Guatemala - Land of the Maya
Overview
Highlights
- From the ancient ruins of Tikal to Maya villages on Lake Atitlan, experience Guatemala
- Explore the intriguing site of Copan in Honduras
- Wildlife spotting on the 'Rio Dulce'
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Arrive in Guatemala City, the country's busy capital. Much of the city is quite modern, but the colonial centre around the main square harks back to the time when the city was officially declared Guatemala's new capital in the eighteenth century. Due to the number ...
Before leaving the city this morning we'll begin the day with a short drive around by vehicle, just to get a feel for Guatemala's capital before setting off to Copan, in Honduras. It will take around 6 hours including a lunch stop and customs formalities, before we ar...
This morning, a local guide will escort us around the spectacular ruins of Copan - one of the richest archaeological sites to be uncovered in Central America and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Anyone familiar with Catherwood's incredible drawings (which first appea...
This morning we will stop en route at Quirigua, renowned for its fine Mayan carvings, covered with intricate glyphs which still remain a mystery to scholars and archaeologists. Quirigua was dominated by Copan but was valued as a trading centre for the jade that can be...
This morning we head out on a boat trip to the 7 Altares waterfalls. These falls are located in a lush rainforest and the water is cool and clean. It is the perfect place for a dip to cool off. Once we have had enough time enjoying these beautiful natural formations w...
We start our day by heading west on the Rio Dulce by boat. The river squeezes through an impressive gorge of towering cliffs covered in a mass of jungle creepers with egrets, pelicans and cormorants lining the shores. En route we will stop at the small community proje...
We will have an early start to drive the one and a half hours to Tikal for a guided tour. Tikal is possibly the greatest of all the Mayan cities, located in the heart of the Peten jungle. The ruins of Tikal can easily be compared with the masterpieces of Egypt and Gre...
Leaving Flores behind we head south into the southern mountains for a long day's drive through varied scenery. We drive to Sayaxche where we cross the river by ferry before continuing to the Candelaria Caves. Following our visit to the caves we continue onto Coban, where we will stay for the next two nights.
Meals Provided : Breakfast
Today is a long day - but it will be worth it to see one of Guatemala's natural highlights! Semuc Champey is a natural monument made up of turquoise pools and set in a lush mountainous jungle. We leave our hotel early this morning and drive two and a half hours to the...
This morning we will drive for approximately one hour to the Quetzal Biotope. This cloud forest is 1,044 hectares and was officially established as a protected area on June 2, 1976 with the main objective of protecting the Quetzal and its habitat. We will embark on a ...
We will leave Antigua this morning for Lake Atitlan. Our first stop on route is the fascinating archaeological site of Iximche. We will stop here for a two-hour guided tour, where we will learn all about the history of this site which dates back to the 15th century. ...
The volcano-ringed Lake Atitlan is a place of stunning beauty. Some 24km long by 16km wide, it lies at an altitude of 1585m. We take a boat trip across the lake to visit villages inhabited by the Tzutujil Indigenous, including Santiago Atitlan. The Tzutujil can trace ...
This morning we will head north towards the highlands of the El Quiche Province and the bustling town of Chichicastenango, the 'sacred town' of the indigenous Quiche. Steeped in Maya culture, the town is famed for its market, where you can buy everything, from chicken...
After an orientation tour this morning, you will have free time to explore Antigua further. An orientation tour of this graceful old colonial city shows how it can justly claim to be one of the most charming in Central America despite the damage caused by a series of ...
The trip ends this morning at our hotel in Antigua Guatemala. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like an ai...
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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
Explore! Reviews & Ratings
Paul
Dec 2024
Guatemala - Land of the Maya
Great trip which encompassed seeing much of the country. Tour leader was impressive and added a lot to the tour. A complete mix of scenery, people and weather A c...
Trusted Customer
Nov 2024
Guatemala - Land of the Maya
An extraordinary country, both vibrant and diverse, full of colour and Mayan tradition. The whole country was covered during the trip however this meant some long dr...
Jane
Nov 2024
Guatemala - Land of the Maya
A great and very full-on trip, which took us to multiple destinations in Guatemala. We were disappointed not to get to Honduras, and to be honest the "add ins" as a ...
Mairead
Nov 2024
Guatemala - Land of the Maya
I totally enjoyed the Mayan experience with our tour leader Thomas Morales...we were his family and he organised a brilliant holiday for us. He solved a major proble...
Radana
May 2024
Guatemala - Land of the Maya
I had enjoyed Guatemala vacation with EXPLORE very much. The itinerary was great and covered a generous part of Guatemala and it's culture. Our leaders Marvin Chang ...
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