The good news is that there are plenty of sites to choose from! As you’ll see, Guatemala has several UNESCO World Heritage Sites that conserve Mayan ruins. While we can’t cover every archaeological site, this list highlights the country’s best Mayan ruins to visit.
At Martsam Travel, we are a 100% Guatemalan Tailor Made Tour Operator specializing in flexible, authentic, and quality tours of world heritage sites, natural treasures, and national parks. We love nothing more than sharing our rich heritage with tourists worldwide.
Tikal National Park
You’ll be picked up from the nearby city of Flores and then guided around the remote Tikal, the ‘City of the Voices,’ through the lush jungle. The complex has many parts to explore, including the Grand Plaza and the towering Temples I and II.
Temple I, below, is also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar, which stands 47 meters high and was finished in 750 AD. The Temple II, the Temple of the Mask, stood across from it at 38 meters high and was completed earlier in 700 AD.
Both temples offer amazing views of the former central square and plaza. Temple IV is the most popular and tallest temple in the complex, standing at 70 meters tall. It was also used in the movie Star Wars: A New Hope! Reach its heights to see other temples peeking out of the trees.
Yaxhá
Walk through the trees to visit Yaxhá’s pyramidal temples, twin pyramid complexes, and impressive Acropolis. Keep your eyes peeled for howler monkeys, part of the rich biodiversity surrounding the ruins in this expansive 37,760 hectares of Yaxhá’s national park.
Topoxté
The site’s central plaza is surrounded by three temples and several other buildings constructed over ten phases across the Preclassic and Postclassic architectural periods. This complex features fascinating ruins of ceremonial platforms and burial grounds.
Iximché
The site contains four large and two small plazas, with several temples. Iximché also has elite palaces, ballcourts, and several plazas around the ceremonial city center. There is also evidence of residential areas.
Tourists seldom visit this fascinating site; it is a great place to explore lesser-known Mayan ruins. Several of the structures are still used for Mayan ceremonies today!
Quiriguá
The tallest stela in the New World was discovered on this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and you can walk amongst these impressive carved structures today. Bring a camera! You won’t want to miss these unique and fascinating sculptures.
This site is located near the Motagua River, which formed an important trade route between 724 and 785 when the city prospered from trading jade and obsidian.
El Mirador
El Mirador is a large Preclassic archaeological zone called “The Cradle of Maya Civilization.””
El Mirador, or the Lookout, can be challenging, particularly between July and November, as the rains and mud create difficult walking conditions on the trail. We recommend visiting outside these months to enjoy the ancient world’s largest pyramid complex by volume.
And that brings us to the end of our list of Guatemala’s best Mayan ruins to visit! We hope you’re feeling inspired to visit these sites in real life and join us on one of our Tours to Guatemala to experience the wonders of the Mayan empire.
If you would like more information on how to travel between these sites or have questions about our Maya Treasures Tour, our local team is here to help. Get in touch to talk to our expert guides, who can help make your Mayan adventure unforgettable.
