The Best Of Guatemala

The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala
The Best Of Guatemala

The Best Of Guatemala

Duration

9 Days / 8 Nights

Package Type

https://cms.vaexpeditions.com/media/images/package_type/museum.svg

Traditional

Activity Level

Activity Level

Low

Wildlife expectation

Physical Difficulty

Wildlife expectation

Cultural rating

Wildlife expectation

Wildlife expectation

Specialist

Travel specialist

Claire
Contact Us

Guatemala is a country blessed with different ecoregions ranging from subtropical and tropical rainforests and wetlands to dry pine-oak forests, home to a significant variety of wildlife. The richness of culture is defined by Guatemalan cultures, textiles, handicrafts and languages combined with the agricultural landscapes of sugar cane, coffee, vegetables and fruit plantations mixed with native forests. The geology is related to the weather,  the weather defines the natural landscapes and the landscapes are spattered with a number of impressive Mayan archaeological sites. This highlights tour covers the best that Guatemala has to offer!

Special features of our 9 day Best of Guatemala Tour: 

Type of Tourism:  Nature, Culture, Geography, history, Classic.

Places to Visit:  Guatemala City, Antigua, Pacaya Volcano, Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlan, Flores, Tikal

Duration:  9 Days and 8 Nights. 

Type of Service: group tours. 

Accommodation:  4 star hotels and lodges at every destination that you will visit. These hotels have been carefully chosen and we can guarantee that you will feel comfortable and your every need catered for! 

DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE

Today is the day you arrive to Guatemala cities International Airport. Our guide will be waiting to take you to your hotel in colonial Antigua.

    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 & 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 hand back...

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        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 and we will head for a traditional lunch with a local Mayan family for the full, cultural experience. We will then head to Lake Atitlan for the evening.

          After breakfast, we will visit San Juan La Laguna to 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 town's saint, taking care of their cigarette, smoking God.

            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 Guatemala 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.<...

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                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. In the evening, we will head to the airport for our flight back to the City of Guatemala, where we will spend o...

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                  Today is our final day in Guatemala. Our driver will take you to the international airport in time for your flight back home or onto your next exciting destination!


                    WHAT'S INCLUDED

                    • All private ground transportation during your trip for tours and transfers mentioned according to the programme
                    • 8 nights of lodging in Guatemala
                    • 8 breakfasts (American and continental)
                    • 03 lunches without drinks (Pacaya Volcano, Tikal & Yaxha)
                    • Private boat for Lake Atitlan Professional English guide for tours
                    • Entrances fees to the sites of visit: Antigua: Capuchinas convent, Main cathedral, La Merced Church, Chocolate Museum
                    • Pacaya Volcano-Entrance fees to the park
                    • Donations at women cooperative at Lake Atitlan
                    • Iximche archaeological site
                    • Tikal day entrance fees
                    • Yaxha archaeological site
                    • Local flight one way from Flores to Guatemala City via TAG airline
                    • Hotel Taxes

                    WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

                    • Extra charges for payments with credit card
                    • Travel insurance for trip cancellation, medical services, or evacuation
                    • Meals not described
                    • Departure tax from Flores to Guatemala City ($3.00 or Q20.00)
                    • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages
                    • Personal expenses like phone calls, laundry, etc
                    • Gratuities for drivers and guides
                    • Services not described in the itinerary

                    Trip Preparation & FAQS

                    For city tours, there are public bathrooms available, in remote destinations bathroom facilities are more sparse.

                    Guides & Drivers:

                    2.2. Protective Measures and Equipment to consider:

                    2.2.1. Mandatory Equipment:

                     

                    • Face mask

                    • Tied Hair (in case of having long hair)

                    • Closed Shoes (not sandals)

                    • Constant use of Hand Sanitizer

                    • Use pants with the uniform (not shorts)

                    • Sanitize your backpack and equipment constantly when providing services

                    • Limit the use of accessories (wallets, fanny packs, watches, etc.)

                    • Avoid sharing glasses, spoons, bottles, etc.

                    • Avoid the use of reusable tissues, make use of disposable towels or napkins

                    • Make use of the digital thermometer

                    • Avoid wearing a tie or scarf

                     

                    III. SPECIFIC PREVENTION MEASURES

                     

                    3.1. Tourist Guide Service

                     

                    • Maximum 1 Guide for every 14 visitors

                    3.2. Tourist Reception

                    • Welcome: greet without physical contact and maintaining a distance of 1.5 meters.

                     

                    3.3. Delivery of Preventive Utensils

                    • Take the temperature of Each Visitor

                    • Hand Sanitizer

                    • Masks, if necessary.

                    • Gloves

                     Physical distancy and wear masks in public spaces are mandatory for clients, guides and drivers.

                    We do not include travel or health insurance and we strongly recommend a comprehensive travel insurance for any unexpected circumstances. This is not obligatory, however. An full travel insurance policy that covers cancellations and delays as well as medical insurance.

                    We suggest that you speak with your doctor to ensure that you are up-to-date with the recommended vaccinations when traveling to the destination. In any case, a negative Coronavirus Molecular Test (PCR) is needed to enter the country.

                    We suggest that you speak with your doctor to ensure what medications you will need to bring to the destination. Pharmacies and drugstores are common in all cities, however, it is not certain that you will be able to find a specific drug that you can find in your country of origin.

                    As in any city in the world, there can be pickpockets in crowded places. We suggest being vigilant at all times, but if you are in a group you will always be safer.

                    We do not include the cost of any domestic or international flight in any of our programs. These services must be booked independently by each guest.

                    Yes, hotels will charge the cost of a double room as standard, so a single supplement will be charged if you are traveling alone.

                    VA Expeditions is supported by Valencia Travel, a company with more than 12 years of foundation with a solid financial position. We have insurance from the insurance company La Positiva, that supports us and protects our guests from any eventuality at the destination, covering our guests for more than 5 million US dollars.

                    Each trip is customizable, but there may be additional restrictions and expenses in each case. We suggest contacting your sales representative for more information.

                    Yes, in addition to multi-day programs, we offer half-day experiences and excursions without overnight, which you can purchase as additional services. In case you wish to purchase one of these services, you can ask your guide, the transfer representative or your sales representative to provide you with the support you need.

                    Yes, you can add additional or optional services to your regular tour. We appreciate contacting your sales representative for any changes you wish to make.

                    Yes, you can travel with children and we have many activities to do as a family, however, depending on your itinerary, some experiences can be a bit demanding for young children. As a recommendation, we suggest that you ask your sales consultant if the tour you wish to book is suitable for children.

                    We work with a maximum group size of 12 passengers for sustainability reasons and a more personaized experience.

                    We suggest making your reservations at least one month before your trip in order to reserve the best hotels, transportation and services for your travel dates, however, in last minute cases, we can reserve up to 15 days in advance.

                    We suggest consulting with your embassy to review any documents, tests or special visa you need for your trip.

                    The official currency in Guatemala is the  The Guatemalan Quetzal (GTQ). In large cities there is a good chance that you will find ATMs or ATMs, however, we suggest that you do not rely entirely on this solution, as it may not be enabled to work with your bank.

                    Yes, we cater for all special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking if you have any allergies or special dietary needs.

                    We have our own NGO www.procrea.org Proyectos Creativos, after March 2020 we have the program in San Andres Ceballos, 20 minutes out Antigua Guatemala to build energy saving stoves for the parents of the kids we had in the school before the pandemic, some of the mothers make tortillas for sell, so they have some income for the families, Also we have program with kids and parents vegetables home-garden and organic chicken to have organic eggs, so is a complete program for 25 families,

                     

                    We support a project in Sipacate that protects Green or Pacific Turtle, we have been working so closed with doctors from Universidad de San Carlos that  are in charge of this project, at least to weekends at month they capture turtles to clean them of parasites, plastics, some need surgery because the propellers of the boats hurt them and also to check the chips with the information of their trip. 

                     

                    We are working with Vivamos Mejor at Lake Atitlan to push the government to declare 2 protected parks located around the Lake Atitlan, this is Paquisis which is part of San Pedro Volcano and is the home of Horned Guan, this is the sixth rarest bird in the world, and the other area is Rey Tepepul Park, here there are Quetzales, which is our National Bird, and other interesting birds and wild life,

                     

                    We work also with the Mayan Q'eqchi community of Cruce Dos Aguadas, this community is located inside of the Mayan Biosphere and 15 families of this community are in charge to do El Zotz-Tikal Trek, we give them training in first aid, food management, cooking lessons, communitarian tour guides, firefighters, etc., because they work with tourism, they value the jungle and have become guardians of the forest and are teaching their children to protect the environment.

                    Tips are not included in the cost of the tour. You should plan to tip 10% in restaurants and for your guided services, however, tipping is never required.

                    Cultural norms vary within each Latin American country, even within each city within the country, however, we recommend the following measures to have a pleasant visit in each destination: Latin American culture in general tends to be closer and more informal than in others cultures, so there is usually always a friendly approach in all conversations, and going directly to the point could be considered offensive to some people. Personal space can be much shorter as well, but without being interpreted as sexual in nature. 

                    The schedules are also usually more relaxed and informal, however, this is not the case of VA EXPEDITIONS, since we will always respect the hours indicated in your itinerary. This may be different for other appointments that you can book on your own at other locations.

                    This depends on each itinerary, and will be indicated in the detail of the day. However, our itineraries always usually include free times to offer more flexibility to our guests. 

                    For any emergency, we appreciate contacting the 24/7 Operations Phone :  + (502) 5417-5517

                    For an example of sustainable activities in Guatemala, we offer: Sustainable coffee tour at San Miguel Escobar, Antigua Guatemala and La Voz at San Juan La Laguna, Lake Atitlan, Pacaya Volcano day tour,Acatenango hike with the community project, Women textiles associations in Antigua and Lake Atitlan, Jungle Hikes in Peten, inside of the Mayan Biosphere reserve

                    All our guests have 24/7 support for any type of emergency or eventuality. For emergencies you can contact the following number: + (502) 5417-5517. For general inquiries, you can write to us at the following email: info@valenciatravelcusco.com 

                    This depends on each itinerary, but generally is a ratio of one guide for every nine guests.

                    This depends on the type of the type of Travel insurance that the passenger has. We recommend that you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy for better care and hospital facilities.

                    The tours are carried out by an expert team that has determined the optimal times of visits to make the most of our guests' time, without rushing. All our programs are customizable, so if at any time at the destination you want to adjust the pace of the trip, you can ask your guide to reach a consensus with the whole group in case you need to make adjustments to the pace of the trip.

                    Each trip is customizable, but there may be additional restrictions and expenses in each case. We suggest contacting your sales representative for more information.

                    Yes, you can safely store any luggage at your  hotel.

                    In the mountains and remote places there is no Internet connection. Hotels and public places usually have WIFI available.

                    In cities and tourist centers you will have good telephone reception. In remote areas, there may be no cell phone reception.

                    It depends on each itinerary. We suggest contacting your account representative to give you specific information regarding your  program.

                    We suggest that you bring a refillable water bottle or purchase bottled water if necessary. At various points on your trip including hotels, there will be places where you can fill your water bottle.

                    Thank you very much for your interest! You can follow us on our networks:

                     

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