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Private Journeys

Family Guatemala and Belize: Ancient temples and Caribbean isles

14 days

Guatemala / Belize

  • BEL_MayaMountain_ChaaCreek_HotelOwned (2)

Overview & Highlights

This action-packed family holiday has something to satisfy each one of you. There's absolutely no time to get bored, with a mix of Spanish colonial, indigenous indian and British Caribbean cultures all in a relatively small area where it’s easy to get around.

This family holiday offers adults and children alike a range of experiences in two contrasting countries.  Guatemala is steeped in native Mayan indian and Spanish colonial tradition and religious mysticism. Belize, a truly Caribbean country, is English-speaking, utterly laid-back, and a popular destination for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Kids will love spotting the howler monkeys in the jungle, clambering over the ancient pyramids and snorkelling in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.

You start off in Antigua, Guatemala’s colonial masterpiece, and continue to the serene setting of Lake Atitlán, encircled by volcanoe and tiny indigenous villages. Head out onto the water in a kayak before continuing to Tikal. Children will marvel at the fantasy-style vast ruined Mayan city where ancient temples and pyramids emerge above the rainforest canopy; adults will find the Mayan history and culture fascinating.

Crossing the border into Belize, stay at a remote riverside cabin camp surrounded by tropical foliage rich in wildlife; enjoy the thrills and spills of outdoor activities, or just relax. Round off the holiday at the pearl white beaches of Ambergris Caye, maybe with a bit of snorkelling. 

Read More
  • Antigua: City tour and visit to a coffee farm
  • Chichicastenango market
  • Kayaking on Lake Atitlán
  • Lake Atitlán: Boat excursion to San Juan la Laguna
  • Tikal: Guided tour of the Mayan ruins
  • San Ignacio: Butterfly Farm

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Millie Davies

Travel Expert

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Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

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What our clients say

  • Seeing the Condors taking flight first thing in the morning in the most stunning setting is a memory that will live with me forever. Looking down from the Sun Gate and seeing the full extent of the magical setting of Macchu Picchu was awe-inspiring.

    CD, Corbridge
    Oct 2014
  • Most memorable experience? "Lots - Tour of Caracas, the canoe trip to Angel Falls plus the Falls themselves, the night bus trip to St Elena followed by good facilities to freshen up, Rock View (see above), the canopy walkway, which I surprised myself by taking in my stride (!), the somewhat challenging jungle trip by substandard "minibus" to Georgetown, the canoe and parogue crossings along the coast, the trip to the Iles du Salut and the visit to the Arane Space Station.

    I was very happy with the experience, but I suspect that this was one of your more unusual trips, as practically all the places we visited were not usual tourist areas. But I got all I could realistically expect from such a tour."

    ET, Huddersfield
    Oct 2011
  • Everything exceeded expectations, from the printed itinerary to the excursions.

    SB, Mansfield
    Jan 2020
  • The tour leader could not have been more courteous, he did more than was expected of him and found us some very good restaurants. Our most memorable moments were staying in the yurt in the Patagonia, eating at local restaurants recommended by the tour leader and travelling from Bariloche across the lakes. We loved this trip and it was organised very well.

    MG, Marlow
    Jan 2014
  • "This was our third holiday with JLA and once again they did not disappoint."

    PP, Stafford
    Mar 2016
  • A well planned trip covering all the highlights we wanted to see.

    A great trip, thoroughly enjoyed by a good group (of 8) that gelled well. We saw so much, did so much and and our expectations were well exceeded.

    GP, Woking
    Jan 2012
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Our expert's view

Millie Davies Mono
Millie Davies - Travel Expert

Having caught the travel bug as a child, Millie has travelled all over Latin America before making her home in Buenos Aires for 3 years.

Inspired by this trip

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Ben Line
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Kathryn Rhodes
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Lina Fuller
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Mary Anne Nelson
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Hannah Waterhouse
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Charlotte Daubeney (2)
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

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