K peoples... see ya Saturday but 1 last question...I know it's possible but is it feasable to do the day trip to Tikal from AC ? Is it too much for 1 day or is it better to do the overnight??

Overnight

Tropic Air was running a day tour that took you over first thing in the morning and gave you a full day at the site, there was also an option for an overnight. Not sure if it's still running or not but it's still on the site: http://www.tropicair.com/tour9/tour9.htm

Hi Placidguy - we are heading down in December and were also really wanting to go to Tikal, but would only be able to do a day trip. After talking with Tropic Air I think it would just be too much travel for the day. 7am to 6pm and most of that is travel - just 2hrs on site. I've heard that Lamanai is a good second choice to see ruins on a day trip. Any thoughts from anyone else on what the best ruins to see would be for a realistic day trip?

Here is the information you need of the Tikal Day Tour:


PACKAGE I-TIKAL DAY TOUR

Round trip from San Pedro to Flores, Guatemala. Ground Transportation, and guided tour of Tikal, picnic lunch included.

Itinerary:

Leave San Pedro (Spr) 07:00am
Arrives Goldson Int'l (Bze) 07:17am

Leave Goldson Int'l (Bze) 08:30am
Arrive Flores (Frs) 09:15am

Pick-up for tour of Tikal
by Adventuras Maya

Leave Flores (Frs) 04:00pm
Arrive San Pedro (Bze) 06:00pm

Total tour package$366.25 US dollars per person

Lamanai would always be my first choice for a ruins specific trip from AC. The other sites just don't compare (except Caracol and that's almost as much of a trip as Tikal.) Tropic runs a trip there as well but your best bet is Tanisha Tours.

What would be the cheapest and/or best company to book a tour to Lamanai be through?

Tanisha - Daniel Nunez is tops, as Simon just said

On my recent trip to AC another guy and his friend staying at Banana Beach opted for the 1 day tour of Tikal run from the island. The flight to the mainland was supposed to depart around 7:00 or 7:30am but was delayed because of the weather. This shortened the (already short) amount of time they had to visit the site, and put them there later in the morning... the late morning/afternoon is the hotest time of the day. Also, it's when all the other tour buses/shuttles from Belize and other parts of Guatemala show up, so it's also the busiest time in the park. That one day tour, where they got to spent maybe 5 or 6 hours at the park, cost them almost $400US.

I, on the other hand, opted to go it on my own... There were cheaper ways to do it than even I did, but even with flying to Flores (approx $150US); taking a taxi ($40US) to Tikal; the "hotel" room at the park ($33US); entrance into the park ($10US, I think); Sunrise tour of Tikal ($10); Canopy Tour outside park ($20US); personal tour of Yaxha site (where Survivor was taped - $80US); transportation to Flores ($5US); hotel in Flores on second night ($35US)and transportation from Flores back into Belize at the end of the second day ($20US)..... It cost me just about the same amount of money to spend 2 days there and was a much better deal, I think.

Of course, if timing is the issue and money isn't, the day trip will get you there to see the basics. In my opinion, though... if you can stay there over night and do the sunrise tour... it is soooooooo worth it!

spending a night in flores on your own is really worth while, maybe 2 nights if you have a lot of time,. if you go to san ignacio at all you can do the tikal trip from there which is only an hr from san ignacio and MUCH cheaper than going from AC. THEN, stay there and do not return with your group to AC. My tour group let me as I asked them before going, REALLY enjoyed Flores and spending time in Guatemala.