$1,650 pp dbl. occ.
Itinerary
Day 1: Guatemala City / Antigua
You are driven to Antigua, a living museum and colonial masterpiece founded in 1542. The rest of the day is at leisure to linger at a sidewalk café or stroll the cobbled lanes absorbing some of the town’s Spanish colonial beauty. Panza Verde
Day 2: Antigua / Lake Atitlan
This morning’s tour allows you to bask in the baroque elegance of Antigua’s historic homes, palaces, cathedrals, and churches. Then, travel through a breathtaking mosaic of wild forests and streams, traditional Indian villages, and farms. Arrive at a grand viewpoint over Lake Atitlan, framed by volcanoes and villages. Descend to your hotel in a fabulous shoreline setting where typically brilliant sunset across this legendary lake. Casa Palopo (B,D)
Day 3: Lake Atitlan & Santiago
Sail across the lake by private boat to the ancient capital of the Tzutujil Maya. Go ashore with your guide and mingle with a fascinating people who cling to their old traditions, from their distinctive embroidered dress to the mud-and-thatch compounds from which they emerge to greet visitors. Cruise back along the scenic shoreline. Casa Palopo (B,L,D)
Day 4: Chichicastenango / Guatemala City
Travel to the hub of the Mayan highlands, Chichicastenango, site of the most festive market in the land, a great gathering of thousands of Indians at a time. Browse the endless stalls heaped with crafts and textiles of every design; observe mask makers at a local workshop; and witness odd local religious rites melding Catholic and pre-Columbian traditions. Later head back to Guatemala City. (B,L)