{"id":6635,"date":"2017-09-22T11:41:29","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T17:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitcentroamerica.com\/packages\/essential-central-america\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T23:55:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T05:55:05","slug":"central-america-essential","status":"publish","type":"package","link":"https:\/\/www.visitcentroamerica.com\/en\/tours\/central-america-essential\/","title":{"rendered":"Essential Central America"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Essential<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Essential<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Essential<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Essential<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Essential<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
\"Essential<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Discover Costa Rica and Guatemala in depth, visiting places as emblematic as\u00a0<\/span>La Antigua Guatemala<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Chichicastenango<\/a><\/span>, Lake Atitl\u00e1n,<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0Panajachel<\/a><\/span>, the\u00a0City of Guatemala<\/b>, Flores, Tikal National Park,<\/span>\u00a0San Jos\u00e9<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>La Fortuna<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Monteverde<\/a><\/span>, and much more.<\/span><\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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BOOK NOW! <\/i><\/i><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 1<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Arrival to Guatemala.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meet and greet at La Aurora International Airport and private transfer to La Antigua Guatemala for lodging.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 2<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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City tour, La Antigua Guatemala
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a Antigua Guatemala<\/a>, 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\u00a0Cerro de la Cruz, Church of La Merced, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and the Colonial Museum<\/strong>. During the evening, you will visit the Casa Santo Domingo Museum and continue this historical journey to the \u201cLa Azotea\u201d 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\u00a0Ciudad Vieja and San Antonio Aguascalientes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 3<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Chichicastenango.<\/b><\/p>\n

Chichicastenango is America\u00b4s largest open market. Visit to the 400-year old Santo Tomas church<\/strong>, as well as the colorful and picturesque cemetery where you can see a\u00a0Mayan ceremony<\/strong>. Continue towards the\u00a0Centro Ceremonial Pascual Abaj<\/strong>, a shrine dedicated to the Mayan god of Earth. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to\u00a0Atitl\u00e1n<\/a>, Solol\u00e1, in the western highlands\u2019 region. Accommodations in the town of\u00a0Panajachel<\/a>, one of the most visited places in the area.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 4<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Lake Atitl\u00e1n.<\/b><\/p>\n

Boat trip to visit breathtaking\u00a0Lake Atitl\u00e1n<\/a>, a deep-blue volcanic crater lake surrounded by three volcanoes:\u00a0San Pedro, Atitl\u00e1n, and Tolim\u00e1n<\/strong>, and the\u00a0colorful Mayan<\/strong>\u00a0villages resting on its shores. Continue to\u00a0Santiago Atitl\u00e1n<\/strong>, a village located on the southern part of Lake Atitl\u00e1n, the biggest village on the skirts of the volcano. You will also visit the village of\u00a0San Antonio Palop\u00f3<\/strong>, where many families are dedicated to the manufacture of ceramic pieces. Then you will continue to the nearby village,\u00a0Santa Catarina Palop\u00f3<\/strong>, where you can admire the women who wear traditional clothes keeping many of their customs in everyday life. In the afternoon, transfer to\u00a0Quetzaltenango<\/strong>\u00a0for accommodations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 5<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Quetzaltenango<\/b><\/p>\n

Visit to the\u00a0Parque Central America<\/strong>\u00a0central 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\u00a0Zunil<\/strong>, 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\u00a0Guatemala City<\/strong>\u00a0for accommodations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 6<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Flight to Flores.<\/b><\/p>\n

Transfer to La Aurora International Airport to take your\u00a0flight to Flores<\/strong>, Pet\u00e9n.\u00a0 Meet and greet at Mundo Maya International Airport and transfer to\u00a0Tikal National Park<\/a>, a direct encounter with the cradle of Mayan civilization; featuring most of the main archaeological discoveries. Its name means \u201cthe place of voices,\u201d 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 \u201cThe Great Jaguar,\u201d and Temple II \u201cMasks,\u201d among others. In addition, we will enjoy the fauna and the impressive flora that surrounds it. Lunch at the visitor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 7<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Guatemala City.<\/b><\/p>\n

Transfer to the airport for your direct flight to Costa Rica.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 8<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Costa Rica.<\/b><\/p>\n

Half-day city tour of\u00a0San Jos\u00e9<\/a>, the country\u2019s most highly populated province, and the capital of the country. You will visit the most representative places of the city such as the\u00a0National Theater<\/strong>, considered to be San Jos\u00e9\u2019s most remarkable building; the\u00a0Culture Plaza<\/strong>, in the basement lies the Pre-Columbian\u00a0Gold Museum<\/strong>; the\u00a0Metropolitan Cathedral; and, the Moraz\u00e1n Park<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 9<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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La Fortuna (Arenal Volcano).<\/b><\/p>\n

Early morning transfer to\u00a0La Fortuna<\/a>, a charming and quiet town that offers panoramic views of the spectacular\u00a0Arenal Volcano<\/strong>, Costa\u2019s Rica\u2019s most active volcano until December 2010. Besides the volcano, this town offers other great tourist attractions such as\u00a0La Catarata de la Fortuna<\/strong>. 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\u00a0ride through rivers and along the slopes of the Arenal Volcano<\/strong>. Thanks to the volcano\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 10<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Monteverde.<\/b><\/p>\n

Early morning transfer to\u00a0Monteverde\u00a0<\/a>Cloud Forest Reserve<\/strong>, considered to be one of the most spectacular nature reserves in the Americas.\u00a0The reserve is home to a great diversity of flora and fauna. Its elevations and location create four distinct climate zones, hosting more than\u00a03,000 plant species, 500 orchid species, 120 mammal species<\/strong>, 130 species of amphibians and reptiles, and more than 400 species of birds.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 11<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Conchal (Northwest Pacific coast)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transfer to\u00a0Playa Conchal<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 12<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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Free day \/ rest day<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/i><\/i><\/span>Day 13<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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San Jos\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transfer to the Juan Santamar\u00eda airport for your flight back home.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Activities included<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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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.<\/p>\n

It does not include:
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US$29 per person departure tax; any activities or services not specifically mentioned in the itinerary; tips.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/i><\/i><\/span>Useful information - Don't leave anything<\/span><\/a><\/h4><\/div>
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We recommend to bring\u2026<\/strong>
\nBring all the documentation in rule.<\/p>\n

Clothes for warm climate and rucksack for water.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>