Travel to the heart of the Mayan World on this 13-day extraordinary Guatemala & Belize Journey.
Guatemala is Central America’s most diverse country which offers dramatic landscapes and experiences that have been beguiling travellers for centuries. Belize is a steamy beauty, full of ancient ruins, jungles, and stunning beaches. During this Guatemala & Belize tour, travellers explore a plethora of diverse cultural experiences, atmospheric ancient ruins, adventure, and a stunning natural landscape of lakes, volcanoes, beaches, and lush jungles. This customizable tour is sure to captivate and mystify the visitor.
With friendly locals, vibrant markets, beautiful colonial towns, and stunning scenery, this Guatemala & Belize Journey showcases some of the highlights of both countries.
Contact us for custom tour details! Please note that this is a Sample Itinerary and can be altered to best suit your travel needs.
Highlights
STARTS AT
USD per Person
THIS IS A CUSTOMIZABLE ITINERARY FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES.
DATES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
DAY 1: WELCOME TO ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA
Bienvenidos a Guatemala! You will be met at the airport by your driver and transferred to the beautiful colonial city of Antigua which is nestled in the central highlands. Antigua is among the world’s best conserved colonial cities in the Americas. It is a magic and captivating small town that makes you feel time might have stopped 300 years ago. You will visit breath-taking colonial monuments and find out why this city was the bustling center of the region for the Spaniards.
Spanning a mountainous slice of Central America, Guatemala is loaded with incredible natural, historical and cultural appeal. As the birthplace and heartland of the ancient Maya, the country is in many ways defined by the legacy of this early civilization. Their rainforest cities were abandoned centuries ago, but Maya people continue to thrive in the Guatemalan highlands, where traditions and religious rituals, mingled with Catholic practices, form the richest and most distinctive indigenous identity in the hemisphere.
As today is arrival day, there are no planned activities. Enjoy your afternoon exploring the streets of Antigua. Antigua’s setting is gorgeous at an elevation of 1500m, nestled between three volcanoes: Agua (3766m), Fuego (3763m) and Acatenango (3976m). Its myriad of streetscapes – with sprays of bougainvillea bursting from crumbling ruins and pastel facades under terracotta roofs – offer photo opportunities at every turn.
Overnight: Camino Real Antigua
Meals: -/-/-
DAY 2: ANTIGUA TOUR & COOKING CLASS
After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will meet you at the lobby to start your walking tour. A former capital, the city boasts an impressive showcase of colonial relics in a spectacular setting. Streetscapes of pastel facades unfold beneath three volcanoes. Many old ecclesiastical and civic buildings are beautifully renovated, while others retain tumbledown charm.
This walking tour will take in the main highlights of this ancient city, from the hustle and bustle of the atmospheric Central Park to the secret passageways of the many crumbling colonial convents and churches. A few other things you will find are art galleries and exhibits, coffee shops, amazing cuisine, cute little bars and much more.
After the walking tour, you will be transferred to San Miguel Escobar Town. On arrival, you will go into the home of the “chef” (also known as a Guatemalan wife and mother) who doesn’t use a recipe because after years of experience, she knows how to make this dish by heart. Learn how to prepare a traditional Guatemalan dish at a real Guatemalan home. Your chef will be a real housewife and one of a kind authentic experience. After your cooking class experience transfer back to Antigua.
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Overnight: Casa Santo Domingo or Similar (Standard Room)
Meals: B/L/-
DAY 3: PACAYA VOLCANO HIKE & RAPPELLING
Located just outside the capital of Guatemala City, Pacaya Volcano rises to 2,552m (8,373ft) and is one of three active volcanoes in Guatemala. After a period of dormancy, it’s been active since 1965, sometimes more dramatically than other times! It is about an hour’s drive from Antigua to the Pacaya National Park (declared in 2001) and the trailhead in the small village of San Francisco de Sales. The roughly 2-mile trail is relatively steep but well maintained and climbs steadily through farmland and pine forest before arriving on an exposed ridge offering a panoramic view of Pacaya’s smoking black cone, miles of old blackened lava flows and the volcanoes to the north around Antigua and Lake Atitlan. The hike continues onto the barren moonscape of the lava flows where you’ll be able to roast marshmallows over hot spots for a smores ala Guatemala! You’ll enjoy a picnic lunch with a view of the crater from afar (National Park regulations do not allow climbing to the top of the crater). (This service is on a private basis.)
Private transfer to a coffee farm on the slopes of Pacaya volcano. On arrival, you will and learn the safety instructions before rappelling. A 20min hike will to the top of a 138feet cascade, where you will slowly descend. You’ll start rappelling on a on a rocky natural surface, which has a spring water cascade.
The environment is surrounded by forest and coffee plantations.
Overnight: Camino Real Antigua
Meals: B/L/-
DAY 4: CHICHI MARKET & LAKE ATITLAN
Early this morning travel to Chichicastenango, the largest indigenous market in Central American (open on Thursdays and Sundays only). Surrounded by valleys with mountains punctuating the horizons, Chichicastenango can seem isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow cobbled streets and red-tiled roofs are enveloped in mist, it’s downright magical. The sounds, smells, and brilliant colours of the market are incredible to experience. On arrival, your guide will show you the church which is a very important and iconic monument in Mayan history. If you’re lucky you may also witness special ceremonies and mix of religions.
After tour and free time to shop and take photos, you will transfer to Lake Atitlan. With three stunning volcanoes rising out of its emerald surface, Lake Atitlan is spectacular. Although volcanic activity has been going on for millions of years, today’s landscape has its origins in the massive eruption of 85 000 years ago, which blew ash as far away as Florida and Panama.
Fertile hills dot the landscape, and over everything loom the volcanoes, permeating the entire area with a mysterious beauty. With the sun, mist, rain, and clouds…it never looks the same twice. It is very easy to realize why so many people fall in love with this area. It is characterized by its natural beauty surrounded by gorgeous views of the volcanoes and indigenous villages filled with culture. The famous writer Aldous Huxley considered it ¨the most beautiful lake in the world¨.
Overnight accommodations at hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Atitlan or Similar (Standard Room)
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 5: VILLAGE TOUR – LAKE ATITLAN
Private boat to visit San Juan la Laguna and Santiago Atitlan, two very special and different towns around the Lake.
Santiago is home to Maximon, a venerated pagan saint who smokes tobacco and drinks moonshine. He resides in a different house each year.
San Juan la Laguna is a bit quieter town, less visited and is home to several textile coops and art galleries. (This service is on a private basis.)
Overnight: Hotel Atitlan or Similar (Standard Room)
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 6: FLIGHT TO FLORES
Private transfer to Guatemala City airport. (This service is on a private basis.)
Flight to Flores.
Private transfer to hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Flores Jr. Suite
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 7: TIKAL TOUR
After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel and transfer you to Tikal National Park. Your guide will show you the layout of the temples, architecture, history, some theories of why the Mayans disappeared and if you are lucky a few monkeys, parrots, macaws, and toucans will be on site.
After the Tikal tour, enjoy lunch at a restaurant in the middle of the jungle. (This service is on a private basis.)
Overnight: Hotel Flores Jr. Suite
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 8: TRANSFER TO SAN IGNACIO & XUNANTUNICH
Transfer to the Belize Border. At the border, you will cross on your own and a different vehicle will meet you on the Belizean side.
(This service is on a private basis.)
Private transfer to Xunantunich Archeological Site. Enjoy a guided tour through the site, visiting the most important monuments. The structure called El Castillo rises 130 feet above ground making it one of the highest buildings in Belize, offering an impressive panoramic view of the Mopan River valley. From this structure you will be able to appreciate on a lower temple a large stucco frieze, as well as a mask with larger ears next to a moon sign with a border of signs representing Venus.
Transfer to San Ignacio (This service is on a private basis.)
Accommodation: Ka’ana – Balam Suite
Meals: B/-/-
DAY 9: CARACOL & RIO FRIO POOLS
After breakfast, your guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel for your tour. On arrival, watch the amazing scenic area of jagged forested peaks, rolling hills, and steep gorge. Caracol, a great city once, was home to more than twice the current capital’s population. Caracol also remains the site of one of the tallest manmade structures in the entire country the “Canna or Sky Pyramid”.
After Caracol, visit the spectacular waterfalls in the Rio Blanco National Park on this half-day tour. Just a short walk from the highway, you will feel like you are a million miles away from civilization at this site.
With an array of shallow pools to relax in at the top, to the large swimming pool where the waterfalls cascade into, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. And for those who enjoy adrenaline, your guide will show you the best spots to jump from!
Lunch included.
Accommodation: Ka’ana – Balam Suite
Meals: B/L/-
DAY 10-12: SAN PEDRO – SNORKEL, SWIM, RELAX
Transfer to Belize Airport. 15 min Flight to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.
SAN PEDRO, AMBERGRIS CAYE – Spend the next few days in paradise – swim, snorkel, and soak in the island vibes.
DAY 11: Hol Chan is the oldest marine reserve located on the southern tip of Ambergris Caye. The marine reserve cover approximately three-square miles and it’s divided into four zones. At D zone you will find Nurse Sharks and Sting Rays. The Shark- Ray Alley it’s a popular dive site since these creatures seem to enjoy human interaction.
On this tour you will make two stops to enjoy the amazing underwater landscape of the Barrier Reef to its fullest. You will see corals of all forms, sizes, and colors as well as bright tropical fish. The second stop will be at Shark Ray Alley, a shallow area where you may feed and pet Nurse Sharks and Sting Rays and if you are brave enough you may even swim with them. **Shared Basis**
DAY 12: At leisure
Accommodation: Victoria House – Palmetto Room
Meals: B
DAY 13: DEPARTURE DAY
A hotel representative will transfer you to San Pedro airstrip – flight to Belize City Airport included.
Option to extend to elsewhere in Central America, just ask us!
Tour Exclusions
IMPORTANT NOTES
PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change. Although we always do our best to stick to the itinerary, due to the ever-changing nature of Mother Nature, activities, hotels, and visits are subject to change due to forces beyond our control.
FLIGHTS: Please do not purchase your flights until your trip is confirmed.
PASSPORTS: Must be valid for at least 6 months upon return date to your home country. Proper documentation is the responsibility of each traveller.
VISAS & VACCINATIONS: Responsibility of the traveller.
Date: Custom Departure available upon request
Prices from: $4795 USD per participant based on Double / Twin accommodation (pricing may vary depending on season)
*Please note, the hotels and routing of this tour can be altered to best suit your needs. Pricing is based on 2 travellers.
Travel Insurance
Cancellation, Travel, Flight, and Health insurance are required and are the responsibility of the participant to research and secure the appropriate coverage. Click HERE for a Travel Insurance Quote or please email nicola@finisterra.ca for a quote.
Check with your local travel agent /insurance provider/health plan for advice about traveling overseas.
Waiver Form
All participants will be required to sign a Waiver Form prior to departure.
Please note that these are just sample hotels and all accommodation is subject to change. We can upgrade hotels for an additional fee.
Camino Real Antigua
Room Type: Deluxe Room
Located in one of the most beautiful city in Guatemala, declared National Patrimony by the UNESCO, this hotel has 86 luxury rooms distributed in a colonial style. All the rooms are gathered around a central garden. Among the amenities the hotel offers there are duck feather sheet duvet Bulgarian bathroom supplies, and a pillow menu.
Hotel Atitlan
Room Type: Double Standard Room
Hotel Atitlán has the best views of the lake. A property with fantastic gardens, birds, and great place to stay when visiting the lake. Each room has a unique personality that is reflected in the decor of hand-woven fabrics, hand-crafted furniture, paintings, and other decorations from the many indigenous villages in the region. The floors are made of traditional tile and covered by hand-made area rugs.
Isla de Flores
Room Type: Jr. Suite
This charming hotel is conveniently located on Flores Island in Petén. Its comfortable and elegant rooms will allow you the most pleasant rest. This hotel has 24 fully equipped bedrooms, a restaurant and a terrace pool.
Ka’ana
Room Type: Balam Suite
This luxury hotel is nestled in the middle of the Belize jungle. At Ka´ana you will receive a five stars service and modern amenities. This beautiful hotel understands the meaning of a luxury vacation just minutes away from the Mayan ruins.
Victoria House
Room Type: Palmetto Room
Located between private homes on Ambergris Caye is Victoria House, an award winning luxury resort in Belize’s Western Caribbean. Just two miles from the main town of San Pedro, this 42 bedroom resort sits in tropical gardens and white sand beaches. Take a stroll on the beach, be amazed by Belize’s Barrier Reef or just relax in hammock only steps away from your room.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Even though we wish you a flawless trip, things can happen, especially nowadays. Make sure you are prepared with a Travel Insurance policy that is right for you. Finisterra recommends Manulife Insurance or John Hancock Please feel free to ask us about Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance, Cancel for Any Reason Policies, Travel Medical Insurance, or any other questions you may have.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR CANADIANS
Travel with confidence knowing that you’re covered with Manulife Insurance.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR AMERICANS – JOHN HANCOCK
Explore the world, stress-free, when you book travel insurance with John Hancock International.
WHY TRAVEL WITH US?
At Finisterra Travel we help you discover, push personal boundaries, and explore the unknown.
We are super passionate about sustainable, transformational, and adventure travel. Definitely not “armchair travellers”, we have firsthand experience of where you’ll be heading.No one wants to feel like a tourist which is why when we plan a custom travel experience for you, we strive to make your adventure as authentic as possible. We offer an array of Small Group Adventures & Custom Trips, and have something for every type of traveller.
Our unique itineraries are designed to best showcase some of our favourite destinations around Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. All itineraries are fully-customizable.Not your typical online travel agency, nor are we quite a tour operator, we are international travel designers with a flair for unique experiences. We’d love to hear from you!
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