Quetzal: The Best of Mexico and Guatemala

Day 1

Arrive in Mexico and transfer to Valladolid.

You’ll be arriving in your base for the first two days: the colourful, colonial town of Valladolid. Filled with history, great restaurants and a laid-back atmosphere, Valladolid is an excellent location for reaching the Yucatán Peninsula’s famed archaeological sites.

Day 2

Guided tour of Ek’ Balam.

Explore the lesser-known ruins of Ek’ Balam. Considered one of the best kept secrets and Mayan sites of the Yucatán, you’ll be on an in-depth guided tour and have the opportunity to even climb the pyramids at the archaeological site.

Day 3

Guided tour of Chichén Itzá and then travel to Mérida.

This morning visit one of the modern seven wonders of the world, Chichén Itzá. You will be accompanied by a guide who will bring the history of this incredible location, filled with pyramids, macabre sculpture and temples, alive.

The origins of the site are mysterious. It has the largest and best-preserved ball court in the Americas: the venue for an ancient ritual game that was played throughout the continent, but which is still not fully understood. Archaeologists have not been able to determine whether the losers or winners were decapitated, but judging from the gory carvings along the base of the court’s walls, someone certainly came to an unpleasant end.

After the tour, you will travel onto the city of Mérida for the next 2 nights.

Day 4

Walking tour of Mérida.

Today you’ll explore the historical centre of Mérida, the bustling, colonial capital city of the Yucatán State built more than 450 years ago on the site of Tho, an ancient Mayan city. Start with a visit to the magnificent Cathedral of San Ildefonso, built with the stones of ancient Maya temples. Construction of this cathedral began in 1561, making the oldest in Latin America. Inside there are murals depicting the meeting between Francisco de Montejo, the founder of Mérida, and the Mayan King, Tutl Xiu.

You’ll then continue to the Casa Montejo, the grandiose home of Francisco de Montejo, and the Governor’s Palace, housing 27 huge murals by Don Fernando Castro Pacheco illustrating the at times violent history of Yucatán, and then the tree-shaded Plaza Principal which is an ideal vantage point for photos of the city’s major buildings and sites.

The 3 hour tour ends with a drive along the historical boulevard Paseo Montejo – fashioned after the Champs Elysees – with its elegant homes, shops and typical restaurants, and you can spend the rest of the day exploring this beautiful city at your leisure.

Day 5

Fly to Flores in Guatemala.

Today, take to Flores (a change in Guatemala City is likely), a small, charming island on Lake Petén in northern Guatemala. An ideal base for exploring the nearby Mayan ruins of Tikal, Flores is well worth a stroll upon arrival for its colourful cobblestone streets, waterside views and laid-back atmosphere.

Day 6

Full day tour of Tikal.

An hour from Flores lies Tikal where tall, elegant temples penetrate the lush forest canopy, and where you’ll be spending the day discovering the palace complexes with an informed local guide.

Tikal was one of the largest and most important Mayan city states, reaching its peak around AD 800, before its mysterious demise. The pyramids and temples seem frozen in time, but you’re brought back to the present by the curious roar of howler monkeys as they swing through the low branches of the trees, and flashes of colour as toucans and parrots take flight. Make sure to catch the spectacular views from one of the temple-tops for an unforgettable sight.

Day 7

Visit the ruins of Ceibal.

Today you’ll drive about 1.5 hours to the village of Sayaxché through the dense Petén jungle. From here you continue by boat for another 45 minutes up river before reaching the ruins of Ceibal hidden deep within the jungle forest. Ceibal was a very important city for the Mayas of the Petén and the river served as a trading point for luxury goods such as jade and quetzal feathers. Populated from about 800 BC until it was abandoned sometime between AD 500 and AD 690, the city was eventually repopulated somewhere between AD 771 and AD 889. Thanks to the hardness of the local stone, Ceibal has some of the best-preserved stelae in Guatemala, and amidst the ruins the ball court is still clearly visible together with an unusual round, flat-topped pyramid believed to have been an observation platform.

Afterwards you’ll continue to the town of San Cristóbal Verapaz where you’ll be spending the night.

Day 8

Visit Lanquín Caves and Semuc Champey.

This morning you’ll be making multiple sightseeing stops in the region around Coban. First stop is Semuc Champey, a series of natural pools of emerald green formed by the underground Cahabón River. Its setting is spectacular: surrounded by a canyon and a lush tropical forest. There is an opportunity for a dip in the waters before continuing to the caves at Lanquín, which has an underground river and unique rock formations. The caves are considered sacred by local indigenous people. Take care and use the hand rails where here as the cave floor is particularly slippery.

Day 9

Drive to the shores of Lake Atitlan

A 6 hour drive will take you into the Guatemala highlands and to the lively tourist town of Panajachel located on the shores of Lake Atitlán.

Lake Atitlán is one of the most captivating in the world, with conical, volcanic cones reflected in its impossibly blue waters, and traditional towns and villages skirting its periphery.

Stay at - Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel

Day 10

Boat trip on Lake Atitlan to Santiago and San Juan la Laguna.

Take a motor launch across the lake to Santiago de Atitlán. Cruising over the still morning waters there are wonderful views of the various shoreline settlements and cultivated fields, some grand houses, and beyond to the gently sloping volcanoes that encircle the water. You’ll be greeted as you alight at Santiago by enthusiastic children, and the town is an excellent place to buy brilliantly coloured textiles.

You’ll then continue on to San Juan La Laguna, a town with striking landscapes and great artisan wealth. Take in the panoramic views, visit weaving cooperatives and art studios and discover this former colonial gem.

Stay at - Posada de Don Rodrigo Panajachel

Day 11

Drive to Antigua via the market at Chichicastenango.

Today you’ll start your journey with a 1.5 hour drive north to the highland town of Chichicastenango, a place where the overt symbols and practices of Catholicism mingle with esoteric Mayan religious ceremonies. Here there is a vast market, and labyrinthine streets that are lined with textiles, clothes and tapestries of striking colour and extraordinary intricacy, as well as extravagant hand-carved masks and good-quality leather goods. Local farmers also bring an array of fruit and vegetables from the surrounding villages, which they exchange and sell. Take your time and weave through this incredible location – there’s much to see and to find.

Afterwards, you’ll continue your journey through the highlands west of Antigua that are dominated by watchful volcanoes and compact, busy farming villages as you make your way in to the city proper, ultimately arriving in one of the best preserved Spanish colonial cities in Central America.

Stay at - Villa Colonial

Day 12

Discover Antigua with a walking tour.

Antigua is a colonial work of art with cobbled streets, overhanging tiled roofs and a beautiful, leafy central plaza. There is an abundance of huge, ruined churches, convents and monasteries, testament to a time when Antigua was the country’s capital and its main religious centre, and a dramatic backdrop of smouldering volcanoes to remind you how the city was destroyed by an eruption in 1773. You’ll get to learn all about this city’s fascinating past on a guided walking tour.

Antigua is a welcoming place to relax and unwind, so afterwards, do some shopping and enjoy some excellent food, or just to wander around the ruined convents and enjoy the flora in their beautifully tended gardens.

Stay at - Villa Colonial

Day 13

Transfer to Guatemala City for flight home or onward journey.

Travel by road for 1.5 hours from Antigua to Guatemala City Airport for your international flight or onward extension.

UK clients arrive home the following day.