Day 1 - Monday: Guatemala City

Upon arrival in Guatemala City, a representative will meet you and transfer you to your selected hotel. Rest of the day is spent at leisure. Overnight accommodations at Marriott Hotel. (B)

Day 2 - Tuesday: Guatemala City - Antigua

In the morning, you will have a pleasant tour of Antigua. Founded in 1543, Antigua was the Spanish colonial capital of what is now Central America. The city is considered a jewel of the Americas. During colonial times it was the cultural, economic, social, political and religious center of the area between Chiapas, Mexico and Costa Rica, known as the Captain General of Guatemala. Today, it remains about the same size as in colonial times where you can visit its majestic ruins, shops, and art galleries. Among the sites you will have the opportunity to visit during your tour are The Cathedral, the Captain General's Palace, La Merced Church,the Capuchin Convent, and the Santa Clara Convent. Overnight accommodations at Casa Santo Domingo. (B)

Day 3 - Wednesday: Antigua - Lake Atitlan

In the morning, you will depart to Lake Atitlan. On your way there, you will make a brief visit of the Archaeological Site of Iximche. Iximche was the capital of the Kakchiquel Maya group. This archaeological site is set in a pine forest characteristic of the Guatemalan highlands. During your visit, you will see the the temple and a ball court riuns that are part of the ceremonial center of this ancient city. Iximche fell to the Spanish conquerors in 1524. Pedro de Alvarado, the Conquistador, founded the first capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala nearby.

After lunch (not included), you will head to Lake Atitlan for a brief stop at the lakeside village of Panajachel. Lake Atitlan is one of the most beautiful lakes on Earth. The scenery of volcanoes and waterfalls surrounding the lake is impressive, as well as the 12 little villages surrounding it. Each one of these small villages is named after the 12 Apostles. You will visit the town of Panajachel, which provides incredible views of the three volcanoes, and Lake Atitlan. Afterwards, you will visit Panajachel's busy market street where you will be able to find nice souvenirs and handcrafts. Overnight accommodations at Porta del Lago Hotel. (B)

Day 4 - Thursday: Lake Atitlan - Quetzaltenango

In the morning, you will take a boat ride across the lake to the village of Santiago Atitlan. Santiago is a Tzuthil-Mayan Indian village of about 28,000 inhabitants. You will visit the village and get a glimpse of how the Tzutujil Maya live, almost oblivious to the fact that the Conquistadors arrived five centuries ago. The Catholic Church, founded over four centuries ago, is not to be missed. You will see men and women still wear the traditional native garments. Its fabrics are all hand-woven and hand-embroidered in the most brilliant and beautiful colors seen. Upon arrival, you will see streets filled with local vendors selling local goods. You will be able to find leather goods, artwork, and handwoven fabrics among other goods. You cannot help but fall in love with the color, the beauty, the energy and the people of Santiago. In the afternoon, you will continue to Quetzaltenango for overnight accommodations at Pension Bonifaz. (B)

Day 5 - Friday: Quetzaltenango - Huehuetenango

In the morning, you will depart for San Francisco El Alto. This town is set on a hill overlooking the valley of Salamá, Santa Maria, Tacana, and Tajumulco volcanoes. Its Friday market is one of the liveliest, if not the largest small market in Guatemala. Traders from every part of Guatemala come to take advantage of textile items offered here. You will be able to find wool blankets from Momestenángo, skirts from Salcajá, head wraps, sashes, skirts, and huipiles from Totonicapan. You will continue to the indigenous village of San Andres Xecul for a visit of the most colorful church in Central America. Locals painted the church façade in bright yellows, reds, blues and greens in the 1980s. You will notice its distinctive indigenous iconography. Afterwards, you will continue to the beautiful valley of Almolonga. This valley is 2,251 meters above sea level and nourished by numerous springs. You will end your day in Huehuetenango for overnight accommodations at Cuchumatanes Hotel. (B)

Day 6 - Saturday: Huehuetenango - Chichicastenango

In the morning, you will visit the colorful open-air market of Todos Santos Cuchumatanes. It is set in a spectacular valley up in the Cuchumatanes Mountains. You will be able to see both the men and women wearing distinctive, hand-woven clothing. In the afternoon, you will head to Chichicastenango for overnight accommodations at Mayan Inn. (B)

Day 7 - Sunday: Chichicastenango - Guatemala City

In the morning, you will visit the colorful open-air market of Chichicastenango. On Thursdays and Sundays it hosts the most hectic market in the country, attracting thousands of Amerindians and large crowds of tourists. The market starts at the steps of the 400-year-old Santo Tomas Church and covers a large area in front of it. You will be able to shop for local handcrafts such as pottery, weavings and wooden masks. You will be able to find great bargains! Spend some time observing the religious rituals around the Santo Tomas Church. In the morning, men wearing traditional costumes perform religious ceremonies on the church steps while white clouds of copal incense fill the air. Each of the 18 stairs that lead up to the church stands for one month of the Mayan calendar year. The Mayan calendar has 18 months of 20 days each. To visit the church you can also use the side entrance, where locals light candles on the floor and pray. Please refrain from taking photographs there. You will return to Guatemala City for overnight accommodations at Marriott Hotel. (B)

Day 8 - Monday: Guatemala City - Copan

Today, you will drive through the eastern part of Guatemala and arrive at the border with Honduras. After the immigration formalities, you will drive to Copan, one of the most fascinating Mayan sites in Central America, which is known for beautiful temples, altars, and stelae. The stelae are large pillar-like stone carvings, in extremely intricate high relief. They display a pictorial representation of the city's history and ancient Honduran Culture. The hieroglyphs describe the power and politics of the times. Impressive in detail and humbling in size, these unique sculptural monuments make Copan exceptional among the ruins of the ancient Maya civilization. As you walk into the dramatic expanse of the Great Plaza you become a witness to the cultural achievements of the ancient Mayas. This principal Copán plaza contains the greatest collection of Mayan sculptures anywhere in Central America. You will have time to explore and marvel at the beautiful Mayan stelae, majestic temples and complete ball court. Overnight accomomodations at Marina Copan Hotel. (B)

Day 9 - Tuesday: Copan - Quirigua - Puerto Barrios

After breakfast, you will return to Guatemala to visit the archaeological site of Quiriguá. Quiriguá is known for its extraordinary monuments such as its 12 carved stellae, 4 zoomorphs, enormous carved stones of mythological animal forms, and unrestored temples. Quirigua also has numerous excellent examples of a fairly rare form of 'longhand' Mayan glyphs that use full animal and human figures, instead of smaller symbols or variations on abbreviated 'head-type' glyphs to represent the same meanings. The most striking sculptures at Quiriguá are the zoomorphs, great-unquarried sandstone boulders carved to represent animals. The boulders are covered with figures and glyphs in the characteristic Quiriguá mixture of low and high relief, and represent some of the most intricately carved designs in the Maya world. Nothing like it is found at any other archaeological site. In the afternoon you will continue to Puerto Barrios for overnight accommodations at Green Bay. (B)

Day 10 - Wednesday: Puerto Barrios - Livingston - Rio Dulce

In the morning, you will join a tour to Livingston. Livingston is a village with the magic of the Garifuna culture and is like no other place in Guatemala. It is known for its local inhabitants, English dialect, reggae music, rastafarians, and palm beaches. It is also known for its exotic Afro-Caribbean festivals and celebrations.

Afterwards, you will continue to Castillo de San Felipe, located on a small peninsula, at the point where Lake Izabal joins the Rio Dulce River. The fortification was built in 1643 and was named after King Phillip II of Spain. Its purpose was to defend the Atlantic coast of the Guatemala against constant incursions of English pirates and corsairs. Its towers, patios, rooms and dungeons are conserved as a sample of military architecture of the Colonial period. Because of its historical importance, the castle was declared a National Monument in 1955. Overnight accommodations at Catamaran Hotel. (B)

Day 11 - Thursday: Rio Dulce - Flores - Tikal

You will spend the morning at your leisure. After lunch, you will continue to Flores or Tikal for Overnight accommodations at Camino Real Tikal Hotel. (B)

Day 12 - Friday: Ceibal

You will depart from your hotel for a tour upriver to Ceibal, a Mayan archaeological site situated in Sayaxche, near the bank of La Pasion River. Ceibal served as a tollgate for barges plying the river in ancient Maya times. Ceibal's beauty has much to do with its jungle surroundings, which offer visitors glimpses of the rain forests' seemingly infinite web of life. The site's archaeological attractions include several restored temples, plazas and intricately carved stelae, each of them showing a profound foreign influence, most likely from the Toltecs.

Only a small portion of Ceibal has been excavated and restored ? an astronomical observatory, a small ball court, and the Grand Plaza. At the caretaker's house and road entrance to the ruins, you will be able to check out the model of what Ceibal looked like in the 9th century. As you walk through the jungle, you'll see rocks in haphazard piles; these are ruins waiting to be restored. In the Grand Plaza, the four-sided pyramid is low and compact, but the stelae are stellar. You will see King Wat'ul decked out in ceremonial regalia, wearing a big elaborate feather headdresses and mosaic mask, or a jade collar and belt, plus jaguar tail, or a heron wig with flames sprouting out the back, jaguar mittens and socks, a shell beard and Sun God shield. After lunch transfer back to Flores or Tikal for overnight accommodations at Camino Real Tikal Hotel. (B, L)

Day 13 - Saturday: Yaxha

Today, you will enjoy a trip deep into the rainforest to visit the beautiful and atmospheric site of Yaxha, a Mayan site set at the shores of Lake Yaxha. Lake Yaxha is home of the Moreletti crocodiles and one of the areas bestowed with some of the richest biodiversity around Guatemala. Yaxha, which means 'Green Water' in the Maya language, is one of the largest Mayan cities discovered so far in the lowland jungles of the Petén. It is reminiscent of a pristine Tikal 50 years ago!

Unlike most of the ceremonial centers of the classic period, where an urban design is not evident, Yaxha has two sections with different quadrangular architectural structures, placed in such a way that they form a web of streets and plazas. Yaxha has a twin pyramid complex, nine acropolis' and more than 500 structures. Similar to Tikal, Yaxha was at its height of importance between AD 300 - 900. Temple 216 offers a wonderful view of the lake and surrounding rainforest. Howler and spider monkeys and a myriad of birds can often be observed from the temple tops. After lunch transfer back to Flores or Tikal for overnight accommodations at Camino Real Tikal Hotel. (B, L)

Day 14 - Sunday: Tikal - Guatemala City

Today, you will travel back more than 1,200 years in time when you visit the Tikal National Park. Tikal is among the world's travel wonders, and many feel that Tikal one of the most spiritually powerful spots on earth. The monumental site with its towering pyramids looms out of the thick jungle canopy like stoic sentinels of ancient mysteries. It was once a wealthy metropolis of 100,000 inhabitants and the seat of power for the great Jaguar clan lords. The ruins of Tikal include more than 3,000 structures extending over six square miles and including palaces, temples, ceremonial platforms, ball courts, terraces, plazas, avenues and steam baths. Because of its importance and magnificent combination of nature and archaeological remains, UNESCO declared this site a World Heritage Site.

During your visit, you will get to see the Q Complex, the Great Plaza, the Pyramids of the Gran Jaguar and the Masks, the Palace of the Nobles, and Pyramid IV. This is the highest of the Mayan pyramids, from the top of which a complete view of Tikal and its surrounding jungle can be enjoyed. You will also visit the Lost World Complex; a group recently discovered structures from the late pre-Classic period, more ancient than Tikal itself. After lunch, you will visit the museum which houses some of the many pre-Columbian art treasures found during the excavation of the site. In the afternoon, you will board a flight to Guatemala City. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Marriott Hotel. (B, L)

Day 15 - Monday: Guatemala City

You will spend the morning at leisure. At an accorded time, you will be transferred to the airport just in time for your flight.