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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

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Hannah Waterhouse

Travel Expert

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Outline itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Mexico City. Transfer to central hotel.

Day 2

Guided tour of Tula and Tepotzotlán.

Day 3

Guided city tour and excursion to Teotihuacan pyramids.

Day 4

By road to Puebla via Cholula and Tlaxcala.

Day 5

Drive to Oaxaca; guided excursion to the ruins of Monte Albán.

Day 6

Visit Mitla and El Tule.

Day 7

Fly to Mérida, Yucatán.

Day 8

Guided visit to the ruined Mayan city Chichén Itzá.

Day 9

Guided excursion to Mayan ruins of Uxmal and Kabah.

Day 10

Fly to Villahermosa, by road to Palenque.

Day 11

Guided excursion to Palenque archaeological site.

Day 12

Visit Bonampak and Yaxchilán; continue to Flores in Guatemala.

Day 13

Guided tour of Tikal, Mayan ruined city.

Day 14

By land over the border to Copán, Honduras.

Day 15

Guided excursion to Copán, Mayan city.

Day 16

By road to Antigua, Guatemala.

Day 17

At leisure in Antigua.

Day 18

Transfer to Guatemala City airport for international flight home.
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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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Visit Uxmal ruined Mayan temple complex
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Visit Chichen Itza, ruined Mayan city
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Visit Teotihuacan, pre-Columbian ruined city
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Stand amongst Toltec warriors
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Visit Palenque, ruined Mayan city
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Visit remote Mayan ruins
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Visit Tikal, ruined Mayan city
Copan

Visit the Mayan ruins of Copan
Mexico city

Walking tour of Mexico City
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Visit Puebla’s churches and markets
Monte Alban

Visit Monte Alban, pre-Columbian ruined city
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Walking tour of Antigua

Accommodation

Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.

MEX_MexicoCity_GranHotel (1)

Mexico / Mexico City

Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
MEX_Oaxaca_CasaConzatti_staff (1)

Mexico / Oaxaca

Casa Conzatti

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Jungle Lodge

Guatemala / Tikal

Jungle Lodge

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Honduras / Copan

Marina Copan

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
GUA_AntiguaAndHighlands_PosadaDeDonRodrigoAntigua (1)

Guatemala / Antigua and the highlands

Posada de Don Rodrigo Antigua

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
MEX_ColonialAndSilverTowns_QuintaRealPuebla (3)

Mexico / Colonial and silver towns

Quinta Real Puebla

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
MEX_ChiapasSanCristobalDeLasCasasPalenque_ChanKah (4)

Mexico / Chiapas, San Cristobal and Palenque

Chan Kah

  • This is a Satisfaction Rating based on our own customer feedback
Itinerary Essentials
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What our clients say

  • It is difficult to identify a highlight as the whole trip was so varied and memorable. However, the yurt and the landscapes in Torres del  Paine and Iguazu were spectacular.

    VP, Haywards Heath

  • Difficult to say as it was a trip of contrasts - two cities and some beautiful landscapes.  I achieved two ambitions which was to visit the Torres del Paine National…

    TW, Hook

  • Our most memorable moments were the views in Rio, the Iguassu Falls, the initial impressions of La Paz, Copacabana and Puno (especially the hotel in Puno with its views of…

    MH, Sherborne

  • "Walking up to and then seeing Machu Picchu for the first time, visiting the floating Islands on Lake Titicaca , All of the Galapagos Islands visited but in particular swimming…

    NHH, West Byfleet

  • Highlights? Friends have asked us this and we struggle because there were so many! The magic of Easter Island and we had to keep reminding ourselves that we were actually…

    LW, Chesterfield

  • Cuba is a fascinating country and JLA have pulled together a fantastic trip with excellent local guides. It exceeded my expectations and I do hope to return one day.

    AES, Eastbourne
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Our Expert's Opinion

Hannah
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.
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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

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

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  • 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.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • 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!

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

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