The High Temple at Lamanai

Lamanai, the largest ruin of the Pre-Classic Mayan world, was occupied continuously from around 500 BC until the Spanish missionaries arrived. We visit this wonderful Belizian outpost as well Caracol, Xunantunich, and the great Mayan capital of Tikal.

Photo by Shawn Oda

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SPECIAL EVENT

World of the Maya: Copan To Caracol

Copán Symposium, Tikal, Xunantunich, Caracol, Lamanai, Altun Ha
with Dr. Mark Zender

This itinerary is no longer available

We may run this trip again in the future, please contact us if you are interested.

This itinerary is part of World of the Maya: New Discoveries at Ancient Copán, a Symposium & Tour Program followed by a choice of four different tours: Copán to Tikal, Copán to Palenque, Copán to Caracol, Copán to Calakmul.

Copán Symposium—December 29, 2009–January 1, 2010

The symposium preceding our tours takes place in the ancient royal city of Copán, seat of power for 16 kings. This exquisite site has an overwhelming legacy of artistic achievement, including its intricately carved stelae and the monumental stairway that covers the entire western face of Temple 26, every block of it carved in hieroglyphic text. We make the most of Copán’s extraordinary treasury of art and architecture, interweaving presentations by our Guest Speakers with fascinating site visits, including access to areas of unfolding discovery not normally open to the public.

World of the Maya: Copan To Caracol

Traveling from Copán to Tikal to Caracol, we learn how these centers of separate Maya dynasties coexisted, with complex interrelationships including trade and warfare. Continuing deeper into Belize, we visit classic outposts of the Maya world at Lamanai and Altun Ha before ending our journey in Belize City.

Featuring Dr. Marc Zender

Dr. Marc Zender is a lecturer on Anthropology at Harvard University and an Associate of the Corpus of Maya Hieroglyphic Inscriptions Program at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. He received his PhD from the University of Calgary and is well known for his expertise in Maya epigraphy, linguistics, and archaeology, having done research at numerous sites in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. Dr. Zender has lectured and written extensively and is co-author of the forthcoming Understanding Mayan Art.

Highlights

  • 3-day symposium with renowned Guest Experts at Copán
  • Majestic Tikal, with its towering pyramids, and the rarely visited major Mayan city of Caracol
  • Classic Mayan outposts of Lamanai and Altun Ha
  • Guest Expert Dr. Mark Zender

Details

  • 11-day trip begins in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and ends in Belize City, Belize
  • 10 nights in hotels and lodges
  • All meals from dinner on December 29 through breakfast on January 8
  • Rugged road travel, exploration on foot in Mayan ruins

Program Costs

$4795 (14-16 members)
$5095 (10-13 members)

Single supplement: $770
Internal Airfare: $400 (subject to change)

Departures & Leaders


Suggested Reading

Reading list, click here.

Itinerary at a Glance
World of the Maya: Copan To Caracol route-map

Days 1–4, December 29-January 1 Copán Symposium

The symposium preceding our tours takes place in the ancient royal city of Copán, seat of power for 16 kings. This exquisite site has an overwhelming legacy of artistic achievement, including its intricately carved stelae and the monumental stairway that covers the entire western face of Temple 26, every block of it carved in hieroglyphic text. We make the most of Copán’s extraordinary treasury of art and architecture, interweaving presentations by our Guest Speakers with fascinating site visits, including access to areas of unfolding discovery not normally open to the public.

Days 4–6, January 1–3
Flores / Tikal

Reconstructed over the past 40 years by the University of Pennsylvania and the Guatemalan government, Tikal is one of the grandest archaeological sites in the world, the central area alone extending over six square miles. Our explorations during two full days bring us to exquisite temples, palaces, ceremonial platforms, ball courts, terraces, avenues, and plazas.

Day 7, January 4
Xunantunich / San Ignacio

We ride by hand-cranked ferry across the Mopan River to Xunantunich, a Classic-period center with 25 temples. We can climb the tallest, 12-story-high El Castillo, for grand views of the Macal, Mopan, and Belize river valleys.

Day 8, January 5
Caracol

With more than 4,000 structures spread across 55 square miles, Caracol was one of the largest ancient Maya cities. We explore this vast Late Classic Period city, discovered in 1938 and still being excavated.

Day 9, January 6
Lamanai

Lamanai, the largest ruin of the pre-Classic Maya world, is among the most impressive sites in Belize, set in an archaeological reserve on the New River Lagoon. On our explorations we are surrounded by jungle canopy where howler monkeys prowl the trees.

Day 10, January 7
Altun Ha / Belize City

We visit the impressive site of Altun Ha, once a vital trade center that linked other Maya sites with the Caribbean Coast. At its core are two Classic-period central plazas dotted with palm trees and surrounded by towering temples. We head to Belize City this evening for our farewell dinner.

Day 11, January 8
Depart from Belize City

This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure