Overview of the most important archaeological sites in the Maya area of Central America, not only the famous Tikal, Palenque, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza, but also the remote Yaxchilan, reachable through an exciting river navigation in the jungle, Lamanai and the Topoxté islands in Belize.,
Characteristics
Collective tour with local guides
On some departure dates, services may be shared with Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American tourists.
Itinerary
Giorno 1 — Mexico City
Welcome upon arrival and transfer to the hotel, available evening,
Giorno 2 — Mexico City
American breakfast, departure to Mexico City, hotel accommodation, Antigua is one of the most fascinating colonial cities in America. Churches, monasteries, and noble houses give an idea of the importance it had during the time of the Spanish Empire. The surrounding landscape is also extraordinary, with the volcanoes Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango nearby. During the visit, you will see the most significant places and buildings, such as the Plaza de Armas, the Las Capucinas convent, and the La Merced church., available evening,
Volo
Giorno 3 — Mexico City → Guatemala City
American breakfast, departure to Guatemala City, In the afternoon, boat ride around the lake with a visit to one of the villages., hotel accommodation, Panajachel is the main tourist destination on the lake, the starting point for boat tours and excursions., Surrounded by volcanoes and steep hills, the lake is among the most picturesque in the world. The Mayan culture is still deeply rooted in its villages, which maintain ancient traditions. In San Antonio Palopó, Santiago Atitlán, and Sololá, just to name the three most famous towns, men still wear the "traje," the traditional embroidered costume in a thousand colors. Mayan dialects are also widely spoken., In the afternoon, boat ride around the lake with a visit to one of the villages., available evening,
Auto
Giorno 4 — Guatemala City → Antigua Guatemala
American breakfast, departure for, Less than 50 km separate Atitlan from Chichicastenango, but once you leave the Carretera Interamericana at the Los Encuentros junction, the road descends into a deep valley and then climbs steeply with narrow turns, and the entire journey takes more than an hour., walking tour of the city, lunch at a restaurant, continue to Antigua Guatemala, hotel accommodation, available evening,
Auto
Giorno 5 — Antigua Guatemala → Atitlan
American breakfast, early morning transfer to the airport, Flight to, From Flores, a straight and paved road crosses the jungle for 70 km to the archaeological site. Tikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the most famous and perhaps the most spectacular Mayan site. Five enormous pyramid temples, up to 60 m high, overlook the rainforest and dominate the ruins, which are still largely covered by vegetation. The incredible abundance of pyramids and stelae demonstrates that this city was the most important in the Mayan world in the 8th century. From the top of Temple IV, the view of the Peten jungle is impressive., lunch at a restaurant, return to Atitlan, hotel accommodation,
Auto
Giorno 6 — Atitlan → Guatemala City
American breakfast, At 6:30 departure for Bethel, (with only a Spanish-speaking driver) on the border between Guatemala and Mexico, about three and a half hours journey through the beautiful Petèn forest. Boarding on a motorboat for half an hour of navigation on the Usumacinta River, until Corozal, a border post between Guatemala and Mexico, for customs control. We continue by motorboat for an hour to the solitary archaeological site of Yaxchilan, in a picturesque location between the river and steep hills, among large trees. The silence is broken only by the screams of howler monkeys and birds. Vegetation still covers a good part of the ruins. The visit to Yaxchilan lasts about two hours. We return by boat to Corozal for lunch in a small and rustic restaurant on the banks of the Usumacinta River., continue to Guatemala City, The journey lasts about two and a half hours and crosses the wild Lacandon forest, in a landscape of great charm, with 20 km of dirt road and 150 km along a remote road that was only inaugurated in the year 2000., hotel accommodation, available evening,
Auto
Giorno 7 — Guatemala City → Flores
American breakfast, In the morning, visit to the archaeological area of Flores., Immersed in the forest, Palenque is considered the most beautiful Mayan city-state of the archaic period. Archaeological excavations have only uncovered a small part of the large center, but within the visitable quadrilateral, the richness of the remaining buildings allows us to imagine the ancient splendor of this priestly and warrior center, at the forefront of architecture and engineering, and a refined center of art without rivals in the pre-Columbian world, as evidenced by the funerary ensemble of Pakal, found in the Temple of the Inscriptions. Palenque is a UNESCO World Heritage Site., continue to Flores, Lunch along the bus journey with a packed lunch., Campeche (from the Mayan toponym Ah Kin Pech - "place of snakes and ticks") is a coastal colonial town with pastel-colored houses and powerful defensive walls around the port, which was targeted by French, Dutch, and English pirates in the 17th century. The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site., hotel accommodation, available evening,
Auto
Giorno 8 — Flores → Palenque
American breakfast, departure to Palenque, Along the route, visit the archaeological site of Chichen Itza., UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ceremonial site of Uxmal is one of the masterpieces of Maya civilization. Particularly significant are the Pyramid of the Magician and the Governor's Palace, spectacular buildings with fascinating decorative details., lunch at a restaurant, Lunch is served at the ancient and fascinating Hacienda San Pedro Ochil, halfway between Uxmal and Merida., afternoon visit of Palenque, Capital of the Yucatan region, Merida is a city with colonial buildings, pleasant parks, lively central streets, open-air concerts of popular music, and a vast craft market. Stop in the main square where the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Municipal Palace, and the Casa de Montejo overlook., hotel accommodation, available evening,
Auto
Giorno 9 — Palenque → Campeche
American breakfast, departure to Campeche, Along the route, visit the archaeological site of Chichen Itza., UNESCO World Heritage Site, halfway between Merida and Cancun, Chichen Itza is one of the largest and most complete archaeological finds in Mexico. It is estimated that during its peak period of splendor (10th-12th centuries), this center of Maya-Toltec culture was inhabited by half a million people. Its grandeur is also evidenced by the size of its most famous buildings, which rise on the well-maintained grassy area of the archaeological site: the pyramid El Castillo, the Ball Court, the Sacred Cenote used for human sacrifices, the Observatory, and the Temple of the Warriors., lunch at a restaurant, The visit includes a stop off at the Samaal cenote: enjoy a swim in this beautiful natural pit of karst origin., arrival at Campeche in the evening, hotel accommodation, All-inclusive treatment,
Auto
Giorno 10 — Campeche → Merida
American breakfast, transfer to Cancun airport, end of the tour,
Notes
ROOMS: The rooms are always and only for 1 or 2 beds. The terms triple, quadruple, family room refer solely to the number of occupants, who will be accommodated in the existing beds (maximum 2 beds). An additional bed (rollaway), even if requested at the time of booking, is always subject to availability and payment of a local supplement. Requests for rooms with a double bed or twin beds, connecting rooms, adjacent rooms, on higher or lower floors, etc., are always subject to availability and are never guaranteed.
DISABLED: passengers with various types of disabilities can participate as long as they are self-sufficient. In fact, the means of transportation are not equipped with ramps to facilitate boarding and disembarking, and for insurance and safety reasons, neither the driver nor the conductor are authorized to assist passengers. Therefore, the presence of a travel companion who can provide all the necessary assistance is mandatory. Any wheelchairs must be of standard size, foldable, and must fit in the luggage compartment (general information subject to the rules and acceptance of the local service provider). Reservations are always upon request.
HOTEL / ITINERARY, CHANGES: The organizing company reserves the right to modify the itinerary and/or hotels with others of similar or higher category, means of transportation, etc., if required by unforeseen circumstances and necessary for the safety and normal continuation of the trip. Furthermore, when it is not possible to accommodate all participants in the same hotel, the group will be divided among different hotels of equal category.,
Starts from
Start: Mexico City
end: Riviera Maya,
Price includes
Accommodation at the scheduled hotel (or similar), American breakfast always, lunches and dinners according to the program., domestic flights if specified, bilingual (English-speaking) local courier / guide, entrances, visits and excursions as per the itinerary, Porterage at the airport and hotel, 1 piece of luggage per person.,
Price does not include
Unmentioned meals, beverages and extras in general, tip, tourist tax for each entry into Mexico, flights and airport taxes, opening fee and Zero Risk coverage, medical-luggage-cancellation insurance,
Important notes
Since March 2017, it is mandatory to provide your passport number at the time of booking for the purchase of admission to the Tikal archaeological site.,
