Guatemala

DAY 1: GUATEMALA CITY - ANTIGUA

For your added comfort, an English-speaking guide will be waiting outside of customs holding a sign with your name on it. Your guide will bring you to your waiting private driver and vehicle, and will accompany you to your accommodation in Antigua to assist with check-in. The transfer from Guatemala City to Antigua typically takes one hour, however, it can take up to 90 minutes during busier traffic times.

Upon arrival to your hotel, you will receive a welcome kit which will include a Kensington Tours tote bag, a detailed itinerary of your tour, a map of the country, any additional travel information you may require, and a local trinket.

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo (4*)

In its earliest days, Casa Santo Domingo was one of the grandest convents in the Americas: a sanctuary that sheltered the followers of the order of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Today, the hotel stands as an important monument, housing and preserving treasures from the baroque era of ancestral America. This innovative hotel museum offers 130 rooms, each with its own unique and special characteristics. The décor includes works of art from renowned Guatemalan artists and handmade textiles featuring traditional-contemporary designs. Updated with the finest amenities, accommodation features include LCD televisions with cable, telephones with voicemail, minibars, safety deposit boxes, irons and ironing boards, hair dryers, lighted vanity mirrors, bathrobes, twice-daily housekeeping service, fireplaces, high-speed Internet, terrace, balcony, and private bathrooms.

DAY 2: ANTIGUA

Antigua is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in the Americas. A captivating town, it feels as though time stopped here 300 years ago. On this walking tour you will visit the Central Plaza and discover the main Spanish-Baroque influenced buildings in the town which include El Portal, Palacio de Capitanes, and Antigua Cathedral. Carrying onward, the tour will take you through the locally-popular Tanque La Union, the San Francisco Church (used in the 1935 classic film, The New Adventures of Tarzan), the picturesque 5th Avenue and will conclude at La Merced, a baroque church founded in 1767. This service includes a bilingual guide as well as entrance fees.

The only way to improve peanut butter is to make it fresh yourself in the home of peanut farmers on the slope of Volcano Agua! Here you will learn about the basics of peanut farming firsthand and discover the trick to easy peanut shelling. Next, participate in a peanut roast over an open fire before grinding these delicious legumes by hand. On this farm, nothing is added to the peanut butter - no sugar, salt, oil or preservatives. Before returning to your hotel, you will, of course, get to sample your tasty creation.

Includes: Transportation, guide, workshop.

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo (4*)

DAY 3: ANTIGUA

Your guide will meet you at the lobby of your hotel to transfer you to Pacaya Volcano. Upon arrival, you will begin a two-hour and 30-minute hike that will take you to the summit of the volcano. At the peak, marvel at the magnificent view and enjoy light snacks. After time for photos, conversation, and eating, you will start hiking back.

Includes: Transportation, guide, entrance fees, snacks.

Prepare for a serene tour by horseback at the eye-catching Finca Filadelfia. After being transferred to the Finca by a private driver and vehicle, you will meet your local guide on site. After a brief orientation, you will head to the stables where you will be matched with a horse and suited up for your tour. Along the way, you will pass through coffee fields and shade trees and then along the slope of La Mina mountain. To cap off the experience, you will sample a cup of coffee produced at Finca Filadelfia before reconnecting with your private driver for the return transfer to your hotel.  This service includes transportation, guide, and entrance fees.

Accommodation: Casa Santo Domingo (4*)

DAY 4: ANTIGUA - LAKE ATITLAN

The cocoa seed was crucial to the ancient Mayans; it was a commercial symbol, used as a coin, and was an essential ingredient in the preparation of ceremonial drinks and dishes. During your hands-on tour, learn about this important seed through a personalized workshop where you will work with the kernel - brewing, roasting and grinding – to prepare elaborate chocolate delights. After learning the tricks of the trade from an expert Chocolatier, you will make your chocolates and just an hour later will able to enjoy them. This tour also includes a visit to the local chocolate museum.  This unique experience includes guide, instructor, chocolate workshop, and entrance fees.

You will be privately transferred from Antigua to Lake Atitlan in the Guatemalan highlands. Total travel time will be approximately 3 hours.

Accommodation: Hotel Atitlan (5*)

Hotel Atitlan is one of Guatemala’s finest and most charming boutique hotels. The hotel is situated 10 minutes from the main town of Panajachel on what once was the estate of a family owned coffee plantation, now a lush botanical garden. The decorations are beautiful, with hand-carved wooden furnishings blending exceptionally well with ornate ceramic tiles. It is wonderfully decorated with wood hand-carved furnishing combined with ornate ceramic tiles. The design and décor reflect the elegant Spanish colonial style of an 18th century Guatemalan plantation. Floors are made from traditional tile and covered with beautifully hand-woven area rugs. Hotel Atitlan is designed to be a relaxing home away from home for discriminating travelers in search of a truly unique experience.

DAY 5: LAKE ATITLAN

After breakfast, your guide will take you, via private boat, to Santa Cruz where kayaks and gear for your lake experience will be waiting. Once outfitted, participate in an easy 45 minute to one-hour kayak tour along the shores of Lake Atitlan, paddling past small indigenous villages, local fisherman and rugged cliffs with exotic plants and birdlife. Upon arrival to the small village of Tzununa, you will embark on an easy hike along footpaths used by locals, each offering stunning views of the volcanoes surrounding the lake. After the hike, you will be returned to your hotel by boat to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.  This service includes transportation, guide, kayaks, and entrance fees.

Lake Atitlan, found in the Sierra Madre mountain range of the Guatemalan Highlands, is the deepest lake in Central America (reaching over 1,100 feet at its deepest point) and is flanked by three towering volcanoes on the lake's southern rim. Often described as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, renowned author Aldous Huxley described the region as follows: "Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlan is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing."  Today, this breathtaking region is yours to discover. Whether you wish to relax near the lake, explore the region's rich Mayan history, or explore the local ecology which is home to at least 116 species of reptiles and amphibians and countless tropical birds. You may choose to set out to discover the lore surrounding Maximon (an idol formed ages ago when traditional Mayan cultural deities were fused with Catholic saints and the legends of Spanish conquistadors), there is no shortage of excellent activities to enjoy. Whatever you choose to do, you're certain to fall in love with this great region.

Accommodation: Hotel Atitlan (5*)

DAY 6: LAKE ATITLAN - GUATEMALA CITY - FLORES - TIKAL

To begin your zip-line adventure, a private driver will transfer you via tuk-tuk to the Atitlan Natural Reserve. After climbing part of the mountain (roughly 300 feet), you will then fly down across the forest on a series of eight high-speed zip-lines. With incredible views of the lake as you pass by canyons, waterfalls and coffee plantations, this scenic tour is a favorite among travelers. After the zip-line tour, your driver will return you to your hotel.  This service includes transportation, guide, and entrance fees.

You will be privately transferred from Lake Atitlan to Guatemala City with a bilingual driver. This transfer will take approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Enjoy a flight from Guatemala City to Flores, Peten - gateway to the most spectacular Mayan ruins in Guatemala. This flight will take approximately one hour.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with vehicle and driver. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes.

Accommodation: Hotel Villa Maya (4*)

Just 15 minutes away from Santa Elena International Airport and 45 minutes from Tikal National Park, Hotel Villa Maya is located in a vast natural private reserve, near the shores of Petenchel and Monifata lagoons. Villa Maya consists of 20 bungalows; all are reachable by well-kept paths and are surrounded by beautiful gardens, tropical jungle & lovely views of the lagoons. The hotel features two outdoor swimming pools and a Jacuzzi, sun beds and garden furniture. Internet access is available in the hotel lobby and restaurant, and the hotel also offers optional laundry services.

DAY 7: TIKAL - FLORES - GUATEMALA CITY

Tikal National Park, one of the largest Maya archeological sites, will be revealed to you on a fascinating and privately guided tour. Once home to an incredibly powerful ancient Maya kingdom, your expert guide will provide insights into this ancient metropolis which features monuments from as far back as 4 BCE. The city would not reach its peak Classic Period, and the incredible buildings, history, and widely recognized theories of the collapse of the Mayan civilization we be explained to you in detail during this excursion. After the tour, enjoy lunch at in Tikal National Park before being transferred to back to your hotel. This service includes private transportation, bilingual guide, entrance fees, and lunch.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with vehicle and driver. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes.

Your flight from Flores, Peten to Guatemala City (included) will last approximately one hour.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with vehicle and driver. This transfer will take approximately 40 minutes.

Accommodation: Real InterContinental Hotel (4*)

Located in Zona Viva, the heart of Guatemala’s entertainment and business district, the Real InterContinental Hotel provides guests with modern amenities and comforts in this historic city. The hotel features a gastronomic center with four unique concept restaurants, a vibrant bar, a fitness center and a spa. Every room has been designed to ensure a positive experience, with streaming speed internet service, soundproof windows, ergonomic mattresses, Egyptian cotton sheets and more.

DAY 8: GUATEMALA CITY

Enjoy a private airport transfer with vehicle and driver. This transfer will take approximately 40 minutes.

Accommodation: Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard)

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.