Start in Mexico City and then on to the Yucatan to see Mérida and Chichen-Itza. Founded in 1542 by the Spanish conquistadors, Mérida was built on the site of the Maya city that had already existed for centuries. Thus it may be the oldest continually occupied city in the Americas. The “white city,” as it is called, once had a higher percentage of millionaires than any other in the world. Such wealth is still evident as large and small colonial homes line its streets to this day.

Yampu’s comprehensive tour of Nicaragua includes a visit to the old colonial towns of León and Granada. From Granada, we will climb above the canopy of the tropical forest and visit the Mombacho Volcano—part of a nature reserve that is among the most beautiful remaining areas of tropical rainforest in Nicaragua. We will explore Lake Nicaragua and visit Ometepe Island. Before we head home we will spend two relaxing days in the beach area of San Juan del Sur, a tranquil fishing village with beautiful white-sand beaches.

This tour expands upon our Brief El Salvador and includes the museum of Sihuatan, the town of La Palma - famous for its colorful wood handicrafts, Lake Suchitlan, the colonial town of Suchitoto, the Jiboa Valley with impressive views of hills and volcanoes and the beautiful El Cuco Beach.

This tour starts in Antigua Guatemala, as we tour the old city. We will then travel to Lake Atitlán, stay one night beside the lake and visit the Maya towns nearby. Yampu travelers will visit the famous Indian market at Chichicastenango before flying to Flores. There, we will to visit Tikal for 2 days. Tikal, one of the major cultural and population centers of Maya civilization, reached its peak during the Classic Period (200 to 850 AD). Most services in this tour are private, unless otherwise specified.

This package includes exciting stops in Mexico City, the southern state of Oaxaca, and the colonial jewel of San Cristobal de las Casas before heading on to Palenque. About 130 kilometers south of Ciudad del Carmen, this site is much smaller than Tikal or Copán, but features some of the Mayas’ finest architecture. Palenque, dating back to 100 B.C., is on the western edge of the Maya empire near the present-day city of Chiapas. Well-preserved and maintained by local people and anthropologists, it is one of the most popular ruins for tourists from around the world.