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Overview

Customized trip to Central America

This 15-Day customized trip to three countries in Central America takes you to the cultural and archeological highlights of this incredible region – followed by fun under the Mexico sun. Once in Guatemala, spend a few days in the most spectacular colonial city in the Americas: Antigua. Discover the area’s pre-Columbian sites and immerse yourself in Mayan and Guatemalan culture. Visit breathtaking Atitlan Lake and the neighboring indigenous villages. Then, travel to the Copan ruins in Honduras, a must-see architectural masterpiece, before exploring the luxuriant vegetation that covers the shores of the Rio Dulce.

This customized trip to Central America continues with a visit the Petén region and Tikal for the Mayan ruins and a little hiking in the Jungle. From there, head to Tulum, Mexico, where your trip ends in style and comfort. There’s adventure and discovery every step of the way!

Contact Uniktour’s Central America specialist for more information on this customized trip!

Itinerary

Day 1| Airport - Antigua
Staff welcome at Guatemala Ciudad airport. Overland transfer to Antigua (approx. 75min). Settle into your hotel.
Hotel Casa de Las Fuentes (recently renovated, simple yet adequate, a 10-minute walk from central Antigua)

Day 2| Antigua - Pacaya Volcano - Chichicastenango
Morning departure for Pacaya Volcano. Unaccompanied hike to the top of the volcano. It’s a superb walk on an active volcano, complete with visible lava flows. A very intense experience! Afternoon transfer to Chichicastenango. Spend the night in this high-altitude village and witness the villagers preparing for the market early in the morning, before the tourists arrive. Away from the crowds, you can observe the rites performed by the indigenous people in the cemetery, an important ceremonial site for Mayans, or head to the nearby mountains where you’ll find the stone figure of Pascual Abaj, to whom the villagers regularly pay homage.
Santo Tomas Hotel (3-Star, pool, colonial style, rustic furniture)

Day 3| Chichicastenango – Panajachel – San Juan La Laguna
Discover Chichicastenango’s colorful market, easily the most famous in Central America, and visit the syncretic church. Afternoon transfer to Panajachel, followed by a lancha ride (small motorboat) to your hotel on the shores of Lake Atitlan.
Uxlabil Ecohotel (An ecohotel that benefits the local community; located on the lakeshore; restaurant)

Day 4| San Juan La Laguna – Lake Atitlán– San Juan La Laguna
Aboard a small motorboat, go on a tour of majestic Lake Atitlan, surrounded by three majestic volcanoes. Explore the indigenous villages of Santa Catarina Palopo, San Antonio Palopo, and Santiago Atitlan. Return to San Juan and visit this small community, its crafts and workshops.

Day 5| San Juan La Laguna - Panajachel – Iximché - Antigua
In the morning you start for Panajachel, followed by a transfer to Antigua. On your way, stop at the Mayan ruins of Iximche, where the descendents of this noble nation practice ancestral rites on daily basis. Discover colonial Antigua, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. Enjoy guided tours of the romantic ruins and 17th century colonial mansions, stroll around the alleys and gaze at the flowery balconies.
Hotel Casa de Las Fuentes (recently renovated, simple yet adequate, a 10-minute walk from central Antigua)

Day 6| Antigua - Copan
Early morning transfer to Copan, Honduras, for a visit to the region’s most beautiful Mayan site. Settle into the beautiful village of Copan Ruinas.
Hotel Casa de Café (3-Star, slightly removed from the city centre, a quiet and friendly hotel next to the fields)

Day 7| Copan – Quirigua – Rio Dulce
Set out for Rio Dulce, on Guatemala’s Atlantic coast. On your way, stop to visit the Mayan ruins of Quirigua, whose stelas are the tallest and most beautiful of all Mayan ruins. You then reach Rio Dulce, a small village sitting at the mouth of the river after which it is named. From there, a lancha ride on the Rio Dulche will take you to your hotel.
Catamaran Hotel (3-Star; restaurant; a virtual island on the Rio Dulce; bungalows, pool, restaurant, a/c)

Day 8| Livingston – Rio Dulce – Nuevo Horizonte
Early in the morning, lancha transfer for Livingston, a Garifuna village on the mouth of the river. Caribbean ambiance, guaranteed! Aboard a lancha, you then ride up the Rio Dulche and discover its natural wonders (birds, plants, mangroves, thermal pools, indigenous peoples, etc.) Transfer to the “Nuevo Horizonte” community (near Flores), a community that brings together ancient guerilleros from Guatemala’s civil war. An experience filled with rewarding exchanges. (http://citoyen.onf.ca/onf/info?did=821)
Accommodation in the community.

Day 9| Nuevo Horizonte – El Remate
End of your stay in this community. Transfer to El Remate in the afternoon. Settle into your hotel on the shores of Lake Petén Itza.
Hotel la Casa de Don David (a friendly hotel in El Remate. On the shores of the lake, restaurant, a/c)

Day 10| El Remate – Tikal – El Remate
Guided tour of Tikal, the most spectacular of all Mayan sites! Hike for more than 4 hours in the jungle and discover Mayan pyramids, but also a wide variety of plants and animals. Mid-afternoon transfer to El Remate.

Day 11| El Remate - Flores – Cancun - Tulum
Transfer to Flores airport for your flight to Cancun, Mexico. A member of our staff will meet you at the airport. Transfer to Tulum on the Yucatan coast (90 min transfer). Settle into the hotel.
Hotel Don Diego de la Selva

Day 12| Tulum (No transportation)
Today you are free to enjoy the beach and the sun. We recommend visiting Tulum archeological site (not included) at the foot of the Caribbean Sea.
Note: Many activities and water sports are also available (not included): biking, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, kite surfing, etc.
Transfer from Don Diego de la Selva to Los Lirios not included.
Los Lirios Hotel
www.loslirioshotel.com

Days 13 and 14| Tulum (No transportation)
Free days to enjoy the beach and the sun.
Los Lirios Hotel

Day 15| Tulum –Cancun airport - Montreal
Transfer to Cancun airport for your return flight to Montreal.

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

Lodging