8 Days Guatemala Highlights Tour Package

- Discover colonial Antigua, a 16th-century masterpiece.
- Learn about the symbolism of Mayan textiles.
- Explore the fabulous ruins of Tikal and the ancient capital of Tzutujil Maya.
- Travel through a mosaic of wild forests and streams, traditional Indian villages and farms, and see lovely Lake Atitlan, framed by volcanoes and villages.
- Visit authentic markets in Solola and Chichicastenango.

Itinerary

Day 1, Sat: USA / Guatemala City / Antigua
Begin your holiday with a flight to Guatemala City and transfer to nearby Antigua, a living museum and colonial masterpiece founded in 1542. Panza Verde

Day 2, Sun: Antigua
On an included tour, bask in the baroque elegance of Antigua’s historic homes, palaces, cathedrals, and churches. Enjoy an afternoon on your own to linger at a sidewalk café or stroll the cobbled lanes absorbing more of the town’s Spanish colonial beauty. Panza Verde (B)

Day 3, Mon: Antigua
Enjoy a day at leisure to perhaps join an expert on Mayan textiles for an introduction to the national art of weaving, and the symbolism of the colorful designs seen all around you on the Indians of the highlands. Other optional interludes include hiking, riding a horse or mountain biking on trails crisscrossing forests, plantations, and volcanic slopes. Panza Verde (B)

Day 4, Tue: Antigua / The Highlands / Lake Atitlan
Travel through a breathtaking mosaic of wild forests and streams, traditional Indian villages, and farms, en route admiring the authentic market in Solola, and the local Mayans’ bold traditional dress. Arrive at a grand viewpoint over Lake Atitlan, framed by volcanoes and villages. Descend to your hotel in a fabulous shoreline setting where you will enjoy a free afternoon and typically brilliant sunset across this legendary lake. Casa Palopo (B,L,D)

Day 5, Wed: 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 6, Thu: Chichicastenango / Guatemala City / Flores
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. Continue to the airport and fly to Flores and transfer deep into the jungles of El Peten, to your hotel on Lake Peten Itza. Camino Real (B,L,D)

Day 7, Fri: Tikal Ruins / Guatemala City
Depart in the calm, cool morning to the ancient Mayan temple city of Tikal. One of the premier archaeological complexes in the world, Tikal was a thriving city for more than 1,500 years until its sudden collapse in 900 AD. Explore some of the tallest ancient structures in the western world, the royal temple-pyramids, towering up to 212 feet over the surrounding jungle canopy, and astounding for their sheer enormity. Later this afternoon, we fly back to Guatemala City and transfer to our hotel. Quinta Real (B,L)

Day 8, Sat: Guatemala City / USA
Transfer to the airport for your departing flight back to the USA. (B)