A WONDERFUL TIME IN TIKAL. 

WEATHER AND CROWDS   Swimming at the lake offers nice turquoise waters and NO CROWDS!  At the National park, the crowds are tolerable.  Highly recommended is the sunrise tour, even though they say it's too foggy sometimes to see the sunrise, the heat is a lot more tolerable at 5am than later in the day and the crowd is smaller.  If you are not a fast walker, book a private tour so you can go at your own pace. 

TOURS: Book a local driver. For example, Pedro is very well known in the area. Note, if you are originally from Guatemala and have a Cedula, you don't have to pay the tourist fee which is three times as much. Bring your own toiltetries and be ready for blackouts which will prevent you from turning on the air conditioning in the rooms.  Enjoy the hammocks with a book instead. Be sure to visit the best swimming spot called El Biotopo. Just bring water shoes as the bottom is either rocky or muddy but the water is nice and refreshing in the 90 degree heat.  Also check out the horseback riding tour.  It is Q75.00 for a 1/2 hour. Well worth it.

TRAVEL TO: Locals report that the buses are new, clean, comfortable and you can travel over night (8hrs) and be there in the morning.  It's a lot cheaper too.  If you choose the flight, check out TACA. Nice airplane and it only took 40 minutes.