Essential Central America

COLONIAL CITIES, NATURAL PARKS, ARCHAEOLOGICAL PLACES AND BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

Countries
Costa Rica, Guatemala

Zones
North, South

Themes
Archeology and History, Culture, Nature, Sun and Beach, World Heritage

Discover Costa Rica and Guatemala in depth, visiting places as emblematic as La Antigua Guatemala, Chichicastenango, Lake Atitlán, Panajachel, the City of Guatemala, Flores, Tikal National Park, San José, La Fortuna, Monteverde, and much more.

BOOK NOW!

Day 1

Arrival to Guatemala.

Meet and greet at La Aurora International Airport and private transfer to La Antigua Guatemala for lodging.

a Antigua Guatemala, named by the beauty and greatness of its the colonial buildings. Today you will take a complete tour of La Antigua Guatemala`s most iconic places such as Cerro de la Cruz, Church of La Merced, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the Colonial Museum. During the evening, you will visit the Casa Santo Domingo Museum and continue this historical journey to the “La Azotea” Cultural Center, an old coffee plantation still in use where you can learn the history of the famous Guatemalan coffee and the production process that made it world famous. To end your day, you will visit Ciudad Vieja and San Antonio Aguascalientes.

Day 3

Chichicastenango.

Chichicastenango is America´s largest open market. Visit to the 400-year old Santo Tomas church, as well as the colorful and picturesque cemetery where you can see a Mayan ceremony. Continue towards the Centro Ceremonial Pascual Abaj, a shrine dedicated to the Mayan god of Earth. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Atitlán, Sololá, in the western highlands’ region. Accommodations in the town of Panajachel, one of the most visited places in the area.

Day 4

Lake Atitlán.

Boat trip to visit breathtaking Lake Atitlán, a deep-blue volcanic crater lake surrounded by three volcanoes: San Pedro, Atitlán, and Tolimán, and the colorful Mayan villages resting on its shores. Continue to Santiago Atitlán, a village located on the southern part of Lake Atitlán, the biggest village on the skirts of the volcano. You will also visit the village of San Antonio Palopó, where many families are dedicated to the manufacture of ceramic pieces. Then you will continue to the nearby village, Santa Catarina Palopó, where you can admire the women who wear traditional clothes keeping many of their customs in everyday life. In the afternoon, transfer to Quetzaltenango for accommodations.

Day 5

Quetzaltenango

Visit to the Parque Central America central square and to the Metropolitan Cathedral. Continue to Almolonga, a village that has reached prosperity thanks to the sale of its vegetables. The next stop is Zunil, a charming rural village situated on a valley and dominated by an impressive volcano, with its church painted in pure white that stands out from the red roofs of the houses. Transfer back to Guatemala City for accommodations.

Day 6

Flight to Flores.

Transfer to La Aurora International Airport to take your flight to Flores, Petén. Meet and greet at Mundo Maya International Airport and transfer to Tikal National Park, a direct encounter with the cradle of Mayan civilization; featuring most of the main archaeological discoveries. Its name means “the place of voices,” and was built during the classic period of the Mayans and continues being restored. Visit to the model of the temples and the complex of the Acropolis: Complex Q and R, to continue to the central Acropolis, Temple I “The Great Jaguar,” and Temple II “Masks,” among others. In addition, we will enjoy the fauna and the impressive flora that surrounds it. Lunch at the visitor’s center and brief tour of the island of Flores. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport to take your flight to Guatemala. Arrival at La Aurora International Airport and transfer to the hotel in the heart of the city for accommodations.

Day 7

Guatemala City.

Transfer to the airport for your direct flight to Costa Rica.

Day 8

Costa Rica.

Half-day city tour of San José, the country’s most highly populated province, and the capital of the country. You will visit the most representative places of the city such as the National Theater, considered to be San José’s most remarkable building; the Culture Plaza, in the basement lies the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum; the Metropolitan Cathedral; and, the Morazán Park.

Day 9

La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano).

Early morning transfer to La Fortuna, a charming and quiet town that offers panoramic views of the spectacular Arenal Volcano, Costa’s Rica’s most active volcano until December 2010. Besides the volcano, this town offers other great tourist attractions such as La Catarata de la Fortuna. You will take a horseback ride to see a breathtakingly beautiful waterfall that falls from a dizzying height of 70 meters, where you can swim and enjoy nature. On your way back, you will ride through rivers and along the slopes of the Arenal Volcano. Thanks to the volcano’s geothermal activity, there is a number of natural hot springs throughout the area, so you can relax at the end of the day in the natural hot springs with different temperatures, surrounded by tropical vegetation.

Day 10

Monteverde.

Early morning transfer to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, considered to be one of the most spectacular nature reserves in the Americas. The reserve is home to a great diversity of flora and fauna. Its elevations and location create four distinct climate zones, hosting more than 3,000 plant species, 500 orchid species, 120 mammal species, 130 species of amphibians and reptiles, and more than 400 species of birds.

Day 11

Conchal (Northwest Pacific coast)

Transfer to Playa Conchal, a fabulous beach that has near perfect weather all year long, bathed in sunshine most of the time, with over 10 hours of daylight from December to April. The water always remains at a comfortable temperature and is ideal for swimming or snorkeling. This beach is separated by a rocky headland known as Punta Conchal, which gets its name from the sand found here composed of hundreds of millions of tiny crushed shells.

Day 12

Free day / rest day

Day 13

San José

Transfer to the Juan Santamaría airport for your flight back home.

Activities included

Accommodations in 5-star hotels, daily breakfast, domestic flight Flores-Guatemala City-Flores, private ground transportation in both countries with English, German, French, Italian speaking guide. Direct flight from Guatemala to Costa Rica.

It does not include:

US$29 per person departure tax; any activities or services not specifically mentioned in the itinerary; tips.