Guatemala

Hemmed in by the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans, Guatemala is peppered with volcanoes, jungles, colorful villages and world class Mayan ruins. This tour celebrates the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Latin America’s most diverse country while exploring the challenges locals face today. We’ll learn about the 36-year Civil War from those who witnessed it, visit coffee farms and learn first-hand of heroic efforts to help Guatemalans escape the cycle of poverty. We’ll also spend a full day exploring the Mayan ruins of Tikal, explore dreamy Lake Atitlán and savor the colonial capital city of Antigua.  All proceeds from every Guatemala tour will go to Global Visionaries and Safe Passage, two excellent charities working in Guatemala.

Day 1 Antigua
Welcome to Guatemala
You’ll be met at the airport in Guatemala City and shuttled to our hotel in lovely Antigua, Guatemala’s historic capital city (about an hour from the airport). We’ll meet at our hotel in the afternoon, go for an orientation walk and have dinner together.
Hotel Eterna Primavera (3 nights) https://hoteleternaprimaveraantigua.com-hotel.com/en/

Day 2 Antigua
Walking Tour Antigua
We’ll devote our day to exploring beautiful Antigua, a UNESCO world heritage site of pastel colored buildings where volcanoes loom around every corner. Our day begins with a guided walking tour during which we’ll explore the town’s Spanish colonial architecture and learn about Antigua’s tragic history and unlikely rebirth. You’ll be free this afternoon and evening to explore on your own.

Day 3 Antigua
Market; Coffee; Civil War stories
Our day starts with a visit to Antigua’s huge and colorful farmer’s market. From here we’ll board the local “chicken bus” and ride to the nearby village of San Miguel Escobar where we’ll take a ride up the side of the Volcan Agua to meet with coffee farmers and learn about the process of coffee farming and production. We’ll have a picnic lunch, try our hand at roasting coffee and hear about the 36 year Civil War from a few  participants. Dinner this evening will be at the home of a Guatemalan family.

Day 4 Lake Atitlan
School Visit
We’ll bid farewell to Antigua and take a short bus ride to visit a rural school where we’ll share a snack and conversation with locals and understand the importance of education to end the cycle of poverty in countries like Guatemala. We’ll then set our sights on Guatemala’s highlands where Mayan culture and volcanoes rule. We’ll have dinner and sleep in a lovely hotel fronting glorious Lake Atitlán.
Hotel Atitlan (2 nights) https://www.hotelatitlan.com/

Day 5 Lake Atitlan
Lake Cruise; Weaving Coop; Chocolate; Civil War & Current Issues
Let’s devote this day to exploring the magnificent lake and its villages. We’ll take a 30 minute boat ride to the lively town of San Juan La Laguna, where we’ll visit a weaving cooperative and learn about the importance of this Mayan art. We’ll also learn about the art of chocolate at a cacao producer. After free time to explore this picturesque village and have lunch, we’ll return to our hotel with time to savor its lush gardens, view terraces and pool. We’ll meet before dinner to learn about the particularly heavy impact the Guatemalan Civil War had on this region from friends who worked for the United Nations during the conflict and discuss current politics in Guatemala.

Day 6 Flores
Travel; Lake Cruise
Today is primarily a travel day. We’ll drive over the hills and through valleys to Guatemala City’s airport where we’ll catch an early afternoon flight to the scenic island city of Flores in northern Guatemala. This afternoon we’ll take a boat ride around our island, then have dinner together.
Hotel Camino Real Tikal (2 nights) https://www.caminorealtikal.com.gt/en/

Day 7 Flores
Tikal
Today is devoted to exploring the magnificent ruins of Tikal. A local guide will join us as we drive into the jungle to Tikal, home to the most spectacular Mayan temples in the Americas. Our guide will explain the howler monkeys and other fauna we’ll encounter on our walk to the astonishing site of Tikal, once the most important city in Mayan civilization. After a guided walk among the ruins, you’ll have ample free time to explore and photograph on your own before we return to our hotel in Flores.. You’ll have free time to explore our island town and have dinner on your own.

Day 8 Guatemala City
Safe Passage School Visit
A morning flight returns us to Guatemala City. We’ll view (from a distant overlook) the city’s infamous garbage dump from which thousands of people make a living through scavenging. Here you’ll witness some of Central America’s worst poverty, then be inspired with a visit to Safe Passage school, funded in part by the University of Washington, for the scavenger’s children. We’ll return to our hotel for some free time before celebrating our experiences at a final dinner together.
La Inmaculada (1 night) https://www.inmaculadahotel.com/

Day 9: Tour over after Breakfast
Imprint will assist with airport transfer arrangements.

[Itinerary details & hotels subject to change]

What’s Included:
8 nights accommodation; All breakfasts, 1 lunch, 6 dinners; All transportation (bus, boat, plane); All tips (tour director, local guides, drivers, boat captains, group meals, hotel staffs); Full-time services of an Imprint tour director throughout; All entrances: Tikal; All activities: Antigua walking tour, market & school visits, coffee & cacao farm visits, women’s coop, Civil War discussions, boat excursions, Tikal guided tour, Safe Passage school excursion, and more.

Important Exclusions
Tour participants are responsible for the cost of drinks, free-time sightseeing & meals, expenditures of a personal nature, and flight baggage overage fees.