Guatemala Honduras Discovery

Upon your arrival at La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City, you will be warmly welcomed by our local representative in the arrivals hall, who will be holding a sign with your name for easy identification. After a brief introduction and assistance with your luggage, you will begin a comfortable scenic transfer through the highlands to the enchanting colonial city of Antigua, which is nestled in the wide mountain valley of Panchoy at an elevation of 1,530 meters. The journey takes approximately one hour, during which you will witness the dramatic transition from the bustling capital city to the serene countryside surrounded by volcanoes. After checking into your charming boutique hotel, the remainder of the day is intentionally left unscheduled to allow you to rest and acclimate to the altitude, which can take some time to adjust to. You may choose to take a leisurely stroll through the cobblestone streets to get your first glimpse of this UNESCO World Heritage city, with its colorful facades and colonial architecture. No guided activities are planned for this day, ensuring you have a relaxed start to your Guatemalan adventure. Overnight stay at Hotel Villa Colonial.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will embark on a city tour of Antigua. Antigua lies in the wide mountain valley of Panchoy, sandwiched between the cones of the volcanoes of Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. The city was founded in 1543 as the third capital of Guatemala, and was called Santiago de Guatemala. Only after the strong earthquake occurred in 1773, the capital had to be moved to a new place in Guatemala City. The city reached its peak by the middle of the 18th century, when an unprecedented construction boom tripled and its population grew to fifty thousand people. By 1773, this city had about 25 churches, 5 women's, 8 men's monasteries and a cathedral built in 1680 and was compared only with the cathedral in Mexico City and Lima, Peru for its beauty and majesty of construction. In 1773 there were 3 very strong earthquakes: the very first that destroyed almost the entire city, all the churches and monasteries happened on July 29, 1773 on St. Martha's Day, so it was called the Santa Marta earthquake. The most important museum in Antigua is the city itself, its streets, where you can study its history just by walking it. Overnight stay at Hotel Villa Colonial.

After breakfast, you will check out and travel to the Pacaya Volcano, located 67 km from Antigua Guatemala. This is the most active and beautiful volcanic complex in Central America. Its main crater reaches a height of 2,552 meters above sea level. From 1961 to March 2002, a total of 14 major eruptions were recorded, and many others were less intense. Pacaya volcano is a volcanic complex which, according to volcanologists, is the most interesting volcanic complex in Central America in terms of the number of eruptive cones, craters and changes that can be observed constantly. According to volcanologists, the crater in the west began to form more than 2,000 years ago, and Cerro Chino on the one hand and Pacaya volcano on the other began to form from its two ends. You will begin your ascent from a height of 1,900 meters above sea level and rise to 2,300 m. After the descent you will continue to Lake Atitlán. Upon arrival, you will check into your hotel. Overnight stay at Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.

After breakfast, you will visit the most interesting cities where Maya Tzutujil still live on Lake Atitlan. You will start with San Juan. The boat trip to San Juan takes about 30 minutes. San Juan is the cleanest and tidiest town on the lake. There are many art galleries, whose artists paint in the style of Naive or primitivism. After, you will transfer by boat to the other side of the lake in the city of Santiago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan, founded in 1547 at the foot of the Atitlan volcano, is the largest city with a population of 32 thousand people, 95% of which are Maya Tzutujil. The local population lives of fishing, farming, and making kayukos (local canoes). Artisans specialize in painting, woodwork and weaving. Santiago is the city of worship of Maximon, a pagan deity or god of the Mayan people, who are offering donations in the form of alcohol and cigars. You will also visit the local Catholic church, where two religions merged, Catholicism and Mayan beliefs, and take a walk past the local city hall, where the elders of the city are sitting, dressed in white striped shorts and birds embroidered at the bottom. Your final stop, before heading back, will be San Antonio Palopo. Overnight stay at Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.

After breakfast, you will go to the largest highland Mayan Market, Chichicastenango (only Thursday or Sunday). Surrounded by valleys and mountains that cover the horizons, Chichicastenango may seem isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow, cobbled streets and red tiled roofs are covered with fog, and this happens often, it may seem like you're in some kind of fairy tale. Crowds of sellers and tourist groups flock on Thursday and Sunday to the country's largest alpine market. The Catholic patron of the city is St. Thomas, in his honor the city of Santo Thomas was built in 1540. When the Catholic missionaries arrived, they destroyed the Mayan temple and built a white church in its place. The only thing left of the temple is 18 steep steps leading to the church by the number of months in the Mayan solar calendar Haab. Therefore, this church is probably the most unique Catholic church in Guatemala due to religious symbiosis within the church. On the steps of the church they sell flowers, candles and fragrances. Like in the front of the pyramids, an altar is installed in front of the stairs, a round flat stone, from which smoke rises from the smoldering pomp in clubs. The Chichicastenango market is famous mainly for its textiles and masks. After the market, you will return to Guatemala City. Overnight stay at Hotel Barceló Guatemala City.

After breakfast, you will take an early flight to Flores. You will then visit the most important archeological Mayan site in Guatemala, Tikal, which is 64 km from Flores, the beautiful capital of Peten, located on an island on Lake Peten Itza. Tikal means a place where the voices of spirits are heard. In comparison with other cities of the classical period it seems huge, this is the largest settlement of pre-Columbian America. Scientists came to this conclusion after a series of excavations conducted in the late 50s. It has been inhabited since 700 BC until 900 AD, only then to be conquered again by the tropical jungle, from the beginning of the eleventh century until the beginning of the twentieth century, when Tikal was discovered and restoration work began. The urban complex of Tikal (not counting the outskirts) occupied an area of about 16 square kilometers. It housed 3 thousand buildings, and the pyramids were distinguished by a specific style, not found anywhere else in Mesoamerica. The six pyramidal temples make a particularly strong impression, which look like real skyscrapers against the background of other structures of this type. No wonder archaeologists called Tikal, New York of the Mayan civilization. Today Tikal National Park covers 575 square kilometers and in 1979 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural and natural heritage of mankind. Overnight stay at Hotel Villa Maya.

After breakfast, you will transfer to the Izabal department to the most picturesque river of Guatemala, Rio Dulce. In accordance with its peculiar geological history, which began at least 400 million years, Izabal is a complex mixture of karst caves and hills, rivers, lakes, marshes and large plains. You can find Mayan pyramids hidden in the rainforest and with so much vegetation and water, this region of Guatemala is a paradise for lovers of nature and birds. The natural area of Izabal resembles the richness of the Amazon forests. Izabal's rainforest is uniquely impressive. With the highest biological diversity in the country, with an abundance of vegetation on the banks of the rivers, it is rightly called the jade coast. You will transfer to a boat and journey along the Rio Dulce, passing the sheer walls of the river canyon, thermal springs, and the beauty of the tropical jungle. You will also visit the city of Livingston, where the Garifuna people live, the descendants of slaves exported from Africa. Livingston is a settlement of the Garifuna people with a unique culture that combines African, Caribbean and European elements. Spreading palm trees, reggae music and stunning seafood are the symbols of Livingston. During your trip you can try a typical Garifuna dish, tapado soup (seafood soup cooked in coconut milk). Overnight stay at Hotel Villa Caribe.

After breakfast, you will transfer to the Quiriguá Archaeological Site. The park is located on the west bank of the Motagua River. This Mayan city is characterized mainly by its majestic stelae that are the largest and best preserved of the Mayan World. Most of the monumental constructions, the acropolis, and the stelae were erected during the following 60 years of reign of the new Quiriguá dynasty, a dynasty that dominated the region of the Copán river and the Motagua river. In this historical context, stelae is carved, 10 meters high and weighing 55 tons, which constitutes the largest sculpture of all those located in the Great Plaza, a ceremonial space where one can appreciate the exceptional collection of sculptural monuments of the park that includes zoomorphic altars of exceptional artistic quality, which is why it has been declared a World Heritage Site since 1981 by UNESCO. After the tour, you will transfer to Honduras. Overnight stay at Hotel Clarion Copán Ruinas.

After breakfast, you will visit the famous Mayan ruins of Copan. The main value of Copan is the unreal beauty and accuracy of art on stelae. This site of the Mayan civilization was called Athens of Mesoamerica. There you will even find a stelae made in three dimensions. A true work of art is considered to be the Mayan Staircase with hieroglyphs during the classical period. Each of its 63 steps is decorated with complex letters, and balustrades with the image of snakes and birds are erected on the sides. Overnight stay at Hotel Clarion Copán Ruinas.

After breakfast, you will transfer to San Pedro Sula and take a flight to Roatan Island. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. Overnight stay at Paradise Beach Hotel.

Today is entirely yours to enjoy Roatan Island. No guided activities are scheduled. You may relax at the hotel or explore the island on your own. Overnight stay at Paradise Beach Hotel.

Today is completely free for you to relax and enjoy the island. No guided activities are scheduled. Overnight stay at Paradise Beach Hotel.

Today is your final full day on Roatan Island. You are free to spend the day at leisure. No guided activities are scheduled. Overnight stay at Paradise Beach Hotel.