Itinerary
- Day 1
Antigua
You'll arrive in Antigua around 6pm and get settled at your hotel. Your tour leader will be there to greet you along with the rest of your group. Later that evening, everyone heads out together for a welcome dinner to kick things off and get to know each other before your Guatemala adventure begins.
- Meals
- Dinner (Guatemalan welcome group dinner)
Included Activities
- Group dinner with tour leader and fellow travelers
Optional Activities
- Pre-tour hotel nights available (arrange with sales representative)
Landmarks Agua Volcano Acatenango Volcano Fuego Volcano - Day 2
Antigua
This morning you'll take a guided walking tour through Antigua's cobblestone streets. You'll see beautiful churches, ruins and museums while your guide shows you around. Along the way you can sample some exotic native fruits. After lunch, the rest of the day is yours to explore on your own and check out whatever interests you most.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Half-day walking tour of Antigua including La Merced Church, Central Park, Santa Catalina Martir and other city landmarks
- Sampling of exotic native fruits
Optional Activities
- Independent exploration of Antigua (tour leader available for recommendations)
Landmarks La Merced Church Central Park (Parque Central) Santa Catalina Martir - Day 3
Antigua
You'll drive about an hour to the foothills of Pacaya, one of Guatemala's active volcanoes. From there, you'll hike for 3 hours 30 minutes through pine forest and volcanic ash to reach the cone. The views of the volcano chain, lowlands and El Salvador from up there are really something. You'll have a box lunch at the summit, then head back down. The afternoon after that is free for you to do your own thing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Box lunch on the volcano)
Included Activities
- One-hour transfer to Pacaya volcano foothills
- 3 hour 30 minute round-trip hike to Pacaya summit (4 miles/6 kilometers with 1,770 feet/540 meters elevation gain)
- Box lunch on the volcano
- Return transfer to Antigua
Optional Activities
- Museum complex visit inside Hotel Casa Santo Domingo to explore cultural heritage and archaeological finds of Guatemala
Landmarks Pacaya Volcano - Day 4
Chichicastenango to Quetzaltenango
You'll travel 2 hours 30 minutes to Chichicastenango market, where you can browse vendor stalls selling textiles and crafts. The place is busy and full of Maya traditions mixed with Spanish colonial heritage. Before heading out, you'll visit Las Morerias workshops where folkloric dancer outfits and masks are made. Then it's a one-hour transfer to Quetzaltenango (Xela), sitting at 7,654 feet in the highlands, where you'll get an orientation tour of the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- 2 hour 30 minute transfer to Chichicastenango market
- Chichicastenango market exploration
- Visit to Las Morerias workshops
- One hour transfer to Quetzaltenango
- Orientation tour of Quetzaltenango
Landmarks Chichicastenango Market Las Morerias Parque Centro América - Day 5
Quetzaltenango
You'll explore two rural villages today. First, Almolonga, where you can walk through bustling markets and see the region's famous vegetables arriving in traditional wooden carts. Then you'll head to Zunil to see traditional weaving and learn about Indigenous traditions and the folk saint Maxim\u00f3n. Later, you'll relax at Fuentes Georginas, a natural hot spring retreat with thermal waterfalls and mineral-rich pools heated by the Zunil volcano.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Walk through Almolonga markets
- Visit Zunil village
- Fuentes Georginas natural hot spring experience with thermal waterfalls and mineral-rich pools
Landmarks Almolonga Market Zunil Fuentes Georginas - Day 6
Quetzaltenango to Lake Atitlán
This morning you'll explore Quetzaltenango's historic downtown, seeing beautifully preserved 16th-century and neoclassical architecture around Parque Centro Am\u00e9rica. After that you'll check out and drive 2 hours to Lake Atitl\u00e1n. On the way, you'll stop at San Andr\u00e9s Xecul to see its baroque-style church painted in vivid yellow, red and blue with intricate carvings.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Downtown Quetzaltenango exploration including Pasaje Enríquez, Municipal Palace, Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Banco de Occidente, and Teatro Municipal
- Two hour transfer to Lake Atitlán with stop at San Andrés Xecul church
Landmarks Pasaje Enríquez Municipal Palace Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Banco de Occidente Teatro Municipal San Andrés Xecul Church - Day 7
Lake Atitlán
You'll take a boat across Lake Atitl\u00e1n to San Juan la Laguna and visit hand-weaving cooperatives. Local artisans will show you how they extract dyes and create beautiful weaves using traditional techniques. After that, you'll transfer by tuk tuk to the Ancestral Delight Project for a Maya cooking class where you'll learn about traditional dishes and ingredients. In the afternoon, you'll tour Santiago Atitl\u00e1n, the largest lakeside village and an important center of Tz'utujil-speaking Maya culture.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Traditional Maya dishes prepared during cooking class at Ancestral Delight Project)
Included Activities
- Boat cruise across Lake Atitlán to San Juan la Laguna
- Visit to local hand-weaving artisans and cooperatives
- Learning session on natural dye extraction and traditional weaving techniques
- Immersive Maya cooking class at Ancestral Delight Project
- Tuk tuk transfer to Ancestral Delight Project
- Afternoon tour of Santiago Atitlán
Landmarks Lake Atitlán San Juan la Laguna Santiago Atitlán - Day 8
Lake Atitlán to Isla de Flores
You'll drive 2 hours 30 minutes toward the airport with a stop at Iximche in Tecp\u00e1n, a Maya Cakchiquel city founded in 1463. You'll see four ceremonial plazas with temples and a ball court. Then you'll fly to Mundo Maya airport and transfer to Isla de Flores, a human-made island on Lake Pet\u00e9n.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- 2 hour 30 minute transfer to airport with stop at Iximche archaeological site
- Iximche site tour including four ceremonial plazas, temples and ball court
- Internal flight to Mundo Maya airport
- Transfer to Isla de Flores
Landmarks Iximche - Day 9
Isla de Flores
You'll wake up at 3am for a one-hour drive to Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important Maya cities. You'll hike to Temple IV to watch the sunrise from the top. After that, a guided tour takes you through the archaeological site where you'll see Maya temples, plazas and palaces surrounded by lush forest. Keep an eye out for spider monkeys, howler monkeys, coati and keel-billed toucans. You'll head back to Isla de Flores in the afternoon for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Farewell dinner at local restaurant)
Included Activities
- 3am transfer to Tikal National Park (one hour)
- Hike to Temple IV for sunrise viewing
- Guided tour through Tikal archaeological site
- Wildlife viewing opportunities
- Farewell dinner at local restaurant
Landmarks Tikal National Park Temple IV - Day 10
Departure
Your tour ends today and you'll begin your journey home. If you'd like to stay longer on Isla de Flores, talk to your sales representative about extending your trip.
Optional Activities
- Extension of stay on Isla de Flores (arrange with sales representative)
