Day 1 Arrive Antigua
Arrival at the Antigua airport meet, assist and transfer to hotel. Overnight at hotel.
Overnight in Antigua
Day 2 Antigua
After breakfast , Proceed to DLG Fairly Traded Coffee Tour .You will be met by your bilingual host driver for a short transfer to the small town of San Miguel Escobar, just outside of Antigua. In town we will be met by a from De La Gente (DLG). DLG is a charity working to support small independent coffee producers and promotes environmentally responsible agriculture in Guatemala.
This tour takes you to visit some of the families supported by this organisation where you can work side-by-side with small coffee farmers in their daily coffee processing, pick, pulp, ferment, wash, dry, trilla, sort, and grade the coffee, Roast coffee over an open fire and grind by hand on a grindstone before sampling their handiwork. Coffee Season is Nov to Mar. This tour includes a donation to DLG which the Viaventure Foundation also supports on an annual basis.
Antigua Walking Tour, Your half day walking tour of Antigua. Your tour will cover the cultural, historical & social highlights of this colonial city with a behind-the-scenes look at some of the many ruined churches, convents, and cathedrals. Entrances are included to the Iglesia San Francisco, the Cathedral and La Merced Church. This tour is flexible and if you have specific sites. If you wish to visit other monuments you will need to pay the entrances directly. Overnight at hotel. Overnight in Antigua
Day 3 Antigua – Lake Atitlan (By Road) (89 kms / 2 hrs 30 mins appx.)
Proceed to Comalapa Market, Iximche Site & Transfer to Lake Atitlan. Guests will be met at their hotel by their private guide & driver for their 1hr transfer to the town of Comalapa. On arrival to the town guests can see the famous painted mural that the school children of the town painted depicting mayor events in Guatemala’s history up to the signing of the peace accords in 1996.
From here you will visit some local painters who continue the tradition of naïve paintings that the town is so famous for. Finally guests can visit the wonderful authentic market of Comalapa to see the local people go about their daily life buying produce and goods for the rest of the week still dressed in the traditional textiles of the area. Guests can also visit the small museum dedicated to the composer who wrote Guatemala’s national anthem who came from Comalapa. Guests will enjoy a local lunch before heading off to explore the Mayan ruins of Iximiche.
After exploring the site clients will transfer to Lake Atitlan and their hotel. Lake Atitlan- Surrounded by rugged hills, a trio of towering volcanoes, and a handful of small villages, it’s easy to wax poetic about Lake Atitlán. Located in the Guatemalan highlands, the lake was formed more than 80,000 years ago during a violent volcanic eruption. Tz’utujil and Kaqchiquel Mayas have plied its shores for centuries and continue to do so today, wearing vibrant traditional clothing and practicing age-old Maya customs, particularly in towns like Santiago Atitlán and Santa Catarina Palopo. Panajachel is the lake’s main hub.
From here, boats depart regularly for destinations like San Juan La Laguna, which is known for its hand-woven, naturally dyed textiles, and San Pedro, where intrepid visitors can summit a 3,020-meter (9,908-foot) volcano. The area also offers great opportunities to kayak, bike, and zip-line.
Overnight in Lake Atitlan
Day 4 Lake Atitlan – Santiago (By Cruise)
San Juan & Santiago Full Day Lake Tour . Atitlan Villages Guatemala. San Juan & Santiago Full Day Lake Tour Guests are picked up from their hotel & transfer to San Juan La Laguna Village where they visit a local textile cooperative to see the back strap loom in use and to see how they still dye with natural dyes. Guests also visit the home and workshop of local naïf painters before boarding the boat onto Santiago Village for lunch. After lunch guests will walk with their guide to find the house where the Maya God Maximon is living.
Each year a different “brotherhood” has the privilege of taking care of their God so his location changes. Once with Maximon you may see local shaman performing rituals for local people. After visiting Maximon guests can visit the local church and learn about the history of this very traditional town and also see the market and learn about the distinctive textiles and primitive art that is famous from this area. When guests are ready they will be transferred back to their hotel. Overnight in Santiago
Day 5 Santiago-Guatemala (164 km/4 hrs 30m)/Guatemala-Flores (By Flight)
Proceed to visit Chichicastenango Market. Arrive and transfer to hotel. Chichi Market & Trf to Antigua. Chichicastenango Market & Transfer to Guatemala City Airport Guests are met at their hotel by their private driver & guide for the 1hr transfer out to the highland town of Chichicastenango. Along the way guests will pass through the central highland region and see the local Maya people in their traditional dress going about their daily lives – working in the fields, collecting firewood, travelling between markets, selling their wares.
Upon arrival at Chichicastenango your guide will take you to explore this famous market both the local areas of the fruit & vegetables & everyday items as well as the craft area where you can find endless variety of beautiful textile, wooden & ceramic crafts. Guests can also visit the famous St Tomas Church where local Maya people come to perform Maya rituals within the Catholic church – demonstrating the interesting way the two faiths have combined in recent times. If guests want to they can also hike up the hill to the Pascual Abaj ritual site to see if any local shaman are performing rituals and/or to the cemetery on the outskirts of town. Lunch is provided.
When guests are ready they will be driven to Guatemala City. Flores – Although it covers nearly one-third of the country, El Petén is Guatemala’s most sparsely populated department. Here, parrots and monkeys far outnumber people, and the crumbling ruins of the ancient Mayas stand in for modern cities. A large tract of El Petén belongs to the Maya Biosphere Reserve, a wildlife haven that stretches from Belize through Guatemala to Mexico. The Tikal archaeological site is the department’s biggest draw, though it’s certainly not the only spot for ruins. Archaeology buffs will also enjoy Yaxhá, Ceibal, Aguateca, and Uaxactún (you can camp at the latter). El Petén’s main towns include Flores and El Remate; both provide easy access to Tikal and the Mundo Maya International Airport. Visitors to El Petén should note that although the department is remote, it does have a handful of top-notch hotels and eco-lodges. Overnight in Flores
Day 6 Flores
Proceed Yaxha Sunset Tour – Guests are transferred to Yaxha National Park where they can enjoy a private guided tour of this lesser visited, Mayan ceremonial site. Set atop a hill overlooking two scenic lakes this is a particularly picturesque site. Temple 216 in the East Acropolis towers above the site and provides magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. At sunset guests will enjoy sunset snacks and wine at the shore of Lake Yaxha and cruise the lagoon in a small vessel before returning to their hotel. Overnight in Flores
Day 7 Flores – Tikal (By Road) (65 km/1 hrs) / Tikal – Guatemala (By Flight)
Proceed Tikal tour later scheduled Guatemala city airport. Arrive Guatemala, transfer to hotel. Tikal tour with restaurant lunch Guests are picked up from their hotel . They transfer with their driver and guide to Tikal National Park where they can enjoy a private guided tour of this fabulous site with huge temples rising up through the jungle canopy and a variety of tropical animals and birds on show. Guests can enjoy the sights and sounds of the howler and spider monkeys as well as many colorful tropical birds and other mammals.
Lunch is provided at Restaurante El Meson or for an extra supplement we can arrange a luxury picnic lunch inside the Tikal Site itself. Guests can then explore the museum before returning to their hotel. If guests wish to return to the site they can do so unguided and the driver will return them to their hotel when they are ready. Overnight in Guatemala City
Day 8 Depart Guatemala
Departure transfer to onwards destination.
******************TOUR ENDS**********
| City | Nights | Hotels |
| Antigua | 02 | Casa Santo Domingo |
| Lake Atitlan | 01 | Lake Atitlan |
| Santiago | 01 | Tiosh Abaj |
| Flores | 02 | Las Lagunas |
| Guatamala | 01 | Crown Plaza |
- Accommodation as per the program
- Meal Plan – Half Board basis (i.e. breakfast & dinner).
- Entrance fees.
- Local English speaking guide.
- All transfers, sightseeing, excursions.
- All taxes.
- Boat for Lake Atitlan – Santiago
- Air Ticket for Guatemala – Flores and Tikal – Guatemala
- Personal Expenses.
- Camera / Video Camera Fees.
- Medical Aid.
- Tips.
- Travel Insurance.
- Visa (If any).
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– In Asia, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.