Belize Travel - Belize Vacation Packages

Guatemala & Belize Highlights

Day 1- Arrival & Transfer to Antigua

On arrival in Guatemala City guests are met by our bi-lingual driver for their transfer to Antigua (1hour). Surrounded by majestic volcanoes and green-clad mountains that border the highlands of Guatemala, Antigua  is an excellent base from which to travel. There are plenty of activities to do, from colorful markets to interesting museums, all deserving a visit. The climate is mild, warm in the days and fresh in the evenings. Stay in Antigua 3 nights.

Guests will take a half day tour of Antigua. A beautiful city, the streets are lined with cobblestones and an abundance of authentic colonial buildings.   It has been given the rare World Heritage title by UNESCO preserving the charming and unique atmosphere.  Visitors come and enjoy all the court cafes with flourishing gardens and fountains. The tour takes in the main square, palace, Cathedral, La Merced Church, Capuchinas Convento, St Clara & San Francsico Church. All entrances are included. Free afternoon. (B)

First, transfer to the village Jocotenango, just on the outskirts of Antigua where you can visit the local workshops of the traditional woodcarvers of the area. You can also see the interesting pink and white facade of the Jocotenango church before you transfer to the Azotea Coffee farm and museums. Here you can have a tour of the Coffee Farm and the Maya Traditions Museum exhibiting traditional Mayan music and costumes. Learn about the importance of coffee in Guatemala's history and its impact today. You’ll have a free afternoon to explore Antigua. (B)

Day 4, Comalapa Market & Lake Atitlan

Guests transfer for a tour of the colorful & authentic market at Comalapa. Set in beautiful countryside, this town is famous for its market and its primitive painters. There are also many galleries for guests to peruse. The town of San Juan Comalapa is surrounded by 20 villages and lies the heart of the Cakchiqel people (Maya). People come from their villages with their fruits and vegetables and other foods to the marketplace to sell and buy the day's needs. People usually walk from their villages carrying goods, wares and infants. In the afternoon guests will transfer to Lake Atitlan. (2.5hrs) The rest of the afternoon is free. Stay in Lake Atitlan for 2 nights. (B)

Day 5, Lake Tour & Visit to Santiago

This morning guests will take a scenic boat ride across Lake Atitlan to the Village of Santiago where they have lunch in a local hotel and tour the village. While in Santiago, get a glimpse of how the Tzutujil Maya live, almost oblivious to the fact that the Conquistadors arrived five centuries ago. No trip to Santiago is complete without a visit to Maxi Mon (ma-shee-món), the smoking-and-drinking Mayan-Catholic deity. Your guide will offer an unforgettable cultural tour of the village, focusing on shamanism, explaining religion and customs along the way. (B,L)

Day 6- Chichicastenango Market 

Today guests transfer approx. 1hr to the famous market at Chichicastenango. Chichicatenango is a small stucco-white town, lying on the crests of mountaintops. The town is home to what is said to be the most colorful native market in Central America. This town has been, since pre-Hispanic times, one of the largest trading centers in the Maya area. The famous handicraft market  draws not only the K’iche’ of the surrounding region, but vendors from all over Guatemala. They represent many of Guatemala's linguistic groups. Each person hawks his or her products in a cacophony of color, dialects, costumes, smoke, and smells. You will have time for shopping and an opportunity to see Maya rituals being performed in the Catholic Church. Afterwards, you will transfer to Guatemala City Airport in time to catch the early evening flight to Flores. In Flores you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Stay in the Tikal area 2 nights. (B)

Today guests explore the amazing Mayan temple site at Tikal. Huge Mayan temples rise above the jungle canopy. Tikal includes the gigantic ceiba (Ceiba pentandra) the sacred tree of the Maya; tropical cedar (Cedrela odorata), and mahogany (Swietenia).Nature is found in abundance:  agousti, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, ocellated turkey, guans, toucans, green parrots and leaf-cutting ants can be seen here regularly. Jaguars and coatis roam in the park.(B,L)

Day 8- Into Belize - Yaxha Site

Stop to visit the site of Yaxha. What makes Yaxhá so interesting is that restoration of this site is in.the very preliminary stage. Only one temple has been restored, while most of the others are either covered in vegetation and trees or being actively excavated.  This enables visitors to get a first hand glimpse of on-going archaeological work. We’ll eat lunch at the rustic El Sombrero Lodge on the shores of Lake Yaxha before continuing on across the border into Belize. Stay in a lakeside rainforest lodge in the Cayo area for 3 nights. (B,L)

Today guests can choose from several activities. You can go on a relaxing river cave exploration at Barton Creek. Here, you will board canoes equipped with a powerful spotlights and glide through a remote underground water cave. It is believed that the Maya once used this cave for ritual ceremonies. While canoeing through the cave you’ll see large and colorful formations, skeletal remains and other cultural artifacts left behind by the Maya centuries ago. Or, visit the Actun Cave where you hike in the jungle and walk & wade your way through the cave system. The hike to the cave includes three stream crossings and passes through the 6,700 acre Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. (B,L)

 Day 10- Caracol

Travel through the scenic Mountain Pine Ridge National Park to the famous Mayan site at Caracol. Enjoy a guided tour of this site in the rainforest and a picnic lunch. On the way back, if you have time, you can stop to visit the Rio Frio caves and pools. (B,L)

Day 11- Cave Tubing & Fly to La Isla Bonita

Transfer to Belize City but stop on the way to enjoy the famous Jaguar Paw Cave River Tubing Tour. Put on a headlamp and splash into the water in you inner tube. You will float through cave systems where the famous Mayan people once worshipped. There are limestone and crystal formations which present wonderful photo opportunities. That afternoon, fly across to Ambergris Caye Island and transfer to your beachside hotel. The Caye (pronounced "key", meaning an island, derived from the Spanish word "cayo") is about 25 miles long from north to south, and about one mile wide. It was named after large lumps of ambergris which washed ashore here. The island is mostly a ring of white sand beach around mangrove in the centre.  Stay in the Beach Hotel for 3 nights. (B,L)

 Guests can enjoy a pre-arranged snorkeling tour to the famous sites of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and the Shark Ray Alley. You can swim in close contact with Rays and (harmless) Sharks. Located off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye, Hol Chan Marine Reserve is Belize's oldest marine reserve.  Hol Chan is Mayan for 'little channel." The entire reserve cuts through the reef which is little more than 25 yards wide and 30 feet deep. Due to its protected status, what was once a depleted fishing area has now been allowed to regenerate, providing an unparalleled diving/snorkeling experience for visitors and an important refuge for marine life along the northern section of the Belize Barrier Reef. (B)

Guests have a free day to relax on the beach. Enjoy a sunset on Ambergris Caye, the cool Caribbean breeze in your hair, the relaxing sound of the waves washing up on the white-sand beaches and the serene sound of palm trees! That is the sunny paradise of Ambergris Caye. Or, we can pre book other activities. (B)

Guests transfer to San Pedro airport & fly over to Belize International airport to connect to their international flight. (B)

ARRIVE: Guatemala City
DEPART: Belize City