I visited Tikal in December of 2023 on a day trip from Western Belize. Echoing the past reviewers, the huge site well deserves various superlatives. The Grand Plaza is the most impressive cluster of temples and acropolises anywhere, the pyramid at El Mundo Perdido and the Temple IV are among can't-miss structures, and there are many hidden treasures found throughout the park.

A true connoisseur could probably spend several days here exploring all of the different remnants of the ancient civilization as well as the diverse natural surroundings. However, the aforementioned main highlights can be seen in the space of three to four hours, which allows for day-tripping options. There may be fairly long car queues at the National Park entrance and then lines at the visitor center. Having a guide saved us the wait times and obviously helped with both the narration and the navigation of the site. The guide also suggested that we utilize an infrequent shuttle from the visitor center to the core of the site (at $1 per person), which saved us some time and effort at the very start of the walking circuit.

The round trip from San Ignacio took about nine hours in total, including border crossings, the drives, and the lunch onsite. Having a driver with superior pothole-evading skills was highly beneficial, as the road is well-paved only inside the park and on a stretch close to the border. TikalGo offers both group and private options, and I was pleasantly surprised with the smoothness of the execution.

The biggest drawback of not having multiple days to spend at Tikal is not seeing much of the fauna. Outside of the dusk and dawn hours, the only frequently seen animals are the white-nosed coatis and some species of turkeys; you can spot an occasional bird high in the branches, but none of the monkeys or big cats. Your mileage will certainly vary, but my conclusion is that Tikal is worth coming to see even if you can only spare it a few hours for the main highlights.