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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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Do it Yourself Adventure From Belize to Tikal

by tacogirl 12/07/2016
written by tacogirl 12/07/2016
Belize to Tikal

Often people opt to take the road less traveled and figure out how to do something themselves instead of taking a group tour. As is the case with Doug Behm who wrote this guest post, which came at a perfect time. One of my custom tacogirl luggage tag winners Kim G wrote to give me her mailing address and followed up by asking about an inexpensive tour from Belize to Guatemala. I immediately wrote back and let her know useful information was in process of getting blogged and that could help her solve her wanderlust wondering.

Couples Adventure in Belize

My wife Melissa and I recently spent nine amazing nights in Belize, and while the country has a wealth of things to do and see within it’s borders, the main attraction that drew us to the country in the first place was actually in Guatemala. Tikal, located roughly 100 miles from Belize City, (as the crow flies) has some of the most impressive Mayan ruins in the world and rightfully belongs on any frequent traveler’s bucket list.

Although many tour operators offer trips to Tikal from all major cities in Belize, we like to do things on our own terms whenever possible. After doing much research online, we determined that a do­-it-yoursel day trip from San Ignacio would be possible, although we could find scant details on such an endeavor. Armed with the information available, we woke up early one morning in June 2016 and set off for Tikal.

Crossing the Border From Belize to Guatemala

We had a rental car and left San Ignacio at about 7:15 AM. It’s about a 20 to 30-minute drive to the Guatemalan border, where we parked without having to pay a fee. Next, we paid $37.50 BZD each at the border in order to leave Belize, had our passports stamped, and walked into Guatemala. Note that the exit fee is payable by credit card, but only after 8 AM. There were money changers on both sides offering 3.4 GTQ per BZD and 7 GTQ per USD. At the time of writing, the exchange rates were 3.8 GTQ per BZD and 7.6 GTQ per USD.

Someone approached us after walking into Guatemala and asked us where we wanted to go. He offered to take us (two people) to Tikal and back for $70 USD. I thought that was a fair price based on my research so I accepted without negotiating. I asked him about getting a tour guide and he called his son who is a certified guide and offered to accompany us for $50 USD more. Again, I accepted.

We walked over to get our passports stamped and no one asked us to pay anything (I had heard that there is no official entry fee but sometimes the immigration officers will claim there is). I asked our driver if there was an ATM nearby and he took us to a small shop about two minutes drive from the border. I took out 600 GTQ which is what I budgeted for the entrance fees to Tikal (payable by cash only), lunch, and tips. Next, the driver picked up his son and we were off to Tikal.

Onward and Eventually Upward

It took us about 1.5 hours to drive to Tikal from the border. You can definitely drive yourself if you want to risk bringing a rental car in (most companies won’t allow it and those that do won’t offer insurance while you’re outside of Belize). The roads are in good condition (except for a small 2 KM stretch that’s not paved) and it’s basically just one right turn at El Remate, otherwise, you’re going straight the whole time. There’s plenty of places to stop and eat, although I didn’t notice any gas stations. There was also one military checkpoint along the way.

Tikal is amazing and I would definitely recommend hiring a guide. They are also available at the entrance to the national park and the parking lot. It’s such a big place that you can literally get lost by yourself. A lot of people recommended staying one night there (mandatory for the sunset or sunrise tour), but I was satisfied with what we were able to see in a day. We also had the opportunity to do the canopy tour after we were done but my wife was too tired. I’m not sure what it costs but our guide said they accept credit cards.

Crossing the Border Back to Belize

When we got back to the Guatemala – Belize border, we had to get our passports stamped again (on both sides), and didn’t have to pay any additional fees. There are taxi drivers waiting on the Belize side if you don’t have a rental car.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this was to do. I spent less than $250 USD for a private two-person tour which covered our Belize exit fees, our ride, the guide, entrance to Tikal, lunch, and tips. If you’d like to try to book our guide in advance and save yourself some anxiety, his e-mail address is gennyreyes9(at)gmail.com. He spoke excellent English, was friendly, and very knowledgeable about Guatemala and Tikal.

Although it may be hard to tear yourself away from all that Belize has to offer, the ruins and wildlife at Tikal are well worth the time and effort it takes to visit.

If this post has got your interest up, you can read other traveler reviews about Tikal National Park on Trip Advisor Belize forum.

Traveling from Belize to Tikal without a tour

Climbimg ancient Maya Ruins

Belize to Tikal

Amazing view from the top

Related

tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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4 comments

Nada Seidon 21/01/2019 - 9:18 am

Just want to add a thank you to who ever published this article. I contacted the guide, Genny Reyes from the email provided in the article. Couldn’t have been happier with his service. Very pleasant articulate and knowledgeable! While the article above was written in 2016 and our trip was recent, January 2019, his price only increased $20.00. Still a great deal at $90.00 per person compared to the $150.00 I was quoted from other tour operators.

Reply
tacogirl 21/01/2019 - 9:47 am

That is great Nada, so glad this was useful to you and that you were happy with Genny Reyes service.

Reply
barb miller 13/07/2016 - 4:03 pm

thanks laurie for posting stuff like this. I am in the process of doing Barbi tours on word press.. but they are presently on trip advisor, and are getting a lot of hits. especially my last trip to gran porto playa del Carmen. if you would like to view them.

Reply
tacogirl 13/07/2016 - 5:02 pm

I will look them up Barb. Glad you are finding my posts useful.

Reply

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I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

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3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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