Arrival at La Aurora International Airport. You will be met at the airport in order to transfer to Antigua. Overnight at Hotel Villa Colonial.

Antigua City Tour: Antigua lies in the wide mountain valley of Panchoy, sandwiched between the cones of the volcanoes of Agua, Acatenango and Fuego. The city was founded in 1543 as the third capital of Guatemala, and was called Santiago de Guatemala. And only after the strong earthquake occurred in 1773, the capital had to be moved to a new place in Guatemala City. The city reached its peak by the middle of the 18th century, when an unprecedented construction boom tripled and its population grew to fifty thousand people. By 1773, this city had about 25 churches, 5 women's, 8 men's monasteries and a cathedral built in 1680 and was compared only with the cathedral in Mexico City and Lima, Peru for its beauty and majesty of construction. In 1773 there were 3 very strong earthquakes: the very first that destroyed almost the entire city, all the churches and monasteries happened on July 29, 1773 on St. Martha's Day, so it was called the Santa Marta earthquake. But the most important museum in Antigua is the city itself, its streets, where you can study its history just by walking it. Then we continue to the Indigenous village of Santiago Zamora. Here you will learn about the Maya- Kaqchiquel culture and have the opportunity to interact with a group of women artisans called Ixoki’ aj Quiema’, who elaborate artisan products, mainly textiles using ancestral techniques. Overnight at Hotel Villa Colonial. (Meals: B)

On the way to Lake Atitlán we will visit Iximché, an archaeological site located in the town of Tecpán.. Iximché was the former capital of the Maya- Kaqchikel, place where in 1524 was founded Guatemala ́s first capital by the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Alvarado. After the visit we continue to Lake Atitlán. Overnight at Hotel Villa Santa Catarina. (Meals: B)

Today we will see the most interesting cities where Maya Tzutujil still live on Lake Atitlan. And we will start with San Juan. Boat trip to San Juan takes about 30 minutes. San Juan is the cleanest and tidiest town on the lake. There are many art galleries, whose artists paint in the style of Naive or primitivism. After, we will transfer by boat to the other side of the lake in the city of Santiago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan, founded in 1547 at the foot of the Atitlan volcano, is the largest city with a population of 32 thousand people, 95% of which are Maya Tzutujil. The local population lives of fishing, farming, and making kayukos (local canoes). Artisans specialize in painting, woodwork and weaving. Santiago is the city of worship of Maximon - a pagan deity or god of the Mayan people, who are offering donations in the form of alcohol and cigars. We will also visit the local Catholic church, where two religions merged - Catholicism and Mayan beliefs and take a walk past the local city hall, where the elders of the city are sitting, dressed in white striped shorts and birds embroidered at the bottom. Back to Antigua. Overnight at Hotel Villa Colonial. (Meals: B)

Today we will go to the largest highland Mayan Market, Chichicastenango (only Thursday or Sunday). Surrounded by valleys and mountains that cover the horizons, Chichicastenango may seem isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow, cobbled streets and red tiled roofs are covered with fog, and this happens often, it may seem like you're in some kind of fairy tale. Crowds of sellers and tourist groups flock on Thursday and Sunday to the country's largest alpine market. The Catholic patron of the city is St. Thomas, in his honor the city of Santo Thomas was built in 1540 in the city. When the Catholic missionaries arrived, they destroyed the Mayan temple and built a white church in its place. The only thing left of the temple is 18 steep steps leading to the church by the number of months in the Mayan solar calendar Haab. Therefore, this church is probably the most unique Catholic church in Guatemala due to religious symbiosis within the church. On the steps of the church they sell flowers, candles and fragrances. Like in the front of the pyramids, an altar is installed in front of the stairs - a round flat stone, from which smoke rises from the smoldering pomp in clubs. And what a market without shopping, so bring enough money with you to buy souvenirs. The Chichicastenango market is famous mainly for its textiles and masks. Back to Guatemala City. Overnight at Hotel Barceló Guatemala City. (Meals:B)

Immerse yourself in the cultural and historical heritage of Guatemala at National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. With approximately 3,000 sq m (32,291.7 sq ft) of exhibition space hosting 20,000 archaeological artifacts and 5,000 ethnological pieces, you can explore a wealth of significant Mesomerican history. The museum has been at its present location since 1946, although its existence was established long before then by a governmental decree in 1898. Browse an extensive collection of pre- and post-classical artifacts, Maya art, textiles and tools, and displays presenting current and past indigenous Guatemalan culture. Transfer to Copan, Honduras. Overnight at Hotel Clarion Copan Ruinas (Meals: B)

Visit the famous Mayan ruins of Copan. The main value of Copan is the unreal beauty and accuracy of art on stelae. This site of the Mayan civilization was called Athens of Mesoamerica. There you will even find a stelae made in three dimensions. A true work of art is considered to be the Mayan Staircase with hieroglyphs during the classical period. Each of its 63 steps is decorated with complex letters, and balustrades with the image of snakes and birds are erected on the sides. Overnight at Hotel Clarion Copan Ruinas (Meals: B)

Transfer and tour to Quiriguá Archaeological Site. The park is located on the west bank of the Motagua River. This Mayan city is characterized mainly by its majestic stelae that are the largest and best preserved of the Mayan World. Most of the monumental constructions, the acropolis, and the stelae were erected during the following 60 years of reign of the new Quiriguá dynasty, a dynasty that dominated the region of the Copán river and the Motagua river. In this historical context, stela E is carved, 10 meters high and weighing 55 tons, which constitutes the largest sculpture of all those located in the Great Plaza, a ceremonial space where one can appreciate the exceptional collection of sculptural monuments of the park that It includes zoomorphic altars of exceptional artistic quality, which is why it has been declared a World Heritage Site since 1981 by UNESCO. The 34-hectare archaeological park protects an important remnant of tropical rainforest, which makes it a last refuge for wild species native to the area. After the visit we continue to Flores. Overnight at Hotel Villa Maya. (Meals: B)

Tikal is 64 km from Flores, the beautiful capital of Peten, located on an island on Lake Peten Itza. Tikal means “a place where the voices of spirits are heard”, in comparison with other cities of the classical period it seems huge - this is the largest settlement of pre- Columbian America. Scientists came to this conclusion after a series of excavations conducted in the late 50s. It has been inhabited since 700 BC. until 900 AD, only then to be conquered again by the tropical jungle, from the beginning of the eleventh century until the beginning of the twentieth century, when Tikal was discovered and restoration work began. The urban complex of Tikal (not counting the outskirts) occupied an area of about 16 square kilometers. It housed 3 thousand buildings, and the pyramids were distinguished by a specific style, not found anywhere else in Mesoamerica. The six pyramidal temples make a particularly strong impression, which look like real skyscrapers against the background of other structures of this type. No wonder archaeologists called Tikal-New York the Mayan civilization. Today Tikal National Park covers 575 square kilometers and in 1979 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural and natural heritage of mankind. Flight back to Guatemala City. Overnight at Hotel Barcelo Guatemala City. (Meals: B)

Transfer to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. (Meals: B)

-Transportation -Entrance fees -Guided Tours as per the itinerary (English Speaking Guide) -Flight Flores – Guatemala City -Lodging and local taxes -Meals accord to itinerary: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D)

-Optional Activities. -Arrival and Departure Taxes -Extras in hotels (laundry, phone calls, room service, etc.)