Flores Travel Tips

Flores is located in the northern part of Guatemala, where you're close to places like Tikal National Park, Yaxha, and Crater Azul. We traveled to Flores via plane, but we contemplated if we wanted to make a stop at Semuc Champey first. With limited time, we unfortunately didn't make it up to Semuc Champey, but would have hands down if we had more time.

Here are 2 ways going about traveling to Flores:

Option 1: Drive from Antigua - Semuc Champey - Flores

Starting off in Antigua, schedule hiring Chris (Whatsapp at +502 3921 8677) to pick you up and drive you to Semuc Champey. Depending on traffic, the drive will take anywhere between 8-10 hours. I recommend starting the drive in the evening so that you can arrive in Semuc Champey in the morning.

Spend 1-2 days exploring Semuc, and then have Chris drive you to Flores. (FYI - you don't have to worry about Chris - he will do his own thing!)

On day 2, make your way up to Flores, which will takes about 7 hours. The long drives are brutal, but will be worth it!

You'll arrive in Flores in the morning, and Chris will then say his goodbyes.

Note: Although Tikal National Park is an hour closer to Semuc Champey, you can spend your first day in Flores resting. You'll be extremely tired once you arrive in Flores. I'd then book a separate tour from Flores to Tikal. This way, you'll feel refreshed, Chris can depart earlier, and your transportation to Tikal will already be included in the tour.

Option 2: Fly from Antigua to Flores (skip Semuc Champey entirely)

Take an Uber from your hotel in Antigua and go straight to LUA Airport in Guatemala City. I recommend calling a car at least 3 hours before your flight because there will most likely be traffic. Our 1 hour drive took 1.5 hours. Plus, we spent another 30 minutes distributing our luggage at the airport!!

We flew to Flores with Tag Airlines and didn't know that checking in our luggage would cost $3/lb. There's a limit to only checking in 20 lbs per bag + 10 lbs per carry on bag. Since Andy's luggage + my check in luggage was 57 pounds, we paid $157 USD for our bags.

With this being said, if you have a lot of luggage and don't want to pay the high fees, I recommend storing them in a locker, or just be ready to pay the high fees :)

Note: no need to empty out your bottles at. security because liquids are allowed when flying domestically.

The flight from Antigua to Flores takes less than an hour, so you would save SO much time traveling. Since there are no direct flights to Semuc Champey, I would skip it entirely if you're limited on time. I guess it gives you another reason to come back! :)

Flores Travel Tips

Now that you're in Flores, the first thing you'll notice is how hot it is. Flores is much hotter than places like Antigua and Lake Atitlan, so you won't be needing a light sweater at night anymore!

Isla de Flores is such a small island that it take no more than 10 minutes to walk from one side of the island to the other.

I loved ending our Guatemala trip in Flores because we just spent a lotttt of time relaxing from a very busy trip.

Although you don't need more than 1-2 days in Flores, it is the base to exploring Tikal National Park so you'll want to book at least 3 days on the island. Aside from visiting Tikal, you might want to also consider visiting Yaxha and Crater Azul. Both offer completely different experiences.

Other things to note:

• ATMS are located next to Hotel Green Monkey, and in Super Mart.

• You'll notice that there are no stray dogs here, compared to Antigua and Lake Atitlan.

• When flying back to Antigua, I was ready to pay $157 for my luggage again. Maybe it was the worker we got this time around, but he was gracious enough to only charge us $40 (after we distributed all our luggage).

Tikal National Park Travel Tips

• I recommend booking a guided sunrise tour to get to the park. You have the option to go back to Flores with your guide, or stay in the park to explore more; however, you will need to find your own way back.

• If booking with a tour, you will be picked up from your hotel at 3:00 AM. Be on time because they are punctual, and have other guests to pick up as well.

• Even though it gets hot after sunrise, I recommend bringing a light sweater or long pants because you'll be walking through the jungle!