Metacog

We're flying into and out of Guatemala City in mid-August.
We have 13 days not including flight days.

My first concern: Is it feasible to see Tikal?

Vttraveler

With 13 days you should definitely be able to fit in a trip to Tikal. Our family went there by car during a week-long vacation and that involved more driving than I would have liked in such a short time. Having 13 days makes it much easier.
If you read through people's trip reports on Guatemala (including mine) you will understand the different options for getting to Tikal.
Whatever form of transportation you use, I really recommend staying overnight at least one night at the park so you have enough time to enjoy this amazing site.

afterall

Sure you have time although, of course, it depends on where else you plan to go and how long you would like to spend there.

If of interest, there is a daily bus leaving c. 1030 arriving Flores c. 1700. This is the way I went and I would recommend staying a night (or two) in Flores - plenty of accommo options, places to eat, the lake is beautiful and the place has a laid back sort of vibe - plus, as already mentioned, stay one night in the National Park too.

Tikal is wonderful!

hopefulist

I agree that you have time for Tikal and it would be a shame to miss it unless you're likely to have the opportunity another time. Fly if you can swing the extra expense - that's a long time to spend on a bus imo. My photos and travelogues are linked below if you're interested. I'm heading back in a few weeks for my 6th visit to Guatemala. Happy trails and keep us posted!

hopefulist

Here's the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

jlhart

I would really recommend flying to Tikal. I spent 6 weeks in Guatemala last year and I am really cheap (I like to say frugal) but was eventually talked into flying based on time and ease. I got a great package deal that I arranged in country (in Pana) that worked out beautifully for us (and was really cheap) but I do know if I was planning a two week trip it would make me nervous not to have set plans ahead of time. I also don't like big Latin American gritty cities so spent zero time in the capital (Antigua is only 45 min or so away so we always shuttled to the airport from there for very cheap).

I would suggest something along the lines of the following:

Guatemala City directly to Antigua via collective van (can arrive at the airport and take this without a reservation)

2-3 days in Antigua: volcano hikes, sightseeing, markets, restaurants, etc. (can arrange almost everything in country just by walking around)

collective shuttle (can arrange this all over the place in Antigua) to Panajachel

3-4 days in Lake Atitlan area (there are many various towns to see, lots of relaxing to be done, etc.)

can also do a day trip to the Chichi market if you are interested in that from Panajachel

shuttle back to Antigua, overnight, leave excess stuff at your hotel if you are stopping back through Antigua, then early morning shuttle to the airport for a flight to Flores

3-4 days in Flores/Tikal (we also split our nights between inside the park and in Flores, which I recommend)

fly back to Guatemala City, +/- another overnight/couple days in Antigua for last minute shopping before you fly home

this would hit all the "best hits" other than the Semuc Champey area, which is also recommended but logistically is a bit more complicated to do

Metacog

Additional Question: Is making a stop in Belize possible, or will this clutter the trip? If so, what is the best way to go about this?

@everyone: Thanks for the response. This is really helping us along.

@jlhart: Do you have any details on the flight from GC to Flores and back? The airline and/or price per person would be appreciated. Tikal Jets, possibly?

hopefulist

You could head to Belize from Tikal, then fly home from Belize or fly from there to Guatemala City for your flight out. Prices will vary depending on destination and package. I'd have an agency book a package - I priced them and the packages are usually a good value compared to putting all the pieces together on your own. Here are some links for checking:

Agencies:
Rainbow Travel http://rainbowtravelcenter.com/
Adrenalina Tours http://adrenalinatours.com/

Airlines:
Taca http://www.taca.com/
Tag http://www.tag.com.gt/
Maya Island Air http://www.mayaisland.net/
(I think Tikal Jet is out of business for about 3 years.)

In my opinion that's too much to cram into less than 2 weeks and Belize is worth a trip of its own. It's doable, though. Keep us posted!