Tikal: entrance fee for hotel
Replies: 9 - Last Post: Apr 26, 2012 8:14 PM Last Post By: ihal
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Tikal: entrance fee for hotel
Hello,Can someone clarify the recent situation of having to pay the park fee for just going to your hotel and having to re-pay the next day to enter park?
I read this on a previous thread...
I assume that buying the ticket after 3:30pm does not give you the right to re-enter for free the next day.
What about the hammock/camping field? If there are in the hotel area, does it mean that you have to pay the entrance fee twice.
I will be in Tikal on Thursday/Friday. I am not going with a group but would love to see either sunrise or sunset. I will stay in Tikal campground (unless I have to buy twice the entrance ticket) or in El Remate.
Thanks for your help.
I would love this to be a nice experience, not a rip off!!!
Virginie
2
Braxman there was a report recently that they are charging inbound tourist at the main big entrance on the road leading into the park, I am not sure if this a separate fee or not, or if the poster was confused, or his guide/agency/driver pulled a scam.But as Braxman says, the main gate to enter the park, is separate from where the 3 lodges are, and the soccer field and camping area, which the main parking lot for the cars/vans use is between the soccer field and the lodges, with the entrance gate at easter end of this.
One of the lodges also offers camping and tents on their grounds, I forget which one, but then you would have access to bathrooms and maybe shower.
3
ah, yeah - sorry. I forgot about this one... there was something about one charge to enter the park (like Q25 maybe?) and another one to enter the archaeological site (which was the Q150 one), but I haven't been up that way for a while and my memory is foggy on the details anyway... so... just forget I said anything :D4
I stayed overnight at the Jungle Lodge recently, and had to pay the Q150 entry fee twice: on day one, on arrival at the park entrance gates which are now on the road a few km away from the ruins, and again at 6am on the second morning at the checkpoint near the hotels.I can't see how you would avoid paying twice, wherever you stay - unless you hide overnight in the ruins. Even though the Jungle Lodge is technically inside the park from the checkpoint, they still called us back to check our tickets when they saw us leaving the hotel.
5
thanks for the update dominic77. I take back what I said - it does look like a stupid rip-off... Guatemala shooting itself in the foot again going after the fast tourist buck.Surely the owners of those three hotels inside the park must be fuming about this?
7
There is no charge from the north, which was a good reason to wind up a couple Petén jungle trip trips going south via Tikal.However, someone arriving at 8 pm and getting dunned to buy a ticket could presumably use it the next day like in the past. It used to be that one after 3 PM was good for the next day.
Edited by: Mayaphile
9
I went through the south gate into Tikal at about 8:30pm two weeks ago and they tried to charge me the entrance fee. I argued that the ruins weren't open, then my taxi driver said a few things in a little better Spanish than I could manage, and finally they let us through, saying I could pay at the kiosk in the park in the morning. The gate was manned by a guy in a dirty T-shirt carrying a shotgun and 3 of his buddies were hanging out, shirtless, drinking beer. Not the most impressive reception to a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
