Experience the varied terrain and rich culture of the Maya on this 10-day Guatemala tour. Begin in colonial Antigua and drive to Lake Atitlan, visiting small markets and meeting friendly locals who have kept their Maya heritage alive, before making your way across the country to the limestone caves of Lanquin. Enjoy a refreshing swim in the turquoise waters of Semuc Champey and wander the colorful streets of Livingston and Rio Dulce before driving to Guatemala City for your departure. This unique tour traverses the country in search of tradition and adventure.
Highlights
Explore the streets of Antigua and pass by mammoth churches & palaces
Greet locals at the Comalapa Market and admire their crafts & artwork
Visit a women's textile cooperative and learn about the weaving process
Moderately active but not overly strenuous. This level includes activities like casual cycling, yoga, or excursions/activities that typically last 3-5 hours total each day.
Arrive in the Guatemala City Airport and transfer to Antigua. Upon your arrival, settle into your hotel and explore this charming colonial city on your own in the evening.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel before meeting your guide for a walking tour of Antigua. Once the capital of Guatemala and of all of Central America, Antigua resembles a living ruin. Mammoth churches and palaces tell the story of Antigua's past glory, and restored facades speak of a bright future for this wonderful city. In the morning, take a guided tour of the city and admire Antigua's gilded cathedrals. The afternoon is yours to rent mountain bikes and explore the countryside, visit a coffee finca or macadamia nut plantation, or relax and people-watch in the main plaza. In the evening return to your hotel. Arrange additional activities in advance for an additional cost, or opt to see how you feel this afternoon and arrange them locally.
After breakfast, visit Iximche and spend an enriching and leisurely day in the Comalapa Market. Greet the locals and admire their beautiful handicrafts and artwork, occasionally stopping to barter and buy. The market is also a hub for buying and selling mounds of fruits, vegetables, meats, and clothing. The market disperses in the early afternoon, at which point you will travel to the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlan, a deep caldera lake which is flanked by three majestic volcanoes.
Board a private boat and ride across the azure-colored waters of Lake Atitlan to the village of San Juan La Laguna. Visit the women's textile cooperative to see hand weaving and the natural dye process used to make their famous petates: woven mats made from lake reeds.
Continue to the village of Santiago, where villagers still adhere to the traditional lifestyle of the Tz'utuhil Maya. Along Santiago's main street are art galleries filled with oil paintings depicting busy market scenes and typical life in the highlands. Scholars claim that the ancient Maya mysteriously disappeared a thousand years ago, but anyone who has intimately explored this fascinating region knows that the Maya continue to thrive in the highlands of Guatemala. Visit Maximòn and leave an offering to this curious and revered deity.
Wake early in the morning and drive to the Chichicastenango market. This beautiful town, which is surrounded by valleys and shadowed by mountains, has many shamanistic and ceremonial overtones. Its large market brings villagers from 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. Return to colonial Antigua in the evening.
Day 6: Lanquin | Bat Cave
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
In the morning, set out with your guide and drive to Lanquin and its mysterious cave. The .62-mile limestone cave, Grutas de Lanquin, was declared a national park in 1955, and features many unusual formations. The caves are lit and feature walkways for easy navigation. Wear comfortable, athletic shoes to maneuver your way through the cave. Make your way to the cave entrance at dawn to witness the mass exodus of several thousand bats as they leave on their hunt for dinner. In the evening, settle in to your hotel.
Total driving time: 7 hours.
Day 7: Semuc Champey | Coban
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Travel with your guide to Semuc Champey. A natural monument, Semuc Champey consists of a natural limestone bridge which passes over Cahabon River. Make your way to the top of the bridge and find a series of stepped, turquoise pools. Enjoy a refreshing swim in the clear waters and enjoy an afternoon along their banks. In the evening, transfer to Coban and overnight.
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before meeting your guide for a series of tours. Visit a local coffee farm, Chicoj Cooperative, and learn about the picking, drying, and roasting processes. Try some of the coffee after a cupping demonstration, then zip line over the coffee farm and the lake that supplies it with water. Following your tour, drive to Vivero Verapaz, the largest orchid nursery in Central America. Featuring more than 600 orchid varieties and upwards of 35,000 flowers, Vivero Verapaz is a paradise of a garden. Take a guided walk through the nursery, and marvel at the various orchids. You need a magnifying glass to see the smallest one! Also view and learn about the monja blanca (white nun), Guatemala's national flower. In the late afternoon, transfer to Livingston for your overnight.
Transfer from your hotel for your tour of Rio Dulce, a lake and river system that has become a popular sailboat destination. Rio Dulce is spanned by one of the biggest bridges in Central America. On one side of the bridge, the town of Fronteras, commonly referred to as Rio Dulce, features a local vegetable market that attracts locals from the country. Explore the market and town, Ak'Tenamit, and Bird Island before transferring back to Guatemala City. Overnight.
Total driving time: 3-4 hours.
Day 10: Depart Guatemala
1 Breakfast
In the morning, enjoy a private transfer to the airport for your continued journeys.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
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
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Rachel is wonderful! She is very responsive and has great suggestions without any pressure.
Jules4775
2 months ago
Everything about our Guatemala trip was amazing. Everything was on time. The guides were personable, knowledgeable on all aspects of history, culture and nature. The destinations were great. It was truly a great week in a wonderful destination.
Chris Carrigee
5 months ago
Very good, efficient and helpful.
CaBaba
1 year ago
First class all the way. Enjoyed our Guide, Karla, Driver Mark so much. Personalized tour of Antigua during Easter was like a National Geographic in person. Trip of the Lifetime. Such a spiritual and magical tour. Many Thanks.
Ben Shaver
Ben Shaver, Jr.
1 year ago
Rachel is wonderful! She is very responsive and has great suggestions without any pressure.
Jules4775
2 months ago
Everything about our Guatemala trip was amazing. Everything was on time. The guides were personable, knowledgeable on all aspects of history, culture and nature. The destinations were great. It was truly a great week in a wonderful destination.
Chris Carrigee
5 months ago
Very good, efficient and helpful.
CaBaba
1 year ago
First class all the way. Enjoyed our Guide, Karla, Driver Mark so much. Personalized tour of Antigua during Easter was like a National Geographic in person. Trip of the Lifetime. Such a spiritual and magical tour. Many Thanks.
Ben Shaver
Ben Shaver, Jr.
1 year ago
Rachel is wonderful! She is very responsive and has great suggestions without any pressure.
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