Has anyone crossed the border from Guatemala to Mexico?

Sent to WM for review.

This appears (to me at least) as a perfectly legitimate question (see the OP's posting history). I'll admit it does seem (to me) to be an odd question.

I've crossed the Mexico/Guatemala border a couple times, but that was so many years ago that it probably no longer resembles today's experience.

I would only share that I can not imagine any reason to seek out an "agency" or "guide" for this pretty trivial and relatively straightforward task - unless I was in some extraordinary situation (presumably, as a tourist, your documentation is in order and you're not lacking the legal requirements to cross, you're not transporting things beyond personal luggage, etc.).

It might be a little bureaucratic and you might have to wait a few minutes, but unless you have some unusual situation, I have a hard time coming up with a good reason to pay someone else to go through some of the bureaucracy for you. Same as I could not imagine a good reason to pay someone to help me execute the entry procedures for Canada, France, or Thailand. Even for places that may be challenging to enter (China, India, etc.) I'd think long and hard before hiring someone to help.

To the OP: What makes you think you need to hire someone to help you accomplish what should be a straightforward task for most tourists who have appropriate documentation? Are you hoping to do this at an extremely remote location (admittedly, there are some of those where things may be a bit different)?

Oh my gosh that’s hilarious this has been sent over for review. I will say — I don’t think nefarious actors would be asking for a tour operator to get around!! First for everything I guess lol.

My intent with this post is to understand the best way to get from the Tikal ruins to Palenque in Mexico which is why I want to understand if it’s easy enough to drive through the border.

I’ve never been to Guatemala so trying to understand how scary getting around would be - hence the question around tour operator.

My intent with this post is to understand the best way to get from the Tikal ruins to Palenque in Mexico which is why I want to understand if it’s easy enough to drive through the border.

1st question that came to mind is 'does the rental car company allow it?'

Folks here are just trying to be protective of the forum. To your questions...

1st question that came to mind is 'does the rental car company allow it?'

Indeed, IME, this would be an absolute non-starter. I've asked agencies about taking rental cars in to or out of Mexico several times and have never found one that would dream of allowing their cars to be taken across a border, even where there are roads (and the border you want to cross has a shortage of those). Maybe that's changed, so you might confirm that, but I would adjust your expectations.

My intent with this post is to understand the best way to get from the Tikal ruins to Palenque in Mexico which is why I want to understand if it’s easy enough to drive through the border.

There it's not. Honestly, last time I looked, the easiest way would be to get a ride from Tikal to Flores, then take the bus or a flight to Belize City. Then take a bus or flight to Chetumal or elsewhere nearby, then take a bus to Palenque. I would not call any of that "easy." It's just possible (or it was, last time I looked).

I’ve never been to Guatemala so trying to understand how scary getting
around would be - hence the question around tour operator.

It might be less "scary" nowadays, but I suspect what you are thinking about is not possible for a casual tourist (when I last considered it, there was a low-level guerilla insurgency in the area, which I think eventually proved to be harmless and was mostly theater, but at the time it was still spooky enough to keep most folks away - google "Zapatistas" for some historic info).

To cut to the chase: I haven't paid close attention for years, so you may want to investigate further to confirm, but I suspect what you have in mind is all but impossible, unless you are up for Quite An Adventure. On a map, Tikal and Palenque (and other bits of far-southern Mexico) appear very close to each other. It's easy to imagine that getting between them should be simple, but that's not the case. It is a wild and remote region. Besides liberation movements (even if they're just cosplaying), the region is quite rugged and "undeveloped", with few real roads, just jungle trails and a major river. The area has always been at best loosely controlled by any authority, more than a little lawless, and is also commonly used by irregular migrants and those that prey upon them. The border is porous and there's plenty of not-entirely-legal activities taking place in the jungle.

When I contemplated crossing overland (decades ago), the trip I hoped to do was nearly impossible, the only way I found was by canoe or raft down the river. I've heard that things have opened up a bit and calmed down somewhat in recent years, so you may be able to find some eco-adventure tours that will bring you though, but as best I can tell, this is still not something to be taken lightly. If you don't have much prior experience bushwhacking though Central American jungles, this is probably not the best place to learn how.

AFAICT most travelers hoping to make that kind of connection quickly give up and decide they have to "go around", either by bus (a long detour) or flying. I've done both, and have been to most of the ruins in the region. The tiny airlines (and some rough jungle airstrips) come and go (there used to be little airstrips at many of the great Yucatan ruin sites, but most have been closed for years). Last I checked, Flores, in Guatemala, was the closet airstrip for Tikal. I know of no airports near Palenque with air service (even little puddle-jumpers). You might want to investigate bus options via Belize City, but the inconvenient fact is that the places you are looking at are not well-connected, so some long, slow detours may be necessary. It's certainly a fascinating region, but it does not lend itself to quick, efficient transportation connections for those in a hurry.

Hope some of that helps. Good luck.

“ I don’t think nefarious actors would be asking for a tour operator to get around!! ”

This is exactly what they would do and unfortunately it happens very often on this forum. New poster #1 asks a setup question like “what tour guide should I use” or “what tour operator should I use”. And then new poster #2 just happens to stumble upon that question and replies with the name of a tour guide.

@davidfromseattle - you’re a gem. So so helpful thank you!!!!!!

last time I looked, the easiest way would be to get a ride from Tikal to Flores, then take the bus or a flight to Belize City. Then take a bus or flight to Chetumal or elsewhere nearby, then take a bus to Palenque

This is rather old advice. There is a road crossing the Guatemala/Mexico border via the jungle, and now a direct shuttle service runs from Flores to Palenque and back, about 8 hours each way. Seems to run a lot but schedule is iffy.

https://travelmundomaya.com/transport-service

https://chetumaltours.com/en/transportation-transfers-palenque-mexico-flores-guatemala-through-the-ceibo-border/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g292002-i1599-k14592063-Flores_to_Palenque-Guatemala.html

In reference to your other question about visiting the 2 ruins in Mexico on the way, it would likely be a custom tour to cross into Mexico and visit those 2 sites then go on to Palenque from there. Maybe someone has an all in one tour like this. You may have to either overnight on the way or start very early to do it as one tour though.

The obvious solution is to book a tour from Palenque and visit them separately.

https://www.boundlessroads.com/crossing-border-from-mexico-to-guatemala/

You may want to read this. More info. Although this is for Mexico into Guatemala. Still, more info.
One point is that a lot of people are headed north into Mexico headed for the US, so that direction may be more crowded.

There is a road crossing the Guatemala/Mexico border via the jungle,
and now a direct shuttle service runs from Flores to Palenque and
back, about 8 hours each way.

That's good to hear. As I said in my posts upthread, it has been years since I poked around this region, and I indicated things may have changed and the OP should verify and get updated info if they really wanted to do it (although it initially sounded like they wanted to take a rented car across, which I suspect is still impossible - but again, anyone really interested in investigating that needs to get solid info from those who would be a party to it). So it sounds like there may be options nowadays, though maybe not the kind of experience the OP was expecting.

All that said, it is a pretty remote patch of jungle, and yes, it's an area where migrants heading north often try to cross the porous border, with all that entails. My sense was that the OP was not up for that sort of adventure, and was really looking for a casual and quick trip (which I don't think describes this).

One point is that a lot of people are headed north into Mexico headed for the US, so that direction may be more crowded.

Interesting article, mostly explaining travails using the overnight way (adding Yaxchilan and Bonampak ruins into the trip) via Frontera Corazol MX with an open canoe international river crossing to Guatemala.

Kind of hidden in the article’s text is the easy way, tourist shuttle, via El Ceibal border crossing and all by road. It looks fairly civilized.

Noting that crossing from Guatemala to Mexico via Frontera Corazo a person is actually going south. For the El Ceibal crossing a person is going west. The 2 crossings are not particularly near each other.

I've been to Guatemala 3 times,not to Tikal, with a large group led by a local. Be advised that the roads between large cities are terrible-potholes can be the size and depth of a hot tub. I can't imagine what the roads are like in more rural, less developed areas.