Tour Overview
Welcome to Guatemala! This exhilarating multi-sport program takes you off the beaten path to explore Guatemala like few can! The tour offers climbing an active volcano, takes you deep into the remote and traditional Mayan Highlands where you will bike through spectacular volcanic scenery on local trade routes and see remote, colorful markets. Stay in a local home to learn more about the typical way of life here and visit the Mayan god Maxim on after kayaking on Lake Atitlan with her majestic volcanoes.
Day 1: Guatemala City- Antigua, Guatemala
Today when you arrive in Guatemala City, you will be met and transferred (about 1 hour) to the beautiful city of Antigua.
In the heart of Antigua Guatemala and recognized as a world monument by UNESCO, we find the Hotel Aurora, the cities oldest tradition of hospitality. For more than 75 years it has been their mission to provide guests with a pleasant state of mind where a warm friendly atmosphere makes you feel like are part of our family.
The remainder of the day is free.
Hotel Aurora
Day 2: Antigua
This morning you will be met at the hotel for a half-day mountain bike ride through Antigua and the surrounding villages.
The afternoon is free for you to enjoy Antigua.
Breakfast
Hotel Aurora
Day 3: Pacaya Volcano
Have breakfast with your tour leader before you head out to Pacaya National Park where you will begin hiking this famous, active volcano! The hike takes about 2.5 hours and at the top you can see down into the crater and the lava. Experience the energy of an active volcano.
On the return to Antigua, enjoy a fun-filled guided tour of this charming colonial city.
Notes:
· Transfer time is about 2+ hours, round trip.
· Pacaya Volcano Hike is 3-4 hours in duration. 1640 feet elevation gain/drop
Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel Aurora
Day 4: Comalapa Market- Highlands Biking & Hiking- Totonicapan
A short transfer will bring you to the town of San Juan Comalapa, which is famous for its local market. Once there you will have time to wander through the market and admire the native painters.
After lunch (not included) enjoy hiking and biking down to Totonicapan. Here you will also have dinner and spend the evening with a local family.
Notes:
· Market visit: 2 hours.
· Mountain Biking: 2 hours, 9 miles, 1000 feet gain, 2310 feet loss
· Transfer time: 4 hours.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Home stay in Totonicapan
Day 5: Totonicapan- Hike & Bike Alaska
Today you will transfer even deeper into the Guatemalan highlands to the spectacular Zunil Mountains where you will enjoy stunning views. At times you will be able to see ten volcano peaks at the same time while hiking and biking!
During the ride you will make a stop at a remote, local village to experience their weaving arts.
After lunch you will be driven to the shores of Lake Atitlan.
Overnight at the Hotel Dos Mundos, a full service hotel complete with swimming pool, restaurant, café, bar and conference room. Located in Panajachel one block from the shores of Lake Atitlán, considered by many the most beautiful lake in the world.
Notes:
· Hiking: 2 hours, 5 miles, moderate up & down, 1165 feet gain/loss
· Biking: 1 hour, 10 miles
· Transfer time: 3 hours
Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel Dos Mundos
Day 6: Kayak and Hike Cerro de Oro at Lake Atitlan
Today you will kayak on what many have called “the most beautiful lake in the world”, Lake Atitlan. Pass local fishermen, indigenous Mayan women doing their wash and men working in the fields wearing their famous embroidered Santiago shorts as well as taking in the breathtaking views of the three lake volcanoes.
Once at Cerro de Oro, hike the impressive, sacred hill. Sometimes you can witness Mayan rituals in process, which is an amazing and authentic glimpse of local Mayan life in the area.
When you are ready you will be transferred back to the lodge on local pick up trucks.
After time for lunch, visit the town of Santiago. This lively Tzutuhil Maya town with its market and strange Mayan god Maximon. Locals revere and perform rituals in front of Maximon to bring good luck!
Notes:
· Kayaking: 1-2 hours, 4 miles
· Hiking: 1.5 hours, 1000 feet gain/loss: 2 miles
· Transfer time: 1 hour
Breakfast
Hotel Dos Mundos
Day 7: Zipline, Solola Market- Antigua
Transfer to the Reserva Atitlan to enjoy an exhilarating Zip Line adventure! Play Tarzan and glide through the forest canopy courtesy of a series of cables, a helmet, and a very secure harness.
Then stop to visit the colorful market at Solola, one f the largest indigenous towns in Guatemala. On market day, the whole town erupts in a frenzy of activity as traders and villagers besiege the plaza and surrounding streets. You can’t help but gawk at the iridescent local costume, worn by both sexes, though the men’s outrageous “space cowboy” shirts are especially eye-catching.
Afterwards transfer to Antigua for your final evening in Guatemala.
Breakfast
Hotel Aurora
Day 8: Depart Guatemala City
Today you will be met at your hotel by your driver and transferred to the airport in plenty of time for your flight home.
Breakfast
Prices
2010
$2,395 per person, double occupancy, based on two persons traveling together.
$1,795 per person, double occupancy, based on four persons traveling together.
$255 single room supplement.
Inclusions:
· Transfers and guiding as described.
· Breakfast each day and other meals as mentioned in the itinerary.
· All activities and equipment.
· Entrance fees to all visits mentioned in the program.
Exclusions:
· International flights and taxes.
· Border crossing fees and airport departure taxes.
· Drinks with included meals.
· Gratuities.
· Travel insurance.
· Meals, sightseeing and activities not mentioned.
· Alcoholic beverages; items of a personal nature (room service, communications charges, spa services, laundry, etc.)
· Holiday surcharges.
· Visa costs, if applicable.
These trips are priced assuming two travelers. Surcharges for solo travelers and discounts for groups, if any, will be applied. Prices assume itinerary is purchased "as is". Minor changes to hotels or hotel add-ons to the beginning or the end of the existing itinerary can be made at no extra charge. Any customization requiring us to start with a new base itinerary will require a non-refundable upfront planning fee of $250 that is creditable towards the final trip price.
Group Discounts
The more people you bring on your next iExplore adventure, the more you save. Learn how with iExplore Group Discounts.
All prices are in US dollars and do not include international airfare, unless otherwise noted.
Prices displayed are based on the lowest season base price and assume double occupancy. Prices are shown in U.S. dollars and may or may not include administrative fees, taxes, meals, airfare (where applicable) and Single Supplements. Cancellation penalties, blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.
Options & Upgrades
Tikal Extension
Day 1: Guatemala City- Tikal
Today you will be met at your hotel for a private transfer to Guatemala City Airport for the morning flight to Flores.
Then, enjoy a private tour of Tikal and lunch.
Entombed in dense jungle, where inanimate air is periodically shattered by the roars of howler monkeys, the phenomenal, towering ruins of Tikal are one of the wonders of the Americas. Five temple-pyramids soar above the forest canopy, finely carved stelae and altars in the plaza eulogize the city’s glorious history, giant stucco masks adorn monuments and stone flagged causeways lead toward other ruined cities lying even deeper in the jungle.
Tikal’s scale is awesome. In the Classis Period, its population grew to almost 100,000 and trade routes connected the city with Teotihuacan (modern day Mexico City), the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts. Temple IV was built to a height of almost 230 feet, complete with enormous roof comb. Exquisite jade masks, ceramics, jewellery and sculptures were created. There were ball courts, sweat baths, colorfully painted royal palaces, and another 4,000 buildings to house the artisans, astrologers, farmers and warriors of the greatest city of the Maya civilization.
Most agree that Tikal is the most visually sensational of all the Maya sites. Witness the electric atmosphere at dawn and dusk when the calls of toucans, frogs, monkeys and mammals echo around the surrounding jungle.
Camino Real Tikal is a tropical five star retreat, set in the heart of the Petén jungle with all the comfort and facilities to assure an unforgettable experience. Camino Real Tikal will be the perfect starting point of the Mayan Adventure. At only a 45-minute drive you will be able to explore and experience the history, culture and tradition of the ancient Maya civilization, at Tikal National Park. The Hotel is located at a 30-minute flight from Guatemala City and inside the Cerro Cahuí Natural Reserve and on the banks of Lake Petén Itzá; close to El Remate, a farmer’s village offering hardwood souvenirs and the Island of Flores with its cobblestone streets.
Camino Real Tikal offers 72 luxurious rooms with a balcony, all with view to Lake Petén Itzá.
Lunch
Camino Real Tikal
Day 2: Tikal- Guatemala City/Antigua
Enjoy a free day before being transferred to the airport in the afternoon for your return flight to Guatemala City. When you arrive, you will be met and driven to your hotel in Guatemala City or Antigua.
Breakfast
2010 Prices:
$775 per person, double occupancy.
$1,075 Solo Traveler.
Inclusions:
· Day 1: Transfer from your hotel in Guatemala City/Antigua to Guatemala City Airport.
· Morning flight to Flores.
· Private Tikal tour and lunch.
· 1-night accommodations at the Camino Real Tikal.
· Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel.
· Transfer to Flores Airport.
· Flight from Flores to Guatemala City.
· Private transfer from Guatemala City Airport to your hotel (not included) in Guatemala City or Antigua.
Exclusions:
· International airfare.
· Accommodations in Guatemala City or Antigua before or after the extension.
· Meals and sightseeing not mentioned
· Alcoholic beverages; items of a personal nature (room service, communications charges, spa services, laundry, etc.)
· Porterage at airports; gratuities to guides, transfer drivers, and hotel chamber maids
· Airport departure taxes
· Travel insurance
· Holiday surcharges
· Visa fees (if applicable)
Yaxha & Tikal Extension
Day 1: Guatemala City- Flores
Today you will be met at your hotel for a private transfer to Guatemala City Airport for the morning flight to Flores.
Then, enjoy a private sunset tour of Yaxha and refreshments.
The Mayan site of Yaxha sits in Peten, Guatemala, only 40km from Tikal. Deustch Bank has privately funded its excavation over a short two-year period, as part of a project to restore three sites within a 12km area. Yaxha, which translates to Blue Green Waters, sits between two beautiful lakes. The climb up most of its Temples yields beautiful views of both the lakes and the Rio Azul River that feeds them. Occupied from 600BC to 900AD, the site offers a variety of construction styles. It is famed for its organized street structure, unique to the Mayan world, and Stelae, which are influenced by Mexico's Teotihuacán. There are several complexes excavated, the most famed of which is the North Acropolis. This Plaza contains three tall temples with unparalleled views of the surrounding rain forest and lakes. The Plaza of the Shadows and the Astronomical Plaza are both examples of the Mayan ability to chart the skies. Wild life, including crocs and a variety of birds, abounds
Camino Real Tikal is a tropical five star retreat, set in the heart of the Petén jungle with all the comfort and facilities to assure an unforgettable experience. Camino Real Tikal will be the perfect starting point of the Mayan Adventure. At only a 45-minute drive you will be able to explore and experience the history, culture and tradition of the ancient Maya civilization, at Tikal National Park. The Hotel is located at a 30-minute flight from Guatemala City and inside the Cerro Cahuí Natural Reserve and on the banks of Lake Petén Itzá; close to El Remate, a farmer’s village offering hardwood souvenirs and the Island of Flores with its cobblestone streets.
Camino Real Tikal offers 72 luxurious rooms with a balcony, all with view to Lake Petén Itzá.
Lunch
Camino Real Tikal
Day 2: Tikal- Guatemala City/Antigua
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a private tour of Tikal with lunch, before being transferred to the airport in the afternoon for your return flight to Guatemala City. When you arrive, you will be met and driven to your hotel in Guatemala City or Antigua.
Entombed in dense jungle, where inanimate air is periodically shattered by the roars of howler monkeys, the phenomenal, towering ruins of Tikal are one of the wonders of the Americas. Five temple-pyramids soar above the forest canopy, finely carved stelae and altars in the plaza eulogize the city’s glorious history, giant stucco masks adorn monuments and stone flagged causeways lead toward other ruined cities lying even deeper in the jungle.
Tikal’s scale is awesome. In the Classis Period, its population grew to almost 100,000 and trade routes connected the city with Teotihuacan (modern day Mexico City), the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts. Temple IV was built to a height of almost 230 feet, complete with enormous roof comb. Exquisite jade masks, ceramics, jewellery and sculptures were created. There were ball courts, sweat baths, colorfully painted royal palaces, and another 4,000 buildings to house the artisans, astrologers, farmers and warriors of the greatest city of the Maya civilization.
Most agree that Tikal is the most visually sensational of all the Maya sites. Witness the electric atmosphere at dawn and dusk when the calls of toucans, frogs, monkeys and mammals echo around the surrounding jungle.
Breakfast, Lunch
2010 Prices:
$995 per person, double occupancy.
$1,395 Solo Traveler.
Inclusions:
· Day 1: Transfer from your hotel in Guatemala City/Antigua to Guatemala City Airport.
· Morning flight to Flores.
· Private Yaxha Sunset tour and refreshments.
· 1-night accommodations at the Camino Real Tikal.
· Day 2: Breakfast at the hotel.
· Private tour of Tikal and lunch.
· Transfer to Flores Airport.
· Flight from Flores to Guatemala City.
· Private transfer from Guatemala City Airport to your hotel (not included) in Guatemala City or Antigua.
Exclusions
· International airfare.
· Accommodations in Guatemala City or Antigua before or after the extension.
· Meals and sightseeing not mentioned
· Alcoholic beverages; items of a personal nature (room service, communications charges, spa services, laundry, etc.)
· Porterage at airports; gratuities to guides, transfer drivers, and hotel chamber maids
· Airport departure taxes
· Travel insurance
· Holiday surcharges
· Visa fees (if applicable)
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