Tikal Mayan Ruins - Belize

[rex523]

Has anyone been on this tour? It requires a flight into Guatamala from Belize City. The ruins look fascinating! Thanks.

[tim agg]

We did this tour in 1999, only we flew in from the Pacific Coast. A long day, and hot - those were the only negatives. Tikal was much more impressive than we expected, and the guides were good. There was more wildlife thanwe expected - a nice bonus. It turned my modest interest in Mayan culture into real curiosity. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was well worth the cost.

[rex523]

Thank you for your response - you confirmed what I thought about the excursion. I'm booking it!

[jazzsea]

This is a tour not to be missed. Given the opportunity I would pay the money again. If a tour is offered for Copan consider it as well. Both sites are amazing.

[tjcox9]

I did this excursion in 1999 also. Although pricey, it was well worth it. The ruins are spectacular and the guide was great. At that time, we were able to climb to the top of one of the high temples which surprised me due to need to preserve. I don't know if this is still allowed or not. If they do and you are physically able, the climb is not to be missed.

[PCruzer]

Let me first start by saying that my husband and I don't usually go in for shore excursions. Whenever we can, we do the ports on our own. We just like to be able to do and see things without throngs of people. So, it was with a little trepidation that we did the Tikal excursion in 1999 from Guatemala when we were on the Noordam. We both agreed that it was a fabulous experience. I recall that it was an early departure from the ship. (Something like 6:00 or 6:30 am) We were driven to the airport where we boarded a small jet for the short flight (40 mins.) to Peten. From there we boarded a bus for the drive to Tikal. The tour of the ruins was quite extensive, and our guide was excellent. My husband was able to climb to the top of one of the temples. We trekked through the jungle to get from site to site, with our guide pointing things out to us along the way. At one point we saw howler monkeys above us in the trees. I have to say that everything about this excursion was great. At our last temple site, they had a cooler with cold drinks, although I would also recommend bringing water from the ship because it was hot and humid there. We were warned about mosquitos, but we had no problems with biting insects. At the end of the tour, a lunch was provided at a very small lodging facility near the ruins site. I was a little wary of eating anything, but since I was really hungry at that point, I dug in! I have to say that everything was delicious and nobody got sick from the food. From there we were transported back to the airport, flew back to Santo Tomas and were shuttled to the ship. Although the cost is high for this excursion, it was well worth it. In fact, my husband and I will be on the Veendam this February and it stops at Santo Tomas. We are actually thinking of doing this excursion again!! That's how much we enjoyed it. Have a great time!