Tikal National Park Regulations

1. The Tikal National Park is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day of the week, 365 days a year, including holidays.

2. All park entrance fees are to be purchased online at the MInistry of Culture & Sports' website https://boletos.culturaguate.com before arriving at the park's gate. Please keep in mind that unless your tour operator or hotel have included your entrance fees among the services included for you, these are not included and you will need to purchase them yourself. The general park entrance fee to enter the Tikal National Park is US$ 20 or Q 150 per day per person (for visitors from abroad / foreigners) and it is valid from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Please note there is an additional park entrance fee of US$ 13 or Q 100 per person "per event" to be admitted into the park's premises before or after the official opening hours. Purchasing these on the ministry's website under the name "boleto amanecer" or "boleto atardecer" (make sure they are for foreigners or "extranjeros" if you are not a Guatemalan national), also have these with you prior to arriving at our park.

Entrance fees to the museums are US$ 4 or Q 30 per person. You also need to pre pay and purchase park entrance fees to Uaxactun, 18 kilometers north of Tikal. These are US$ 7 or Q 50 per person.

At tikalpark.com we will gladly guide you to take care of purchasing your park entrance fees for your trip directly at the Ministry of Culture & Sports' website if you are traveling with our company. We do recommend you make sure you have all the necessary park entrance fees you will need during your visit to TIKAL prior to your arrival at the park's gate.

This means you will need to think ahead of time and decide whether you want to visit the museums, include the sunrise tour and / or the sunset tour and also whether you will go into TIKAL again to explore more archaeological compounds on your own on the second or third day you will be at the park...

Park guards will only accept the PDF and QRcodes you will receive as proof of purchase by e mail, after completing your online purchase on the above mentioned website. They will then give you the appropriate colored bracelets to enter the park. They cannot accept any cash nor take any payments at the TIKAL NATIONAL PARK's gate. TIKAL is a corruption-free space, starting at the park's entrance gate with our park guards. We are part of Guatemala's Crusade against corruption that started way earlier than 2015. Tikal is and a haven for citizen's auditing and government accountability. Thanks for your cooperation!

Tikal is the largest excavated site in the American continent. It is Guatemala's most famous cultural and natural preserve. Tikal possesses a certain magic... Like all puzzles without answers it fascinates everyone and we dare say... Tikal is so irresistible once you are here, you'll find yourself wanting to stay just a little longer!

This majestic archaeological gem comprises 222 square miles of jungle all around the ceremonial center. It took the University of Pennsylvania 13 years to uncover about 10 square miles of structures at Tikal. However, much of it is still left to be unearthed. So, do take some advice... Don't try to see all of Tikal in one day, even if you are in excellent shape!.

Some structures at Tikal are covered in moss. Please stay on the trails and use the stairways and designated walkways. Avoid climbing on unauthorized sides of structures that may lead to accidents.

Neotropical butterflies tell us about the health of an ecosystem... *Scientific and photographic tours available with specialist guides on request*

3. There is a US$ 4 (Q 30 quetzales) fee to enter the Lithics museum and the Sylvannus Morley Museum (which is temporarily closed for maintenance). The entrance fee to the museum is NOT included with your park entrance fee and needs to be paid for separately at https://boletos.culturaguate.com

4. Respect and observe the park authorities' instructions.

5. Smoking is allowed within the park, but visitors are strongly advised to take their cigarette butts and ash back with them, it is forbidden to throw away any burning matches or cigarettes in the park.

6. You may not pay tips to any park guards, it will be considered bribing, which is considered a serious offense at the Tikal National Park.

7. Visitors are advised to follow the park’s rules which include not drinking any alcoholic beverages within the park. Pets are NOT allowed in the Tikal National Park.

8. Walk within the designated trails only and follow the signs. Use these for orientation and stay off the restricted areas for your personal security.

9. You may climb on some of the monuments, however, some are strictly off limits.

10. Do not climb on the temples if you feel unfit and watch your step at all times, especially on wet stones and logs. You are in the park at your own risk.

11. If you climb temples and monuments, make sure you contribute to the safeguarding of their architectural features: do not destroy the monuments.

12. When climbing temples, do not make any new trails to climb up and keep strictly to the trodden pathways and the main stairways: do not trample over the monuments.

13. Do not cut any of the vegetation, cutting objects are strictly prohibited within park premises.

14. Do not throw any trash in the park.

15. Do not feed jungle animals.

16. Do not carve any graffiti, touch, lean or sit on any archaeological monument.

17. Do not make any rubbings of the sculptures of Tikal.

18. Do not turn over any stones or logs for your personal security and for preservation purposes.

19. Do not collect any animal, insect or plant specimen.

20. For any scientific purposes, the appropriate paperwork is necessary for the collection of specimens, photography and research.

21. Do not film for commercial purposes without the appropriate paperwork and specific permit. Filming at Tikal requires a special permit, issued only by the Institute of Archaeology and History I.D.A.E.H. or Instituto de Antropologia e Historia in Guatemala City. The use of drones in TIKAL is strictly prohibitted and will not be included in any filming permit.

22. Making fires of any kind is prohibited, except for ceremonial purposes, which requires a special permit, issued only to Maya Priests or Aj Q'ijab by the Institute of Archaeology and History I.D.A.E.H. ( Instituto de Antropologia e Historia ) in Guatemala City.

23. Use the restrooms provided by the park, which are found in the resting areas adjacent to the monuments.

24. Within the park, there is a speed limit, of 30- 40 kilometers an hour for motor vehicles traveling on authorized access roads only.

25. Do not blow your horn while driving through the park, and do not play any music system within the ruins that might disturb the fauna or other visitors.

26. Do not hunt within the park's premises or adjacent areas of influence; firearms are strictly forbidden within park's premises unless you carry a permit from the pertinent authority.

27. To continue on to Uaxactun, 18 kilometers north of Tikal, it is necessary to obtain a special permit to drive through the Tikal National Park, at the Park Administration's office.

28. By no means are visitors allowed to be within the ruins after hours. Concessions are made so that visitors may appreciate the sunrise and the sunset only. The park is officially open from 6 am to 6 pm, but you may purchase an additional park entrance fee to see the sunrise and enter at 4 am or stay in the park until 7:30 pm to see the sunset and the fullmoon. You need to be with a guide to see the sunrise or the sunset. If you are driving into the park at 4 am you need to have your guide with you onboard to be able to enter the park. There are no unsupervised visits for the sunrise and / or for the sunset.

29. For guests who stay at the hotels within park premises, you may be admitted into the park beginning at 6 a.m.

30. Lights are turned out at 9:30 p.m., so guests are advised to be at their hotels before this time as well as to bring a flashlight for your comfort and convenience.

31. Last but not least, the IDAEH, Institute of Anthropology and History, adscribed to the Ministry of Culture and Sport, is the park's governing body and all of the General Rules that apply to all archaeological parks in Guatemala also apply to the TIKAL NATIONAL PARK.

Tikal is one of the best examples of the elegant beauty of the Peten Maya architectural style. There are 5 distinct Maya architectural styles, which include the Maya Puuc, Chenes, Rio Bec and Palenque styles as well as the Peten Maya style.

YYYY — Tikal is one of the best examples of the elegant beauty of the Peten Maya architectural style. There are 5 distinct Maya architectural styles, which include the Maya Puuc, Chenes, Rio Bec and Palenque styles as well as the Peten Maya style.

This site is dedicated to all the park guards, workers and the archaeologists, who have dedicated their lives to researching and protecting this wonderful cultural resource, a heritage of all Guatemalans and the world.

This website is an educational resource specially dedicated to Guatemalan children, because the conservation of our cultural treasures starts with education.

This site expresses the views of its authors based on the right of free expression of thought and is protected by law and the Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala. To reproduce all or part of it you must count with consent and written permission from its authors.

When quoting any of this site's content please make sure you mention your source, which is this website, tikalpark.com

Finally, this site is not the park's official internet site, nor does it reflect the views of any government authorities.

This is a contribution made by the private sector, by Ecotourism & Adventure Specialists and the Association for the Development of the Maya World, towards education on our culture and the history of the ancient Maya as well as to support the protection of and research on Guatemala's heritage. This site is constantly revised and updated amd all the published pricing is current and reliable.

We hope you will enjoy www.tikalpark.com and its Spanish version www.parque-tikal.com

For reservations or more information write to us at tikalpark@tikalpark.com.

Updated January 30th, 2022 at 12:40 p.m.