Guatemala And Belize Highlights

Today we can enjoy a morning cultural walking tour of Antigua we will visit ruins, churches and museums of the city. The stories and legends of colonial times are still part of everyday culture and we will visit La Merced Church, Convent Las Capuchinas, Saint Joseph Cathedral, Central Park, the local craft market and Chocolate Museum.

The Pacaya volcano is one of three active volcanos in Guatemala, standing at 2,552 metres elevation. The hike is a relatively easy ascent and offers spectacular views of the whole volcanic chain. If you prefer, you may hire a horse at the entrance to the park for the ascent. We will head along a trail through a pine forest, to the volcanic ash and finally reach the cone of the volcano. From the top, you can enjoy excellent views of the volcanoes. After enjoying our volcano adventure tour, we will descend to the foothills and head back to the hotel.

Today we will head to the market town of Chichicastenango, where the Mayan and Catholic traditions come together in glorious and colourful fashion! The scent of incense and the people's mysticism offers a unique atmosphere found only in Guatemala. The combinations of tastes, smells and colours combine uniquely here for the total Guatemalan experience. The local cemetery and craft factory are also worth a visit while we are here.

After breakfast, we will visit San Juan La Laguna where we can see the women’s textile cooperative for hand weaving and natural dye processing of the textiles. We will also visit the homes of the famous naïf painters, before we continue to Santiago Village. We will then head to see the famous Maya deity, Maximon and learn about the textiles, spiritualism and beliefs of the T’zutujil Maya. Each year a different family houses the saint of the town, taking care of their cigarette smoking God. We will then head back to our hotel for the evening.

After breakfast, we will visit the historical site of Iximche in Tecpán, a Mayan city founded in 1463. The city was important before the Spanish arrived, yet almost a century later, it played a decisive role in the Spanish conquest of this Guatemalan region. The remains of the city can still be found in the surrounding pine forests, with its ceremonial plazas, temples and ball courts, still on display. We will enjoy a traditional lunch in Tecpán, before heading to Guatemala City for t the connecting flight to Flores, where we will spend the evening.

Today we will wake early once more to appreciate the spectacular Tikal in all its glory. We can see the incredible flora and fauna in the jungle, with an array of Mayan temples offering the most spectacular setting for an archaeological site. The National Park is the perfect opportunity to discover the birds that are endemic to Tikal, as well as Howler monkeys, Spider monkeys, butterflies, and spectacular insects. For lunch, we will enjoy a BBQ served inside the park. In the afternoon, we will head back to our hotel for the evening.

After breakfast, we will visit the Yaxhá National Park, located n the banks of the Yaxha Lake. We will walk along the causeways beneath a lush tropical forest, where howler monkeys fill the air with their calls, hoping to impress a female or to defend their territory. We can climb Mayan temples that offer spectacular views over the rainforest. We will finish our tour at the highest temple in the park, the temple 216. After the visit to this magnificent archaeological site, we will head to the border and continue over the border to San Ignacio in Belize.

After breakfast, we will head to the magnificent Actun Tunichil Muknal, one of the most remarkable caverns in the Mayan Lowlands. This sacred cave is found in the middle of the Belizian rainforest and has been an important religious site of the ancient Maya of Belize for centuries. Here, we will enjoy a caving activity exploring a natural cave system with a group of chambers, with a 300 metre cathedral, where sacrificial rituals took place back in the day.

Offering incredible insight into Mayan history, this is like a living museum, where human sacrifices and artefacts can be seen in their original context. We will then head through dense Jungle within the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, where we will cross 3 different streams to experience the flora and fauna of the rainforest to the full.

Today, we will head out on a cave tubing adventure at the Jaguar Paw. This incredible adventure allows us to enter the exciting world of rivers disappearing into the depths of the ground as we float on inner tubes with only a headlamp to light your way. Enjoy floating through caves in the jungle through the mist, swirling around stalagmites jutting from the river and stalactites looming from above. Float past underground waterfalls then into the crystal cathedral, an Ancient Mayan spiritual centre. As we immerge from these underground caves, the lush green jungle with white cliffs welcomes us …an incredible experience! After the tour, you will return to Belize City to take a water taxi to the San Pedro Ambergris Caye. 

After breakfast, our guide will collect us from the hotel for a snorkelling day trip in one of the most popular diving sites in Belize, Hol Chan Marine, for a spectacular and stunning underwater adventure. Hol Chan is a protected marine sanctuary that is the home to many spectacular and colourful tropical fish species. We will then head to Shark Ray Alley to see sharks and manta rays in their natural habitat. The Shark Ray Alley is a shallow water snorkel where you will enjoy swimming with the harmless nurse sharks and southern stingrays.  Our adventure through seagrass, the mangroves, the coral reef and shark ray alley, bring us into contact with the diverse marine life living in the reserve for a unique experience.

Today is a free day to soak up the sun on the beach or take part in the many activities on this stunning Caye.

Today is a free day to soak up the sun on the beach or take part in the many activities on this stunning Caye and to celebrate the final evening of this incredible multi- destination tour.

Today is the final day of the tour. You will head back to Belize City in time for your international flight or on to your next exciting destination.