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9 days from $1,799
Your 9-day Small Group Escorted Tour with 16 guests or less featuring first class and deluxe hotels, 10 meals, in-depth sightseeing, luggage handling, all on-tour transportation and 2 internal flights.
You are Promised an Intimate… and in-depth exploration of Guatemala. In the engaging company of our excellent guides – and never more than 16 guests – you’ll discover ancient Mayan sites, lush landscapes and a vibrant modern culture that blends Mayan traditions with a strong Spanish Colonial legacy.
Guatemala City, Chichicastenango, Quetzaltenango, Lake Atitlan, Antigua & Tikal
Engaging Discoveries
- Stand before the Mayan God of the World, a huge stone carving at Baul.
- Immerse in the timeless rhythms of the highlands as you travel to remote, indigenous towns like Quetzaltenango.
- Like the Mayans of yore, cross Lake Atitlan with its 3 towering volcanoes.
- Your unhurried, 2-day exploration through Tikal promises a richer exploration of the largest Mayan site ever discovered.
- 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Day 1 - Welcome to Guatemala City
Check-in to Westin Camino Real close to the popular galleries, restaurants, and shops of the dynamic Zona Viva district.
Day 2 - Go to Chichicastenango
Tour the Mayan site of Baul, noted for a huge stone face depicting the “God of the World” and then visit La Democracia with numerous artifacts attributed to the Olmec and Pipil civilizations. Journey into the Guatemalan highlands to Chichicastenango and check-in to the comfortable Mayan Inn, a Colonial-styled hotel close to the town’s lively marketplace. Meals B
Day 3 - On to Quetzaltenango
Join your guide this morning to explore the colorful open-air market where Indians gather as they have for generations to barter their goods and produce. Visit the 400-year-old Church of Santo Tomas, and then travel to Quetzaltenango where you check-in to the Pension Bonifaz, a lovely superior tourist class hotel in the heart of town.
Meals B
Day 4 - Explore the Highlands
Visit San Francisco El Alto, a charming and still un-touristed town where residents gather in front of City Hall to sell their products and handicrafts. Explore the Almolonga market and then visit the 16th century temple in San Andras Xecul, renowned for its bright yellow facade. Continue on to Lake Atitlan, a breathtakingly beautiful crater lake of azure waters surrounded by three mighty volcanic peaks. Enjoy a peaceful overnight at the Hotel Atitlan, set on lush tropical grounds. Meals B
Day 5 - From Atitlan to Antigua
Cruise across Lake Atitlan to the Indian village of Santiago Atitlan, where weavers create traditional textiles in brilliant colors. In the afternoon, drive to Antigua and settle-in to your elegant guestroom at the Casa Santo Domingo, a deluxe retreat located on the garden grounds of a former Spanish Colonial monastery.
Meals B
Day 6 - Tour Antigua and back to the capital
Founded in 1543, Antigua offers a rich blend of ancient and Colonial-era architecture. Your tour includes the Central Plaza, Palace of the Captains General and several significant churches and monasteries. Visit a local crafts cooperative and see simple foot-looms used to weave colorful textiles and local jade being worked into beautiful jewelry. Return to the deluxe Westin Camino Real and enjoy the balance of the day at leisure.
Meals B
Day 7 - The Mayan Ruins of Tikal
Early this morning, fly to Flores and drive to Tikal , the largest Mayan site discovered to date with more than 3,000 structures. Your tour of these ruins, dating back more than 1,200 years, includes the Great Plaza; the pyramids of the Grand Jaguar and the Masks; the Palace of the Nobles; and Pyramid IV, the highest of the Mayan pyramids.
After lunch, visit the museum to see pre-Colombian art treasures found during the excavation of Tikal and then continue on to the Camino Real Tikal, a delightful resort of thatch-roof bungalows in the heart of the Peten Jungle.
Meals B,L
Day 8 - Return to Guatemala City
Continue your guided tour of Tikal before your flight to Guatemala City where you’ll be escorted to the Westin Camino Real .
Meals B,L
Day 9 - Depart Guatemala City
Your program with us finishes this morning.
Meals B
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