Dos Pilas Tour
This tour visits the Mayan site of Dos Pilas, which is located in Petén. Dos Pilas was a Mayan capital and has several interesting structures still standing.
- Duration:
- 7 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- Any time between Thu Jan 01 1970 07:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) and Thu Jan 01 1970 10:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
- Hotel Transportation Offered
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
This tour leaves from Flores and Santa Elena at 8:00 AM. You'll take a 4x4 vehicle and will cross the La Passion River on a ferry at Sayaxché. You'll continue on paved and gravel roads before reaching the archeological site of Dos Pilas.
Once you arrive at Dos Pilas, a bilingual guide will give you a tour of the ruins. This site has a long and epic history that involves treachery, family rivalry, and bitter battles. Dos Pilas was eventually abandoned in AD 761. The history of Dos Pilas was deciphered mainly from the site's hieroglyphic stairways and stelae. A palace and tomb were also discovered here.
After touring Dos Pilas you will return to Flores and Santa Elena. The tour departs Dos Pilas at 1:30 PM and arrives in Flores/Santa Elena around 4:00 PM.
Attractions Visited
Dos Pilas is a pre-Colombian Mayan site in the department of Petén. The site was once a capital of the region and at the height of its power the kingdom covered around 1,500 square miles (3,885 square km).
Read more:Dos Pilas Archaeological Site
The Maya Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected tropical forest in North America. Spreading across 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) in Guatemala’s Petén department, this reserve protects huge expanses of forests and the Mayan ruins that lie within them.
Read more:Maya Biosphere Reserve
What to Bring
Sunscreen, camera, comfortable shoes, hat, and money for food, drinks, personal expenses, handicrafts, and tipping the guide-driver.
What's included
Transportation, entrance fee, bilingual guide, and lunch.
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Traveler Comments
The drive to reach Dos Pilas was quite the adventure. Excellent driver. Small site. More work needed. Enjoyed it.
Challenging site to find by road. We did have to walk last portion as road (horse trail/foot path) was too muddy for vehicle in places. We probably provided the entertainment for the local village for the day.
Similar things to do
On this tour, you'll see the city of Ceibal, which served as an important hub for trade among ancient Maya cities.
Spend a day exploring the Mayan ruins at the Aguateca Archeological Site in Guatemala. Aguateca is found on a limestone bluff above the Petexbatún Lagoon in the department of Petén.
This full-day tour explores the Mayan site of Ceibal, which is near Sayaxché in Guatemala’s Petén department. Ceibal was once one of the largest cities in Guatemala's southern lowlands.
