Region

Northern Lowlands

Base in Flores 2–3 nights for Tikal; add Lanquín or El Remate only if you have 5+ days.

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Key facts · Guatemala

Best months: Dec–Apr
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Quetzal (GTQ, Q)
Language: Spanish
Plugs: A · B · 120 V
Time zone: UTC−6 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) giv…

Central America ↗Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua (CA-4) give one shared entry allowance, usually 90 days in total; leaving for Belize, Costa Rica or Mexico and coming back does not always reset it — check with immigration before a long stay.
Central America ↗Cross land borders in daylight and early in the day; many posts close or empty of transport by late afternoon, and the approaches are where robberies happen.
Central America ↗Several borders charge entry, exit or municipal fees in US dollars (Belize exit, Nicaragua entry and exit, Honduras entry); carry small, clean US notes and ask for a receipt.
Guatemala ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Guatemala's Migration Institute or a Guatemalan consulate. Guatemala shares a Central America border agreement (CA-4) with El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, so your permitted stay may count across all four.
Guatemala ↗Hike volcanoes (Acatenango, Pacaya) only with registered guides and check eruption alerts; Fuego is highly active.
Guatemala ↗Avoid public chicken buses between cities: they are frequent targets of robbery. Use tourist shuttles or private transport.

The Northern Lowlands cover Petén and the north of Alta Verapaz: hot lowland rainforest, Maya cities in the El Petén style, and a lake town, Flores, that works as the base. Fly Guatemala City to Flores (about 1 h) or take a first-class overnight bus (8–10 h); do not plan on driving yourself at night. Two nights is the minimum for Tikal; three lets you add Yaxhá, El Remate or a Lanquín side trip. The rainy season runs late May to October, so the dry months are the ones to book.

Where to sleep

10 places in this region

Sleep base

FloresCity guide
Island town on Lake Petén Itzá; airport, buses, tours and restaurants.
Best Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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El RemateCity guide
Quieter lake village 30 min from Tikal; cheaper rooms.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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Day trip

LanquínCity guide
Semuc Champey and caves; 5–6 h by road from Flores, better as an overnight.
Best Feb–May
JFMAMJJASOND
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SayaxchéCity guide
River town on the Río de la Pasión; gateway to Ceibal and Aguateca.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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San JoséCity guide
Lake village near Motul de San José ruins.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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DoloresCity guide
South of Flores; Ixkún ruins and the largest stela in Petén.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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San AndrésCity guide
Near Flores; access to more lake-side sites.
Best Dec–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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El NaranjoCity guide
Riverside town toward the Mexican border.
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RaxrujáCity guide
Alta Verapaz lowlands; caves and river country.
Best Nov–Apr
JFMAMJJASOND
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El CeiboCity guide
Border crossing toward Mexico.
Open El Ceibo →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights: Flores 2, Tikal day trip
3 nights: Flores 3: Tikal, Yaxhá, lake afternoon
5 nights: Flores 3 + El Remate 1 + Lanquín 1

Tikal is hot and humid year-round; carry 2–3 L of water per person and start early.
Remote ruins have rough roads and no facilities; go with a licensed guide in the dry season.
Do not walk unlit jungle paths alone; stay with a group and on marked trails.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Tikal	Flores	90 min	unknown	Shuttles leave about 04:30–05:00 for sunrise; last return mid-afternoon. Park entry is a separate ticket.Shuttles leave about 4:30 AM–5:00 AM for sunrise; last return mid-afternoon. Park entry is a separate ticket.
Yaxhá	Flores	90 min	unknown	Half-day tour; fewer visitors than Tikal.
El Remate and Lake Petén Itzá	Flores	40 min	unknown	Swim and eat by the lake; easy afternoon.
Semuc Champey and Lanquín	Flores	330 min	unknown	Too far as a day trip; sleep in Lanquín.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding in the lowlands; travel with your bag or leave it at the Flores hotel.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Flores	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	×	ok	go
El Remate	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Lanquín	ok	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	×	×	ok	ok
Sayaxché	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
San José	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Dolores	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
San Andrés	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	ok	go
Raxrujá	go	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go
Guatemala (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	×	ok	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Petén and northern lowlandsFlores, Tikal, El Remate, Sayaxché	best	best	best	best	ok	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	best

best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain

Petén and northern lowlands: Hot all year, 30 °C (86 °F)+ by day. Mildest November to February, when nights can be cool. Rain late May to October; mosquitoes peak then.Hot all year, 86 °F (30 °C)+ by day. Mildest November to February, when nights can be cool. Rain late May to October; mosquitoes peak then.

Dry-season months (December to April) are also the busiest; book Flores rooms and Tikal shuttles ahead for Christmas, New Year and Easter week.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Guatemala City (GUA)	Flores (FRS)	Domestic flight	~1 h flight	Fastest option; book ahead in high season. Airport is on the mainland, a short ride from Flores island.
Guatemala City	Flores	First-class bus via Poptún	8–10 h	Night buses arrive early morning; bring a light sweater for air conditioning. Cheaper buses also run.
Guatemala City via Cobán	Flores	Bus to Cobán, then minivan	~12 h	More scenic, one change in Cobán; Cobán is worth a night.
Belize (Melchor de Mencos)	Flores	Bus or shuttle from the border	~2–3 h	Border formalities can take time; cross in daylight.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Beans, tortillas and eggs (desayuno típico)	Flores and El Remate	Standard breakfast; cheap and filling before a Tikal start.
Licuados (fruit smoothies)	Most restaurants	Fresh fruit blended with water or milk; ask which fruit is in season.
Gallo and Moza beer	Flores bars	Both about 5% alcohol; Gallo is everywhere, Moza is a bock.
Lake fish (blanco / mojarra)	Flores and San José lakefront	Fried whole; check the price per fish before ordering.

Go next

Flores

Base town for Tikal

Sleep here for the ruins and the lake.

Lanquín

planned

5–6 h by shuttle from Flores

Semuc Champey pools and caves; overnight, not a day trip.

El Remate

planned

30 min from Flores

Quieter lake base closer to Tikal.

Western Highlands

planned

Bus or shuttle via Cobán, 10–12 h

Continue to Quetzaltenango or Lake Atitlán.

Guatemala City

Flight ~1 h or first-class bus 8–10 h

Fly out or connect to Antigua.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 4, 40 min to 5 h 30
Nights suggested: 2–5 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Jan–Apr, Dec

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

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Sources

Ask about Northern Lowlands

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