Day
1
TUE I GUATEMALA CITY
On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Guatemala City. The remainder of the day at leisure.
Day
2
WED I GUATEMALA CITY I CHICHICASTENANGO
After a delicious buffet breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel for a sightseeing tour of Guatemala city. The principal sites you will visit include the National Palace, the Cathedral, and Civic Center Complex. You will also tour residential areas, for an overall view of the rapidly growing metropolis that is Guatemala City. Then you will head on to Iximché, dating back to the 15th Century when it was the capital of the Cakchiqueles. This was where the first Spanish capital was established. Continue on to your hotel in Chichicastenango for an overnight stay. (B)
Day
3
THU I CHICHICASTENANGO I QUETZALTENANGO
Have breakfast at your hotel and prepare to enjoy market day in Chichicastenango. Visit the most colorful and picturesque Indian open-air market in the country. Hundreds of Indians from the surrounding countryside gather to barter their goods and products. You will also have a chance to witness the captivating religious ceremonies held on the steps and inside the 400-year old Church of Santo Tomás. You then continue to Quetzaltenango, considered the second most important city of Guatemala. The city has preserved its colonial architecture and several neo-classical buildings can be seen. Some of these are located around the Centro America Park, considered the hearth of the city. Overnight at your hotel. (B)
Day
4
FRI I QUETZALTENANGO I SAN FRANCISCO EL ALTO I LAKE ATITLAN
Rise and shine with breakfast at your hotel before visiting Almolonga market, known for its vegetables and fruits cultivated on small parcels of land. Continue your excursion with a visit to San Andrés Xecul, boasting an important XVI century temple with a fabulous bright-yellow façade – representative of the local huipil (or indigenous blouse). Your next stop will be San Francisco El Alto, featuring a typical market where people gather in front of City Hall to sell their products and handicrafts. Then you will be transferred to Lake Atitlán, one of the most beautiful in the world with its crystallineazure waters in the crater bowl below. Atitlán is the ideal place to learn about Guatemalan folklore. Twelve Indian villages surround the Lake, and their inhabitants are descendants from the great Quiché, Cackchiquel, and Tzutuhil nations. Overnight in the Lake Atitlan area. (B)
Day
5
SAT I LAKE ATITLAN I ANTIGUA
After breakfast, board the motor launch to cross Lake Atitlán and reach the picturesque Indian village of Santiago Atitlán. Enjoy this bustling Indian community, where weavers work colorful textiles. Later you will be travel to Antigua, the most important and enchanting city of colonial Guatemala. Founded by the Spaniards in 1543, nowadays Antigua is a beautiful blend of ruins, restored colonial buildings, and new buildings in colonial style. It was declared a “Monument of America” in 1965. Overnight in Antigua. (B)
Day
6
SUN I ANTIGUA I GUATEMALA CITY
This morning you will be picked up at your hotel for a city tour of Antigua. You will visit the Central Plaza surrounded by the antique Cathedral, the Municipal Government Building, as well as the Palace of the Captains General, colonial churches and monasteries, and a jade factory where this stone is worked into beautiful jewelry. In the afternoon, return to Guatemala City for your overnight stay. (B)
Day
7
