Compare Guatemala Adventure by Adventure Smith vs Guatemala: See & Experience it ALL in 8 Days, 1st Class Custom Tours by Charlie The Traveler

Day 1: Arrive Guatemala City

Accommodations: Biltmore Hotel

Upon arrival at the international airport in Guatemala City you are met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel.

Day 2: Mario Dary Tropical Cloud Forest Reserve

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodations: Casa Duranta

Drive north to the Biotopo Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve where your naturalist guide will lead a three hour hike among a verdant world of waterfalls, orchids and ancient trees. The reserve is commonly known as the Biotopo del Quetzal, a protected habitat for Guatemala's national bird the Resplendent Quetzal. Arrive Coban in the mid-afternoon and visit the Verapaz Orchids Nursery where you will find thousands varieties of orchid Guatemala's national flower. This evening overnight at the centrally located Casa Duranta.

Day 3: Semuc Champey Natural Monument & Lanquin National Park Caves

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Casa Duranta

Visit the Semuc Champey Natural Monument, near the Q'eqchi' Maya town of Lanquín. You'll see the landmark natural 984-foot limestone bridge, under which passes the Cahabòn River, and its series of stepped, turquoise pools, which are popular for swimming. Today also includes a visit to the caves at Lanquin National Park.

Day 4: San Simon River Tubing

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Chiminos Island Lodge

This morning drive north to the San Simon River. A local community of Maya Keckchi has been equipped and trained to host a river tubing service in the San Simon River, through a limestone canyon. Continue north to the lowland rainforests of the Peten region and the village of Candelaria. Overnight at a jungle lodge located by the entrance to the Candelaria caves.

Day 5: Candelaria Cave Exploration

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Chiminos Island Lodge

Enter the underworld realm of Candeleria, an extensive limestone caves system considered to be the sacred entrance to the underworld by the ancient Maya. Caves National Park encompasses miles of caves containing spectacular limestone features and archeological evidence of ancient Maya ceremonies. Armed with headlamps, walk among magnificent limestone features and spectacular chambers. Emerge form the cave for the drive to the Pasion River. Board a small motorized launch for the scenic two-hour river journey to the Petexbatun Lagoon. Along the way watch for abundant bird and wildlife including spider and howler monkeys.

Day 6: Aguateca

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Tikal Inn

A short boat ride from the lodge leads to the Maya site of Aguateca, perched 300 feet above the lagoon. Hike inside a natural limestone fissure used by the Maya as a defensive wall. You may get a chance to see archeologists at work as this site is still being excavated. This afternoon transfer by boat and van to the ancient kingdom of Tikal. A short walk from the hotel leads to Tikal's central plaza, surrounded by great temples. Climb to the top for a stunning sunset over the ancient city and encroaching rainforest. Surrounding the temples, Tikal National Park encompasses miles of pristine rainforest habitat that is home to abundant flora and fauna, easily observed as you explore the ruins. Overnight within the National Park.

Day 7: Tikal National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Tikal Inn

Spend the day in the company of an expert Maya guide exploring the magnificent achievements of these fascinating ancient people. At its height, Tikal was home to over 100,000 Maya and was a cultural and political center. It becomes easy to imagine life in the city as you explore temples, plazas, mult- leveled palaces, ball courts and living areas. Howler and spider monkeys, coatamundi, are commonly seen while the elusive jaguar and ocelot are know to survive in this protected rainforest reserve. Almost 300 species of bird have been identified in Tikal including toucans, motmots and parrots. At the day's end relax at the hotel pool.

Day 8: Flores

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodations: Biltmore Hotel

You may wish to arise early for bird watching or climb an ancient temple to watch the sunrise. It is spectacular in the awakening rainforest to watch the early rays of dawn spread across the vast jungle canopy. Return mid-morning to Flores, a small town built on an island in Lake Peten Itza. Wander the narrow streets and hilltop central plaza flanked by charming houses, shops and restaurants with red tile roofs. From Flores, take a short scenic flight back to Guatemala City.

Day 9: Depart Guatemala City

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer to Guatemala City airport for your departure or begin your trip extension.

Day 1: Flores Island with a Personal Tour Guide

If you wish to be picked up from Belize instead of Mundo Maya International Airport (IATA: FRS) just outside of Flores, let us know. We will make arrangements for you to join us.

Our tour starts in Flores, a small town located on an island. Flores is best used as a base from which to make daytrips. Let's go on a walking tour around Flores with an English-speaking and private tour guide.

Day 2: Helicopter Ride Over Ancient Temples Found Deep in the Jungle

Today we are making a daytrip by helicopter to an archeological site called El Mirador. Although containing striking examples of Pre-classic Maya civilization, the remote location of El Mirador has prevented it from becoming a popular tourist site. Get ready for a hike as we discover the area. Lunch is included on today's tour.

Note that the helicopter ride often gets cancelled due to bad weather. In the event we cannot get onto the flight, this tour would be replaced with a visit to a natural park called Ixpanpajul as well as an archeological site called Yaxha. At Ixpanpajul, first we would go walking on the sky-way (a.k.a. hanging bridges) for about 1 hour. We would then go zip-lining for about 1.5 hours. At around noon, we are taken to Yaxha. There we are provided with a guided tour.

Day 3: Seeing One of Central America’s Greatest Archaeological Sites Followed by Relocating to the Colonial City of Antigua

Before flying from Flores through Guatemala City to reach Antigua (where we are based for the remainder of our trip), we are making a daytrip to Tikal. It is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization and one of the country’s greatest tourist draws. Lunch is included on today's tour.

Day 4: Hiking a Complex Volcano

Today we are making a daytrip to an active complex volcano called Pacaya. It first erupted approximately 23,000 years ago. Pacaya has erupted at least 23 times since the Spanish conquest of Guatemala. It rises to an elevation of 2,552 meters (8,373 feet). After being dormant for over 70 years, Pacaya began erupting vigorously in 1961 and has been erupting frequently since then.

Day 5: Hanging Out with Hippies, Hiking “The Mayan Face” & Experiencing Truly Traditional Life in Lakeside Villages

Today we are making a daytrip to Lake Atitlán. The town of Panajachel serves as the gateway to this popular area. Firstly, we go on a guided tour to the surrounding villages, all located on Lake Atitlán. Although the cultures of these villages are influenced by the Maya people, each has its own personality and distinctive indigenous style. Our first stop is the village of San Marcos. There we have some time to walk along a long street filled with shops and hippies alike. This street is San Marcos’ main attraction. Next, we are taken by boat to the village of San Juan. From this village’s pier, we are taken by road to the base of La Nariz del Indio (a.k.a. The Mayan Face). The 1-hour guided hike to the viewpoint is worth the effort. We have some time to relax while up there. We should be back at the base of the mountain around 12:30pm. We then return to the dock in San Juan and have lunch.

Around 1:15pm, we are taken by boat to the village of Santiago. There we are provided with a guided tour. The greatest attraction in this village arguably is seeing traditional women washing clothes in the lake. Next, we return by boat to Panajachel. There we are provided with a guided walking tour, wandering the handful of streets filled with restaurants and tourists alike. Afterwards, we head back to Antigua.

Not included in the tour price but in high demand nonetheless is paragliding over Lake Atitlan. There are two places near Lake Atitlan which offer this experience. One is located above Santa Catarina Palopo, which can be reached via a 25-minute drive from Panajachel. The other is located across the lake in the village of Santa Clara La Laguna, which can be reached via a 30-minute drive away from San Pedro or San Marcos. Which of these two locations would be available for you? It usually depends on the direction of the wind. If you are interested in paragliding, then please let us know. Note that most paragliding companies offer a GoPro camera for rent. To save yourself some money, bring your own memory card.

Day 6: A Visit to the Country’s Biggest Indigenous Market

Today we are making a daytrip to Chichicastenango, a town popular specifically for its Thursday and Sunday market. Expect to see vendors selling traditional attire, masks, handicrafts, food, flowers, pottery, wooden boxes, condiments, medicinal plants, candles, pom and copal (traditional incense), cal (lime stones for preparing tortillas), pigs and chickens.

Note that "Day 6" may be switched out with another daytrip from Antigua in order for Chichicastenango to be visited on a Thursday or Sunday.

Day 7: A Full-Day & Private Tour of Guatemala’s Showcase City

Surrounded by 3 enormous volcanoes and mountains and otherwise famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque-influenced architecture as well as a number of colonial-era landmarks, this town is unarguably Guatemala’s most beautiful. Antigua was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. We are provided with a full-day tour of Antigua, getting around in a private car.

Day 8: Our Tour Ends This Morning

Antigua is the final destination on our tour of Guatemala. The capital of Guatemala, where the international airport is located, takes about an hour to reach by shuttle from Antigua. A shuttle will be arranged for you to reach that airport.

Note that if you wish to spend another day in Antigua rather than go home today, then consider taking the 5-hour hike up Acatenango Volcano. Watching lava burst out of the volcano in the middle of the night is jaw-dropping. Tours leave from Antigua usually at 8:30am and 11:00pm. The morning departure includes lunch and dinner as well as an overnight stay. The late-night departure allows you to arrive at the viewpoint around 3:30am, in time to see both the bursting lava as well as sunrise a couple of hours later. If you are interested in this hike, we can make arrangements for you. The best advice we can give you is to stay warm! It is really cold up there…but it is also an unforgettable experience.

There is one more thing to note. Purely due to the difficulty in getting there, not included in our standard “Guatemala in 8 Days” itinerary is a visit to a popular natural monument called Semuc Champey. It consists of a natural 300-meter limestone bridge, under which passes the Cahabon River. Atop the bridge is a series of stepped and turquoise pools, which are used for swimming. Semuc Champey can be reached via an 8-hour bus ride from Antigua. Adding Semuc Champey increases our standard 8-day itinerary to now 10 days in total. Let us know whether you would like to add it.