If you are travelling overland from Antigua and do not want to fly, Copán is the shorter trip: a 7-hour shuttle against 12 to 15 hours by road to Flores. If you can fly, Tikal is closer in practice: 50 to 60 minutes from Guatemala City to Flores, then about an hour by road. Entry costs are close (Q150 at Tikal, US$20 at Copán for the park). The border is the other difference: Copán is in Honduras, which the UK FCDO says British passport holders can visit without a visa since 31 October 2026. Fees were read on the two parks’ official pages and entry rules on government travel advice on 4 November 2026; travel times come from our route pages, each linked below.

TL;DR: Fly, or already heading to Belize or Flores: choose Tikal. Overland from Antigua, or continuing to El Salvador or Honduras: choose Copán. Want the sunrise inside the ruins: Tikal is the one that sells an official sunrise entry.

Quick summary

Tikal (Guatemala)Copán (Honduras)
Foreign adult entryQ150 park entry (Ministry of Culture and Sports)US$20.00 Parque Arqueológico y Sepulturas (official Copán tariff, rest of the Americas and other continents)
Paid extrasSunrise entry Q100; sunset, museum, Uaxactún and camping tickets each need the park ticket firstTunnels US$15.00; Museo de Escultura US$10.00; Museo Regional de Arqueología US$5.00
ChildrenUnder 10 enter free (no park ticket needed)Free entry for under-6s appears in the Honduran national section of the tariff page; the foreign section lists no child rate
Published hoursMonday to Sunday 06:00-18:00; sunrise entry 04:00-06:00; sunset 18:00-20:00None on the official tariff page
PayingOnline on the ministry portal (international cards +2.30%)In dollars or the equivalent in lempiras at the exchange rate
From Antigua12-15 hours by road to Flores, then about 1 hour7 hours by shared shuttle (03:30 departure, US$50)
From Guatemala City50-60 minute flight to Flores, or about 9 hours by bus5-6 hours by shared shuttle (04:15 departure, US$50)
Passport checkNone if you are already in GuatemalaLand border at El Florido; no visa for Britons since 31 October 2026

Q150 is about US$19.64, C$27 or £15; Q100 is about US$13.10, C$18 or £10. US$20 is about C$28 or £16; US$15 about C$21 or £12; US$50 about C$70 or £39. Conversions use Banguat’s rates for 3 November 2026, the business day before this page was written; our exchange rates page has today’s quetzal rate.

What the ticket buys at each site

Tikal. The Ministry of Culture and Sports sells a park entry ticket for foreigners at Q150 and lists the sunrise ticket at Q100 on top. Its portal says the sunrise tour, sunset tour, camping area, museums and Uaxactún all require the park entry ticket to be bought first, and that the sunrise and sunset tours do not include a guide; you hire an authorised guide yourself. Children under 10 enter free. Cards issued abroad pay a 2.30% surcharge on each ticket. Foreign visitors cannot enter on a ticket from another category. Sunrise logistics and guide options are on our Tikal sunrise tour page.

Copán. The official tariff page splits the foreign ticket into four lines. For visitors from the rest of the Americas and other continents: Parque Arqueológico y Sepulturas US$20.00, Los Túneles US$15.00, Museo de Escultura US$10.00 and Museo Regional de Arqueología US$5.00. Central American visitors pay US$10.00, US$15.00, US$5.00 and US$5.00 for the same four. A foreign adult who wants all four pays US$50.00 (about C$70 or £39). Las Sepulturas is included in the park ticket; the tunnels and museums are not. Our Copán fees page carries the Honduran national rates, the concession conflicts between the IHAH poster and the tariff page, and Macaw Mountain’s prices.

The practical difference: at Tikal the add-on that matters most is time of day, at Copán it is what you go inside.

Time cost: getting there and back

LegTikalCopán
Antigua → siteShuttle to Flores (our route page: 04:00 departure, about 19:00 arrival), then about 1 hour to the park7 hours, 03:30 shuttle that runs through to Copán Ruinas
Guatemala City → site50-60 minute flight to Flores, then about 1 hour5-6 hours, 04:15 shuttle
Lake Atitlán → siteVia Guatemala City or Antigua; see Lake Atitlán to Flores and TikalOvernight in Antigua required by the seller listed; US$65 (about C$91 or £51), hotel not included
Way backSame legs in reverse; flights from Flores to Guatemala City06:00 return shuttle from Copán Ruinas to Antigua or Guatemala City, US$50

The Copán shuttle runs through to the town, but you clear both immigration posts yourself at El Florido. Tikal is about 63 km (1 hour) from Flores, per the Ministry of Culture and Sports, so most Tikal trips mean a night in Flores or near the park; our where to stay near Tikal guide compares Flores, El Remate and the in-park lodges.

Route detail, operators and dated fares:

The border: who needs what for Copán

PassportHonduras entry for CopánSource
United KingdomNo visa for up to 90 days since 31 October 2026; 30-day entry stamp on arrival, extendable at an immigration officeUK FCDO, Honduras entry requirements
CanadaNo tourist visa needed for visits of up to 90 days; officers stamp the number of days allowedGovernment of Canada, Honduras travel advice
United StatesNot stated on this page; check before bookingU.S. State Department, Honduras page
AustraliaNot stated on this page; check before bookingSmartraveller, Honduras page

Three rules apply whichever passport you hold:

  • One shared clock. The FCDO says the 90 days run from your first entry into Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua and keep running, without resetting, as you move between them. A Copán side trip neither resets nor extends your Guatemala stay; our CA-4 border run guide covers what does.
  • A small fee on the Honduran side. The FCDO says Honduran immigration may collect US$3 in cash at a land border, and that you should hold on to that receipt for the rest of your stay.
  • No legal entry fee on the Guatemalan side. The FCDO warns that officials on the Guatemalan side sometimes demand an entry fee at land crossings, which it calls illegal; asking for an official receipt can end the request.

Advisory levels. The U.S. State Department rates both countries Level 3, Reconsider Travel (Guatemala issued 12 March 2026, Honduras 25 August 2026). Its Honduras Do Not Travel area is Gracias a Dios Department. The UK FCDO’s Honduras page, as read on 4 November 2026, lists no areas it advises against.

Choose Tikal if

  • You are flying anyway. Guatemala City to Flores takes 50-60 minutes in the air, and the park is about an hour from Flores.
  • You want to be inside the ruins at first light. Tikal’s 04:00-06:00 sunrise entry is a published, paid ticket.
  • You are combining with Belize or Yaxhá. Flores is the hub for both; if Tikal versus a quieter Petén site is the real question, read Yaxhá or Tikal.

Choose Copán if

  • You are travelling overland from Antigua or Guatemala City and do not want a 12-15 hour road day or a flight.
  • You want the tunnels and the sculpture museum. Copán sells both as separate tickets.
  • You are continuing to El Salvador or the rest of Honduras. Our Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras itinerary routes through Copán.
  • You have a Canadian passport, or have confirmed the rule for your own passport, and are inside your 90 CA-4 days.

Do both if

You have the days for two long transfers. Copán is reached from Antigua or Guatemala City through El Florido; Tikal from Flores in Petén. Treat each as its own leg of the trip, with its own early start, rather than as a day trip from the other.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tikal or Copán cheaper to enter?

For a foreign adult from outside Central America, Tikal park entry is Q150 (about US$19.64) on the Ministry of Culture and Sports ticket portal, and Copán’s archaeological park with Las Sepulturas is US$20.00 on the official tariff page, both read 4 November 2026. The gap opens on the extras: Tikal’s sunrise entry adds Q100, while Copán sells the tunnels at US$15.00 and the sculpture museum at US$10.00 separately.

How long does it take to get to Copán or Tikal from Antigua?

Copán Ruinas is a 7-hour shared shuttle from Antigua, leaving at 03:30, per AtitlanTour and Adrenalina. Tikal by road means Antigua to Flores, which our route page puts at 12 to 15 hours, then about 1 hour from Flores to the park. Flying Guatemala City to Flores takes 50 to 60 minutes.

Do I need a visa for Honduras to visit Copán?

Not on a British passport since 31 October 2026: the UK FCDO says British citizens can visit Honduras for up to 90 days without a visa, with a 30-day entry stamp on arrival that can be extended at an immigration office. Canada says Canadians need no tourist visa for visits of up to 90 days. For US and Australian passports, check the State Department and Smartraveller Honduras pages before you book.

Does going to Copán reset my 90 days in Guatemala?

No. The UK FCDO says the 90 days run from your first entry into any CA-4 country (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua) and keep running, without resetting, as you cross between them. Our CA-4 border run guide explains what does reset it.

Can you watch the sunrise inside Tikal or Copán?

Tikal sells it: the Ministry of Culture and Sports lists a sunrise entry window from 04:00 to 06:00 and a sunset window from 18:00 to 20:00, each as a paid add-on to the park ticket, without a guide. Copán’s official tariff page lists prices only and publishes no opening hours, so confirm Copán’s hours with the site before planning an early start.