Mexico – Guatemala – Honduras: "The world of Mayas"

Dates of arrival:

2016: Dec 03

Day 1.

Arrival in Mexico City. Meeting at the airport with a Russian-speaking representative.

Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Day 2. Mexico City: a panoramic tour of the city − Teotihuacan and the Guadeloupe Shrine

Breakfast at the hotel.

You’ll visit the city's main square Zocalo, the Cathedral − the main cathedral of the Catholic country, the Presidential Palace with murals by Diego Rivera, in which he narrated the history of Mexico from pre-Columbian times to the XX century. You will see the ruins of the Templo Mayor pyramid and hear the story of the bloody sacrifices of the Aztecs.

Further, the way lies to the Pyramids of the Sun and of the Moon in Teotihuacan. Unknown powerful civilization of the beginning of AD, baffling with a high level of knowledge of mathematics and astronomy...

On the way back you will visit the place of pilgrimage for Catholics of the world (second only to the Vatican) – the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which has taken the indigenous people of America under her protection.

Return to the hotel. Free time.

Day 3. Mexico − Puebla (130 km) − Oaxaca (345 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge.

08:00 − leaving to a trip to Puebla.

The city, which is called the Mexican Rome, is surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. It’s the city of the legendary chocolate mole sauce. It’s protected by UNESCO for its rare architecture. A brief tour of the city.

Moving to Oaxaca city, which combines the traditions of Native American and colonial architecture. You will walk through the cobbled streets, and be able to admire many churches built in the Baroque style, to sit in a local cafe, where you can to taste the famous all over the country cuisine of Oaxaca. Here you can buy Indian handicrafts.

Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 4. Oaxaca − Monte Alban − Tehuantepec (255 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge.

08:30 − leaving to a trip to Monte Alban (10 km) − the ceremonial center of the ancient Zapotec civilization, one of the most impressive archaeological sites in Mexico, located on a plateau, with its panoramic views of the Valley of Oaxaca.

Moving to Tehuantepec. Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 5. Tehuantepec − Sumidero Canyon − Zinacantan − San Cristobal de Las Casas (395 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge from the hotel.

08:30 − departure. A visit to the canyon Sumidero − famous natural sight of Chiapas. Canyon is formed by high mountain cliffs, where the highest point of the cliff is 1000 m high. The river Grijalva flows through the canyon. The length of the canyon is about 30 km. Inspection of the canyon by boat. Sumidero Canyon is known by its natural beauty as well as ancient legends: by one of them, the Chiapa Indians, known for their warlike spirit, after the unequal struggle with the conquistadores of Diego de Mazaregosa, rushed into the gorge from the highest point of the cliff with the women and children to avoid the shameful defeat and captivity.

Visiting of Indian settlements of Zinacantan and San Juan Chamula. Moving to the first capital of the state of Chiapas − San Cristobal de Las Casas.

Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 6. San Cristobal de las Casas − the frontier − Atitlan (241 km)

Breakfast at the hotel.

06:00 – discharge, and leaving to the frontier of Mexico and Guatemala.

The frontier crossing.

Atitlan − a large closed lake in Central America, is located in the southwest of Guatemala, 145 km west of the capital. It is in the valley dammed by volcanic ash. The name of the lake is translated from Mayan as “the place where the rainbow gets color”.

Accommodation at the hotel of Atitlan. Free time.

Day 7. Atitlan − Antigua (125 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge from the hotel.

08:00 − departure for a tour. Next a trip from Atitlan to Antigua.

Antigua is a city under UNESCO protection. City tour: visit and inspection of the main square, the fountain of Sirens, the Cathedral, the Church of Merced and other tourist sights.

Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 8. Antigua (Guatemala) − Copan (Honduras) (290 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge from the hotel.

07:30 − departure. On the frontier of Guatemala and Honduras a tax is collected at a rate of 10.00 USD per person. It is not included in the price, to be paid by tourists on the moment.

Transfer to Copan.

Copan is the most famous archaeological area of the country. It is the city of Classic period of Mayan culture with numerous images of ancient governors on steles and reliefs. The mystical city is buried in the jungle. It existed from the first century of BC, and was the center of an independent political association Maya, covering the territory of modern south-eastern Guatemala and south-western Honduras, during the heyday of (VII-VIII AD).

Arrival and accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 9. Copan − Quirigua (190 km) − Flores (255 km)

Breakfast at the hotel.

05:30 − departure for a tour.

The ancient city of Quirigua, which arose in the II AD, during the reign of Cauac Ski (723-784) became the capital of an autonomous and prosperous state. The ruins of Quirigua contain some outstanding monuments in of VIII century and an impressive series of carved steles and sculpted calendars that constitute an important source of knowledge about the Mayan civilization.

Moving to Flores.

Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 10. Flores − Tikal (Guatemala) (60 km) − the frontier − Bonampak (Mexico) − Palenque (170 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge from the hotel.

06:30 − departure for a tour.

Tikal is a huge city, surrounded by jungle, and impresses with its grandeur and shapes. Indian settlements existed here from the VII century BC. In V-IX centuries BC the city was one of the main centers of Mayan culture.

The frontier crossing by boat on the river Usumacinta. A tax of 5.00 USD is paid by tourists.

Bonampak is the ruins of the Mayan city. You can see here the painted walls with graffiti in Mayan language, the frescoes depicting military rites, warriors and battle scenes.

Transfer to Palenque.

Accommodation in hotel. Free time.

Day 11. Palenque − Champoton (300 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge from the hotel.

08:30 − departure for a tour. Inspection of Palenque archaeological center − the famous Mayan city located in a mountainous jungle, surrounded on all sides by tropical vegetation. More than 1,400 of its beautifully preserved buildings cover an area four times larger than any of the famous Mayan cities. Its main attractions are the stone portraits of the priests and the emperor Pakal II, chronicles the dynasty, the temples of the Sun and of the Cross, an astronaut on the image of the emperor Pakal's sarcophagus plate, which was found in the Temple of Inscriptions. Also you can see here a network of aqueducts, canals and ditches that were used to supply running water in the city, which, according to scientists, is the most complex structure ever built by ancient Mayans.

Moving to Champoton.

Accommodation at the hotel. Free time.

Day 12. Champoton − Chichen Itza (350 km) − Cancun (200 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. Discharge from the hotel. 08:00 − departure for a tour.

A visit to the archaeological site of Chichen Itza, the magnificent creation of the Mayan − Toltec architecture. On its territory you will see the famous pyramid of Kukulcan − Feathered Serpent, which has become one of the New Seven Wonders of the World! You will see a stadium for a ball game, where the Toltecs and Mayas played and where the loss was equal to death. You will visit the famous cenote − a well of victims, where inhabitants of Chichen Itza dumped people from a 20-meter-high, bringing them to sacrifice to the god of rain.

Moving to Cancun. Accommodation at the selected hotel.

Mexico − Guatemala – Honduras:

The price includes:

- accommodation in hotel by the program;
- breakfasts;
- Russian-speaking guide throughout the trip;
- comfortable vehicles with air conditioning;
- transfers by the program;
- entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites in the program.

The price does not include:

- taxes when crossing the frontier of Guatemala and Honduras;
- tips to the porters, maids, driver and guide;
- lunches and dinners;
- flights Russia − Mexico City − Russia;
- visa;
- medical insurance.

Hotels can be replaced with hotels of the same category and diet.

Attention!

 * The National Palace is not always opened to the public. Mexico Experts Travel reserves the right to miss a visit to the Palace on the occasion of the events in the central Zocalo, visits of officials and other circumstances that may affect the closing of the palace.