10 of the Top Maya Ruins in Guatemala

Rising out of the rainforest, Tikal’s 2,400-year-old ruins are among Guatemala’s most famous ancient spots. Once one of the biggest cities in the Maya empire, the UNESCO–listed ruins are now known for their incredible biodiversity: Expect to see tropical birds, monkeys, coatimundi, and even jaguars here.

Part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve (Reserva de la Biosfera Maya) in Petén, you can visit the historic city—which was lost to the jungle for almost a thousand years—as part of a day tour from nearby Flores. It’s especially stunning at sunrise or sunset, which is also when you’ll encounter fewer crowds.

Close to Guatemala’s popular tourist hub of Antigua, Iximché was one of the few Maya cities to survive the initial Spanish conquest of Guatemala. Unfortunately, it burned to the ground just a few years later. Although the site is open to the public, in recent years, it has once again become a sacred space, known for its Maya ceremonies and religious pilgrimages. You can easily visit Iximché on a day trip from Antigua, Lake Atitlan (Lago de Atitlán), or Guatemala City.

Despite being one of the greatest cities in the Petén region in its heyday—and being featured on the US TV show, Survivor, in 2005—Yaxhá feels like an underrated gem, especially when compared to its famous neighbor, Tikal. Part of the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park, this lakeside city has plenty of charm of its own, including picture-perfect views from Pyramid 216, and some of the best-preserved ballcourts in Mesoamerica.

Yaxhá is the ideal option if you want to visit lots of Mayan temples in Guatemala, as some archeological tours to the site also include stops at additional ruins such as Topoxte, Nakum, and El Naranjo.

You may not imagine one of the top Maya ruins in Guatemala to be one of the least visited and most mysterious, but El Mirador ticks all those boxes (and more). This is mostly due to its relative inaccessibility. Despite once being home to more than 200,000 people, these days, the only way in and out of this ancient city is by multi-day trek or helicopter tour.

Still, this is one journey where the reward is worth every step (and bug bite). Home to one of the tallest pyramids in the Maya world, La Danta, this lost city remains almost the same as when explorers first stumbled upon it in 1926.

Kaminaljuyu may not be as impressive as other Maya ruins in Guatemala, but that’s because most of it sits underneath Guatemala City, swallowed up by the city’s ever-expanding urban crawl. Still, what it lacks in scale, it makes up for in accessibility—Kaminaljuyu is one of Guatemala’s easiest Mayan ruins to visit.

The sacred site of Kaminaljuyu is special for Maya and Christians alike, with traditional ceremonies taking place at the ruins almost daily. Thanks to its central location, Kaminaljuyu is also a popular stop on Guatemala City tours, especially when combined with the Popol Vuh Museum's (Museo Popol Vuh) magnificent Maya art exhibits.

One of the more famous Guatemala ancient ruins, Uaxactún is believed to be the birthplace of the Mayan calendar and writing system. Renowned for its beautiful artwork, Uaxactún is also home to the oldest arch in the Mayan world and is known for its Indigenous villages.

Found to the north of Tikal, Uaxactún, which is considerably older than the massive Maya metropolis, spent many years at war with its rival city. Now, if you're short on time you can opt to visit both in a day tour from Flores.

Aguateca isn’t just any old Maya ruin—it’s a Maya ghost town. After being inhabited for around a thousand years, the fortified city, which sits atop a hill accessible only by boat, was suddenly abandoned in the 9th century. Aside from the palace, almost everything was left as it lay, from valuables and tools to a half-finished temple.

A dream for archaeologists and adventurers alike, reaching Aguateca is all part of the fun. Tours to the site involve a long drive from Flores, a motorized canoe trip through the Petexbatún Wildlife Refuge, and an uphill hike. The reward is a treasure trove of ruins, ornate carvings, and epic views.

Sitting on a crescent-shaped island archipelago in the middle of the croc-filled Yaxha Lagoon, it’s hard to imagine what the quiet ruins of Topoxte would have been in its heyday. Back then, the fortified pre-Columbian city was an important Maya trading center, with the design of the small capital bearing more than a passing resemblance to the ruins of Tulum in Mexico.

Attracting far fewer visitors than both Tikal and Yaxha—despite being just a 15-minute boat trip from the latter—Topoxte is one of the best Guatemala archaeological sites for photographers and wildlife-spotters hoping to snag a spot away from the crowds.

One of Guatemala’s easternmost Maya sites, Quiriguá sits close to Rio Dulce and the country’s tropical Caribbean coastline. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Quiriguá is renowned for its fantastical stelae, which are massive stone monoliths engraved with hieroglyphs telling the tales of the ancient Maya city. Erected once every five years, these stone “books” are some of the most impressive in the Maya world.

Along with the stelae, other highlights of Quiriguá include the acropolis, which is decorated with ornate animal carvings, and a massive square. Tour options include multi-day trips to Quiriguá and Copán, another Maya city across the border in Honduras.

Conveniently located between the country’s main tourist hub, Antigua, and the capital, Mixco Viejo is both impressive and easy to visit. One of the must-see Maya ruins in Guatemala, this spot is renowned not only for its dramatic backdrop—misty mountains, rolling hills, and sandy plains—but also for being one of the country’s “newest” Maya ruins.

Built in 1450, it only lasted 75 years before being abandoned when the Spanish invaded. When visiting these ruins, plan to also check out the nearby Indigenous town of San Juan Sacatepéquez and its colorful flower market.