Day 1
Saturday
Day flight to Guatemala City. Upon arrival you will be greeted for airport reception and transferred to Antigua for an evening at leisure at your selected hotel.
Day 2
Sunday
This morning you will be met at your hotel for your half day, private walking tour of Antigua. The tour today will cover the architectural & historical highlights of this beautiful, colonial city. The tour includes visits to some of the many old churches, convents, and cathedrals including the Iglesia San Francisco, the Cathedral, Central Park, and La Merced Church.
Note: Because this tour is private, there is flexibility available. If you have specific sites that you wish to see, please notify your guide. Visiting other monuments will require an entrance fee paid upon arrival.
Day 3
Monday
Rising early this morning you will be met at your hotel at 6am and transferred to the area of Cerro Alux or Rincon Suizo just outside Antigua for your private bird watching tour. With your expert bird guide this morning you will be able to see species including the Rufous-collared robin, blue & white mockingbird, crescent-chested warbler, black-capped swallow and the blue-throated motmot.
This afternoon you will transfer one hour outside of Antigua to the famous Maya archaeology site of Iximche, declared a Guatemalan National Monument in the 1960s.
After your tour of the ruins, enjoy a traditional lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to Lake Atitlan, about one hour and 30 minutes away. Tonight enjoy an evening at leisure at your hotel in Lake Atitlan.
Day 4
Tuesday
This morning you will be greeted at your hotel for a 30 minute transfer to the traditional town of Solola. Here you will visit the local market that thrives with activity as the local Mayans come from all around to purchase and sell their wares. Enjoy the sights surrounding you including the brightly colored local textiles and the traditional garments worn by the locals. This market will provide a wonderful and authentic experience giving you an insight into the life of the locals in the Solola district of Guatemala. There will be time to explore and purchase local handicrafts before returning to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure.
Day 5
Wednesday
Enjoy a full day tour hiking along the shores of the beautiful Lake Atitlan. During your trek you will walk through local villages passing by people working in the fields, washing clothes and fishing from wooden boats. After lunch, enjoy a visit to the village San Juan or Santiago before returning to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Day 6
Thursday
This morning you will be greeted at your hotel and transferred privately to the highland town of Chichicastenango one hour outside of Lake Atitlan. Once in Chichicastenango you will be guided through the local, famous market that includes produce and an endless variety of handicrafts including textiles and ceramics. After lunch, you will transfer to Xela (Quetzaltenango). Upon arrival you will have the evening at your selected hotel in Xela.
Day 7
Friday
San Francisco El Alto Copavic and Fuentes Georginas
This morning you will transfer to the highlands of Guatemala and the small town San Francisco El Alto, approximately 30 minutes outside Quetzaltenango. On Fridays this small town hosts the largest, most authentic market in Guatemala with separate sections for animals, textiles, produce and other articles. The animal market here is particularly well known as it fills up an entire plaza with pigs, chickens, sheep, cows and mules, among other animals.
After your visit to the market, you will make your way back to Quetzaltenango, stopping first at the Copavic glass cooperative. Here you will enjoy a guided tour watching the ancient artisan process of glass blowing including stages of melting recycled glass, working it from a liquid stage and finally the glass blowing that will create uniquely beautiful glass pieces.
After time for lunch, you will continue your transfer passing through small villages and farmlands reaching the Fuentes Georginas (Hot Springs). Here you will have time to explore the hot springs, long believed to have medicinal values. After visiting the Hot Springs, return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Day 8
Saturday
Enjoy a morning at leisure in Xela. This afternoon transfer to Antigua for an evening at leisure at your selected hotel.
Day 9
Sunday
Today you will transfer to the airport in Guatemala City for your international flight home.