Tikal’s commanding temples are particularly impressive at dawn, as the sun rises and paints their pale flanks with pink and orange light.

Enter the park before anyone else and navigate the dark jungle with your private guide. See the bright eyes of deer and tapir sneaking between the trees. Listen as your guide explains the history of the ancient city, which was at its prime nearly 2,000 years ago.

Climb the many steps of Temple IV as the sky brightens and the songs of tody motmots and orioles wake the rainforest. See the Mayan city’s other temples catch the dawn, before descending and exploring in daylight.