Itinerary

Day 1
Cancun
Our trip starts today with your arrival in Cancun. No activities are planned, so you may arrive at any time. Please refer to your itinerary for the joining hotel name and address. There will be a pre-departure meeting at the joining hotel with our tour guide at 6:30pm this evening. Don’t forget to check the notice board in the foyer of the joining hotel for details of this meeting and for any messages from your Leader. Please bring your passport and travel insurance documents with you to the meeting.

Day 2
Cancun
Situated on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun is renowned for its nearby beautiful Caribbean beaches and stunning Mayan ruins, not to mention some of the finest diving and snorkelling sites in the world. In the late 1960s, Cancun was merely a sliver of land 17 kilometres long. Visited only by local fisherman, it was separated from the coast by narrow channels. The Mexican government of the time saw the potential in its coastal character and undertook the task of developing it into the tropical island paradise that it is today. There are regular buses from our hotel in Cancun city to the beach, most famous being the beautiful beach of Playa del Carmen. We enjoy free time during our stay in Cancun to do as we please, which includes exploring or just relaxing.

Day 3
Tulum - Chetumal
We have an early start this morning, taking the bus south along the Caribbean coast to Tulum. Here we visit the spectacular pre-Columbian walled city ruins which overlook the beach side town. Perched on a cliff top, the setting of these ruins is stunning with spectacular views over the tropical shores below. On entrance to the ruins we discover the Temple of the Frescoes, the wall of which are painted with a mural honouring the ‘Diving God’ who in Mayan culture is believe to have descended from heaven to receive the offerings of man. We explore these superb ruins with the help of our local site guide before continuing on spend the night in Chetumal.

Day 4 - 5
Caye Caulker
Today we cross the border and continue on to Belize City where we board a speedboat to the palm-fringed island of Caye Caulker. Situated just 33 kilometres north of Belize City, the island is just seven kilometres from north to south and the waters off Belize are home to the world's second largest barrier reef. Coconut palms provide us with shade, while mangroves cover much of the shore. Our time is our own here to enjoy this lovely sand island and the nearby reefs. Some of the most exciting diving and snorkelling in the world is at your fingertips, as well as exploring some amazing underwater caves. There is an abundance of colourful tropical fish and coral reefs just waiting to be explored, or you may want to simply relax on a deck chair on the beach. The choice is yours! Your tour guide is on hand to help and advise you of your options.

Day 6 - 7
Flores - Tikal Ruins
This morning we return to Belize City by speedboat and continue south to Guatemala and the small picturesque town of Flores, our gateway to the ancient city of Tikal – the deserted Mayan ruins in the heart of the Guatemalan jungle. Arriving at Flores, we enter one of the most scenic towns in the Peten, the island in the middle of Lake Peten Itza, with its cobblestone streets and brightly coloured houses. From here we embark upon our visit to the largest excavated Mayan ruin site in the Americas. We penetrate the jungle of El Peten to visit the temples of the monumental ceremonial centre located in the midst of the immense Tikal National Park. As we approach, the lofty pyramids can be seen rising high above the jungle’s leafy canopy. Passing beneath the rich rainforest and dense jungle vegetation, we are immersed in some spectacular jungle sounds: riotous parrots, toucans, macaws, tree frogs and howler monkeys offer a cacophonous backdrop to our trek to the ruins. Settled around 700 BC by the Mayans, the surviving temples of the resplendent and powerful city are rich examples of the Late Classic period. We pass through the sacred causeways to the main plaza, the central area with its five main temples with some of them over 50 metres high. Beyond this, we have the option of wondering through the labyrinth of smaller uncovered structures and outlying complexes nestled within the dense jungle growth. If you have energy to spare, you can climb to the peak of Temple IV and take in the spectacular views. Or you can simply rest at the main plaza and marvel at the Mayan engineering of this amazing archaeological site. On our final evening we board an overnight bus bound for Antigua.

Day 8 - 9
Antigua
Antigua is among the oldest and most beautiful towns in the Americas. The former capital of Guatemala, modern Antigua is a superb colonial town set deep in a valley encircled by three mighty volcanoes. There is plenty to see in this World Heritage-listed town. Much of La Antigua Guatemala (Old Guatemala) was built in the 17th and 18th centuries and several splendid ruins have been preserved. Many of the partially restored churches date back to the 1500s and the stunning colonial church, La Merced, is said to house the largest fountain in Central America. Our local tour guide will show us the highlights and guide us to the summit of one of the nearby volcanoes, where we can absorb the vistas of the surrounding verdant hills, where a patchwork of grass, maize and pines envelops the town. If your energy levels are high, there are also some fun optional activities: take a scenic horse ride in the lush valley interior, bike ride to one of the neighbouring volcanoes or white-water raft on one of the highland rivers. Alternatively you can simply explore at your leisure the city’s cobblestone streets that lead into the main plaza, the Parque Central, which is lined with local villagers selling handicrafts.

Day 10
Antigua
Our tour comes to an end today. Guatemala City and the international airport are only 35 minutes away by mini-bus.

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