on the Tikal sunset tour?
Often: on the Tikal sunset tour the wildlife becomes active as the heat fades. Howler and spider monkeys, toucans, parrots, coatis and ocellated turkeys are the most common sightings, though animals are never guaranteed. Binoculars help in the canopy.
Do I need a flashlight for the Tikal sunset tour?
Yes, bring a flashlight or use your phone light: after sunset the Tikal sunset tour walks back through the jungle to the parking area as the light fades. Paths are marked dirt trails, and the guide leads the group.
Is there transport from Flores to Tikal for the afternoon tour?
Yes: the Tikal sunset tour van leaves from the "Yo Amo Petén" letters on Flores Island at 12:00 PM and stops at Restaurante Las Gardenias in El Remate at 12:35 PM. The 64 km road takes about an hour each way, and the same van brings you back after dark.
Can I book the Tikal Sunset Tour without entrance tickets?
Yes: bought your Tikal tickets already? The Tikal Sunset Tour without tickets costs US$35, paid in full when you book. Show your entrance and sunset tickets on your phone at the gate; noon pickup, guide and the sunset from the Lost World stay the same.
Do kids need a ticket for the Tikal sunset tour?
No ticket is needed for children under 10 at Tikal, Guatemalan or foreign; from their 10th birthday they pay the full Q150 entrance plus the sunset pass. For the Tikal Sunset Tour, book younger kids on the US$35 option, which pays for their seat and the guide.
Was Star Wars filmed in Tikal?
Yes: in Star Wars (1977) Tikal plays the jungle moon Yavin 4, in a shot taken from the top of Temple IV over Temples I, II and III. The Tikal sunset tour takes you through those same temples on foot, while the sunrise tour climbs Temple IV for that exact view. Sunrise tour
