Copan

Tickets and tours: all the options

The main ticket, bought at the visitor centre at the entrance, covers the Great Plaza, the ball court, the Hieroglyphic Stairway and the acropolis. Separate tickets are sold for the tunnels dug by archaeologists under the acropolis and for the Sculpture Museum near the entrance, which holds the original stelae and a full-size copy of a painted temple. Fees are in US dollars or Honduran lempiras. Licensed guides wait by the gate and can be shared by a small group; they add a lot, since the carvings carry dates, kings' names and stories.

The tours sold online are long day trips from Guatemala City and San Salvador that include transport, the border crossing and a guided walk at the ruins. They mean ten hours or more on the road for a few hours on site, and entry fees are often extra. Shared shuttles also link Copan Ruinas with Guatemala and the Honduran coast for those travelling on.

The sensible way to see Copan is to stay at least one night in Copan Ruinas, a pleasant cobbled town, and visit the ruins at opening with a guide. Add the Sculpture Museum in the same visit and the residential quarter of Las Sepulturas in the afternoon.

A short history

The valley was settled for more than two thousand years, but Copan became a major kingdom when K'inich Yax K'uk' Mo', a ruler with links to Tikal, founded a new dynasty in the early 5th century AD. Sixteen kings followed. In 738 the 13th king was captured and killed by his former vassal, the ruler of Quirigua, but building resumed within decades. At its peak the valley held some 20,000 people. Royal monuments ceased in the early 9th century and the city was largely empty by the early 10th. John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood made it famous in 1841. UNESCO listed Copan in 1980.

Getting there

The ruins lie about 1.5 km east of Copan Ruinas, a walk of 20 minutes along the main road, or a short tuk-tuk ride. The town is about 12 km from the El Florido border crossing with Guatemala. Tourist shuttles run from Antigua and Guatemala City in about five to six hours. From San Pedro Sula, with Honduras's busiest airport, direct buses take about three hours. Day tours from San Salvador travel through Guatemala and take five hours or more each way. By car, the road from the border is paved and there is a car park at the site entrance. Carry your passport for the border.

Rules and what to bring

Climbing on the stelae, altars and the Hieroglyphic Stairway is forbidden, and some temple stairs are closed. Do not touch the carvings. Drones need a permit. Bring water, insect repellent, a hat and good shoes for the acropolis steps. Large bags may need to be left at the entrance. There are toilets and a small cafe at the visitor centre, and many restaurants in town.

When to go

Copan is never as crowded as Tikal or Chichen Itza, but day tours from Guatemala and El Salvador arrive in late morning. Arriving at the 8 am opening gives cool air, active macaws and the plazas to yourself; the mid-afternoon hours before closing are also quiet. The tunnels can be busier at midday.

The dry season, November to April, is the most comfortable, with sunny days at an altitude of about 600 metres. March and April are the hottest months, and smoke from crop burning can cloud the views. From May to October afternoon rain is common, though mornings are often dry and the valley is green. Easter week brings many Honduran and Guatemalan visitors. Allow three to four hours for the main site and museum, and a full day if you add the tunnels and Las Sepulturas.