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Private Journeys

Treasures of Central America: Heritage of the Aztec and Mayan Empires

18 days from £4,680pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Mexico / Guatemala / Honduras

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Overview & Highlights

A comprehensive holiday for history lovers. Mesoamerica has a huge number of archaeological sites and monuments. From Mexico City move on to colonial and indigenous Oaxaca and the Yucatán Mayan jungle pyramids. Over the border to Mayan Copán (Honduras), and Tikal (Guatemala).

Travel from the pre-Aztec ruins of cities and temples around multi-layered Mexico City –where you will appreciate the Spanish colonial legacy in all its glory – to ancient Aztec pyramids, as well as Mayan temples and fortresses in the mountains around Oaxaca. Go on to explore the evocative ancient monuments, testimony to bygone Mayan empires, which lay hidden and silent for centuries amid the deep valleys and jungles of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Mexico is one of Latin America’s most vibrant and culturally rich destinations, with a huge diversity of historical, cultural and natural attractions. Its archaeological richness is second to none. Most of the sites, including Aztec pyramids and Mayan Aztec temples are easily accessible, but many still have a feeling of remoteness; evoking the atmosphere of bygone times.

Cross the border into the jungles of northern Guatemala to explore Tikal which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979: this vast Mayan site is one of the most impressive of its type on the continent, with iconic ruins of temples and pyramids; and on to Copán in Honduras, an ancient Mayan city, with its superlative intricate stonework.

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  • Mexico City: Guided tour of Tula and Tepotzotlán
  • Mexico City: Full day guided city tour and excursion to Teotihuacan pyramids
  • Guided visits to Puebla, Cholula and Tlaxcala
  • Oaxaca: Guided excursion to the ruins of ancient city Monte Albán
  • Oaxaca: Guided tour of Mitla and El Tule
  • Mérida: Guided excursion to Chichén Itzá
  • Mérida: Guided tour of Uxmal and Kabah
  • Palenque: Guided tour of the archaeological site
  • Guided excursion to Bonampak and Yaxchilán
  • Tikal: Guided tour of the ruins
  • Copán Ruinas: Guided tour of the Copán Mayan site

THE UK’S NO. 1 SPECIALIST IN TRAVEL TO LATIN AMERICA

Sallly

Sally Dodge

Travel Expert

Talk to our experts
Bartolome, Galápagos

What our clients say

  • JLA already has a good reputation and we were certainly impressed by the management of this tour.

    AF, Altrincham
  • "Nigh on impossible to pick out just one memory but the vastness and emptiness of the salt flats, Machu Picchu in the mist, rain and finally sun, being photo bombed…

    JH, Staines-upon-Thames
  • Overall, the whole JLA experience has been first class.  Would have no hesitation in recommending JLA to friends and family.

    MH, Leighton Buzzard
  • So well organised and efficient, yet personal, easy-going, fun. Felt looked after and well-informed throughout. Also particularly enjoyed being on the less touristy Tico Tico tour – an excellent recommendation…

    DS, Invergordon
  • An excellent holiday made especially memorable by the leadership, thoughtfulness and humour of our guide.

    RL, Reading
  • It was a wonderful trip. It was all good. In saying what I say next that is not to denigrate anything else. However, here we were at the vineyards outside…

    IM, London
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Our Expert's Opinion

Sallly
Sally Dodge Travel Expert A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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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Your edit for Latin American inspiration

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
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Kathryn
    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.

  • Millie
    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.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

  • Lina
    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.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

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