Guatemala

Guatemala is an often-overlooked country, rich with tremendous scenery, Mayan masterpieces, colonial grandeur and cheery, heart-involving folks. As our Jennine Cohen says, “These are some of the best places in all of the Americas for a full-on cultural experience.”

We begin in Antigua, as lovely a town as any of us will likely ever see, then head, via the resonant ruins at Iximché, to volcano-encircled Lake Atitlán, where we boat about in good fettle. Next we browse Chichicastenango’s colorful Mayan market, before returning to Guatemala City for an overnight. We then wing our way northeast to further delve into the nature, history and architecture at the beguiling site of Aguateca and the even more impressive remains of Tikal, the Mayan capital. During the heyday of the Mayan empire, in the 8th century CE, the five towering temples of Tikal, poking through a jungle canopy, signaled the ascendancy of the Mayans. Civilizations come and go, a truism for which we get a taste when we return home via Guatemala City, built on Mayan ruins by the Spanish, who in turn were supplanted by the mixed glories of the Current Era. For those who enjoy being pampered, inquire about our access to private homes, charter flights, helicopters and other niceties.

Optional extension to Belize

Belize before returning home. Please contact us us at 800-777-8183 for more information.