GUATEMALA & COSTA RICA

Day 1 : Guatemala City / Antigua

Arrival at La Aurora International Airport.

You will be met  at the airport in order to transfer  to Antigua.

Overnight at Hotel Villa Colonial.

Day 2 : Chichicastenango / Atitlan Lake (Thursday or Sunday)

Today we will go to the largest highland Mayan Market, Chichicastenango (only Thursday or Sunday). Surrounded by valleys and mountains that cover the horizons, Chichicastenango may seem isolated in time and space from the rest of Guatemala. When its narrow, cobbled streets and red tiled roofs are covered with fog, and this happens often, it may seem like you're in some kind of fairy tale.

Crowds of sellers and tourist groups flock on Thursday and Sunday to the country's largest alpine market. The Catholic patron of the city is St. Thomas, in his honor the city of Santo Thomas was built in 1540 in the city. When the Catholic missionaries arrived, they destroyed the Mayan temple and built a white church in its place. The only thing left of the temple is 18 steep steps leading to the church by the number of months in the Mayan solar calendar Haab.

Therefore, this church is probably the most unique Catholic church in Guatemala due to religious symbiosis within the church. On the steps of the church they sell flowers, candles and fragrances. Like in the front of the pyramids, an altar is installed in front of the stairs - a round flat stone, from which smoke rises from the smoldering pomp in clubs. And what a market without shopping, so bring enough money with you to buy souvenirs. The Chichicastenango market is famous mainly for its textiles and masks.

After we drive to Panajachel, situated at the edge of Lake Atitlán. During the final descend from Solola to Panajachel, experience amazing views of Lake Atitlán.

Overnight at Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 : Atitlán Lake

Today we will see the most interesting cities where Maya Tzutujil still live on Lake Atitlan. And we will start with San Juan. Boat trip to San Juan takes about 30 minutes. San Juan is the cleanest and tidiest town on the lake. There are many art galleries, whose artists paint in the style of Naive or primitivism. After, we will transfer by boat to the other side of the lake in the city of Santiago Atitlan. Santiago Atitlan, founded in 1547 at the foot of the Atitlan volcano, is the largest city with a population of 32 thousand people, 95% of which are Maya Tzutujil. The local population lives of fishing, farming, and making kayukos (local canoes). Artisans specialize in painting, woodwork and weaving.

Santiago is the city of worship of Maximon - a pagan deity or god of the Mayan people, who are offering donations in the form of alcohol and cigars. We will also visit the local Catholic church, where two religions merged - Catholicism and Mayan beliefs and take a walk past the local city hall, where the elders of the city are sitting, dressed in white striped shorts and birds embroidered at the bottom. Our final stop, before heading back to Panajachel, will be San Antonio Palopo.

Overnight at Hotel Villa Santa Catarina.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 : Atitlan Lake / Guatemala City / Flores, Peten

After lunch short ride to Guatemala City Airport for the afternoon flight to Flores. Transfer to your hotel overlooking the Petén-Itza lake.

Overnight at Hotel Villa Maya.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 : Tikal / Guatemala City

Tikal is 64 km from Flores, the beautiful capital of Peten, located on an island on Lake Peten Itza. Tikal means “a place where the voices of spirits are heard”, in comparison with other cities of the classical period it seems huge - this is the largest settlement of pre- Columbian America. Scientists came to this conclusion after a series of excavations conducted in the late 50s. It has been inhabited since 700 BC. until 900 AD, only then to be conquered again by the tropical jungle, from the beginning of the eleventh century until the beginning of the twentieth century, when Tikal was discovered and restoration work began.

The urban complex of Tikal (not counting the outskirts) occupied an area of about 16 square kilometers. It housed 3 thousand buildings, and the pyramids were distinguished by a specific style, not found anywhere else in Mesoamerica. The six pyramidal temples make a particularly strong impression, which look like real skyscrapers against the background of other structures of this type. No wonder archaeologists called Tikal-New York the Mayan civilization. Today Tikal National Park covers 575 square kilometers and in 1979 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural and natural heritage of mankind. Flight back to Guatemala City.

Overnight at Hotel Barcelo Guatemala City.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 : Guatemala City / San Jose

Transfer to La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. Fly to San José. For a good look at San José, climb on board the VIP double-decker bus. You’ll have a panoramic view of the city, including parks and busy city streets.

As you drive, your guide will give you interesting insights into the history and culture of Costa Rica’s most vibrant city.

Overnight at Hotel Palma Real.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 : San José / Doka Coffee Tour / Poas Volcano / La Paz Waterfall Gardens

This morning you will be picked at your hotel in San José for your journey towards the Central Mountain Range where you will visit an authentic Costa Rican coffee plantation and La Paz Waterfall Gardens and Poas Volcano. The main objective of the Coffee Tour is to educate and inform the whole production process as well as the processing of coffee, where you can learn about the production, the harvesting, the processing plant and the roasting of the grain.

Later, we will start our tour to Poas Volcano. As we ascend towards the Poas Volcano we will notice the change in temperature and vegetation; we will see coffee plantations as well as fern, flower and strawberry farms along the way, creating a beautiful landscape. In the Poas Volcano where we will not only admire the impressive main crater with its sulfur fumaroles, but also learn about the different ecosystems in this beautiful national park.

Following the visit to the volcano we will continue to La Paz Waterfall Garden for lunch and tour. On arrival to the La Paz, we will walk through a trail, leading to a spectacular waterfall in the middle of the rainforest. Inside the park we will also visit the hummingbird gallery, the serpentarium, the bird house, the butterfly garden and the frog’s exhibit. Back to San José.

Overnight at Hotel Palma Real.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8 : San José / Tortuguero National Park

We begin our trip early in the morning between 6:00 am from San Jose. You will be traveling with a bilingual naturalist guide on an air conditioned bus. Drive through Braulio Carrillo National Park, where you have the opportunity to see beautiful views and abundant vegetation. On the way we will stop for breakfast at Selva Tropical Restaurant where you can enjoy a butterfly garden with a variety of tropical flowers.

After breakfast we will continue our trip to Caño Blanco deck driving by banana plantations. At Caño Blanco, you will board the covered boat to the lodge, passing the Tortuguero canals arriving between 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. In the afternoon you will visit to the Turtle Museum of the C.C.C. (Caribbean Conservation Corporation) and to the colorful Tortuguero town.  

You will return to the lodge around 5:30 p.m. Free time to enjoy the pool, the bar service and prepare for your dinner.

Overnight at Hotel.  

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 : Tortuguero National Park / Arenal Volcano

6:15 am tour to admire the awakening of the wildlife of Tortuguero. Return for breakfast (service between 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.). Continue to the northern lowlands of Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna town. Relax in the best hot springs of the área.

Overnight at Hotel Arenal Paraíso Resort & Spa.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 10 : Arenal Volcano

AM: The Arenal Hanging Bridges at Mistico Park is a beautiful, environmentally-friendly nature project located near the Arenal Volcano for walking tours. This is considered one of the best nature walks in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. There are trails and bridges that bring you as close as you could ever hope to get to the birds, flowers, and the lush vegetation of this primary rainforest. This is the perfect tour for nature enthusiasts visiting Costa Rica! The trails are designed for all ability levels and cover a total of about 2 miles. Once you are on walking along, you will be able to admire the great diversity of flora and fauna typically found in the tropical rain forest and also have the opportunity to see many different birds and plant species for approx 2.5 hrs. Walk right into the forest along several stretches of hanging bridges overlooking the tree canopy along easy, safe and beautiful trails with views of the Arenal Volcano. Appreciate the wildlife as you cross the 15 different bridges, 6 of them are the ones hanging.

PM: The Arenal Volcano 1968 Park and other reserves along the border of the National Park are one of the most visited places in all of Central America. The trails in Arenal Volcano1968 Park and other nearby Arenal Reserves are generally not very strenuous -- perfect for a leisurely and informative hike with one of our professional nature guides. This part of the Arenal Volcano had sections that were devastated by the lava flow of 1968, so some areas have very little vegetation. This guided walk of the1968 Trail provides perfect photo opportunities and magnificent views of the impressive Arenal Volcano, the pristine Lake Arenal and the extinct volcano Cerro Chato. We have chosen the appropriate trail for better wildlife viewing. There are parts of each trail that has forested areas where your nature guide will try to spot birds, monkeys and other animals in their natural habitat.

Overnight at Hotel Arenal Paraíso Resort & Spa.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 11 : Arenal Volcano / Monteverde

Transfer to Monteverde in a different way. Travel between Arenal and Monteverde with Taxi-Boat-Taxi. This van-boat-van service is the fastest and a very scenic way to travel between the Arenal Vocano and the cloud forests of Monteverde. Plus, you get to have a fun and scenic boat ride on Lake Arenal and see gorgeous views of Arenal Volcano! We will travel across the peaceful and picturesque Lake Arenal until we reach the other side to the small town of Rio Chiquito.

Monteverde is one of the most-unique villages in all of Costa Rica. It has a small-town, rural, country feel with a lot of cowboys walking around downtown Santa Elena, the main eco-touristic hot spot. Located in the heart of the Monteverde Cloud Forest, Selvatura Zip Lines consist one of the few tours in Costa Rica that literarily take you deep within the primary Monteverde Cloud Forest, providing a precious and unique experience we guarantee you'll always remember.

Overnight at Hotel Montaña Monteverde.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 12 : Monteverde / North Pacific

After breakfast, we will depart to North Pacific.

Overnight at Hotel Pasatiempo.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 13-14 : North Pacific

Free Day. Overnight at Hotel Pasatiempo.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 15 : San José

Transfer to Juan Santamaria International Airport.

Meals: Breakfast

End of the Tour