The Easter Festival is just the beginning of this 9-day Guatemala travel adventure. Arrive in Antigua in the middle of the festival, when the streets come alive in celebration of this Holy Week. This itinerary is designed to coincide with the Easter festivities in colonial Antigua but also offers so many other opportunities to discover Guatemala. Journey into the highlands and explore the commanding temples and other remnants of the Mayan past. Wander through rows of vendors at Chichi's magnificent market, and spend a few nights along the shores of the volcano-fringed Lake Atitlan. Explore colonial Antigua. Join us for fascinating traditions, mystifying history, and the inviting culture of Guatemala.
Highlights
Watch the processions and reenactments leading up to Easter Sunday
Discover Antigua's past and wonder about its history as you tour the city
Visit Lake Atitlan where Mayan culture is still alive and well
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Rise early to visit the famous market of Chichicastenango. This beautiful town, surrounded by valleys and shadowed by mountains, has many shamanistic and ceremonial overtones. Its large market brings villagers throughout the region, who often arrive the night before and sleep on blankets in the market square. Rising early, they set out their colorful fruits, vegetables, and handicrafts. The market disperses in the early afternoon when you will travel to the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan, a deep caldera lake flanked by three majestic volcanoes. A passenger boat takes us across the azure-colored water to our charming lodge in the village of Santiago Atitlan.
Day 3-4: San Juan La Laguna | Santiago Atitlan | Lake Atitlan
This morning, after admiring the lake's placid waters, set out about town on a walking tour. Scholars tell us that the Ancient Maya disappeared mysteriously a thousand years ago. Still, anyone who has intimately explored this fascinating region knows that the Maya continue to thrive in the highlands of Guatemala. Villagers in Santiago Atitlan still adhere to the traditional lifestyle of the Tz'utuhil Maya and on the walk, you'll see many people cloaked in brightly-colored, handwoven clothing. Along Santiago's main street are art galleries filled with oil paintings depicting busy market scenes and typical life in the highlands. Time permitting visit Maximòn and leave an offering to this curious and revered deity. For the rest of your time here, you can explore the area with your guide.
Board the lancha this morning for the return trip across Lake Atitlan and transfer to Antigua, once the capital of Guatemala and all Central America. The city resembles a living ruin, with Volcano Fuego rising above. Mammoth ruins of churches and palaces tell the story of Antigua's past glory, and restored fascades speak of a bright future for this wonderful city. This afternoon tour the city and admire Antigua's gilded cathedrals. The afternoon is yours to rent mountain bikes to explore the countryside, visit a coffee finca, or macadamia nut plantation, or just people watch in the main plaza to complete your Guatemala travel experience.
Let the celebrations begin! The spectacular Easter festivals in the former colonial capital are beyond comparison to anything in the northern hemisphere. Along cobblestone streets, intricate carpets of colored sawdust are painstakingly laid down. A solemn procession of Roman centurions marches over the carpets, carrying an image of Christ on the cross. Music and swinging incense burners accompany the robed "cofradia". During these lively days leading up to Easter Sunday witness elaborate ceremonies re-enacting the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Trips can also be arranged to climb the nearby volcanoes of Pacaya and Acatenango, or you might rent mountain bikes and explore the foothills of the Antigua Valley, or visit a nearby coffee plantation.
Day 9: Antigua | Guatemala City Airport
1 Breakfast
Return home today, or with more time, extend your trip to Tikal!
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Initial deposit is $400 plus cost of internal airfare, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
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2 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
2 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
2 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.