Majestic Tikal and Palenque, Colonial Antigua

La Ruta Maya

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We enter the very heart of El Mundo Maya on this journey, exploring the spectacular ruins of lavish temple cities that rise out of rainforests and fertile valleys to reveal the amazing story of the Mayas. The Mayan culture is a living one, and we experience it at its most vibrant in the traditional mountain village of Chichicastenango, at tranquil Lake Atitlán, ringed by volcanoes, and in enchanting colonial Antigua, with its lively cultural life. Towering Tikal, one of the world’s most impressive archaeological sites, and hauntingly beautiful Palenque, surrounded by jungled hills, are also on our journey, along with smaller treasures including ancient Bonampak, with its glorious frescoes.

Below is an Itinerary-in-Brief. To view a complete Detailed Itinerary, Download Full Itinerary or Email our Area Specialist

Itinerary-in-Brief

Days 1-2
Antigua, Guatemala

We meet in Guatemala City and head for Antigua, one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas, its cobbled streets lined with elegant 17th and 18th century colonial structures and its stone-paved courtyards overflowing with bougainvillea. The “fiery” Volcano Fuego dominates the skyline of this friendly city. We explore Antigua on a walking tour.

Days 3-4
Chichicastenango / Lake Atitlan

The spectacular weekly market at Chichicastenango is an open-air crafts bazaar and a lively gathering place for traditional Mayan traders. We mingle with women wearing superbly embroidered huipiles and men with embroidered jackets of black wool. The local cathedral, where Catholicism and Mayan shamanistic beliefs have mixed for two centuries, is an unforgettable place, with its sweet, wafting incense smoke and glowing candles. With towering volcanoes surrounding us, we explore by boat in incredibly scenic Lake Atitlan to visit timeless villages, each with its own unique traditional costume.

Day 5
Tikal

We head to the picturesque city of Flores, set on an island in a lake, for an overnight. The next day, we witness the apogee of Mayan power in the sky-high temples of Tikal, each one jutting out of a rainforest canopy alive with the calls of birds and monkeys. Five enormous granite temples dominate this site, rising nearly 120 feet from the forest floor, and thousands of other structures fill the surrounding Petén jungle.

Days 6-9
Bonampak, Mexico / Palenque

Crossing into Mexico, we visit Bonampak (“Painted Walls”), discovered in 1946, to see its vivid, highly detailed frescoes that preserve classic Mayan painting. Our grand finale is magical Palenque, deep in the tropical forest. This site holds many keys to the intriguing culture and history of the Maya, with its unique towered palace and amazing Tomb of Inscriptions, the final resting place of the legendary young Mayan ruler Lord Pacal, the Boy King of Palenque. Depart from Villahermosa on Day 9, or join our Turneffe Island Extension.

Turneffe Island Extension Days 8-12

Thirty miles offshore on a beautiful coral atoll, Turneffe Island lodge offers easy access to dazzling snorkel sites just a 5- to 10-minute boat ride from the lodge, plus the legendary Blue Hole. The ocean floor plunges over a thousand feet here in a meeting of sheltered lagoon and open ocean, resulting in an incredibly diverse marine ecosystem.

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Tour Costs $2995 (12-15 members) $3295 (9-11 members) $3495 (5-8 members) Single supplement: $580 Internal airfare: $125 (subject to change) December trip: surcharge applies Turneffe Island extension: $1990 (includes the Blue Hole) *Prices are for 2008 dates only **Airfare is not included in Tour Cost unless indicated

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