Copan, Belize and Guatemala (12 days)

Travellers will be met on arrival at Guatemala City and transferred to Antigua.

This morning we will take a half day walking tour of Antigua. (3-4hr) which will include visits to the main square, Palace, Cathedral, La Merced Church and San Francsico Church. All entrances are included. The afternoon is free..

This morning we travel through the highlands to the scenic Lake Atitlan. Upon arrival guests will take a scenic boat ride across Lake Atitlan (30min) to the village of San Juan La Laguna to visit a textile cooperative, medicinal plant center and local naif painter workshops. Then we go on to Santiago where we will have lunch in a local hotel and take a tour of the village visiting the Maya God Maximon and learn about the textiles, spiritualism and beliefs of the T’zutujil Maya before returning to the hotel.

Today we travel to the famous market at Chichi. Time for shopping in this fabulous craft market and an opportunity to see Maya rituals being performed in the Catholic Church before transferring onto Antigua for our overnight stay.

Travel across Guatemala through the central desert region to the Honduran Border and to the pretty town of Copan Ruinas. (5 hrs) Rest of the afternoon free to explore this pretty town.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the Maya Site of Copan. Enjoy a private guided tour of Copan Ruins site with its famous hieroglyphic staircase, ball court and tunnels. Lunch is in the tropical bird park where we enjoy a visit of this beautiful facility looking after rescued tropical birds and working to educate people about conservation.

We travel 5hrs to the lush tropical area of Rio Dulce. Visit the UNESCO site of Quirigua along the way. Once at Rio Dulce you will board a boat for a scenic trip along Rio Dulce through tropical scenery and limestone canyon to the Garifuna town of Livingston on the Caribbean coast.

Today we enjoy a walking tour of Livingston before transferring back down Rio Dulce by boat and by land up into the northern rainforest area near Flores and Tikal.

Today we enjoy a tour to explore the amazing UNESCO protected Mayan Temple site of Tikal where huge Mayan temples rise above the jungle canopy and monkeys and tropical birds are abundant in the surrounding rainforest. After lunch we transfer back to the hotel to relax.

Today we transfer across the border into Belize. Along the way the guide will provide a tour of the small but fascinating site of Xunantunich in Belize before a transfer to your lodge.

Enjoy an adventurous cave / river trip to see ancient Mayan ritual sites where artifacts remain. Choose between Barton Creek where you canoe through the cave or Actun Tunichmal for a more strenuous and adventurous jungle and cave trip with a surprise at the end!

Your tour ends today with a transfer to Belize International Airport in plenty of time for your flight.