Peten Region (Northern Guatemala) Travel Guide

La Villa del Chef is a highly recommended restaurant in Flores... great food and great atmosphere, especially if you can get one of the tables outside almost next to the waterfront.... but the waiting periods at this restaurant on a busy evening can be long...

Bring a flashlight for the sunrise tour, eat breakfast at their restaurant (best pina and plantains ever), and watch for soldier ants!

Get a hotel in Flores, if you did what we did this will really make the experience more enjoyable. We took the bus from Guatemala City, to Flores, then another bus from Flores to Tikal. The first bus ride is around eight hours. We left Guatemala City around 9:30pm got to Flores around 6 or 7am. The bus ride to Tikal was easy to find, their are drivers waiting for tourists right where the bus stops. Be smart check the prices of all the various drivers and make sure you get a driver who has flexible return times. We ended up having to stay in the park for close to 8 hours. Which was fine for us, but maybe not for everyone. On the return trip we arrived back in Flores around 5 or 6 pm and had to wait until around 9:45 pm for the return trip. We were exhausted. Next time we will get a hotel in Flores and return the following morning. Keep in mind sleeping on the bus is not for everyone. Try to get as much sleep as possible so you are ready for hiking in the park. There is a lot of hiking to do in Tikal. Everything is separated by a long walk, and there is a lot to see, also you can climb pretty much everything, unless it has a posted notice. Wear durable, comfortable shoes!