OPEN // February 2025 // Guatemala - A Cultural Tapestry of Mayan Heritage // with Gaby Huberty

Day notes

Let the adventure begin!

Transfer from Luxembourg to Frankfurt.

Flight from Frankfurt to Madrid with Iberia.

Continuation of the flight to Guatemala City with Iberia.

Upon your arrival in Guatemala City, your guide will welcome you and transfer you to Antigua.

Check-In to your hotel and enjoy your dinner.

(D)

Day notes

Visit to Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala .

Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua Guatemala is a great free attraction and a can't-miss spot. Elevated spot with a 1930s cross & sweeping views, including an unobstructed view of Volcano Agua.

Full day Antigua city tour including Ciudad Vieja and San Juan del Obispo. We will visit the city of Antigua Guatemala, named so by the beauty and greatness of the colonial buildings. The town is protected by the surrounding eternal guards, the volcanoes of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango. In 1979 Antigua Guatemala was declared as cultural heritage of the humanity by the Unesco. We will begin visiting the Church of La Merced, the Plaza of Armas and the Cathedral. To end our day we will visit the surroundings of Antigua visiting Ciudad Vieja and San Juan del Obispo.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Half-day visit and hiking at Pacaya Volcano.

We will drive approximately 1 hour to arrive to the town of San Vicente Pacaya from where we will start the hiking.

From this point it will take us around 2 hours or 2 hours 30 minutes to reach the summit. The Pacaya volcano is the most active volcano in Guatemala, the environment is formed by humid forest and rocks, most of the time is possible to observe lava boiling in the crater, and lava rivers flowing out. We will have impressive views of the lagoon of Calderas and the other 3 volcanoes: Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

This morning, check-out and transfer from La Antigua to Panajachel, Lake Atitlan.

Half day visit of the mystic Iximche archaeological site.

Iximche, a pre-Columbian Mayan site ruled by the Kaqchikel in the 15th century. Located in the municipal district of Tecpàn, was also Guatemala's first capital.Guatemala, is not as well-known as the major archaeological sites of the Classic Period (250 to 900 AD), but remains a popular site to visit because of its easy accessibility and pleasant setting.

Enjoy your lunch in a local restaurant.

The Atitlan Nature Reserve, located in the town of Panajachel, is a privileged place to enjoy the magnificent natural setting of the Lake Atitlan Basin. Trails with signs for self-guided walks. An enclosed Butterfly Preserve with approximately 5,000 cubic meters (170,000 cu. ft.) of flight space, a breeding laboratory for pupae and chrysalis with information on the butterflies life cycle, more than 2,000 plants and approximately 300 live specimens of nearly 10 species of native Guatemalan butterflies. Open enclosures for monkeys, the natural habitat of coati mundi, raccoons and other wild life in the middle of the coffee grove's forest with an observation deck for bird watchers. A 23 meters (75 ft) high waterfall and three suspension bridges at the end of trails that go past an ancient coffee grove and a beautiful ravine. The native trees and the flowering and seed plants of the Reserve are an island of vegetation that attracts great numbers of native and migrating birds.

Transfer to the hotel.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Full day Chichicastenango Market tour and Centro Ceremonial Pascual Abaj.

Visit of Chichicastenango Market located at 2500 meters above sea level, the America´s largest open market ,where natives trade their crops, pottery and handicrafts, showing a spectacular color festival on Thursdays and Sundays. This village is also famous for being the place where the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Mayas, narrates the origins of these and their worldview. We will visit the 400 years Santo Tomas church, setlled on the remains of an ancient maya temple, where catholic religious ceremonies and prehispanic rites were practiced together. Then we will visit the colorful and picturesque cemetery where you can see some Mayan ceremony to greet, to farewell or ask some favor to the dead. Proceed toward the Centro Ceremonial Pascual Abaj, a shrine dedicated to the Mayan God of Earth, where the chuchkajaues often offer incense, cigarettes, food, flower, liquors and even some animal to the God.

Enjoy your lunch in a local restaurant.

Experience a mayan ceremony on your own by the Quiche Mayans of Chichicastenango. Accompanied by a spiritual guide “shaman”, who will explain us in Maya language and our tour guide will translate, the process of the ceremony, which is a ritual to pray to the ancestors and ask for something, remove evilness and bring goodness to our life. Candles of black, yellow, red and white color, pine, incense, salt, among other thing that can vary depending on the shaman.

Transfer back to the hotel.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Boat tour Lake Atitlan, Santiago, San Juan La Laguna and coffee tour.

Depart for breathtaking Lake Atitlan, a deep-blue volcanic crater lake surrounded by three volcanoes San Pedro, Atitlan and Toliman,and the colorful Maya villages resting on its shores. Described as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world by late British author Aldous Huxley, it is definitely one of Guatemala’s most spectacular natural attractions. Our boat trip to San Juan La Laguna, where the Tz´utujil people live, between its many hills and mountains. Ancestral traditions and one-of-a-kind natural marvels have been conserved here for many years. Descendants of the Maya ethnicity Tz´utujil (Flower of milapa) call San Juan la Laguna their home. This town is special for how its population lives in harmony with nature. Then we will continue to Santiago Atitlan. This village is located on the south part of Lake Atitlan, the biggest village on the skirts of the volcano. Here many of its people have remained faithful to the lifestyle and customs of traditional Mayan tz'utujil. The “cofradias” keep alive the traditions and rituals of typical syncretic catholicism practiced by the Maya, in this village is particularly venerated Santo Maximon and every month of May is carried in procession to a different location.

Enjoy your lunch in a local restaurant.

Transfer back to the hotel.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Today, check-out from the hotel and transfer to the airport of Guatemala City.

Flight from Guatemala City to Flores.

Upon your arrival, your guide will welcome you and transfers you to Flores island.

On the way, you will have a delicious lunch.

Departure to visit the Island of Flores situated on Lake Petén Itzá, Flores is connected by a causeway to it’s sister town of Santa Elena and is 45 minutes by road from Tikal. The island dates from IX century. It was formerly called Tayasal and now is named after Cirilo Flores, one of the first Guatemaltecos to call for independence from the colonial powers. The charming streets and alleys of Flores deserve to be visited. You will explore the streets flanked by handi-craft stores and charming houses, many of which are small hotels, guesthouses and restaurants. Flores and Santa Elena are the region’s transportation and services hub and the natural starting points for a visit to the Petén’s interior.

Enjoy a boat tour on Lake Peten Itza. Lake Petén Itzá is the second largest lake in Guatemala, after the Izabal Lake. It has an area of 99km2 some 32km long and 5 km wide, it's maximum depth is 160m. Because of its archaeological richness, around 150,000 tourists pass through this region yearly. Several streams flow into the lake, but it has no surface outflow.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Visit of Yaxha archaeological site.

The archaelogical center of Yaxha (means emerald green water) is located between the two lakes of Yaxhá and Sacnab. We will depart to explore the site; its location, size and the large number of well restored buildings and the abundant variety of flora and fauna present in the surrounding jungle make it very interesting. Yaxhá has over 500 structures including 40 stelae, two ball courts and nine temple pyramids, the structures show the influence of Teotihuacan and include the only twin-pyramid complex outside of Tikal. While exploring enjoy the sights and sounds of the howler and spider monkeys as well as many colorful tropical birds and other mammals in this area which is rich with wildlife.

Transfer back to the hotel.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Check-Out of the hotel and transfer to the Tikal archaeological site.

The National Park of Tikal, which has some of the most important archaeological discoveries of the Mayan civilization, its name means " the place of voices", it was built during the classic period of the Mayans and where restoration are still going on. We will visit the model of the temples and the Acropolis complex: the complex Q and R, to continue to the central Acropolis, the Temple I "The Great Jaguar" and the Temple II "Of the Masks" among others. Besides we will appreciate the wildlife that has adapted to the visits, and breathtaking flora that surrounds it.

Enjoy your lunch in a local restaurant.

Transfer to the airport of Flores.

Flight from Flores to Guatemala City.

Upon your arrival, you will be transferred to your last hotel.

(B, L, D)

Day notes

Today, it is time to say goodbye to wonderful Guatemala!

Check-out and drive to the airport of Guatemala City.

Take the Iberia flight to Madrid.

Continuation of your flight to Frankfurt with Iberia.

(B)

Day notes

Arrival in Frankfurt in the morning.

Transfer from Frankfurt back to Luxembourg.