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
We’ll meet at our hotel in the afternoon, go for an orientation walk in Guatemala’s historic capital, 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
Education; Volcanoes; Coffee
Our day starts with a stop at a rural school where we’ll share a snack and conversation with locals and understand the importance of education to ending the cycle of poverty in countries like Guatemala. Next, we’ll take a ride up the side of the Volcan Agua to meet with coffee farmers and learn about the fascinating process of coffee farming and production. We’ll pick beans, have a picnic lunch, and observe the production process at a family business. We’ll meet the owners, try our hand at roasting, and taste the final product. Dinner will be at the home of a Guatemalan family.
Day 4 Lake Atitlan
Highlands; Civil War Talk
We’ll bid farewell to Antigua and set out for Guatemala’s highlands where Mayan culture rules. After checking into our Lake Atitlan hotel we’ll have dinner together. Afterwards, we’ll learn about the long Guatemalan Civil War from our host who worked for the United Nations during the conflict.
Hotel Atitlan (2 nights) https://www.hotelatitlan.com/
Day 5 Lake Atitlan
Lake Cruise; Weaving Coop; Women’s Issues
Let’s devote this day to explore the magnificent lake and lakefront villages. We’ll visit a weaving cooperative while learning about the importance of this Mayan art form and its impact for women in particular. We’ll return to our hotel with time to savor its view terrace and pool before dinner together at our hotel. After dinner our hostess, who works as a human rights attorney, will discuss contemporary women’s issues.
Day 6 Flores
Today is primarily a travel day. After a free morning we’ll drive over the hills and through valleys to Guatemala City’s airport where we’ll catch a flight to the island city of Flores in northern Guatemala - gateway to Tikal. We will have an early dinner together so that we can wake early for tomorrow’s big day.
Hotel Isla de Flores (2 nights) https://hotelisladeflores.com/
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. We’ll drive back to the gentle town of Flores this afternoon and enjoy a peaceful free late afternoon and evening.
Day 8 Guatemala City
Garbage Dump; School Visit
A morning flight returns us to Guatemala City. We’ll visit the city’s infamous garbage dump from which thousands of people make a living through scavenging. We’ll witness some of Central America’s worst poverty, but be inspired with a visit to a school, funded by Safe Passage, for the scavengers’ 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, 3 lunches, 5 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, school visit, coffee farm experience, women’s coop visit, Civil War & women’s issue discussions, boat excursion, Tikal guided tour, garbage dump & 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.
