History/Nature Lovers Listen up! - Marlon was an excellent guide. You can tell he really cares about the history and preservation of the Mayan Culture. Everything was really detailed from the breakfast, hiking, facts and lunch. Would highly recommend!! FYI there is like a 15% chance you actually get to see the sunrise, but don’t get discouraged you get to see the jungle wake up in the morning even without the sun. And there are so many mosquitoes, even during the day! So come prepared

Awaken your senses and deepen your knowledge - Gem Trips led by Marlon is a one in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend this small family owned company for your educational journey through the Maya ruins of Tikal. Marlon’s certifications and master’s degree in addition to his 20 plus years of guiding tours in Tikal sets his bar as a guide very high. His knowledge, ability to story-tell, and his hospitality will keep you in a place of wonder, joy and appreciation for the duration of your trip. I am super grateful I booked my experience through gem tours.

Thriving at Tikal - Marlon was a thoughtful, patient, and passionate guide who gave us a truly special tour of Tikal with a personalized breakfast at the top of the temple after sunrise. Loved learning about his story of inspiration from the Toucans and all his personalized answers to our many questions.

Best experience ever. - Anyone that wants to have the best experience here I highly recommend Marlon the best teacher you can have . You can feel the love he has doing this . Such a very positive vibe. He was on time from the start explained everything that the day had for us . I went with family and since the start he had coffee and breakfast for us . We did the morning hike . We had a beautiful view . He definitely knows his history behind this it was so interesting .. we all good conversations .. He was on top of it. Marlon also took us to have lunch very delicious food :) I couldn’t been more happier with this tour thank you Marlon for everything . Hope to see you soon and hope you remember us . -Lupe Ortega

Lots of information about Tikal - This was a great tour to learn a lot about Mayan civilization and the local environment. Marlon is incredibly knowledgeable and this would be the perfect tour if you are curious and really want to learn about the history of Tikal! We also saw toucans, spider monkeys, coati, and lots of other birds. There was plenty of yummy food and bug spray.

Amazing Tikal Sunrise Tour - Gem Trips founder, Marlon, gave us a once in a lifetime tour experience at Tikal City. He is punctual, professional, polite and knowledgeable about Mayan culture. We went to Tikal to see the sunrise and was an amazing moment to see the jungle come to life. After our tour, we went to Jaguar Inn restaurant and had a delicious Guatemalan meal that complete the day blissfully. Thanks Marlon for such an incredible experience.

Incredible experience - I cannot express enough how much my daughter and I enjoyed Marlon’s Tikal sunrise tour. Marlon has incredible historical knowledge as well as that of the nature that surrounds Tikal - it was so fun having him point out the various animal sounds as we walked in the dark, and when it was light out, the various birds, monkeys, and ant eaters that make Tikal their home. Sharing a delicious breakfast while we watched the jungle wake up is something I hope to never forget! Most importantly, I appreciated his connection, respect and conservation of the Park. For all the parents reading this: I was on the fence about taking the sunrise tour since it would require having to wake up my normally unimpressed tween daughter at the wee hours of the day (we were traveling alone and did not want to deal with the grief of having to wake her up so early). Well, this tour not only impressed her, but also gave her a greater appreciation for Tikal and its wonderful flora and fauna. Watching the jungle come alive early in the AM was a memorable experience we both hope to never forget. Gracias Marlon!!

Perfect Tikal Tour - Marlon was friendly and extremely knowledgable, showing us Tikal and lots of incredible wildlife. Home cooked food and coffee provided was great and the lunch at the end was fantastic.

Beautiful sunrise tour!! - This tour was amazing! I was the only one who had booked that day so I ended up getting a private tour from Marlon. He gave me an amazing tour with many facts about the animals and the Mayans. He made sure to show me the best views and little details that I would have never seen on my own. We saw lots and lots of birds, spider monkeys, and coatis! Since I was the only person, we had some extra time and Marlon took me down a different jungle path to see more wildlife. We ended up seeing a crocodile! The views were beautiful from start to finish and Marlon took a great picture of me! I 100% recommend this tour.

Jaguars and temples and Tucans! An experience not the be missed - Marlon was the best guide. Picked us up right on time in his amazing electric car and was super happy to answer all our questions (even at 2:30am in the morning) Marlon is so knowledgeable about the park, and about Mayan culture as well as the extensive birds and animals found there. He is also so great at adapting the tour as you go. We had the opportunity to see all of the temples and buildings at Tikal which was great plus saw a variety of birds (my favourite was the tucán!) monkeys and we were even lucky enough to see a jaguar!!! (All thanks to the electric vehicle) It’s a long day, but Marlon is prepared with water and the food is amazing both the breakfast prepared by his wife, and the lunch at the jaguar inn. It’s well worth having everything covered and not having to worry about snacks or water on the trip. I highly recommend this tour, we chose it because it was eco and another review said that the guides pick up rubbish they find in the park along the way (they do!) but I recommend it for the knowledge, care and attention that is put into the attention paid to the tour. I honestly feel like you wouldn’t get as much from Tikal if you didn’t have someone sharing what all of the ruins mean and were used for. While it’s true you can’t see the sun rise exactly (only 20% of the time) the quiet serenity of the jungle as it wakes with the birds and animals felt like. Spiritual experience - also because we ate breakfast on top of the tallest temple (temple IV) we had the place to ourselves and were able to hear the echoes of the howler monkeys across the forest (and high felt like we were in Jurassic Park). Marlon also knows the park so well that he always knows the secret places to take photos for the best angles and views. I’ve travelled a lot and this was one of my top tours. Highly recommend :) thanks Marlon (and team!) for the amazing experience!