Adventure2 days, 1 night
Adventure · Walk to the cradle of Maya civilisation
Trek deep into the Petén rainforest to El Mirador, a vast Preclassic Maya city reachable only on foot or by helicopter, and climb La Danta, one of the largest pyramids on Earth.
The experience
Long before Tikal reached its peak, El Mirador was the centre of a powerful Maya kingdom, flourishing roughly between 600 BC and AD 100. Its La Danta complex rises around 70 m above the forest floor and is, by volume, one of the largest pyramids in the world. The site lies in the Mirador Basin, close to the Mexican border, with no roads to it.
From the village of Carmelita, you walk about 60 km each way through the rainforest of the Maya Biosphere Reserve, camping at El Tintal and at El Mirador itself. Mules carry the gear and a camp cook keeps you well fed. Your guide leads you along ancient causeways, into excavations in progress and up La Danta and El Tigre for sunsets over unbroken jungle.
This is a real expedition, and very few travellers make it. We run it privately with experienced local guides and good camping kit. Your specialist can swap the walk out, or the walk back, for a helicopter flight from Flores.
Best for: Serious trekkersBest for: Archaeology enthusiastsBest for: Expedition travellers
What's included
- Private expert guide plus local Carmelita guides
- Camp cook, all meals and purified drinking water on the trek
- Mules for gear, tents, sleeping mats and camp equipment
- Park and community fees for the Mirador Basin
- Private transfers between Flores and Carmelita
- Satellite communication device for emergencies
- Optional helicopter flight one way or both ways (supplement)
Good to know
- Expect 20–25 km of walking on some days, in heat and humidity, on mostly flat but rooty and sometimes muddy trails.
- The trek is best in the dry season. Rains turn the trails into deep mud.
- Facilities are basic: camp showers and simple latrines.
- Ticks and mosquitoes are common, so long, light layers and repellent are essential.
Where: El Mirador, Flores & Petén
More experiences
CultureFull day
CultureFull day (pre-dawn start)
Every tour is private and fully adjustable around your dates and pace.
See all tours
10 days, 9 nights Antigua · Western Highlands · Lake Atitlán · Petén
Classic Guatemala
Daily breakfast · 7 guided activities · All private transfers · Domestic flight
- Walk Antigua's cobbled streets and ruined convents with a historian guide
- Chichicastenango's market on a Thursday or Sunday
- Private boat days between Atitlán's Maya villages
- Tikal at first light, plus a sunset over Yaxhá's lagoons
From$3,650per person
≈ $7,300 for two · international flights excluded
6 days, 5 nights Petén
Maya Heartland
Daily breakfast · 5 guided activities · All private transfers · Domestic flight
- A night inside Tikal National Park for sunrise among the temples
- Sunset from Temple 216 at Yaxhá
- Boat up the Río de la Pasión to El Ceibal
- Evenings on the island town of Flores
From$2,250per person
≈ $4,500 for two · international flights excluded
Tell us a little about your trip. Your specialist will reply within one working day with ideas, not a sales pitch.